Tamil Nadu Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar on Sunday hit out at Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) for adopting "double standards" by protesting against the government over bus fare hike.

Vijayabhaskar while addressing a gathering here said that the party which supported the fare hike earlier, turned against the government soon after it was rolled out.

"During transport workers' strike, communist party unions favoured fare hike to generate revenues but now when it has been done, they started protesting against us," Vijayabhaskar while addressing the gathering here.

"This shows the double standards of the party," he added.

The Tamil Nadu minister also sought apology from the people for raising the fare and said that the decision was taken due to "financial constraints".

Earlier on Saturday, Vijayabhaskar said there was no possibility of rolling back the hike in fares of the state government buses.

"No chance of that," said Vijayabhaskar, when he was asked if there was a possibility for reviewing of bus fare hike in the state, in Karur.

After six years, the E. Palaniswami-led government on Friday hiked the fares of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses in Chennai from Rs 3 to Rs 5, and the maximum from Rs 14 to Rs 23.

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan to not to make the valley a battleground.

Mufti while speaking at the passing out parade of new Police constables here at Subsidiary Training Centre said that when the entire nation is reaching new heights, Jammu and Kashmir is moving in the opposite direction.

"There is a lot of bloodshed at our border. The country is moving on the path of development, but the opposite is happening in the valley. I want to appeal the prime minister and Pakistan to not to make Jammu and Kashmir a battleground, but should try to make a friendly relation with the each other," Mufti said.

Further stressing on the issue, the chief minister also said that the work of the Jammu and Kashmir Police is the toughest.

"Jammu and Kashmir Police has the biggest challenges in front of them. They have to face their own people while maintaining law and order in the state and have to keep patience while dealing with it," she said.

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India's foreign policy is not based on one country, and it will be wrong to assume that it is Pakistan-centric, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a television interview, on Sunday.

In an exclusive interview with Times Now, Prime Minister Modi said, "India's foreign policy is based in the context of India. India's foreign policy is based in the context of its relations with the world. It is issue-based. Our foreign policy is not based on one nation and it should not be."

The Prime Minister reiterated that countries were taking a tough stand on terrorism, in order to save humanity.

He added, "Whoever takes a step against terrorism, I will welcome them and praise them. The world is uniting against terrorism, to save the humanity.

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Former Balochistan home minister Gazain Marri has been acquitted by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) here in a terrorism case related to the killing of two paramilitary personnel and recovery of explosive materials from his possession.

According to the Dawn, the court acquitted him after the prosecution failed to prove charges against him.

Speaking to media outside the courtroom, Marri said, "We will compensate for the mistakes we have committed in the past. I acted earlier on the advice of my father, but now I will take all decisions on my own and with the consultation of friends and supporters".

"I want to play my role in the larger interest of Balochistan and my people so that the sense of deprivation among the Marri tribe which they have been experiencing for a long time should be removed", he added.

On October 10, 2017, the Balochistan High Court (BHC) ordered to release Marri, who was detained under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order.

Gazeen Marri, Son of the late Baloch nationalist leader Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, was detained in September 2017 by the Quetta deputy commissioner after being granted bail in the Justice Nawaz Marri murder case by an anti-terrorism court in Sibbi.

Earlier, he was arrested upon his return to Pakistan from the United Arab Emirates after ending an 18 years self-imposed exile.

Dissatisfied with the reasons for Marri's detention, the court ordered Marri's release terming his detention "illegal". The divisional bench of BHC, comprising Justice Jamal Mandokhail and Justice Nazeer Ahmed Langove, gave orders to release Marri.

He was earlier arrested by the personnel of law enforcing agencies (LEAs) as soon as he landed at the Quetta international Airport on September 22 to end his 18-year-long self-exile.

In 2006, he was arrested in the United Arab Emirates at the request of the Pakistan authorities, in connection with the murder of high court judge Nawaz. He was later tried in an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan.

He lived in self-exile since 2000, Gazain is a younger brother of PML-N leader Nawab Jhangez Marri and elder brother of Hyarbyar Marri, the chief of the outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA), and Zamuran Marri, the chief of banned United Baluch Army (UBA).

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second interview of 2018 garnered much attention as he discussed slew of issues including judicial crisis, union budget 2018, economy and job creation and many others.

The interview with a news channel Times Now, which was telecasted on Sunday, comes a day after the Prime Minister appeared on Zee News.

On the Judicial Crisis in Supreme Court

Commenting on the recent crisis in the administration of the Supreme Court, Prime Narendra Modi rebuffed a question on the allegations against the conduct of CJI Deepak Misra by saying, "I believe the government and I should not speak on this issue. Our judiciary is full of excellent individuals and we should leave it to them."

The apparent crisis in the top court came to the fore when four top court judges, justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph, on January 12 held a press conference - a first by apex court judges - and alleged that the CJI had been violating the conventions in his role as the master of the roster.

On Union Budget 2018

The Prime Minister hinted that the Union Budget 2018 will be in favour of 'common man'.

Replying to the question that whether the government will present a populist budget eyeing the 2019 elections he said, "The common man expects honesty, he expects to get what he deserves. He doesn't demand sops & freebies. It is our myth. I trust the common man of the country."

He, however, said that budget is the property of Parliament and falls under the ambit of Finance minister, hence he don't want to interfere in that.

On his Priorities for Next 18 months

The Prime Minister also shared his priorities for the remaining 18-month journey before the 2019 elections.

He listed out electricity supply as his priority while saying that soon he would provide electricity to everyone free of cost.

"In India, there are 25 crore families approximately. Out of the 25 crore families, four crore families are still living in darkness. There is no electricity connection in their homes. I set a deadline for myself, that within a certain period of time I will provide those four crore families electricity and that too for free," he said.

On Job Creation and Economy

Prime Minister Modi claimed that Indian economy has flourished since the BJP came to power while accusing the Opposition of "spreading lies about (lack of) employment.

"Fiscal Deficit was earlier 4.5 percent or even more, and we have brought it down to 3.5 percent. Current account deficit, in comparison to the GDP was four percent. Today, we have brought it down to between 1-2 percent. Secondly, we have taken FDI from 30 billion dollars to now more than 62 billion dollars. This is a big jump in itself. This happens when there is trust in economic policies," he said.

"If every sector like Railways, Power, Textiles, infrastructure are expanding everyday, then how is it possible that more people will not get employment," he added.

On NDA rule

When asked to rate the 3.5 years of the NDA rule, the Prime Minister said that the government has performed exceptionally well, especially in elections.

"If elections are a way of measuring our success, than the government has performed exceptionally well," he said.

He further took a dig at the UPA government while saying that all the scams took place in their regime.

"During UPA's tenure, the newspapers were filled with stories about scams. If we take elections as a report card, than we have performed excellently. The world is saying India is a bright spot. I would definitely want that the country to get a comparative study of 10 years of UPA, with our three and a half or four years in office.

The interview also covered issues like Triple Talaq Bill, Uniform Civil Code, GST, unemployment, the agrarian distress and much more.

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Google on Monday dedicated its doodle to Soviet film director and film theorist, Sergei Eisenstein, on his 120th birth anniversary.

Born this day in 1898, Sergei Eisenstein (Sergei Mikhailovich Eizenshtein) was a pioneer in the theory and practice of montage in film making- the technique of editing a fast-paced sequence of short shots to transcend time or suggest thematic juxtapositions.

The doodle sees Sergei developing the film reels.

He directed several groundbreaking films, including 'Battleship Potemkin', 'Strike', and 'The General Line'.

Google took to its website to describe, "His films were also revolutionary in another sense, as he often depicted the struggle of downtrodden workers against the ruling class."

He was honoured with Stalin prize in 1941 and 1946.

Sergei took his last breath on February 11, 1948 at the age of 50 in Moscow, Soviet Union.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank have commended the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for its remarkable progress in strengthening banking supervision.

The IMF and World Bank released two separate reports of the 2017 India Financial Sector Assessment Programme (FSAP) in December last year in which they said, the regulation by the Central bank has improved in recent years.

In continuation, the IMF and the World Bank on Friday released two detailed assessment reports relating to the 2017 India FSAP.

In a statement, market regulator SEBI noted that the report on the observance of Basel Core Principles commends the Reserve Bank for the remarkable progress in strengthening banking supervision since the last programme.

The report also noted that the supervision and regulation by the Reserve Bank remained strong and has improved in recent years.

It also acknowledged that banking reforms have helped usher in an era of transparency and improved discipline and will go a long way in resolving the problem of bad loans in India.

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The death toll in the Saturday's attack at central Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel has risen to 18, according to government sources.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior (MoI) had earlier confirmed that the death toll was five. At least six people were injured in the attack.

All the three terrorists, who attacked the Intercontinental Hotel here, were killed by the Afghan security forces after a 13-hour siege.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday condemned the attack and called for regional and international cooperation against terrorism.

Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also condemned the attack and commended security forces for saving people trapped inside the hotel during the attack.

"I commend the Afghan Forces for their bravery and professional action of rescuing over 100 civilians and killing all terrorists in the insane attack on Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. I condemn the attack and condole with the victim families," Abdullah wrote on Twitter.

According to the MoI spokesman Najib Danish, around 100 guests and staffers were rescued, of which 16 of them were foreign nationals. He said all those who had died or were wounded had been Afghan nationals. The MoI also dismissed reports of a hostage situation.

The terrorists stormed the hotel on Saturday evening, shooting at guests and detonating grenades. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Intercontinental Hotel, located on a hilltop and heavily protected like most public buildings in Kabul, is one of two main luxury hotels in the city and had reportedly been due to host an information technology conference on Sunday.

In 2011, a similar attack on the hotel left at least 21 people dead, which also included nine attackers. The Taliban was also responsible for that attack as well.

The attack comes just days after the US embassy in Kabul issued a warning about possible attacks on hotels in the city.

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Members of Karni Sena on Sunday distributed a memorandum in all the theatres of Haryana's Gurugram asking them not to screen controversial movie 'Padmaavat'.

When the members of Karni Sena were asked that what they would do when the film is screened on January 25, they said, "Wait and watch what happens on 25th."

Meanwhile, members of same organisation burnt 'Padmaavat' posters and staged protest against the release of the movie in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow and said, "We will protest in front of every theatre and urge not to screen the movie".

The Supreme Court, recently, stayed notifications issued by the four states - Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat - to ban the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum-opus.

In its interim order, the court said all states are constitutionally obliged to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident during the screening of the film after permission has been granted by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

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Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders have elected its Central Executive Committee (CEC) through balloting.

"It was unanimously decided in the meeting that in order to accelerate the pace of ideological and organisation process and working, a fully functional Coordination committee should be constituted through balloting", the MQM said in a statement.

Securing the highest numbers of votes, Dr Nadees Ehas was elected to the position of the Convener, while their International Secretariat In-charge Qasim Ali Raza was elected as the Deputy Convener of the Coordination Committee of the Movement.

"The balloting continued until Syed Mustafa Azizabadi, Manzoor Ahmed, Dr Saleem Danish and Sufyan Yousuf, who is also member national assembly of Pakistan, were elected as Coordination Committee members", the statement read.

"Meanwhile, for the CEC, Asif Qazi, Shahid Raza, Shahid Mustafa, Adnan Naqvi and Muhammad Saleem were elected as senior members", it added.

A meeting of its senior leaders was held on Saturday at the MQM International Secretariat here.

The meeting was attended by seniors from Pakistan, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Belgium, South Africa and other countries.

It deliberated on issues relating to Pakistan, international and MQM organisational matters.

The MQM members present at the meeting criticised Pakistan's military establishment on the custodial assassination of Dr Arif, who was a senior and eminent academician, a thinker, a writer and an intellect.

"The meeting while pointing at the Suo Motu notice from Pakistan's Chief Justice, Justice Saquib Nisar on custodial death of Naqeebullah Mehsood and other trifle issues questioned as why he fails to take a Suo Motu on the custodial assassination of Prof Arif, who lived a life of teacher, thinker and educationist", the statement read.

The leaders also demanded that the Chief Justice ensure justice for Dr Arif.

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Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leadership has distanced itself from the recently launched Free Karachi campaign in the United States.

"The meeting also unanimously informed hereby that the Movement and its founder and leader Hussain has nothing to do with the recently surfaced "#FreeKarachi" campaign", the MQM said in a statement.

The decision was taken in a meeting of its senior leaders held at the MQM International Secretariat here.

The meeting was attended by seniors from Pakistan, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Belgium, South Africa and other countries.

It deliberated on issues relating to Pakistan, international and MQM organisational matters.

The statement comes after taxis lined up with #FreeKarachi banners to participate in the Dr. Martin Luther King Day parade earlier this week in Washington and similar demonstrations were held in New York.

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Mumbai is all set to experience its first intracity joyride on a luxury cruise as a luxury ship has started its operations from Bandra Jetty.

The ship will arrange cruise joyrides from Bandra Jetty to across the Bandra Worli sea link and back.

This will be a one and half hours joyride costing around 1600 rupees per person for a single ride.

Sanjeev Agrawal, MD of SSR Maritime Services Private Limited which is operating Maiden Mumbai Cruise said that they may reconsider their fare structure once the initiative gets a good number of tourists and visitors.

This initiative has been taken by Maiden Mumbai with non-financial support from Maharashtra Tourism Development Ministry which believes that this will be a great attraction for tourists who visit Mumbai.

This cruise will operate this joyride on the weekends while on the weekdays the ship will be anchored near Bandra Jetty and will operate like a floating hotel and party destination.

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Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto on Sunday took a jibe at the judiciary in Pakistan saying that the country will continue to suffer if the judges succumb to political pressure.

Bilawal had posted a tweet saying that the law reforms concerning the judiciary should have been already formulated, but it was not being done for the last three years, leading to its decline, the Express Tribune reported.

"Law Reforms Commission headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan and has all provincial Chief Justices as members. Under the Rules, it has to meet 4 times a year. They haven't met since 2015. While judges continue to play politician and do all jobs but theirs - justice suffers in Pakistan ultimately," he posted on the micro-blogging site.

Bilawal is not the first Pakistani politician to raise the issue on the country's judiciary independence from external influences.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif criticised the country's judiciary for colluding with vested interests.

He blamed the country's highest court for his removal from the office and stated that the evidence found against him in the Panama Paper leaks case was "false and imaginary".

However, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar said on Saturday that the Supreme Court of Pakistan was an "independent institution", which is completely free from external influences and that the citizens should be "extremely proud" at it.

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United States Vice President Mike Pence has arrived in Israel, the last leg of his delayed Middle East tour, overshadowed by Arab anger over Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Pence was welcomed at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion airport by Israel's tourism minister, reported the Guardian.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, while addressing his cabinet earlier on Sunday, described Pence as a "great friend of the State of Israel."

The US vice president arrived in Tel Aviv after brief stops in Cairo and Amman. In both Arab capitals, Pence received criticism regarding Trump's Jerusalem announcement.

Pence made no statement on arrival in Israel.

It is the highest-level US visit to the region since Trump made his unilateral declaration on Dec 6 and promised to begin the process of moving the American embassy to the city.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, calling Trump's declaration a "slap in the face', has rejected Washington as an honest broker in any future talks with Israel. Abbas left for an overseas visit before Pence arrived, according to the reports.

His trip initially was scheduled to take place in December but was delayed apparently so that Pence could oversee a US congressional vote on tax reform.

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United States Vice-President Mike Pence arrived in Egypt for the first leg of his delayed Middle East tour overshadowed by Arab anger over Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Pence, who is accompanied by his wife Karen on the trip, held talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo.

However, the spiritual leaders of Egypt's Muslims and Orthodox Christians have vowed not to meet the US vice president.

Trump's designation of Jerusalem as Israel's capital poses a dilemma for Egypt, which receives extensive military and economic aid from Washington, but does not want to appear dismissive of Palestinian concerns.

From Cairo, Pence heads to Jordan, where he will meet with King Abdullah, a close US ally.

Abdullah warned against declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying it would have a dangerous impact on regional stability and obstruct U.S. efforts to resume peace talks.

In Israel, the last leg of his trip, Pence is likely to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and address the Knesset, reported Al Jazeera.

According to the reports, on Saturday, a coalition of Arab parties in the Israeli parliament said it would boycott a speech by Pence on Monday, calling him "dangerous and messianic."

His trip initially was scheduled to take place in December but was delayed apparently so that Pence could oversee a US congressional vote on tax reform.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday telephoned Nepal's Prime Minister-elect K.P Sharma Oli, congratulating him in advance for his win in the just-concluded Nepal elections.

"Indian Prime Minister Modi has invited Oli for visiting India after assuming office," Oli's Press Secretary Chetan Adhikari said in a press statement.

"Oli is said to have accepted the invitation from Prime Minister Modi and has also invited him to visit Nepal", the press statement added.

Nepal, which held its elections in 2017, saw the majority of votes weighing to the left alliance, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) and the Maoist Centre.

Though the elections were held in December and a new government was to be formed by mid-January, it missed its constitutional deadline.

Oli will be the Prime Minister for two and a half years, while the remaining term would be completed by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, under a new deal signed by both the sides.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday leave for Davos, Switzerland to attend the 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

The Prime Minister will be accompanied by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu among others.

He is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on the opening day of the meeting on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister will also hold bilateral talks with the President of Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset, besides holding a series of meetings with business leaders and addressing the international business council.

Under the theme "Creating a shared future in a Fractured World", the meeting aims to set an agenda to address political, economic and Social challenges of recent times.

This year, over 3,000 global leaders from business, government, politics, academia and social sectors are participating at the Summit which will conclude on January 26.
President Ram Nath Kovind will on Sunday arrive to Gujarat on a two-day visit.

The President will grace the 66th annual convocation of Gujarat University in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

On January 22 he will address the 66th annual convocation of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

On the same day, the President will grace the 150th anniversary celebrations of Akshar Deri at Gondal, before returning to Delhi.

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Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday said the state government will provide all protection to Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi during the Jaipur literature festival amid the protests against the release of 'Padmaavat' film.

"We will provide all possible protection Joshi needs from us. It is our duty to maintain the law and order," Rajasthan Home Minister told ANI after Rajput Karni Sena's threat that Prasoon Joshi will not be allowed to enter the state.

Kataria also said that the state government has decided to file a review petition challenging Supreme Court's verdict on the release of the film.

"We also consulted Rajput community and Shri Rajput Karni Sena to know about their views because we wanted them to be a partner of the petition. But Sena refused to be a part of it but they did say that Maharana of Udaipur and others related to the royal family will form a party and file a review petition. We had also put a point forward that it would be helpful if they file a petition before us so that our petition will also get strength to an extent," Kataria asserted.

Kataria further said Rajasthan government has the support of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers as well.

"If three major states have the same view over this issue then I think we will definitely get a way out. If we get any benefits with the petition then it is alright, otherwise we will have to follow the top court's judgment. To protect the people from vandalism because of the protest, I believe we should take this step," he added.

Earlier on Friday, venting out anger against CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi, Shri Rajput Karni Sena said he will 'not be allowed to enter Rajasthan.'

The top court, on Thursday, stayed notifications issued by the four states to ban the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum-opus.

In its interim order, the court said all states are constitutionally obliged to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward incident during the screening of the film after permission has been granted by the CBFC.

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Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Saturday discussed various issues related to mining technology with the officials of Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ) in Brisbane, during his stay in Australia.

Anthony Christensen and Andrei Golatysky, the officials of Mines and Resources department of TIQ, told the Chief Minister that there were several reserves of minerals including coal in Queensland, which are being mined.

The Chief Minister said that there are immense possibilities of cooperation between technical experts of Chhattisgarh and Australia in mining technology, mining safety, coal beneficiation and mining logistics sector.

The Chief Minister also met Nick Senapati, president of Australia-India Business Council Queensland.

The Chief Minister told him about the capabilities and resources of Chhattisgarh and discussed those opportunities, in which Chhattisgarh and Queensland could cooperate.

Singh also told Senapati that he should join the mining companies of Chhattisgarh and travel to the state and give these companies the benefit of their experiences.

The Chief Minister also met Dominic McGain, Chairman of Partners of Mikkalf Robertson and Mitchell Roche, Strategic Advisor of Resources and Renewable Group in Brisbane.

Principal Secretary Aman Kumar Singh, Industry Secretary Kamalpreet Singh and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.

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The will hear pleas filed by three petitioners seeking a SIT probe into the alleged mysterious death of CBI judge Justice B H Loya on Monday.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, will hear the petitions.

A bench of two judges, Arun Mishra and Mohan M Shantanagoudar, had adjourned the hearing in the case last Tuesday, without listing a date for the next hearing. The bench had directed the Maharashtra government, which submitted details on the case in a sealed envelope, to make its contents public to the petitioners as it is a matter where they should see everything."

The allocation of Judge Loya's matter to a relatively junior bench was one of the bone of contention raised by four rebel judges - Justices J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph  in their unprecedented press conference on January 12.

The case came into limelight as BJP president Amit Shah was one of the accused in the case. Shah was later discharged by the Special CBI court trying Sohrabuddin Sheikh case.
The Supreme Court will on Monday hear the review petition filed by the Nirbhaya gangrape convicts.

The apex court, in May, upheld the order of Delhi High Court, which had sentenced the four convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh to death.

On December 16, 2012, six people gang-raped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus in Delhi.

The woman succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012.

One of the accused, Ram Singh, had hanged himself in the prison, while another person, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted in August last year and is serving the maximum sentence of three years in a reform home.
A 25-year-old Indian Army soldier Chandan Kumar Rai lost his life in ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Mendhar sector in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch on Sunday.

The Indian Army said that they retaliated strongly and effectively after Pakistan initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of mortars, small arms and automatics.

Rai was injured during retaliation and succumbed to his injuries at the military hospital here.

He hailed from Uttar Pradesh's Chandauli district and is survived by his father.

Sunday is the fourth consecutive day of shelling by the Pakistan Rangers in civilian areas and border outposts (BoPs).

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India's Ambassador to Switzerland Sibi George on Sunday said that the business community in Switzerland is looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the country.

Prime Minister Modi will be on a two-day visit to Switzerland from January 22-23 for the Economic Forum (WEF) summit that is scheduled to be held on January 23 in Davos-Klosters.

Speaking to ANI Indian Ambassador George said, "First time since 1997 an Indian Prime Minister is attending the event. Our Prime Minister is holding inaugural keynote address. The business community in Switzerland looking forward to hear his speech."

George emphasised that India is transforming at a fast rate, which is a good thing for the business community all over the

"In 1997 when we attended at the Prime Ministerial level, India was a much smaller economy. Today, India is transforming so fast. It's a phenomenal thing well appreciated by business community all over the world," he said.

The Indian Ambassador also mentioned that two Yog-gurus have arrived here from India, who will be giving training sessions here.

"Yoga an important element, this time we introduced. There's a connection of Himalayas with the Alps. Two famous Gurus have come from India and they're going to train in one of the sessions in the Alps and one in the city of Davos during the summit," he added.

Prime Minister Modi will host a dinner for the leading global chief executive officers at the WEF Summit in Davos on January 22.

Industrial Policy and Promotion (IPP) Secretary Ramesh Abhishek said, "Our Prime Minister will host a dinner with the global chief executive officers, along with the Indian CEOs on January 22."

"At least 60 participants will participate - with big names such as Airbus and Toyota. In this session, Prime Minister Modi will address the business opportunities in India, which will benefit the economy", he added.

Prime Minister Modi will also chair a session of around 120 members of the International Business Forum (IBF), which would be held on the sidelines of the WEF summit.

The Prime Minister will also meet with the President of Switzerland, Alain Berset, during his one-day visit.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (MoS) Dr. Jitendra Singh and MoS, External Affairs M.J Akbar will also visit Davos and hold various sessions during the WEF summit.

The theme for this year's WEF summit is - "Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World".

Also, this is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the summit, since former Prime Minister H. Deve Gowda's visit in 1997.

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The Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed that a group of insurgents stormed the Intercontinental Hotel here on Saturday evening.

According to Najib Danish, an interior ministry spokesperson, said, "The police have arrived at the scene and they are trying to bring the situation under control. Fights between insurgents and security forces are still on."

The Tolo news reported that eyewitnesses saw heavily-armed insurgents entering the hotel.

The police sources said the insurgents may have taken some people as hostages.

No reports of casualties have come so far.

In 2011, a similar attack on the hotel left at least 21 people dead, which also included nine attackers. The Taliban had claimed responsibility for that attack.

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Turns out, flu doesn't need coughing or sneezing for transmission. According to a new study, it was revealed influenza virus, commonly known as flu, can be transmitted through breathing, against all notions of contamination by exposure to droplets from coughs and sneezes.

University of Maryland-led study published some new pieces of evidence for the about the airborne transmission. The "study "Infectious virus in the exhaled breath of symptomatic seasonal influenza cases from a college community" noted the large quantities of infectious virus researchers found in the exhaled breath from people suffering from flu.

Dr. Milton, M.D., MPH, professor of environmental in the University of Maryland School of Public and lead researcher of this study said, "We found that flu cases contaminated the air around them with the infectious virus just by breathing, without coughing or sneezing".

He added, ""People with flu generate infectious aerosols (tiny droplets that stay suspended in the air for a long time) even when they are not coughing, and especially during the first days of illness. So when someone is coming down with influenza, they should go home and not remain in the workplace and infect others".

Researchers from the San Jose State University, University of Maryland, University of California - Berkeley, and Missouri Western State University contributed to this study which was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of

The team captured and studied influenza virus in exhaled breath from 142 confirmed cases of people with influenza during natural breathing, prompted speech, spontaneous coughing, and sneezing, and assessed the infectivity of naturally occurring influenza aerosols.

The participants provided 218 30-minute samples of exhaled breath, spontaneous coughing, and sneezing, and 218 nasopharyngeal swabs on the first, second, and third days after the onset of symptoms.

The analysis of the infectious virus showed that a significant number of flu patients routinely shed infectious virus, not merely detectable RNA, into aerosol particles small enough to present a risk for airborne transmission.

"The study findings suggest that keeping surfaces clean, washing our hands all the time, and avoiding people who are coughing does not provide complete protection from getting the flu," said Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean of the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering at San Jose State University. She added, "Staying home and out of public spaces could make a difference in the spread of the influenza virus".

According to the authors, the findings could be used to improve mathematical models of the risk of airborne influenza transmission from people with the symptomatic illness. The findings can also help to develop more effective public health interventions and to control and reduce the impact of influenza epidemics and pandemics.

They also noted that improvements could be made to ventilation systems to reduce transmission risk in public places like offices, school classrooms, and subway cars. The study suggested getting vaccinated, even though it is not perfect but does prevent a significant amount of severe illness.

The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States Army is making plans that may take the total force in Afghanistan a notch higher by as many as additional 1,000 US troops this spring, senior military officials said.

According to the Washington Post, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has not signed off on the proposals for the new forces, which are part of a broader strategy to bolster Afghan forces.

Military officials expect the total force this spring to be about 15,000 troops.

There are 14,000 US troops already present in the war-torn country.

Army's senior leadership supports the likely increase. The new strategy that President Trump approved in August would push US advisory teams to the battalion level, far closer to the front lines, the report said.

President Trump announced in August that 3,000 to 4,000 more troops would be sent to Afghanistan in an attempt to finally score a decisive victory in a war that has dragged on for more than fifteen years.

General John Nicholson, the head of US forces in Afghanistan, told reporters last month that there would be more US boots on the ground in the coming months, but did not provide specifics.

There are "well over 1,000 advisers out at any given time," Nicholson said, but in 2018 "this [number] will increase dramatically.

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The United Services Automobile Association (USAA), Texas-based financial services company, has announced to offer interest-free loans to military members in the view of the shutdown.

"We are prepared to offer a no-interest payroll advance loan to our military members in the event of a protracted shutdown that disrupts military pay on Feb. 1," reported CNN Money, citing USAA as saying.

However, the offer is not available to USAA members working in other government jobs, whose pay is delayed because of the shutdown.

The US Government shut down at midnight on Friday after Democrats and Republicans locked in a bitter dispute over immigration and border security and failed to agree on a last-minute deal to fund its operations.

The bill needed 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, but only 50 supported it.

Trump immediately moved to blame Democrats.

"Tonight, they put above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country's ability to serve all Americans," the White House said in a statement.

According to the report, a Defense Department memo issued on Thursday said that active-duty military members would continue to work but not be paid until money was appropriated by Congress. Essential civilian employees will also work but not be paid, while non-essential civilian employees will be furloughed until the shutdown ends.

USAA was founded in 1922 by military officers who needed auto insurance.

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Yoga guru Baba Ramdev said on Sunday that organising yoga sessions at a global level could make the world achieve peace.

Speaking to ANI, Baba Ramdev said, "For the prosperity and harmony of this world, there is nothing better than yoga. The sessions will take place for three days. I believe it is a very good start in itself on a global level. Yoga can make the world achieve peace."

"For the first time, yoga will be performed on the platform of the World Economic Forum. Two of our Acharyas (teachers) will be leaving for Davos today and will be conducting two sessions, one each in the morning and evening. They will also be joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi on dinner there. The international platform will witness universal health and universal peace," Baba Ramdev stated.

This is the first time sessions on yoga will be conducted at World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos.

The forum is best known for its annual meeting at the end of January in Davos, a mountain resort situated in Switzerland.

Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the five-day summit will be attended by Union Finance Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu, Rail and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 18 pro-government militiamen were killed following a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, officials said on Sunday.

The incident occurred in village Bozboy in Sholgra district on Saturday night when Taliban militants stormed a security checkpoint, resulting in a clash that left 18 members of the Local Uprising Groups dead, an official told Xinhua news agency.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility. Its spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that a Taliban sympathizer was among the militia and he facilitated the attack.

He said a Taliban fighter was killed and another wounded in the clash.

Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south and east to the once peaceful region in the north, where the Taliban have been recruiting from among the youth.

The Taliban outfit and the Islamic State terror group often target civilians and religious clerics as well as local leaders for their support to the Afghan government and the US-led forces stationed in the country.

--IANS

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The Delhi Police has arrested the Bawana plastic factory owner following a major fire incident in the unit on Saturday which claimed at least 17 lives, police said on Sunday.

Manoj Jain was arrested on Saturday night following a brief questioning with him after the police filed an FIR against him, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said.

The officer said: "We apprehended Jain as the factory was owned by him and one Lalit Goel".

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday ordered a thorough probe into the fire and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased.

As many as 17 people, including 10 women, were burnt alive or asphyxiated and 30 others injured in a fire in a plastic warehouse in west Delhi's Bawana on Saturday evening, officials said.

The Chief Minister said the matter will be fully probed on how the licence was given, who gave the licence and how the incident happened.

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Tiwari and Leader of Opposition in Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta also reached the spot apart from North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Preety Agarwal.

Manoj Tiwari also announced compensation of Rs 50,000 to the victims of the fire incident.

DCP Gupta said the fire in Bawana Industrial Area was reported to the control room around 6.20 p.m., following which 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was doused after three hours.

According to Gupta crackers were packed in the factory and there was only one exit in the factory which led to such a huge killing in the incident.

The victims were trapped in the basement, first and second floors when the fire spread from the basement to the floors above, the police officer said.

He said that seven of the deceased, whose postmortem has been done, are women in the age group between 20 and 35 years.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi unit of the Congress on Sunday demanded a judicial probe into the Bawana factory fire that led to the death of at least 17 persons.

"We demand a judicial inquiry into the fire in Bawana industrial area in west Delhi on Saturday evening since the magisterial inquiry ordered by the state government is meant to save its own departments. We also demand the judicial inquiry for a fair probe," Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken told reporters after visiting the spot in west Delhi.

As many as 17 persons, including 10 women, were burnt to death or asphyxiated and 30 others were injured in the fire in a plastic factory warehouse, which was also used to store firecrackers.

The Congress leader said that there should also be an inquiry into the functioning of all Delhi government departments concerned, like the Delhi Fire Service, land, industries, and pollution, as well as the municipal corporations.

The former Union Minister also condemned North Delhi Mayor Preeti Agarwal for what he called her "insensitive statement".

"She spoke insensitively. She has no moral right to continue on the post and the Bharatiya Janata Party must take action against her," Maken said.

Maken was referring to Agarwal's alleged video wherein she is heard saying: "The licence of this factory is with us. That's why we cannot speak on the issue."

The Congress leader said that labourers at the factory told him that the premises was locked from outside when the fire broke out.

"There was rampant unauthorised construction on the premises, which obstructed possible escape routes," he alleged.

He said over 50 labourers were working on the premises on Saturday, which is a holiday.

Hitting out at the Delhi government, Maken said that the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Bawana government hospital was also not operational for a long time.

"People told me that the ICU is lying closed for the last two months. It is saddening to learn that the hospital ICU in an industrial area was not operational. We demand that the government make the ICU operational as soon as possible," he added.

The Delhi Police has arrested factory owner Manoj Jain after the fire.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Congress had been the "main pillar" that shaped India's political landscape and culture of all political parties in the country, asserting that by the phrase 'Congress-free India', he didn't mean the party's electoral rout.

"The Congress has been the main pillar of in our country that influenced the culture in all political parties," Modi told TimesNow in an interview.

He said the Congress at the time of India's freedom struggle had inspired people so much that they were ready to throw their lives for the country but post-Independence, it acquired traits of casteism, dynasty and corruption to keep control over power.

"I want to change that culture of politics, the mainstream of which is dynasty. Congress is an idea. So when I say Congress-free India, it is not related to election outcomes. I would want that even the Congress on its own should free itself of the Congress culture.

"The Congress at the time of freedom struggle had a culture which inspired the youth to sacrifice their lives for the country. But the culture of the Congress that emerged after Independence started appealing to other political parties.

"Casteism, dynasty, corruption and exploitation, treachery and keeping complete control over power - all this became a part of Indian political culture whose main pillar was the Congress."

Modi strongly advocated the idea of holding parliamentary elections and state polls together to rid the exchequer of financial burden.

"Logically speaking, holding different elections on different dates creates burden on the exchequer. Politicians are always under stress. So, I think both Vidhan Sabha (state assemblies) and Lok Sabha elections should be organised simultaneously. It will save money and manpower."

The Prime Minister also criticized the Congress for its opposition to the bill to criminalise the practice of instant divorce. The legislation passed by the Lok Sabha could not be taken up for discussion in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling NDA didn't have numbers to get it passed.

The Congress-led opposition opposed certain provisions of the bill and demanded that it may be referred to a select committee.

Modi said opposition to the legislation was "regressive" and the Congress needed to get rid of this attitude.

"The Congress or any party that indulges in vote bank must get out of this regressive mindset and think from the point of view of women empowerment and respect for women.

"Even the strongest people were moved to tears by the condition of those women who were affected by triple talaq. They needed to be saved; this was not a political move or a move to corner anybody. It was a move to let everyone live with dignity."

The Prime Minister also spoke about opposition to demonetisation and said some tried to sabotage the move to "save the corrupt" but the nation saw through it successfully.

"People tried to start a fire, they even attempted to incite riots, they knocked on the Supreme Court's door, they tried everything possible. These attempts were to save those who were hoarding black money, to save corrupt people, to save the dishonest," he said.

He said demonetisation was not just a change of currency and the way it was carried out got the world's respect.

"Several small countries of world tried to carry out demonetisation in their lands but retreated. It is India's great success that this was not just a change of one currency with another, but the way the country's federal structure, its governance, its common man, RBI's role... is enough to get it respect of the world," he said.

Modi also spoke on Congress President Rahul Gandhi terming goods and services tax (GST) as 'Gabbar Singh Tax'.

"If GST succeeds, everyone is responsible and if it fails, it is everyone's responsibility. It does not belong to one government. A number of governments and political parties have contributed to its creation over a long time period and passage in Parliament. If these people use bad words to denigrate GST, they are denigrating Parliament.

"Whenever, whosoever got the opportunity, they attempted to push GST. We are making efforts in the direction of one nation, one tax. No one has actually opposed GST. Theoretically, everyone accepts GST."

--IANS

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Veteran CPI-M leader Khagen Das, convenor of Tripura's ruling Left Front and a former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha member, died in Kolkata following cardiac arrest on Sunday, party sources said.

Das, 80, a former Tripura minister, leaves behind his wife and two daughters.

His body was taken to Tripura capital Agartala in the evening. It would be donated to the government-run Gobinda Ballav Panth Medical College and Hospital in Agartala on Monday.

Hundreds of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders and workers accompanied Das's body from the airport to the Tripura assembly, party offices and his residence at Ramnagar on the city outskirts.

"Das's body will be kept on Sunday at the party office for people to pay their last respects. The body, as per his wish, will be donated to the Medical College and Hospital on Monday," CPI-M Tripura State Secretary Bijan Dhar told reporters.

"As a mark of respect to the leader -- who joined the CPI-M in 1968 - the party flag will fly at half mast for two days and all party programmes remain suspended during this period.

"The announcement of names of party candidates for the February 18 Tripura Assembly elections would be done on Tuesday instead of Monday, as announced earlier."

Das was in Kolkata to attend the three-day (January 19-21) Central Committee meeting of the CPI-M when he complained of chest pain early Sunday at the Tripura Bhavan, where he was put up.

"He expired within 10 minutes at 3.35 a.m. before he was taken to a nearby private hospital," a party leader said.

Das was one of the speakers on day two of the Central Committee session on Saturday.

Expressing shock and grief, the CPI-M decided to fly its flag at half mast as a "homage to this fighter for the cause of the working people".

Das was a Rajya Sabha member from 1998 to 2002, when he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tripura West. He retained the seat in 2004 and 2009.

When the CPI-M led Left Front government first came to power in Tripura in 1978, Das was a two-term (1978 to 1988) legislator in the Tripura Assembly from Majlishpur and served as the Health, Statistics and Revenue Minister in the state from 1983 to 1988.

A postgraduate from Calcutta University, he was the Political Secretary to then Tripura Chief Minister Dasaratha Deb from 1993 to 1998.

He was elected convenor of the Tripura Left Front in 2006 and served in that capacity till his death. He was also a senior member of the party's Tripura State Secretariat.

A CPI-M Politburo statement said that Das had migrated from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to Kolkata and did his schooling and college in Kolkata. After completing his postgraduation from Calcutta University he worked briefly at the Kolkata Port Trust.

"Later on, he shifted to Agartala in the 1960s and worked as a schoolteacher. It was during his involvement with the schoolteachers' movement that he was attracted to the party," it added.

The statement said that Das was the founder-Secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation in Tripura. He was elected to the CPI-M State Secretariat in 1994 and to the Central Committee at its 18th Congress in 2005.

--IANS

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A day after a factory fire killed 17 persons in west Delhi's Bawana area, 14 victims were identified and the factory owner arrested on Sunday, police said.

The case was transferred to the Crime branch for a probe by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik.

Those identified included nine women and five men, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said.

They are Baby Devi, 40, Afshana, 35, Sonam, 23, Reeta, 18, Madeena, 55, Rajjo, 65, Sukhda, 42, Khusna, 47, Soni, 21, Suraj, 20, Ravi Kant, 18, Rohit, 19, Sanjeet, 19, and Ajeet Ranjan, 22.

Gupta said Manoj Jain, owner of the plastic factory that was also used as a warehouse for firecrackers, had been arrested. He rented it on January 1.

Jain was taken into custody on Saturday night after brief questioning as police filed an FIR against him under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosives Act dealing with negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing hurt by acts endangering life or personal safety of others.

The DCP said an injured labourer claimed that firecrackers were packed in the factory.

The fire in the Bawana Industrial Area was reported to the Police Control Room around 6.20 p.m. on Saturday. The victims were trapped in the basement and the first and second floors when the fire spread from the basement.

After visiting the spot, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered a probe and announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased.

He said it will be investigated how a licence was given to the establishment, who gave it and also how the incident happened.

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Tiwari also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the victims families.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Industries and Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain told reporters that a probe committee has been formed and strict action will be taken after the report is submitted.

However, on Sunday, a blame game started as the BJP said the factory licence was issued by the Delhi government since the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had cancelled it in February 2015.

"This place, this factory, its licence and everything was with the Delhi government and its Industry Department. It was being run illegally," Tiwari tweeted.

Echoing him, BJP MP from New Delhi Meenakshi Lekhi said: "Bawana Industrial Area is a confirmed industrial area of Delhi maintained by the DSIIDC (Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation) which is responsible to check for the fact that no illegal manufacturing happens in the factories situated there."

"In this immediate case of the factory where the fire started, the North MCD had cancelled the licence in February 2015 itself.

"The DSIIDC owes an explanation to the people of Delhi on how the factory was running," she said.

Tiwari also attacked Kejriwal after he retweeted a video of North Delhi Mayor Preeti Agarwal where she is seen cautioning officials not to say anything on the tragedy.

Kejriwal on Saturday night retweeted a video wherein Agarwal is heard saying: "The licence of this factory is with us. That's why we cannot speak on the issue."

Tiwari took to Twitter and wrote: "What can be more shameful than this, where 17 people have lost their life and the Chief Minister is retweeting a false video."

The North Delhi Mayor told the media: "I only made some inquiry about the place from my co-workers and I meant we shouldn't say anything about such an unfortunate incident at this time."

The Mayor demanded an apology from the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the Congress demanded a judicial probe into the Bawana factory fire.

"We demand a judicial inquiry into the fire in Bawana industrial area in west Delhi on Saturday evening since the magisterial inquiry ordered by the state government is meant to save its own departments. We also demand the judicial inquiry for a fair probe," Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken told reporters after visiting the spot in west Delhi.

The former Union Minister also condemned Agarwal for what he called her "insensitive statement".

--IANS

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Eight students were killed when a jeep collided with a truck in heavy fog in Dumka in Jharkhand on Sunday, police said.

Seven students died instantly in the head on collision. All of them were going to take an examination for the post of Panchayat Secretary.

The incident took place at Jardaha, around 400 km from Ranchi. The condition of a student who was injured was said to be critical.

--IANS

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In a bid to appease Goa's striking tourist taxi drivers, the government will approach the Supreme Court to seek relief regarding fitting of speed governors on their vehicles.

"The government will file an intervention petition in the Supreme Court and seek relief for Goa's taxi drivers vis-a-vis speed governors. Goa is a small state and has narrow roads, so speeding is not possible in Goa," Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo told the media after meeting Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Parrikar was likely to grant an audience to the taxi drivers, on strike since Friday to protest against mandatory fitting of speed governors and alleged harassment by police and transport officials, he added.

The Supreme Court order on speed governors on tourist taxis came last year, following a petition by Delhi-based NGO Suraksha Foundation.

Earlier, Congress President Shantaram Naik met Parrikar and sought his intervention to end the strike that has caused inconvenience to both locals and tourists alike.

On Saturday, Transport minister Sudin Dhavalikar had warned taxi drivers to call off their strike, failing which he said app-based taxi operators would be requested to start their services in the coastal state which attracts more than six million tourists every year.

--IANS

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Goa's tourist taxi operators on Sunday withdrew their strike following a written assurance that pending fitness certificates would be issued to all tourist taxis by January 24 and the government would stop installation of speed governors on their vehicles.

The three-day strike, which caused immense hardship to tourists and locals, was called off soon after representatives of the taxi operators met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, along with Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo, at the Chief Minister's official residence here.

"We are only withdrawing the strike after a written assurance by Lobo, that he would resign from the BJP if the promise to provide fitness certificates to all taxi operators, without fitting of speed governors by January 24.

We still do not believe the Chief Minister, but we are giving the government an opportunity to right the wrong," Laxman Korgaonkar, spokesperson for the North Goa Tourist Taxi Association, told reporters here.

The strike had started on Friday, in order to protest against mandatory fitting of speed governors and alleged harassment by police and transport officials, he added.

Lobo told reporters that as far as installation of speed governors is concerned, the state government would file an intervention petition in the Supreme Court, seeking relief for the taxi drivers in Goa, where speeding is not "possible" since it is a "small state and has narrow roads".

The Supreme Court order on speed governors on tourist taxis came last year, following a petition by Delhi-based NGO Suraksha Foundation. The state Transport Department had refused to provide fitness certificates to taxis, without speed governors fitted to them.

Parrikar also told reporters that the state government was also of the opinion that fitting of speed governors to tourist taxis was not feasible and that the same would be presented before the apex court.

"We do not have an issue with presenting this view before the Supreme Court... We are not ourselves convinced that 80 km per hour speed limit will change anything on ground. It actually should be 100 km," he said, adding that taxis were not majorly involved in accidents in the state.

He also said, that the state government would exercise a provision in the newly amended Motor Vehicles Act, to allow taxi drivers more time to fit speed governors to their vehicles.

Earlier, Congress President Shantaram Naik met Parrikar and sought his intervention to end the strike.

On Saturday, Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar had warned taxi drivers to call off their strike, failing which he said app-based taxi operators would be requested to start their services in the coastal state which attracts more than six million tourists every year.

--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.)
Riding on the success of its innovativeness and authenticity, Chinese smartphone brand Huawei has been voted as most recommended Chinese mobile phone industry brand in 2018, a report said on Sunday.

The award is based on the China Net Promoter Score (C-NPS) brand ranking and analysis which is collated by Chnbrand -- a leading brand rating agency in China, tech news portal Gizmochina reported.

C-NPS reflects the degree to which consumers with consumer experiences are willing to recommend business products or services to others.

The report also pointed out that this was the first time that Huawei had clinched the award, displacing Apple from the first spot.

Recently, Huawei unveiled EMUI 8.0 -- its custom Operating System (OS) based on Android Oreo platform that promises to boost productivity with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities that will run on its sub-brand Honor smartphones.

The EMUI 8.0, already available on Honor View 10, will be rolled out on devices such as Honor 8 Pro, Honor 9i and Honor 7X -- all of them which were launched in India over the year.

The custom OS engages in low-memory management by allocating resources in a way to provide more space to ensure holistic experience coupled with AI capabilities.

--IANS

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One of the five pillars of Islam, "zakat" is mandatory charity for every well-to-do Muslim. And Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust (HZCT) has shown how this obligatory form of charity can be channelised to bring change in society through

With this noble goal, the 25-year-old organisation has been using "zakat" to pull the community out of illiteracy and today more than 24,000 students study in its 106 schools.

The trust made a humble beginning in 1992 when Ghiasuddin Babukhan, a reputed businessman and philanthropist of this city, with some friends and other like-minded people came together to pool their "zakat" for "It started with total 'zakat' of just Rs 11 lakh," recalled HZCT chairman Babukhan while talking to IANS.

With a firm belief in "empowerment through and freedom through knowledge", Babukhan and his friends formed a network of schools for poor, mostly in remote villages.

Though these Urdu-medium schools were taken over by the government under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the trust continues to monitor their functioning, appoint teachers, distribute free uniforms and books.

What started with a total "zakat" of just Rs 11 lakh has now expanded to an annual budget of Rs 12 crore and has touched the lives of over a million people in the last two-and-a-half decades, including poor students, orphans and widows in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Every Muslim whose assets reached "nisab" or minimum value (the current market price of 60.65 tolas of silver) has to pay 2.5 per cent annual Islamic tax on his wealth.

"People donate without any hassle. I don't know 99 percent of the donors. I have never met them. We have ensured total transparency. No questions are asked except positive feedback from the donors. Some people come personally to donate huge amounts," said Babukhan.

"I don't know whether there is any trust of this size and calibre in India," he added.

HZCT runs its activities professionally as it has 40 dedicated volunteers and a well-paid, full-time staff. It ensures transparency by publishing annual reports for the donors. Education accounts for over 70 percent of the trust's spending of Rs 107 crore since its inception.

The trust is spending more than Rs 2.5 crore on schools alone and this includes salaries, uniforms, and "Gems of the Nation" cash awards of Rs 10,000 each to girl students who secure 9.3 GPA or above in the 10th Grade.

What is interesting about these schools is 70 percent of the students are girls. The pass percentage is 92 against the average of 57 in government-run schools.

"Our schools are a success story, not because I am handling it, but because Allah is handling it. For other works there can be several hurdles, but nobody can stop us in the area of education," he said.

"More than 200,000 students have so far passed out of our schools and many have become professionals like doctors and engineers," said Babukhan.

In 1996, Foundation for Economic and Education Development (FEED) was formed to run the institutes established by the trust. FEED set up the Hyderabad Institute of Excellence (HIE) in 2013 to hone the skills of meritorious students from poor and needy families to groom them as leaders with a strong sense of dignity, integrity, love for the country, and deep religious values.

Spread over 120 acres at Vikarabad near Hyderabad, this residential school boasts of world-class amenities and state-of-the-art infrastructure, providing education from 6th to 12th Grade. About 50 per cent of the students at HIE are on annual scholarship of Rs 2 lakh each.

It also prepares students for various competitive exams like IIT-JEE Mains and Advanced, National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Birla Institute of Technology Science Aptitude Test (BITSAT), and entrance exams to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) and the National Defence Academy. In 2017, Hyderabad Institute of Excellence had 100 percent results in the Intermediate (12th Grade) with 13 students scoring above 98 per cent marks.

"The results over the last four years have been excellent as many students got admissions to reputed colleges in different parts of the country and also into IITs and NITs," said Babukhan, who believes that the environment plays an important role in creating leaders.

The education programmes of the trust have so far benefited about 378,000 students. It now plans to focus on education of orphans.

The trust is providing financial aid to 10,000 orphans for education from school level to professional courses.

This year it disbursed Rs 1.60 crore for an orphan scholarship programme. It also spent Rs 1.70 crore for distribution of foodgrain, Iftar packs and clothes during Ramadan to about 4,000 widows and orphans and also for distribution of "zabiha" meat.

Other works undertaken by HZCT include relief activities during the Gujarat riots and earthquake, and the Kashmir earthquake and floods.

In 2016-17, HZCT spent Rs 5.57 crore on scholarships for professional courses, orphans and physically handicapped, Rs 1.75 crore on welfare schemes like feeding the poor, Rs 0.25 crore on remarriage of young widows, and Rs 0.12 crore on drinking water and borewells.

(The weekly feature series is part of a positive-journalism project of IANS and the Frank Islam Foundation. Mohammed Shafeeq can be contacted at m.shafeeq@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The new Vanuatu High Commissioner to New Zealand Johnson Naviti Marakipule during his commissioning at the State Office Friday morning. (Photo: Kizzy Kalsakau).
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said her state should become a bridge of friendship and not a battlefield between India and Pakistan and appealed to the leadership of the two countries to do so.

At present, the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir have been witnessing a bloodbath, she said in her speech to police recruits at the passing out parade at the Sheeri Police Training School in Baramulla district.

"As the country moves on the path of development, the opposite is happening in our state," she rued.

The Chief Minister lauded the police for bravely facing the toughest of professional challenges while making the ultimate sacrifice for the country.

"Handling law and order, you have to face your own brothers to restore peace and at the same time act with patience and restraint," she told the policemen.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Sunday inaugurated the World War II Memorial Museum here in the state's Changlang district bordering Myanmar.

Built by the Union Culture Ministry, the Rs 2.25 crore museum in memory of those who laid down their lives in World War II is located adjacent to the historic Stilwell Road and is expected to boost international and domestic tourist inflow especially from Southeast Asian countries.

Khandu visited the war memorial where remnants of the war, personal belongings of the soldiers and other persons involved were preserved after being collected from the locals. It also showcases traditional items from indigenous Tangsa community.

In his interaction with local leaders and officials, he said the memorial has great potential to attract tourists if developed properly, and promised the state government's support for its preservation and promotion.

The Chief Minister was informed that about 833 graves, including mass graves, have been discovered. These also include of the people who were involved in construction of Stilwell Road.

Assam Rifles personnel first spotted the cemetery in 1997, according to Museum officials here.

The 1,726-km Stilwell Road was a vital lifeline for the Allied Forces during World War II to free China from Japanese occupation. Starting from Assam,it cuts through the Pangsau pass in Myanmar to reach Kunming in south China. Built by Chinese labourers, Indian soldiers and American engineers, it was named after American General Joseph Stilwell who led the task and completed it in 1945 after three years of hard work.

The Stilwell Road on the Indian side is about 60 km. The major stretch of 1,033 km lies within Myanmar, while the road in China is 632 km long. Hundreds of soldiers died while building the road - many of whom are buried along Lekhapani, about 600 km east of Assam's main city Guwahati.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of his visit to Davos in Switzerland on Monday for the World Economic Forum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that he looked forward to sharing his vision for India's engagement with the international community.

"The existing and emerging challenges to the contemporary international system and global governance architecture deserve serious attention of leaders, governments, policy-makers, corporates and civil societies around the world," Modi said in a pre-departure statement here.

"In recent years, India's engagement with the outside world has become truly and effectively multi-dimensional, covering political, economic, people-to-people, security and other spheres," he said.

"At Davos, I look forward to sharing my vision for India's future engagement with the international community."

Modi will be the first Prime Minister from India to participate in a forum meeting in two decades after the then Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in 1997.

Explaining the significance of Modi's visit during a media briefing here on Friday, Vijay Gokhale, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that in 1997, the Indian economy was well below $1 trillion whereas it is now above $2 trillion.

The main event in Davos will be the keynote speech of Modi at the plenary session on January 23.

In his statement, Modi said that apart from the events for the World Economic Forum, he looked forward to separate bilateral meetings with Swiss President Alain_Berset and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.

"I am confident that these bilateral meetings will be fruitful and give a boost to our relations with these countries and further strengthen economic engagement," he said.

According to Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, a dinner on Monday will be attended by CEOs of 60 companies.

On January 23, Modi will interact with 120 members of the International Business Council, which is a part of the WEF.

He will also interact with CEOs of Indian companies separately.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday said the north-eastern hilly state was lagging behind other states in terms of development.

The Chief Minister was addressing a gathering during the celebration of the 47th statehood day at the Manipur Rifles parade ground.

Biren Singh said as a result of the state being a Union Territory and class "C" for a long time, it remained under developed.

He said that his government which came to power last year on March 15 has made considerable headway in stamping out corruption.

The government has suspended several officials for corrupt practices.

While urging those who protest and impose blockades to hold talks with the government before taking such steps, the Chief Minister said that any problem can be solved at the negotiating table.

He also said that his government welcomes "constructive criticism" and the state has been trying to involve the people in all developmental work.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was conferred the "Ideal Chief Minister" award by former President Pratibha Patil at Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad in Pune on Sunday.

Receiving the award, which singles out the most ground-breaking and high-impact work done by Chief Ministers in their respective states, in a special event organised by Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Governance, he said: "It is a great honour for us to be conferred with this award as it is the voice of the youth of India.

"Odisha's transformation is a work in progress and I am joined in this mission by the 4.5 crore people who make Odisha. We will continue our journey as we continue to grow, together."

Patnaik told the assembled young minds that what took him from being a novice at to the longest-serving Chief Minister is the resolve to bring about a change in the lives of people.

"When you keep people first it is good .. when you keep people first there is no anti-incumbency. If you keep people at the forefront it is not a political journey, It is a spiritual experience," he said.

He cited both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King jr as saying that at the core of good governance is love for people.

"If you love your people, you do not see the post you hold as a post, but as a means to serve the people.You do not see power as power, but as a means to transform the lives of people," said Patnaik.

"Today, I can say with conviction, that is not complicated. Politics is the most powerful instrument to bring about change in the lives of people. And so it follows that if people are kept at the core of your intentions, efforts and initiatives, then there is no complication," he added.

On his arrival in Pune, Patnaik was given a grand welcome from Utkal Samaj. Later he announced to build an Utkal Bhawan in the city. Besides, he assured the people of Odisha residing in the city to recommend to the Maharashtra Government to begin flight services between Pune and Bhubaneswar soon.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan on Sunday again summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh to condemn "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by India along the Line of Control, which it said had killed two civilians and injured three others.

Mohammad Faisal, who heads the South Asia wing in the Foreign Office, summoned the Indian envoy and "lodged a strong protest on the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces in Nikial sector.

"The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws," the official said.

"The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," he added.

The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the incidents of truce violations, said an official statement.

The Indian diplomat was also told that New Delhi should permit the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role in Jammu and Kashmir.

On Saturday too, the Indian Deputy High Commissioner had been summoned by the Foreign Office to protest "ceasefire violations" by India that it said had killed five civilians and injured 22 others over the past three days.

"The number of casualties at international border has also risen due to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing by the Indian forces. Four more innocent civilians were killed, while 20 were injured on January 18 and 19," the statement added.

Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire along the LoC and International Border in 2003. Both, however, routinely accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.

--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.)
Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, whose Jana Sena plans to contest next year's elections in both the Telugu states, is all set to embark on his first political 'yatra' in Telangana on Monday.

He will be launching the 'yatra' from Kondagattu Anjaneyaswamy temple in Jagtiyal district.

The actor announced that the four-day tour covering three districts was aimed at seeking people's blessings and to know their problems.

Kalyan, who had campaigned for the TDP-BJP alliance in the 2014 elections but distanced himself from both the parties last year, has already announced that the Jana Sena will contest the coming elections in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where the TDP-BJP and the TRS are in power respectively.

Assembly elections in both the states are scheduled along with the Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

Pawan, who himself plans to contest from Andhra Pradesh, chose Kodangattu to launch his political campaign as it was here that he had a narrow escape during campaigning in the 2009 elections. The actor says that he got a new lease of life thanks to the blessings of Lord Anjaneyaswamy.

Pawan was then campaigning for Praja Rajyam, the party floated by his elder brother and superstar Chiranjeevi.

After the defeat in the elections, Chiranjeevi merged his party with the Congress.

Pawan announced the launch of the 'yatra' two days after a row with film critic Katti Mahesh was resolved. A bitter critic of Pawan, Mahesh had lodged a complaint against the actor's fans for attacking him with eggs near Hyderabad. He later withdrew the complaint and the Jana Sena also appealed to the fans not to react to any criticism.

Meanwhile, Poland's Ambassador to India Adam Burakowski called on Pawan Kalyan here on Sunday. They discussed the ties between the two countries and the opportunities for shooting Telugu films in Poland.

A group of students from Poland also met the actor and interacted with him about his film career, his entry into and his plans.

Pawan and his wife Anna Lezhneva along with the Polish Ambassador and his wife prayed at St. Mary's Church in Secunderabad.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Israel on Sunday evening for a three-day visit, the third stop in his delayed trip to the Middle East.

Pence landed in the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv, where he was welcomed by Israel's Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, Xinhua news agency reported.

Pence's schedule only includes meetings with Israeli Jewish leaders after Palestinian leaders said they will boycott the visit due to the recent US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Pence will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and with President Reuven Rivlin on the following day.

Also on Monday, Pence will address the Knesset (parliament) plenum, a session that all lawmakers with the Arab-Jewish Joint List, Israel's third largest party, said they will boycott.

On Tuesday, Pence is scheduled to visit the Western Wall in East Jerusalem, a Jewish holy site on the foot of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to both Muslims and Jews and a focal point of the unrest in East Jerusalem.

The Vice President has met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi Saturday and held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II earlier on Sunday, before arriving in Israel.

Pence arrived in the region amidst heightened tensions in the wake of US President Donald Trump's statement on December 6.

Changing a long-held US policy, Trump said he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that the US will relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

A White House official said the issue of Jerusalem is expected to come up during the meetings. "We are prepared for that topic," he was quoted as saying by CNN.

"The main theme for the vice president is going to be looking forward," the official said. "And how can all of the parties work together at this juncture and try to find out the best path forward for peace between Israelis and Palestinians."

Israel seized East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it shortly after, claiming it as part of its indivisible capital. The move, however, has never been recognized internationally.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prosecutors in South Korea have begun an investigation into suspicions mounting over the slowdown of older iPhone models, for which consumers have blamed Apple so that people buy a new version.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it has formally assigned the case to the intellectual property-related crime unit, Yonhap news agency reported late on Saturday.

The launch of the probe comes a day after Seoul-based civic group, Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty (CUCS), filed a complaint with prosecutors against Apple CEO Tim Cook and Daniel Dicicco, head of Apple Korea.

CUCS has said the deliberate deterioration of older iPhones through software updates was a scam aimed at boosting sales of new models.

It claimed that the US smartphone maker should be charged with fraud, property damage and obstruction of business by digital devices.

The consumer advocate group also filed a compensation suit against Apple and its local headquarters last week, seeking an award of 2.2 million won ($2,057) per plaintiff.

Apple admitted on December 20 that its operating software updates slowed down the iPhone 6, 6S and iPhone SE, to prevent the smartphones from shutting down abruptly.

On December 28, the company denied that the measure, not disclosed to iPhone users, was motivated to induce users to switch to newer models.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Protests have got louder after reports emerged on Sunday that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was planning to withdraw cases filed against six legislators for vandalism inside the assembly in 2015.

Vijayan has taken up the issue with the concerned departments.

On March 13, 2015, then Finance Minister K.M. Mani was presenting the budget for a new fiscal when the CPI-M-led opposition took a stand that Mani, who was under a cloud over allegedly taking a bribe from a bar owner, will not be allowed to present the budget.

That day chaos broke out in the Assembly, with angry Left legislators throwing the Speaker's chair out of the dais and damaging microphones. The damage was estimated at Rs 6 lakh.

Then Speaker N. Sakthan asked for a Crime Branch probe which found that now Local Self Government Minister K.T. Jaleel, now CPI-M legislator E.P. Jayarajan and four ex-legislators from the CPI-M besides K. Ajith of CPI had caused the ruckus.

V. Sivankutty, a former MLA, asked Vijayan to withdraw the case. He told the media on Sunday that there cannot be two punishments for one act.

"The then Speaker who should have acted impartially functioned as a stooge of the government and he first suspended us and then a police case was registered," he said.

Congress legislator and former Minister K.C. Joseph said that if Vijayan withdrew the case, he would move the court.

"We will go to any extent to prevent the case from being withdrawn. The law is the same for the common man and legislators," said Joseph.

Former legislator Antony Raju said the practise of withdrawing cases was nothing new.

With a fresh session of the Assembly set to begin on Monday, the House could see protests on the issue.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Rajasthan government on Sunday said it has invited the Rajput Karni Sena and Rajput associations to be a party in its review petition in the Supreme Court against its order allowing the release of film "Padmaavat".

Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria told IANS that the invitation was given to "strengthen the case" against the Hindi movie which critics say distorts Rajput history.

Lokendra Singh Kalvi, the founder of Rajput Karni Sena, told IANS that he was excited over the new development.

He quoted Kataria as saying that "we should all cooperate with each other in court to strengthen our case". But the protests against the movie will continue, Kalvi said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed ensuring stability in northern Syria by phone Saturday, after Turkey started bombing Kurdish forces in Afrin in northern Syria.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday said Lavrov and Tillerson also discussed promoting a peaceful settlement of the Syrian conflict under the auspices of the United Nations, which should be facilitated by the Syrian National Dialogue Congress to be held in Russia's city of Sochi with broad participation, Xinhua reported.

Earlier on Saturday, three Turkish F-16 jets launched 11 airstrikes on Kurdish positions on the outskirts of Kurdish-held Afrin in northern Syria near the Turkish border, marking the official beginning of the Turkish military campaign against the Syrian Kurdish fighters in the region.

Russia withdrew its servicemen from Afrin to avert dangers and urged the opposing sides to exercise restraint.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The chief lawyer of Snap Inc, the parent company of popular photo-sharing platform Snapchat, has warned the employees of the company saying they could be sued or jailed if they leak the company's confidential information, reads a memo.

Michael O'Sullivan, Chief Lawyer and Counsel of Snap Inc, wrote the memo to employees last week after the Daily Beast online detailed how confidential user metrics of Snapchat features are being used, tech website Cheddar reported late on Saturday.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy for those who leak Snap Inc confidential information. This applies to outright leaks and any informal 'off the record' conversations with reporters, as well as any confidential information you let slip to people who are not authorised to know that information," O'Sullivan said in the memo.

"If you leak Snap Inc information, you will lose your job and we will pursue any and all legal remedies against you," O'Sullivan added.

"And that's just the start. You can face personal financial liability even if you yourself did not benefit from the leaked information. The government, our investors, and other third parties can also seek their own remedies against you for what you disclosed. The government can even put you in jail," the memo read.

Snap spokespersons declined to comment on the memo.

The report said that Snap is already known for being highly secretive about its dealings. Employees are often not told what they will be working on before they are hired and they do not know about the public announcement to be made.

Recently, the company faced several leaks, including its unannounced "Stories Everywhere" -- a feature that will let users share stories outside the Snapchat app -- which the company said could significantly harm business, including its ability to compete.

Details about its planned redesign for the Snapchat app were also leaked to the press prematurely.

"Because we are a public company, the information also affects how millions of shares of our stock trade every day."

The memo directed the employees to tell any news source asking for comment on Snap to respond with "no comment."

"If you are contacted by a news source, you should immediately tell your manager or notify Communications at press@snap.com. If you've accidentally disclosed Snap Inc confidential information, tell your manager immediately," the memo said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As New Delhi continues to push for better connectivity with Southeast Asia through the northeast under its Act East Policy, Thailand's Ambassador to India Chutintorn Gongsakdi has said that "soft connectivity" is the key to India-ASEAN ties.

Commenting on the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, work on which is under way, Chutintorn said that construction on the Thailand side has been completed and "we are waiting for India to finish road construction in Myanmar".

"But what is more important is that when the road is finished, we have to be prepared on the customs, immigration and quarantine aspects because we cannot have roads and then people getting stuck at the border," he told IANS in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of a Thai food festival in the capital.

"So, we are interested in what we call the 'soft connectivity', the software for the people, the rules and regulations. Now we are negotiating the motor vehicle agreement."

According to the Indian External Affairs Ministry, the highway connecting Moreh in the northeastern state of Manipur with Mae Sot in Thailand is set to be completed in 2019.

Explaining why customs, immigration and quarantine comprise the difficult part of connectivity, Chutintorn said: "When we had a road going up to China through Laos, at one of the summits, the Prime Minister of Laos said that it cannot be that it takes five hours to get from one country to the next and then you have another five hours of customs, immigration and quarantine. So, we have to make sure that this does not happen. It has to be seamless and smooth."

His comments come as New Delhi prepares to host on January 25 a commemorative summit to mark the 25th anniversary of the India-Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Dialogue Partnership and ahead of Thailand taking over from Vietnam later this year as country coordinator for India with the regional bloc.

Thai Prime Minister Prayur Chan-o-cha will be among all 10 ASEAN leaders who will be participating in the January 25 summit before attending the Republic Day celebrations the next day as guests of honour.

The ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Asked what would be the priorities for Thailand when it takes over as the country coordinator for India, Chutintorn said that it was too early to say but "at least we know we will continue with ASEAN-India priorities".

"Things like connectivity, maritime security, economic integration and especially connectivity link through the northeast," he said. "But also emphasising on maritime and air connectivity because only one dimension is not enough. We need air, sea and land."

Asked about India-Thailand bilateral economic ties, the Ambassador said: "We can do more because India-ASEAN trade is over $70 billion and with Thailand it is just over $8 billion, which is just over a tenth. It can be more."

In this connection, he stressed on the need to conclude the India-Thailand free trade agreement (FTA) and also Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The RCEP is a proposed FTA between the 10 ASEAN member states and the six countries with which ASEAN has FTAs -- Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

On the India-Thailand FTA, Chutintorn said: "I think we need to sit down and have a talk about what we can do for each other because there is often the perception that Thailand is the only one benefiting from the early harvest of our FTA. This is because we had a surplus every year."

Stating that Thailand has no intention of blocking or not entertaining Indian service trade, he said that there is also a benefit to be had from India opening up to Thai products and services.

"We believe that a good agreement is one where we both can gain," the Ambassador stated.

On Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's proposal for ASEAN countries open consulates in Guwahati, Chutintorn said that it is not feasible at the moment.

"To be honest, we are not rich countries and to do that, it's not a political act, it's also an economic act," he said. "To open an embassy or consulate general is a big financial commitment."

Chutintorn said the problem with India's northeastern region for industries to be located is that the size of the population of the state has to be looked at.

He said what would be most feasible would be for the northeast to engage in border trade with Myanmar once the Trilateral Highway is completed.

"In Thailand, we make so much money from border trade with Malaysia, with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. That is what is going to make the Northeast region prosperous. And also, of course, tourism and agriculture," the Ambassador opined.

(Aroonim Bhuyan can be contacted at aroonim.b@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Alarmed by increasing "assaults on the original and natural character" of the Hindu holy town, the "leela-sthal" of Lord Krishna and Radha, temple priests and owners of "Devalayas" here have joined hands to launch a sustained movement against "governmental interference".

They have formed the Vrindavan Devalaya Sangh to protest what they allege are continued attempts to "dilute" the autonomy of the temples and "drastically change the physical landscape of the holy land" in the name of development.

Already 15 well known temples have joined the front headed by Gopinath Lal Dev Goswami, who has demanded adequate representation in official bodies floated by the state government to speed up development of the area, identified as part of a new tourism circuit by the Adityanath Yogi government, which has floated the Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad.

Vrindavan was recognised as an independent municipal body by the British government in 1865, much before Mathura. "However the present government has merged Mathura and Vrindavan to form the new municipal corporation. We have protested and opposed this move, as it has undermined the distinct identity and character of Vrindavan," said Jagan Nath Poddar, convener of the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance.

The Yogi government has taken up several developmental programmes for the entire Braj area spread over 150 km, comprising Goverdhan, Barsana, Gokul, Mathura and Vrindavan.

The local BJP MP, film actor Hema Malini, has been particularly active in getting pending projects speeded up before 2019, when the Lok Sabha polls will be held. She has already expressed her wish to represent the land of Lord Krishna again in the next general elections. "Hema Malini has been spending a lot of time here and a huge mansion is under construction where she would be living after exit from to serve Sri Krishna-Radha," local activist Pavan Gautam told IANS.

The chief priest of the Sri Radha Raman temple, Acharya Sri Vats Goswami, told IANS: "It is not just the question of constant interference in the working of the local temples and building pressure to change the ritualistic culture of Vrindavan, we are equally concerned about the overall direction of change and development in the Braj area. The original glory and character of the Braj area has to be insulated against spurious development. We have neither been able to save the forests nor the water bodies -- including the Yamuna river."

The chief problem is that "outsiders" are deciding what would be good for Braj area, said Madhu Mangal Shukla, a petitioner in the Allahabad High Court to stall construction work in the Yamuna flood-plains in Vrindavan. "You have the local municipal bodies, then the Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority, the Braj Teerth Development Board, the Shrine Boards, and half a dozen other institutional mechanisms often seen at loggerheads and pulling in different directions," Shukla added.

Pandas or temple priests of Goverdhan, the holy hill that little Krishna is believed to have lifted on his finger to save Brajbasis from the wrath of Indra Dev, are in ferment, protesting the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to constitute a Shrine Board, headed by an IAS official. The local pandas see this as a move to deprive them of the earnings from donations and worship of the "Goverdhan Parbat" at Daan Ghati and other places.

In Vrindavan, priests of the famous sri Bankey Bihari temple have protested government interference in the time schedule of darshans. The officials want the temple to remain open for longer hours, but the priests see this as a direct attempt to limit their freedom and traditions.

(Brij Khandelwal can be reached at brij.k@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Turkish Foreign Ministry has informed the ambassadors of Iran, Russia and the US in Ankara about a military operation launched by Turkey's army in Afrin in Syria, a ministry official said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also held a phone conversation with US counterpart Rex Tillerson in the wake of the announcement of the air strikes on Saturday by Turkish Air forces, at Washington's request, the official told Xinhua news agency on the condition of anonymity.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday the military operation in Syria's Afrin has "actively" started.

Turkey is determined to ensure its national security and to clear its borders of the People's Protection Units (YPG), which is considered by Ankara as the Syrian affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Turkish war jets have been hitting the YPG positions in Afrin on Saturday after days of shelling from the border.

The Turkish Army stated that the operation is named "Olive Branch".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned against all forms of hate at a ceremony marking the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.

In his remarks delivered at Park East Synagogue in New York o Saturday, the UN chief said that "as I scan the global landscape today, I am sorry to say that the state of our world is messy. And the state of hate is high," Xinhua news agency reported.

"Neo-Nazi threat is growing," he noted.

"Almost 80 years after the fall of the Nazi regime, its symbols, mindsets and language are very much with us," said Guterres.

"Some still seek to deny or diminish the fact of the Holocaust. Others downplay the complicity of their citizens and former political leaders," he said.

"And we see example after example of the rise of the neo-Nazi threat," he warned.

Guterres said that "all of us today have a special obligation. An obligation to never lose sight of what went wrong and how it happened."

He also called upon the international community to "be ever vigilant in the face of persistent anti-Semitism and other forms of hate in our time."

Guterres told the gathering that anti-hate organizations are now tracking hundreds of pro-Nazi and other such groups.

"With just a little research, we were able to quickly identify 65 groups in 25 countries. These are located not just in Europe and North America but in every region of the world," he said.

Their followers, and the "likes" they receive on social media, number in the tens of thousands, he said.

"Sixty thousand people marched recently in one country in support of the continent's far right movements, with placards reading 'White Europe' and 'Clean Blood,'" he continued.

According to the UN chief, the neo-Nazi group called "Combat 18" has re-emerged, including through a concert in a European country attended by thousands. "A recent far right march, called 'Revolt Against the Traitors' by the participants, sought to march near a synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar."

"Last year, hundreds of neo-Nazis gathered to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Rudolf Hess, one of Hitler's leading associates," he warned.

"Let us work together to build a world of pluralism, mutual respect and coexistence for all," the secretary-general concluded.

--IANS

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Acclaimed star Irrfan Khan is ecstatic he was named the Best Actor in Leading Role (Male) for the movie "Hindi Medium" at the 63rd Jio Filmfare Awards and said that the world believes in the work if the actor believes in it too.

"'Hindi Medium' is very close to my heart and I wish to keep telling stories like these for the audience. When you believe in your work, the world also believes with you. It is good to know that the stories you believe in is what the audiences is also looking for. It's time for change and I am glad there is acceptance to this change," Irrfan said in a statement.

The actor also tweeted that the journey of "Hindi Medium" has been testament to celebration of a story that is "told from the heart, of good content and most of all the want and sincerity to inculcate and encourage change".

He added: "Thank you to @Filmfare and our audience who have been part of my journey and also for giving this movie the adulation it has got! Congratulations to the entire team!"

Co-produced by Maddock Films and T-series "Hindi Medium" also won the Best Film (popular) Award at a gala here on Saturday.

Dinesh Vijan of Maddock films said: "Good content has emerged as a winner."

"Wow, what a start to 2018 for all of us. It is great to see that when the dust settles, its good content that has emerged as a winner and this is a huge boost for all of us to work harder in 2018," Vijan said.

Directed by Saket Chaudhary, the film also features Pakistani actress Saba Qamar. It revolves around a couple who yearn to get their daughter educated from a reputed school.

--IANS

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A year after millions of people turned out for the Women's March and took to the streets en masse to protest President Trump's inauguration, demonstrators gathered in cities across the US, galvanised by their disdain for Trump and his administration's policies.

The one in New York was expected to be one of the largest, with some 85,000 demonstrators registering for the event on the Internet, although the organisation noted that the actual figure ends up being higher. According to the mayor's office, in 2017 it was 400,000, Efe news agency reported on Sunday.

Early in the morning, people were already on the move to join the rally west of Central Park, which was well attended and overflowing with "energy, empowerment and unity", New Yorkers Lisa and Merely told Efe after the march.

With widespread criticism of the policies of the Trump Administration dominating the marches this Saturday across the country, the participants chanted one of their slogans, dedicated to the president on the anniversary of his arrival at the White House "Welcome to your first year, why the hell are you still here?".

On his Twitter account, Trump seemed to ignore the general sentiment of the demonstrations and wrote that it was a "Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March" and noting that the United States has the "lowest female unemployment in 18 years."

Despite this, the vast majority of protesters were dissatisfied with the immigration and health care reform the Trump administration has promoted and demanded equal rights for women, immigrants and members of the LGBT community, and were shouting feminist slogans against sexual assaults.

In New York, was Leslie, a woman who, like many others, was wearing the same pink cap she wore in the first marchas a "symbol of a new wave of feminism".

"It's an important year because we can vote to reclaim the House and Senate and deny power to the president," she told Efe, referring to the midterm elections to be held in November.

The Women's March organization, which focused last year on Washington DC, because of its proximity to the Capitol, and when 500,000 people attended, on Saturday sought to turn the protests into political action, encouraging women to run for public office and to exercise their right to vote.

In Las Vegas, the capital of Nevada, which turned to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, the march will focus on the "PowerToThePolls" campaign and will feature Planned Parenthood and Black Lives Matter representatives on Sunday to boost voter registration and political mobilization.

Other prominent cities where thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday were Washington, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles, the latter with more notoriety because it concentrates much of the national film industry.

Actresses such as Viola Davis, Natalie Portman and Eva Longoria took the microphone to extol women's empowerment and allude to the Hollywood harassment scandals uncovered in recent months, which have sparked feminist movements and social denunciation such as MeToo or Time's Up.

On Saturday and Sunday, there are hundreds of global women's rights marches and events planned in the capitals of countries such as Argentina, Kenya, China, Canada, Australia and Rome, but also in secondary cities and at the local level.

--IANS

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As curtains came down on the year 2017, the markets have given investors much to celebrate since the dark hours of the financial crisis of 2007. It is important to look at the crisis as a catalyst that helped us learn and transform over the years.

Here are some of the learnings from the crisis. Learnings from economy/policy viewpoint: First, notwithstanding the soundness of domestic economic policies, a country can get impacted due to crisis in other countries given the inter-linkages in the global economy. Second, fiscal consolidation is important in good times to create room for ...
With the sword of disqualification dangling over the heads of 20 of its MLAs, the leadership of the ruling in Delhi on Saturday huddled into a meeting to discuss the matter, while the BJP and the Congress smelling blood talked about bypolls in those constituencies.

Emerging from the meeting at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, senior party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said an appointment has been sought to meet President Ram Nath Kovind to urge his intervention in the matter.

The 20 MLAs, for whom the Election Commission on Friday recommended disqualification as they allegedly held offices of profit, participated in the meeting with Kejriwal, Sisodia, and other senior leaders, and discussed the next course of action.

"The MLAs will urge the president to return the EC's recommendation asking it to hear the legislators and let them present evidence to show they did not hold offices of profit," Sisodia said.

"The MLAs were not given opportunity to present the evidence with them. They have a lot to tell and prove that there was no office of profit case. It is unconstitutional and illegal. We are seeking appointment to meet the president and the MLAs will convey him that it is a biased recommendation and against natural justice," he claimed.

In its opinion sent to President Kovind, the EC said the MLAs, by occupying the post of parliamentary secretaries between March 13, 2015, and September 8, 2016, held offices of profit, and were liable to be disqualified as legislators, highly-placed sources said.

Opposition BJP and Congress, meanwhile, indulged in hectic parleys considering the possibility of bypolls on the 20 seats in case the legislators were disqualified.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Goel claimed that the AAP legislators were set to loose their seats and his party will "perform grandly" when the bypolls are called.

"Election Commission's recommendation has made disqualification of AAP MLAs a certainty. The BJP will perform grandly in bypolls on these 20 seats," he said in a statement.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken alleged that the EC "on the instance of" the BJP "helped" the AAP by delaying its recommendation by a month.

He asserted that the Congress was in a position to give a strong fight on many of the affected constituencies in case bypolls were held.

Hours after the news about the EC's recommendation for disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs spread, senior leaders of Delhi units of both the Congress and the BJP held meetings to discuss the scenario and possibility of bypolls.

Sisodia, blaming both the parties, said that they were "desperate" since the AAP government's work had hurt their political interests.

"With the work we have done for the people, I want to tell the BJP and the Congress that they will not be able to save their sureties on even a single seat. We are prepared for everything," Sisodia said in a challenge to the two parties.

Gopal Rai, the president of the Delhi unit of the AAP, claimed "victimisation" and asserted the party was "not afraid of elections".

Both Sisodia and Rai claimed the 20 MLAs did not receive even a "single" penny as parliamentary secretaries or any other benefit like office space or accommodation while serving on the post.

"They were appointed to help the government as it was working on Mohalla Clinics, skill centres, unauthorised colonies development and trader-friendly VAT scheme. They used to travel on their own expense. They were not paid even a single paisa as salary or facilities like office and bungalow," Sisodia said.

The AAP has also approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on EC's recommendation. The court has listed the case for a hearing on Monday.
A man was killed and his cousin injured after they were allegedly thrown off a running train after being robbed of cash and valuables in Bihar's Saran district, the railway police said today.

They were returning to their native village Barakurwa in Madhepura district from Ludhiana in Punjab when the incident occurred on board the Amritsar-Dibrugarh Express last night, Station House Officer (SHO), GRP (Chapra), Suman Kumar Singh, said.

The accused snatched cash and two bags from them before throwing them off the train, he said.

The SHO said police found the body at Majhanpura village while his cousin was found injured at a place about one kilometre away.

The deceased was identified as Sanjiv Kumar (22) and the injured as Amit Kumar, Singh said, adding that the latter was battling for life at the Chapra Sadar Hospital.

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Coming to a rescue of an 89-year- old man from West Bengal, the Supreme Court has set aside the three months jail awarded to him for possessing 187 litres of kerosene oil in excess at his ration shop in 1988.

The top court said that it is not interfering with the conviction of Madan Mohan Kabiraj but looking at his age, he can be accorded benefit of provisions of Probation of Offenders Act.

"Though we are not interfering with the conviction recorded against the appellant herein, having regard to the circumstances of this case and particularly the fact that the appellant is 89 years of age and that there is no other blemish against the appellant, we are of the opinion that the benefit of provisions of Probation of Offenders Act, 1958, be extended in the present case," a bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said.

It said that the three months sentence awarded to him by the Calcutta High Court is set aside and Kabiraj is released under the provisions of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958.

Kabiraj through his advocate Dushyant Parashar has challenged the high court order which sentenced him for three-months jail after holding him guilty under provisions of Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

An FIR was lodged against Kabiraj on September 2, 1988, after an inspection of his ration shop, which he was running under the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS), found an excess of 187 litres of kerosene oil.

On April 20, 1990, a special court at Murshidabad had held Kabiraj guilty under provisions of Essential Commodities Act and awarded him four months rigorous jail term.

Kabiraj challenged the order of special court before the high court in 1990, which had after 26 years, on May 3, 2016, upheld the conviction but modified the sentence from four to three months jail term.

He claimed before the apex court that the high court had upheld his conviction solely on the statement of a police officer who lodged the case while holding the two independent witnesses as "most unreliable".

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Demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken today said his party was ready for bypolls.

He also reiterated the allegation that the BJP and the Election Commission (EC) had "helped the AAP by delaying the disqualification process and enabled it to send its three candidates to the Rajya Sabha".

The party would have split due to "internal dissensions" had the EC made the recommendation before December 22, when the three AAP candidates were elected to the Rajya Sabha, Maken claimed.

"The delay was deliberate and due to a deal between the BJP and the AAP, the EC knowingly did so," he said, rubbishing the AAP's claim that the disqualified MLAs were not given a hearing by the EC to present their case.

"The full bench of the commission on 11 dates gave them opportunity for hearing," the Congress leader claimed.

He accused AAP of "lying" on the matter and said that his claims of office of profit enjoyed by the MLAs as parliamentary secretaries were based on proper documents.

"The AAP can file a case against me if I am lying. The papers prove the MLAs enjoyed benefits of office, furniture, conveyance and other facilities," Maken said.

The Congress will hold a massive protest at the CM's office on tomorrow demanding his resignation, he said.

"Kejriwal has lost the moral right to rule and he should step down after the disqualification of 20 MLAs of his party," Maken said.

The Congress is "fully ready" to contest the bypolls on the 20 seats.

"We are holding meetings over the possible elections. We will hold workers meets after January 26. I hope the people will correct the mistake they committed three years back," he said.

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Security forces said today they had killed the last of six Taliban militants to end an overnight siege at Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel that left at least 18 people dead, including 14 foreigners.

Some of the 150 guests fled the gunbattle and fire sparked by the assault by shimmying down bedsheets from the upper floors.

The militants, who wore suicide vests, pinned security forces down for more than 13 hours after the attack began about 9 PM yesterday.

The gunmen roamed the hallways and targeted foreigners and Afghan officials inside the luxury, hilltop hotel.

The more than 150 people who were rescued or managed to escape included 41 foreigners, said Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish. Of those, 10 people were injured, including six security forces, he said.

Eleven of the 14 foreigners killed were employees of KamAir, a private Afghan airline, Danish said. KamAir put out a statement saying some of its flights were disrupted because of the attack.

Six of those killed were Ukrainians, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who added that his office was working with Afghan law enforcement agencies "to clarify the circumstances of this terrorist act."



A citizen from Kazakhstan also was among the dead at the hotel, according to Anuar Zhainakov, a spokesman for the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.

Afghan security officials confirmed that 34 provincial officials were at the hotel for a conference organized by the Telecommunication Ministry.

Afghan officials said that also among the dead was a telecommunications official from Farah province in western Afghanistan; Waheed Poyan, the newly appointed consul general to Karachi, Pakistan; and Ahmad Farzan, an employee of the High Peace Council, a commission created to facilitate peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban and other opposition groups.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack at the heavily guarded hotel that is popular among foreigners and Afghan officials.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents initially planned to strike the hotel Thursday night but postponed it because a wedding was underway there and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties.

The attack unfolded almost six years after Taliban insurgents launched a similar assault on the property.

Mumtaz Ahmad, a provincial telecommunication employee for Helmand province, said he was walking from his room to the reception for his group last night.

"When the elevator door opened, I saw two armed suicide bombers. People were escaping and the attackers were firing at them," he said.

Fire broke out in the six-story hotel as the fighting raged, filling some guest rooms with smoke. Explosions could be heard throughout the standoff. Live TV video showed people trying to escape through windows and from the upper stories as thick, black smoke poured from the building.

The Interior Ministry said it is investigating how the attackers managed to enter the building. It said a private company had taken over security about three weeks ago at the hotel, which is not part of the Intercontinental chain.

During a conference, Danish said that an initial investigation showed that six insurgents entered the hotel from the northern side and stormed its kitchen.

A person or persons inside the hotel might have helped the attackers gain entrance, Danish said, adding that the probe is continuing.

Two of the attackers were killed by special forces on the 6th floor of the hotel.

Capt Tom Gresback, spokesman for NATO-led forces, said in a statement that Afghan forces had led the response efforts and that no foreign troops were hurt in the attack, according to initial reports.

Neighboring Pakistan condemned the "brutal terrorist attack" and called for greater cooperation against militants. Afghanistan and Pakistan routinely accuse each other of failing to combat extremists on their long and porous border.

Afghan forces have struggled to fight the Taliban since the US and NATO formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014.

They have also had to contend with a growing Islamic State affiliate that has carried out a number of big attacks in recent years.

In other violence in Afghanistan this weekend, insurgents burst into a home in Balkh province in the north where several members of a pro-government militia were gathered late yesterday, killing 18 of them, said Gen. Abdul Razeq Qaderi, the deputy provincial police chief. Among those killed was a tribal leader who served as the local police commander, he said.

In the western province of Farah, a roadside bomb early today killed a deputy provincial police chief and wounded four other police, according to Gen. Mahruf Folad, the provincial police chief.

The Taliban claimed both attacks.

In the western province of Herat, a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying 13 civilians, killing all but one of them, said Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for the provincial police chief. No one immediately claimed the attack, but Walizada blamed Taliban insurgents, who often plant bombs to target Afghan security forces.

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Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick as Manchester City restored their 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win at home to Newcastle United yesterday.

City's 30-match unbeaten run in the league, which spanned two seasons, came to a dramatic end with a 4-3 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield last week.

But their return to winning ways here had manager Pep Guardiola proclaiming his side needed 10 more victories to be crowned champions.

Their advantage at the top of the table had been cut to single figures, for a few hours at least, when second-placed Manchester United beat Burnley 1-0 earlier on Saturday.

Normal service resumed in the day's late kick-off, though, with Aguero glancing in Kevin De Bruyne's cross in the 34th minute to open the scoring at the Etihad.

The Argentina striker then converted a 63rd-minute penalty awarded after Raheem Sterling tumbled in the box following a tug by Javier Manquillo.

But struggling Newcastle scored against the run of play four minutes later when a rare lapse saw Jacob Murphy sprint through and finish in composed fashion.

Aguero, however, put the result beyond doubt when City's all-time leading goalscorer completed his 11th hat-trick for the club seven minutes from time following a superb run and pass from Leroy Sane.

"We needed it (this win) after last week," Aguero told BT Sport. "It's a long season though and we've not won anything yet."



- 'Didn't panic' -



==================Guardiola added: "We need 10 more wins to be champions...It was important how we reacted at 2-1, we didn't panic."Meanwhile, Arsenal showed there was plenty of life after Alexis Sanchez as they beat Crystal Palace 4-1 without the United-bound Chilean forward.

With Sanchez inching towards a 35 million (39.6 million euros, $48.5 million) transfer to United rather than City, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger left him out of his matchday squad.

Any fears Arsenal might falter up front without him proved groundless as they surged into a 4-0 lead inside 22 minutes at the Emirates Stadium thanks to goals from Nacho Monreal, Alex Iwobi, Laurent Koscielny, Alex Iwobi and Alexandre Lacazette before Luka Milivojevic pulled one back for Palace late on.

Arsenal remain outside the top four but heartened manager Wenger said: "We played our real game in the first half, real pace and real combination."



- United 'so close' to Sanchez -



=================================



At Turf Moor, United striker Anthony Martial scored a 54th-minute winner with his third league goal in as many matches.

Jose Mourinho left midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the proposed makeweight in the Sanchez deal, out of his matchday squad and afterwards the United manager indicated the transfer saga was nearing an end.

"Expect soon or never," he said. "So close, so close, so close...I know my people are doing absolutely everything they can."



But Wenger warned: "Sanchez will only happen if Mkhitaryan comes here, that will be decided in the next 48 hours."



Chelsea won 4-0 away to Brighton as the reigning English champions leapfrogged Liverpool, who play Swansea on Monday, into third place.

The Blues' first win of 2018 saw Eden Hazard score twice with a goal in each half, while Willian and Victor Moses were also on target.

On a day when all Premier League fixtures were preceded by a minute's applause honouring former West Bromwich Albion and England forward Cyrille Regis, a trailblazer for black players who died aged 59 last week, the Baggies drew 1-1 with Everton.

Jay Rodriguez gave West Brom an early lead before Theo Walcott, on his Everton debut following a midweek move from Arsenal, laid on an equaliser for Oumar Niasse in the 70th minute.

But the sight of Toffees midfielder James McCarthy going off with a broken leg cast a shadow over Everton boss Sam Allardyce's 1,000th game as a manager.

New Stoke manager Paul Lambert won his first game in charge of the Potters as they beat Huddersfield 2-0 with second-half goals from Joe Allen and Mame Biram Diouf to climb out of the relegation zone.

Leicester beat Watford 2-0 while West Ham and Bournemouth drew 1-1.

Tottenham Hotspur continue their quest for a Champions League place on Sunday against Southampton.

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With the Union Budget around the corner, two health experts have urged the government to allocate more funds to sectors such as family planning and non-communicable diseases, increase expenditure and make health insurance more inclusive.

Observing that the Centre had acknowledged that socio- economic development goals could only be achieved on the foundation of a healthy population, Poonam Muttreja, the executive director of the Population Foundation of India, said this belief was reflected in the National Health Policy.

The government had said it would increase spending on health from 1.15 per cent to 2.5 per cent of the GDP by 2025, she said, adding that it had also renewed its pledge on family planning by committing three billion dollars towards stabilising the population at a conference last year.

However, during the last financial year (2016-17), only 60.7 per cent of the funds for family planning were spent," she said.

This year, she added, the health sector hoped to see an increase in budgetary allocation and expenditure.

"Along with an increase in budgetary allocation, we hope to see an increase in expenditure and strengthening of the health systems that would enable better utilisation of the family planning budgets, thereby facilitating the government to translate their vision into action, she said.

Dr Usha Manjunath, director of the Institute of Health Management & Research, Bangalore, said the government had set short-term and medium-term targets for key health indicators and sought to bring down the Maternal Mortality Rate to 100 by 2018-2020 and the Infant Mortality Rate to 28 by 2019.

Noting that the finance minister had announced the preparation of action plans to eliminate Kala Azar and Filariasis by 2017, leprosy by 2018, measles by 2020 and tuberculosis by 2025, Manjunath said some of the targets appeared ambitious and would need to be backed up by concrete strategies and initiatives as well as fund allocation.

National Health Policy 2017 promises to increase public health spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP in a time-bound manner and guarantees health care services to all Indian citizens, specifically to the underprivileged.

This is a realistic one but action on the ground and budget allocation and utilisation should be meticulously planned and implemented," she added.

Manjunath said the move towards provision of a more comprehensive primary care by converting 1.5 lakh sub-centres in villages to health and wellness centres was a positive development and a systematic budgetary allocation and implementation should begin.

However, no specific announcements were made for combating non-communicable diseases which account for nearly 75 per cent of the disease burden. The present budget must take this into consideration, she said.

Talking about medical devices, implants and disposables, Manjunath pointed out that most of these were imported. A boost to the pharmaceutical sector would be of great help while indigenously manufactured devices and implants could be globally sold.

Manjunath said the government's National Health Protection Scheme was expected to provide a Rs 1 lakh health insurance cover to all BPL families (up to Rs 1 lakh annual income).

It can further rolled up to include families with up to Rs 2 lakh income, she said.

She said the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) was a health insurance scheme for people below the poverty line and the scheme issues a health card, which enables them to receive inpatient medical care of up to Rs 30,000 in government or private hospitals.

Budget 2018 should increase this amount to Rs 1 lakh to provide a more inclusive health insurance to the poor.

Additionally, critical care and OPD care should be an inherent part of the scheme. As an additional advantage to senior citizens, the sum insured for this category should be increased to more than Rs 1 lakh, she said.

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The Andhra Pradesh government has cancelled the entire tender process in which the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had emerged as the winner for the proposed Bhogapuram Aerotropolis project in Vizianagaram district last year.

The state Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu late last night, took the decision to develop the new greenfield airport under the public-private partnership mode.

"Across 2,703 acres, the scope of Bhogapuram Airport will be expanded from a mere airport to an integrated airport with Aerocity, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), Aviation Academy, etc.," an official release said today.

Besides AAI, GMR Group was the only other contender for the airport project.

GMR had offered a revenue share of 21.6 per cent.

Asked why the tenders were cancelled after the AAI emerged as the winner in August 2017, offering 30.2 per cent revenue share to the state government, Principal Secretary (Energy, Infrastructure and Investment) Ajay Jain told PTI they wanted to go for development of an "integrated airport".

"The scope of the project has been expanded. That's the only reason," he added.

The international airport was proposed to be developed three years ago at a cost of over Rs 2,200 crore, 40-km from port city Visakhapatnam, as it did not have a civilian airport.

The current airport in Visakhapatnam belongs to the Indian Navy.

Land acquisition for the airport was also not complete as only 2210 acres of the total 2703 acres for the first phase is in government possession.

Asked about the possible further delay in the project, the Principal Secretary said it might stretch by 3-4 months.

"We will invite fresh bids and in the meantime land acquisition will also be complete," he added.

Bhogapuram International Airport Company Ltd. (BIACL) was formed as the SPV (special purpose vehicle) by the government of Andhra Pradesh.

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President Bashar al-Assad today condemned Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militia in the northern Syrian region of Afrin, saying it was part of Ankara's support for extremist groups.

Turkey and allied Syrian rebels entered the Afrin region today, a day after launching their offensive against the Kurdish-controlled area.

"The brutal Turkish aggression on the Syrian town of Afrin cannot be separated from the Turkish regime's policy from the first day of Syria's crisis, which was essentially built on supporting terrorism and terrorist organisations, whatever their names," Assad said in statements carried by state agency SANA.

Since Syria's conflict broke out in 2011, the government has repeatedly slammed Ankara for its support of rebels, accusing it of funding jihadist factions.

As Turkish threats of a potential attack escalated last week, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad warned that Syria could shoot down Turkish warplanes used in an assault.

But the Damascus regime has also previously taken a hard line against the Kurdish authorities, which have implemented semi-autonomous institutions across parts of northern Syria, including Afrin.

Yesterday, a foreign ministry official denied claims by Turkish authorities that it had been informed of the Afrin offensive and called the attack "the latest move in Turkey's attacks on Syria's sovereignty".

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Builders Association of India today sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to institutionalise their demands to fast track his flagship infrastructure and housing projects.

"We have decided to meet the Prime Minister and request him to institutionalise our demands and brief him of the sustainable advantage it would create towards India's development and equally in fast tracking his flagship infrastructure and housing projects," BAI National President H N Vijaya Raghava Reddy said.

The decision was taken at the 28th All India Builders Convention here that passed a resolution, asking the centre to release its land banks for its 'Housing For All by 2022' project.

Reddy said BAI also decided to set up Builders Association of India Anti-Corruption Wing in all state chapters to make the sector corruption-free by 2022.

On the importance of pre-cast technology and quality, BAI Chief Patron B Seenaiah said all member companies and contractors recommended having a cell to adopt technologies which can enhance quality and reduce construction time cycles.

"Precast technology can significantly reduce the project completion time, contributing directly to monetary savings and faster development," he said.

"We are also appealing to the central government to promote and encourage precast technology in infra and housing projects," he added.

The convention also passed other resolutions asking the centre to set up a single window approval system for infra projects, rationalising and formalising uniform contract condition and tendering,applicable across India by NITI Aayog.

It also passed resolutions seeking use of precast material for quicker completion of projects, need for 'Cement Regulatory Authority' and establishing a separate ministry for infrastructure development due to heavy investment opportunities expected in the sector.

The resolutions passed in the convention will be submitted to the respective ministries and authorities in state governments and central government with a demand to implement them.

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South African batsman Temba Bavuma was today ruled out of the third Test against India owing to a fractured ring finger.

The final Test of the three-match series begins at the the Wanderers from Wednesday.

With convincing wins in the preceding two Tests, South Africa have taken an unassailable lead in the series.

Bavuma suffered the injury while playing for Cape Cobras in a domestic One-Day tournament this past week, and is expected to be out for three to four weeks.

However, despite injury, Bavuma will remain a part of the South Africa Test squad, with the selectors opting not to name a replacement batsman.

It is to be noted that Bavuma did not feature in either of the first two Tests against India.

He would have expected to sit out the third Test as well with the option of all-rounder Chris Morris available to the hosts if they choose to drop a bowler.

Bavuma has played 27 Tests for South Africa, scoring 1,259 runs at 33.13.

He has played just 2 ODIs scoring 161 runs at an average of 80.5.

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A man who was apprehended by the police in connection with the Bawana fire accident that killed seventeen people and injured two, has said that he took the factory premises on rent and was running it alone.

Ten women and seven men were killed while a man and woman were injured in a massive blaze at a firecracker storage unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area yesterday evening.

The fire, which started at the storage unit on the ground floor of a two-storey building, ripped through the structure, a Delhi Fire Services official said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Rajneesh Gupta said a person named Manoj Jain has been apprehended.

Jain told police that he was running the factory alone and had taken it on rent.

Earlier, the police had said that Jain was running the unit in partnership with one Lalit Goel.

The police had said that an FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible material. The maximum punishment under section 304 is 10 years.

The Delhi government has ordered an inquiry into the blaze. While the fire department said the blaze occurred at a firecracker storage unit, the DCP had said they are yet to confirm this. He said it was a matter of investigation if firecrackers were being manufactured too.

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Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal today met families of those killed in the Bawana factory fire at BR Ambedkar Hospital in Rohini.

Health Minister Satyendra Jain, who accompanied the LG, said autopsies were conducted only on the bodies that had been identified.

"We have formed a committee to look into the matter. People showed us wrappers of firecrackers, I do not think anyone has a licence to manufacture firecrackers in Delhi," Jain said, adding it was a serious offence.

Does not matter if the culprit is a private owner or a government official, action will be taken, he added.

The fire, which erupted on the ground floor of the two- storey firecracker storage unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area, killed 17 people yesterday and injured two others.

The owner of the factory has been arrested.

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The probe into the Bawana fire incident that claimed 17 lives was handed over to the Crime Branch from the district police today.

The case was transferred to the Crime Branch by Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik since it "requires extensive investigation and a proper detailed follow-up", a Delhi Police statement said.

Ten women and seven men were killed while a man and woman were injured in the massive blaze at a "cold firecrackers" unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area yesterday.

The 49-year-old Manoj Jain, who was running the factory, has been arrested.

"He was produced before the duty magistrate today who sent him to judicial custody. The police will request for production and police custody tomorrow before the regular magistrate," the police statement said.

A Forensic Science Laboratory team visited the site again today and conducted an extensive survey of the premises for about four hours with the assistance of the police, it added.

Samples have been picked up from the site for further examination and also to ascertain whether the firecrackers were meant for use in stage shows or otherwise.

Till now, 14 of the deceased have been identified. They are: Rohit (19), Sanjit (19), Sukhda (42), Khusna (47), Soni (21), Suraj (20), Ravi Kant (18), Baby Devi (40), Afshana (35), Sonam (23), Reeta (18), Madeena (55) and supervisor Ajeet Ranjan (22).

The post-mortem examination of Ravi Kant and Ranjan could not be carried out today since their families had not arrived here.

Three bodies, including that of a woman, are yet to be identified.

Two persons, including a woman, were injured as they jumped off from the second floor of the building to escape the blaze.

An FIR was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304), and negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible material. The maximum punishment under section 304 is 10 years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fight the battle legally but be prepared for the by-polls as well. That's the message the Aam Aadmi Party has given to its 20 disqualified lawmakers.

Sources in the AAP said, although the party would take all possible legal recourse, the MLAs have been sounded out to be prepared for any eventuality, which is a likely by-poll.

On Friday, when the reports of the Election Commission recommending disqualification of the lawmakers came, they rushed to the Delhi High Court seeking a relief. The matter was postponed and will now be heard tomorrow.

All the 20 MLAs have been disqualified for holding office of profit.

The party can also appeal in the Supreme Court if the High Court does not give a favourable ruling.

The party leadership has held meetings with these 20 lawmakers twice in last two days.

"We hope to get justice in the court. Even if we don't get justice then we will go to the people's court which is the highest court," Madanlal, who represented the Kasturba Nagar constituency prior to his disqualification, said.

Alka Lamba, who represented Chandani Chowk, said the disqualified lawmakers have confidence in the judiciary but they are also prepared to go back to the people and seek a fresh mandate if courts don't give ruling in their favour.

After the meeting with party leadership yesterday, Sarita Singh, who represented Rohtas Nagar, had said all the disqualified lawmakers will approach the court. "If we don't get a positive ruling then we will go to the people's court," she said.

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Bharti Enterprises' real estate firm plans to invest about Rs 35 billion (Rs 3,500 crore) to develop one commercial and a housing project in Delhi-NCR, a top company official said.

The company sees a big shift in demand towards organised real estate developers after the introduction of new real estate law RERA and GST, MD and CEO S K Sayal said.

currently has around 15 completed projects, having 5 million sq ft of fully leased Grade-A commercial space, in Delhi-NCR and some other cities, while 1 million sq ft of an office building is nearing completion in Gurgaon.

"We have bagged a project from Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) to develop a commercial property which will have about 2.5 million sq ft of leasable area, mostly retail," Sayal told PTI.



The company will soon start development of this 23 acres of land parcel and targets to complete it in next four years, he added.

Asked about the project cost, Sayal said this retail real estate project, one of the biggest in Delhi-NCR, will be developed with an investment of about Rs 15 billion (Rs 1,500 crore).

In January last year, DIAL, which operates the aerodrome in the national capital -- had given the contract to Bharti Realty to develop an area of nearly 2 lakh sq metres of retail space near the airport here.

This contract, decided through a bidding process, involved an upfront payment of Rs 3.15 billion (Rs 315 crore) as well as license fee equivalent to 20 per cent of revenue with minimum guaranteed payments, GMR had said last year. DIAL is a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure.

Bharti Realty already has two-three properties in commercial hub 'Aerocity' near Delhi airport.

Asked about residential business, Sayal said the company had tied up with Eros Group to enter into the housing sector.

"We entered into a joint venture with Eros to develop a housing project on a 52-acres land at Surajkund in Haryana. We have got all government approvals to develop this project," he said, adding the construction work would begin soon.

This project, comprising 2,300 units and 5 million sq ft development, would be completed over the next seven years with a cost of around Rs 20 billion (Rs 2,000 crore), Sayal said.

The housing project at Surajkund will be a vertical smart city where apartment price will be in the range of Rs 12.5 million (Rs 1.25 crore) to Rs 40 million (Rs 4 crore).

The two projects would require a total investment of about Rs 35 billion (Rs 3,500 crore) and the same would be funded through internal accruals and bank loans.

Sayal asserted that the company follows right business practices and therefore was unaffected by the real estate law RERA, GST and demonetisation.

"We see demand shifting from unorganised developers to big organised players like us," he said.

Sayal said the company would continue to focus on the national capital region market.

The Bharti Group has a presence in telecom, agri-business, financial services, retail and real estate among others.
The NIA has started a probe along with the Anti Terrorism Squad of the Bihar Police in connection with the recovery of two bombs in Bodh Gaya which were deactivated today through controlled explosion, police said.

"A team of National Investigation Agency, which arrived yesterday, has begun its probe along with the Anti Terrorism Squad of Bihar police. An FIR has also been lodged at Bodh Gaya police station in connection with the recovery of the two bombs," they said.

The bombs were found after an explosion-like sound was heard amid stringent security measures in view of the Dalai Lama's stay.

"The bombs had been kept in the Niranjana river bed, submerged with sand. These were deactivated by means of a controlled explosion this afternoon by the bomb disposal squad of NSG which arrived here earlier in the day", Inspector General of Police N H Khan told PTI.

According to Khan, a controlled explosion is one of the safest ways to deactivate an explosive device which is why it was resorted to in the present case.

"The scattered remains of the bombs will later be collected by forensic experts camping in the area", Khan said.

"The examination by forensic experts would ascertain what material was used to make these explosives leading to further clues about who could have planted these at the spots where these were found", he added.

Meanwhile, tight security measures remain in place at Bodh Gaya which has been put on high alert in the aftermath of recovery of the two bombs during the visit of the Dalai Lama who has been staying at a Tibetan monastery since January 1.

Besides taking part in prayers at the Maha Bodhi temple, the Tibetan spiritual leader has also been holding discourses at the Kaalchakra ground where the bombs were found during a combing operation which was launched following the explosion- like sound.

In 2013, the Maha Bodhi temple, situated at the spot where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment, was rocked by a series of explosions in which five people, including two monks, were injured.

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The bustling settlement of Arnia and a chain of border hamlets along the Indo-Pak border now wear an empty look, with over 40,000 villagers abandoning their homes to escape heavy shelling by Pakistani forces.

Arnia town, with a population of 18,000, resembles a ghost town with only a few people left each in its adjoining hamlets to take care of animals and guard homes.

Farming, schooling, cattle rearing and everything else on which border dwellers survive have come to a halt due to the shelling episodes.

Villagers at the forefront of Pakistani shelling say they feel they are in a war zone with sounds of mortar bombs and rattle of automatic weapons booming in the area.

In the hamlets, devastation is visible all around -- blood stains on the floor, broken windows, injured animals and splinter marks on the walls.

Dressed in battle fatigues and bullet proof jackets, jawans of the Border Security Forces criss-cross through borderline hamlets and paddy fields to take position to give a befitting retaliation.

Some families that had initially decided to hold on to their homes have finally decided to move after intense shelling.

Night after night, 80-year-old Yashpal and his family huddled together under a bed in one corner of their room as soon as the shelling started.

After heavy cross-border shelling for over two days, the family finally decided to leave their home along the India- Pakistan border yesterday.

On Friday night, the situation got worse and two shells hit our house and damaged it, he said.

"It had happened during the 1965 and the 1971 wars.Such large number of mortar bombs had not since fallen in Arnia," he said.

Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), R S Pura, Surinder Choduhary told PTI that, "Arnia town has been vacated. We have evacuated large number of people from Arnia and border hamlets...Most of hamlets are now vacated".

Choudhary, who led the police from the front in carrying out massive evacuation of the border population from R S Pura and Arnia sectors, said houses and cattle have bore the brunt of the shelling.

Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan said 58 villages in Arnia and Suchetgarh sectors of Jammu district have been affected due to the shelling by Pakistan.

"Over 36,000 border dwellers have migrated from their homes", the DC said and added that 131 animals have been killed, 93 injured besides damage caused to 74 buildings and houses.

While most of the border dwellers are living with their relatives, over 1000 are camped in boarding and lodging places setup by the government in schools.

Over 5000 cattle have been shifted from various border hamlets to safer places, he said.

In Samba and Ramgarh sectors of Samba district, over 5000 people have migrated besides over 3000 from Hiranagar sector of Kathua district.

Hundreds of grass houses (Kullas) have also been gutted and bovines killed in fire triggered by bursting of mortar bombs fired by Pakistan troops in Jeora farm, popularly known as "hamlet of milkmen".

The hamlet houses over 100 families and is famous for supplying milk and other milk products to Jammu.

"We have left our hamlets. We have lost everything. Our kullas have gutted in Pakistan mortar shelling and animals have perished. They were our source of income", Sattar Din told PTI.

"Over 150 kullas have been gutted in the fire and several animals have perished in the fire triggered by Pakistan shelling", Choudhary, who himself led the rescue operation, said.

Another Arnia dweller Asha Rani, who fled her house along with her family of five in a bullock cart, said "People have not seen such intense firing and shelling even in the 1965 and 1971 wars. Pakistan was solely shelling us (civilians) in Arnia".

It is also for the first time that shells fired by Pakistan exploded in Gajansoo town, killing a 25-years-old.

As this PTI correspondent was on his way to Kanachak to report the ground situation, two mortar bomb shells exploded barely two kilometres ahead at the Ganjansoo bus stand triggering fear among residents.

At Gal-da-Chak, 500 meters from the spot of the shelling, people stopped vehicles, asking visitors not to move ahead in wake of the shelling.

"This is for the first time in decades that shells have landed in Gajansoo town.It is dangerous to stay here", Sham Lal said at Gal Da Chak.

Pakistan Rangers started shelling areas along the IB on Wednesday and till now nine people including 6 civilians and 4 jawans have been killed and nearly 60 people, including over 50 civilians, injured along the IB and LoC in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region.

Over 300 educational institutes have been closed for the next three days along the IB and LoC in Jammu region by authorities in the wake of tension along the Indo-Pak border due to shelling.

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Targeting the premium segment, BSH Household Appliances, part of Germany's diversified group Bosch, has launched its elite luxury brand 'Gaggenau' in the country.

This is the company's third brand in the country, after Bosch and Siemens.

"The luxury segment is growing fast and there are other luxury brands which are also entering and we are seeing kitchens being sold with values over Rs 40-50 lakh in the country and therefore we believe there is a market for luxury appliances to complement to luxury kitchens.

"Also, there are high-end condominiums being sold, so for that particular segment, we are launching this brand Gaggenau," BSH Household Appliances Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Gunjan Srivastava told PTI.

The luxury built-in appliances brand Gaggenau has been around for over three centuries, originating in Germany.

"We believe that the Indian consumer durables sector is witnessing an inclination towards premiumisation in the last few years and we are confident that this is the appropriate time for a brand like Gaggenau to enter the market," he added.

BSH Household Appliances would be launching the full range of appliances like hobs, hoods, ovens, microwave ovens, dishwashers, coffee machines, vacuuming drawers, wine cabinets and refrigerators in six cities this year, with the prices ranging from Rs 2 lakh to upwards of Rs 20 lakh.

The products would be imported from its Germany and France facilities.

"We want to reach the top four to five cities to start with and then take it another four to five cities. We are starting with Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gujarat and later with Pune and Hyderabad. After a year and half, we will look at expanding into other cities as well," he said.

The company also plans to launch its 'experience centre' in Mumbai next year.

It has identified two channels in terms of go-to-market strategy -- the premium high-end developers and the high-end kitchen retailers who deal in imported luxury kitchens.

Srivastava, however said it is too soon to estimate Gaggenau's growth or revenue in India, since there is no competition in the luxury appliances space at present in the country.

BSH Household Appliances has been clipping at a growth of 30 per cent in India. "We are looking at next 7-8 years, clocking minimum 30 per cent CAGR, every year," Srivastava added.

The growth would be driven by adding more products to increase market accessibility, expanding its presence from 200-250 cities at present to 350-400 cities in the next five years and investments in brand awareness, he said.

"We are spending over 15 per cent of our revenue on marketing, which is quite substantial," he said.

The company has 80 own stores (50 for Bosch and 30 for Siemens) and aims to take it to 100 this year.

It has seen a huge growth in online sales and expects it to grow faster than offline channels in future.

"2017, we saw online sales jump more than 100 per cent for us. We expect that in coming years, we will see very high growth rates, much higher than offline growth rates," he said.

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Facing allegations over a controversial land deal, the head of the Syro-Malabar Church Cardinal George Alencherry today said all issues relating to it would be resolved soon.

"The issue will be resolved soon," he said in his first public statement on the controversial land deal in the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, in which the church allegedly suffered a huge financial loss.

Addressing a mass at a Church at nearby Kuravilangad, he thanked all those who gave him strength through their prayers



He urged them to continue with their prayers.

"There is no place for division among Christians. Certain things occur due to the shortcomings. That will be rectified," Alencherry said.

The Cardinal's statement came after a section of faithful of the Syro-Malabar Church accused Cardinal Alencherry, who is also Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese, of selling prime land of the archdiocese in Kochi for "a very low price".

They had alleged the role of land mafia in the sale of land in a "non-transparent manner", violating even civil and canon laws.

Supporters of the Cardinal had dubbed the charges against the chief priest as a 'misinformation campaign.'



The All India Catholic Almaya Forum had urged the priests to stop the campaign being carried out against the Cardinal.

They had alleged that a handful of priests were trying to defame the Syro-Malabar Church, having over 55 lakh followers and 35 dioceses.

The Presbyteral Council of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese had alleged that a commission appointed by the Archbishop to enquire into the land business had found serious violations of canon and civil laws.

According to the priests,the commission found that revenue from sale of 3.06 acres of the land in Kochi city was expected to fetch Rs 27 crore as per the understanding, but officially only Rs nine crore had been shown as sale proceeds.

They claimed that an amount of Rs 18 crore was 'shrouded in mystery' and remained unaccounted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre has cut down the estimates made by the Andhra Pradesh government towards an additional share under Centrally-Sponsored Schemes (CSS) for the period 2015-16 to 2019-20.

Discounting the estimates of the state that it should get a sum of Rs 16,447 crore as an additional share under Centrally-Sponsored Schemes (CSS) for the period 2015-16 to 2019-20, the Centre maintained that the actual amount Andhra Pradesh is eligible for would only be Rs 12,700 crore.

The gap in the calculations between AP and the Centre, which amounts to Rs 3,747 crore, is huge for a state that is reeling under an acute scarcity of funds.

Add Rs 435 crore to the variation in the figures for 2015-16 financial year in particular, the aggregate becomes Rs 4182 crore, a top official in the know of things said on the condition of anonymity.

"We could take up one major project with that money without having to borrow from foreign agencies. We can't obviously forego that," the official said.

Incidentally, the externally-aided projects is another issue over which the Centre and the state have been wrangling.

The Centre reportedly communicated the discounted figure related to CSS to state government officials who were pursuing the issue following a letter written by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the subsequent meeting the CM had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As the Centre's position was relayed to the Chief Minister, he called an emergency meeting with Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary, state Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar, AP's Resident Commissioner in New Delhi Praveen Prakash, Special Commissioner Rajat Bhargava and other top officials here yesterday to discuss the fallout.

"The Chief Minister was visibly rattled over the Centre's stand, more so in the context of NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman's observations on the state's economic growth story," the official said.

On January 5, Naidu wrote a letter to Jaitley stating that AP "tentatively arrived" at Rs 16,447 crore as the sum it "might have received" in the ratio of 90:10 under Centrally-Sponsored Schemes for five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20.

That was part of the special assistance measures the Centre promised to the state in September 2016 in lieu of the special category status.

The chief minister took up the issue again with the prime minister when they met in New Delhi on January 12.

The Union Finance Ministry's calculation of the state's gross eligibility under CSS, at a time when AP was expecting an "enhanced funds flow", came a shocker on top of what was previously delivered in the form of a heavy cut in the revenue deficit computation.

While the state claimed a revenue deficit of Rs 16,078.76 crore for the year 2014-15, as a consequence of the state bifurcation, the Centre cut it down to Rs 7,500 crore.

The Centre was supposed to bridge this deficit in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

In the last three years, the Centre released Rs 3,979.5 crore under this head.

"Even as per their calculations, we have to get another Rs 3,500 crore but the Centre is now saying we will get another Rs 138.39 crore only," the chief minister said while addressing a workshop of Telugu Desam Party MPs and legislators here today.

In fact, Naidu had raised this issue also during his meeting with the prime minister.

The Prime Minister reportedly sent the state's plea to the Finance Ministry for remarks.

Now, the state government is preparing a document afresh listing its case on finances "in specific terms" as reportedly sought by the PM.

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Former chief minister Shanta Kumar has said that the Narendra Modi led government at the Centre had declared Chamba as a backward district which will allow it to get special financial assistance for development.

BJP MP from Kangra, Kumar, said this was a great gift of the Centre to the newly elected state government in Himachal Pradesh.

He thanked the Centre and Union Health Minister J P Nadda, who will visit Chamba shortly in this connection.

Kumar said there were many districts in the country, which were financially backward and the people residing there were extremely poor because development was ignored in those areas.

"The Government of India has implemented a programme where such districts shall be developed under special schemes," he said.

The former chief minister said Chamba was also chosen for this. For the fast development of the Chamba district, cement industry is required here, as the area has high quality stone in abundance, he said.

"I am trying to get this industry set up here for the last many years. If established it could be a much larger than the industry in Barmana and Darlaghat of the state. Thousands of locals can be absorbed in this industry," he said.

Kumar urged Nadda and Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to take firm steps in this direction.

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Chinese students and admirers have paid rich tributes to Indian Ayurvedic practitioner and educator Deepak Dudhmunde who died recently in India.

Dudhmunde, 52, passed away on January 9 after a heart attack.

Memorial meetings were held in Beijing and Guangzhou.

Dudhmunde became popular in China lecturing in conferences and universities about the Indian healing system of 'chakra', sound and flower perfume therapies across 10 Chinese cities over the past 10 years.

He also spoke at the Indian Embassy in Beijing on at least two occasions.

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Actor Chris Hemsworth has said that he was shocked when he was offered the war film "12 Strong".

The actor stars in Nicolai Fuglsig-directed film which is based on Doug Stanton's non-fiction book "Horse Soldiers".

The film tells the story of CIA paramilitary officers and US Special Forces sent to Afghanistan immediately after the September 11 attacks.

Hemsworth said the story felt quite "spectacular" to him and that is what drawn him to it.

"I was as shocked as anyone else - one I did not know about the story, two that it was true and just the details as to what these guys achieved in this mission.

"12 guys who went into Afghanistan, 3 weeks after 9/11 and they took back the country from Taliban, al-Qaeda while working with the local Afghan people who are fighting them. So yeah pretty spectacular story," he said in a statement.

The "Thor: Ragnarok" actor also revealed that he trained with the US Special Forces while getting ready to play his role in the role.

"We had the book, which was wealth, and information that we had some of the real guys on set with us and we had guys from the navy seals, Special Forces, a lot of military people around to advise us and guide us and it was great to have that sort of wealth and knowledge on your fingertips," he said.

The film released in India on January 19.

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Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh today launched the Chief Minister-gi Hakshelgi Tengbang (CMHT), a pioneering health assurance scheme for the poor and disabled people.

The chief minister launched the CMHT along with 10 advanced life support ambulances as a gift of Statehood Day to the people of Manipur at a function at Khuman Lampak Indoor Stadium here, said a government press release.

Speaking at the occasion, Singh said CMHT was a dream-scheme of his government.

The CMHT will provide cashless treatment to the poor at government hospitals, health centres and other empanelled selected private hospitals.

The scheme will provide cover up to Rs 2 lakh per eligible family identified from the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) in the treatment of seven critical identified critical ailments - cardiovascular diseases, kidney ailments, neurological conditions, liver ailments, cancer, neo-natal diseases and burns per year.

The beneficiaries may get themselves enrolled for the scheme with the help of ASHA workers at the kiosks opened in nearby PHCs, CHCs and District Hospitals.

The most special aspect of the scheme is its innovative features. Firstly, CMHT will have convergence with Government of India programme like PMs Jana Aushadhi Programme and Free Diagnostic Programme. Secondly, the scheme will be a truly IT platform driven scheme.

To mark the launch of the scheme, the Chief Minister and dignitaries distributed Health Cards for the scheme to some selected beneficiaries.

With the launching of this new scheme today his government had been able to provide two most noble social security schemes to its people, another being the Chief Minister-gi Sotharabashing gi Tengbang (CMST) launched on December 3, 2017, he said.

Stating that there are still many poverty-stricken people in the state, Singh asked the state government officials and doctors to deal the poor, deprived and underprivileged people with a humane touch when they approach them for assistance.

Urging the doctors to prescribe the generic medicines listed in PMs Jana Aushahi Yojana in order to make healthcare affordable to poor people, the Chief Minister opined that there is nothing better than serving the humans sincerely.

Speaking on the occasion, Health and Family Welfare Minister L Jayantakumar said the Biren Singh government had taken up many people-oriented programmes despite fund constraints.

PMs Jana Aushadhi Programme, free diagnosis programme and launching of 10 modern hi-tech life support ambulances are part of all these programmes, he said.

During the function, the chief minister also launched 10 advanced life support ambulances for the districts of the State. These ambulances have all the equipments that it may function as mobile ICUs, the release added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his slogan of 'Congress-free India' was not about eliminating the main opposition party politically but about ridding the country of the "Congress culture" which he termed as casteist, dynastic, corrupt and involving total control over power among other ills.

Maintaining that the Congress has been the "main pillar" of in the country that spread its culture to all political parties, he told Times Now in an interview that his call for "Congress mukt" or 'Congress-free India' was "symbolic" and he wants even the Congress to be free of the "Congress culture", according to the transcript provided by the channel.

He also attacked the opposition party for its objection to the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha, saying instead of indulging in vote bank it must get out of this "regressive mindset".

Modi wondered if has fallen so low that it cannot look at the legislation from the point of view of women's empowerment.

The prime minister dwelt at length for the first time on his "Congress-mukt Bharat" slogan, which he had coined during his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign.

The slogan became a popular political weapon, after the Congress was reduced to a tally of 44 seats in the Lok Sabha, and subsequently lost power in many states to the BJP.

It is now in power only in Punjab, Puducherry, Karnataka and northeastern states of Meghalaya and Mizoram. Elections have already been announced for Meghalaya in February.

Modi said in the interview that even though the slogan became famous, the sentiment behind it could not spread effectively, as things are often said in a hurry in the flow of politics.

Modi said that when he spoke of the 'Congress-free India', it was not limited to the Congress as an organisation or its particular unit.

"The culture of the Congress that emerged after independence started appealing to other political parties. They feel that taking a certain path will prove to be successful; casteism, dynasty, corruption, exploitation, treachery and keeping complete control over power. All this became a part of Indian political culture whose main pillar was the Congress," he claimed.

The Congress at the time of the freedom struggle also had a culture which inspired the youth to sacrifice their lives for the country, he said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has used Modi's slogan of 'Congress-mukt Bharat' to attack the BJP, saying he would fight the saffron party ideologically but would never want to wipe it out as it was also an expression of a section of the society.

Modi, however, said that when he spoke of 'Congress-free India', it was not limited to the Congress as an organisation or its particular unit, according to the transcript.

The Congress has spread itself as a culture throughout the country, he said.

"So when I say Congress-free India, it is not related to election outcomes. I would want that even the Congress on its own should free itself of the Congress culture.

"It would be in the country's interest that Congress is also freed of the Congress culture. It's necessary for a healthy democracy. That's what I meant by the Congress-free India," he said.

Referring to the Congress-culture, he said these "shortcomings" were seen in all parties to some extent.

Political parties will have to be saved from this culture and the country's political character will have to be saved, Modi said.

"The coming generations will have to be saved from this culture. So what I am saying is symbolic. My emphasis is not limited to the Congress as a political party," he said.

In an apparent dig at Gandhi over his attack on the Modi government during his recent speeches abroad, Modi said if people go out in the world and say something, then "it's more about revealing the identity of the person than the country's identity".

Taking on the Congress over its opposition to triple talaq bill, Modi said he believed the mistake that the party made when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister would have taught it something.

In 1985, the Supreme Court had ruled in favour of Shah Bano, a divorced woman who had sought maintenance from her husband. However, following a backlash from orthodox Muslim groups, the Congress led by Rajiv Gandhi had diluted the order through an act.

"It was a move to let everyone live with dignity. Why the Congress was not able to understand this social service is a matter of concern. Has politics fallen so low?...Is the hunger for power so much that they can keep watching innocent mothers and sisters suffer and yet continue with their politics. This is very selfish. This pains me," he said.

The environment has also changed and Islamic countries across the world have also changed their laws, Modi said.

"So the Congress party or any party that indulges in vote bank politics must get out of this regressive mindset and think from the point of view of women's empowerment and respect for women," he said.

The prime minister claimed that the bill, which is likely to be pushed again by the government during Parliament's budget session, was not a political move but aimed at saving Muslim women affected by the practise of triple talaq.

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Protests and threats of violence may have made things tough for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmaavat", but trade pundits, exhibitors and even the audiences are excited to watch the much-awaited period drama in the theatres.

Owing to historical "inaccuracies" in "Padmaavat" that is headlined by Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh - states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana had initially called for a ban on the film.

But, much to the relief of the filmmaker and the distributors, the Supreme Court, earlier this week, allowed a country-wide release of the controversial movie on January 25.

"There may be problems in certain parts of India. We have requested and advised exhibitors to approach police authorities to safeguard their property and the lives of the audience coming to the theatres.

"We don't know their (protesters) line of action. So we have told the exhibitors to take note of the scenario and take decisions to screen the film in their areas accordingly," Nitin Dhar, former president and member of the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India, told PTI.

Dhar said the association has also written a letter to the home minister and the chief ministers of a few states requesting adequate security arrangements.

"We understand that it is not possible to control so many cinema halls and other properties like shops, vehicles, etc but we have faith in the law enforcement agencies," he added.

The association, which covers states like Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka, has over 500 theatres under its ambit.

With advance booking on the way for "Padmaavat", Dhar is believes the movie will do well.

Looking at the advance booking, the trade circle is hopeful that a decent number of people will turn up to watch the lavishly mounted magnum opus on the celluloid.

"There is a strong buzz about the film. The response for advance booking is good. At the moment, select shows are open and going by that, the occupancy in the theatres should be over 65 per cent.

"The cinema houses, too, seem ready with the security plan," Girish Wankhede, a trade analyst said.

Akshay Rathi, exhibitor and distributor, is in the middle of negotiations, locking the programming and bookings for the film.

"The paid preview is happening on January 24 in IMAX 3D. The momentum built up by 'Tiger Zinda Hai' will be carried forward by 'Padmaavat' when it comes out on January 25.

"The advance booking looks good and there is a great amount of anticipation for the film. We all have faith in the law enforcement agencies and are hopeful the situation will be taken care of," he said.

Rathi, hopes, the film will open to 75 per cent occupancy in over 4,000 screens across India.

"Padmaavat" will be shown at the popular multiplex chain, PVR cinemas, that has 612 screens across the country, but senior officials are unwilling to divulge any details.

"It is too early to speak about anything at the moment (advance booking response). We don't want to make a comment (on security at PVR)," Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures said.

At single screen theatres too, the excitement is high.

"People are coming with enquiries on "Padmaavat". We will be showing the film in Gaiety, Galaxy, Maratha Mandir and other theatres. We are hopeful the government and policemen will ensure a safe and secure environment for the audiences," said Manoj Desai, executive director of the theatres, said.

With the sword of protest and unrest hanging over "Padmaavat", people in several pockets of India are divided over watching the film on the day of its release.

Binal Shah, a schoolteacher from Surat, said, "I want to watch the film with my family. I don't know when we can all go. Let's see what happens on day one."



Sharing similar views, Hiral Kotecha, a Vadodara-based housewife, wants to see the film primarily for her love for historical movies and the leading lady, Deepika.

A 31-year-old housewife, Khushboo Shah, from Indore, is an ardent fan of both Ranveer and Shahid and is eager to see her two favourite actors share the screen.

"I don't know much about Queen 'Padmavati' and her life, whatever little I know is through the media. I want to see the film with an open mind," she said.

There are some sections of the society which are geared up to watch the movie, despite the Karni Sena's threats, a Rajput group vehemently opposing the film's release.

"I will go to see the film. Not that I know the history or I am interested in cross checking it through the movie.

"But I wouldn't want to skip a movie with my favourite actors in it just because someone is creating an environment of fear and forcing their views on everybody," Atul Jaiswal, an HR head from Mumbai, said.

Himesh Mankad, a CS student and a movie buff, will go to watch "Padmaavat" on the first day to catch the historical drama film.

"I am hopeful that the law enforcement agencies would provide appropriate security. I have been waiting for 'Padmaavat' ever since the trailer was out. I am happy that the long wait will come to an end this week.

"In my opinion, one should watch the film and then, pass any judgement. Violent protests are no means of showing your displeasure towards a film," Mankad said.

The film, initially titled "Padmavati", was slated to release on December 1 last year but was postponed as the makers were yet to get a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
CPI(M) Central Committee member and Chairman of Tripura's ruling Left Front Khagen Das died of a massive heart attack early today in Kolkata, family and party sources said.

He was 79 and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

The former state minister and parliamentarian, who was in Kolkata to attend the party's Central Committee meeting, died at Tripura Bhavan at around 3.30 a m.

CPI(M) announced that the party's flag would remain half mast today and tomorrow and all party programmes in Tripura were suspended for the two days to mourn his death.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri, Politburo member Prakash Karat and other party leaders paid floral tribute to the mortal remains of Das in Kolkata.

Das was elected as an MLA in 1978 and 1983 from Majlishpur constituency in Tripura.

He was a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1998-2002 and in 2002 he was elected to the Lok Sabha from West Tripura constituency and repeatedly won from the constituency till 2014.

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Actor Nicolas Cage is one of the latest Hollywood A-listers to have joined the growing chorus in the support of the #MeToo movement.

The 54-year-old actor-director said irrespective of the gender, "creativity and talent" need to cherished.

"Every opportunity I get to work with a female director - one of the best movies I ever made was 'Valley Girl' and I just did a picture called 'Inconceivable' with Maria Pulera and there was a strong female cast.

"I realise that the talent and creativity needs to be heard and supported and cherished," Cage told People magazine on the sidelines of Sundance Film Festival.

In the past, actors such as Tom Hanks, Colin Firth, Timothee Chalamet, Mark Wahlberg have also voiced their support for the campaign, which is gaining momentum day by day.

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Tamil Nadu Deuty Chief Minister O Paneerselvam said today described as "unfortunate" the mystrious death of a 28-year-old doctor hailing from nearby Tirupur in Delhi earlier this week.

Sharath Prabhu, a first-year post-graduate medicine student at the University College of Medical Sciences, affiliated to the Delhi University, was found unconscious outside the washroom of his rented apartment in Delhi on Wednesday by his flatmates.

Though he was taken to the GTB Hospital, doctors declared him brought dead.

Paneerselvam told reporters here that the incident was unfortunate.

On protests against the bus fare hike, he said that the fare was very low compared to neighbouring states of Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and the Government was still incurring a loss despite this increase.

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A 26-year-old woman was today trampled to death by a wild elephant at Kotri range under Lansdowne forest division in Uttarakhand's Pauri district, a forest official said.

According to the official, the incident took place in the noon, when the woman, identified as Anjali, was on way to Kadarganj village in Bijnor district.

She was with other women when the elephant attacked them. The other women fled the spot to save their lives. However, Anjali fell victim to the elephant. When they returned there after sometime, they found her in an unconscious state.

The women, with the help of locals, rushed her to a government hospital where she was declared dead.

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The West Bengal government is planning to promote theme-based packages for foreign tourists who wish to know about the culture and traditions of the people here.

Besides jazzing up the Durga Puja celebrations - which happen to be a major crowd puller - the state tourism department is preparing a 'bridal tourism' package to showcase the rituals of Bengali marriages to the foreigners and seek their participation in the event.

"The bridal tourism package will offer foreigners a chance to witness the colourful rituals of a Bengali marriage. They will find it interesting as they are not accustomed to anything like this three-day long gala at Bengali homes," West Bengal Tourism Minister Gautam Deb told PTI.

The nitty-gritty of the package, such as ways to connect the tourists to the households where marriages would be held, are being chalked out at the moment, Deb said.

The guests will be able to witness from close quarters the 'haldi' or 'gayey halud' ceremony (turmeric smearing), exchange of garlands, and sindur daan (vermilion ritual).

The tourists will also get a taste of the lavish Bengali spread at the weddings and the reception ceremonies, he said.

At a recent meet with travel operators from different parts of the globe, including the US, the UK, Russia and Australia, the minister had promised unique experiences for the tourists.

"Bengal is a sweet destination. We will offer our guests wonderful experiences," he told them.

The state tourism department is currently working on a plan to offer a diverse portfolio of niche products - cruises, adventure, wellness, medical and education besides homestays.

"We have decided to support theme-based tourism products, and encourage maximum private sector participation, while ensuring standard services by all tourism players in the state," Deb said.

Stating that visitors can open avenues for investments and generate jobs, the minister said the tourism sector in our state is growing at an unprecedented rate.

West Bengal ranks fifth among the Indian states in terms of foreign tourist arrivals, ahead of Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala, the minister noted.

The tourism sector of the state has created around 5,00,000 jobs over the past few years, the minister said, adding that West Bengal is home to almost all major hotel and hospitality, health resorts, and restaurant chains.

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Despite the recent accusations of sexual misconduct, actor James Franco will be attending the 2018 SAG Awards.

Franco's representative confirmed to CNN that he will be one of 1,278 attendees at the Shrine Auditorium.

The actor, who recently won a Golden Globe and a Critic's Choice Award for his role in "The Disaster Artist", is nominated once again in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role category.

Franco had skipped the CCA awards after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in The Los Angeles Times article and on Twitter.

Actor Kristen Bell is hosting the event, a first time in the show's history, and most of the presenters are women.

The show's opening segment, "I Am an Actor," will feature all women.

Denying the allegations Franco had said, "The things that I heard that were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice, because they didn't have a voice for so long.

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While Asiatic lions remain one of the biggest tourist attractions in Gujarat, the humble cow is set to become the newest draw for travellers in the state.

Authorities have initiated a 'cow tourism' project to promote and popularise bovine rearing in the state. It has been introduced by the Gujarat State Gauseva Ayog.

People interested in understanding about cow rearing and various other aspects, such as making products using cow urine and dung, are taken to a two day trip of some of the best-kept cow shelters as well as designated 'gauchars' (grazing land), said Gauseva Ayog chairman Vallabh Kathiria.

"Cow tourism is a step towards making people understand the economic benefits of keeping cows. Most people are not aware that we can earn good income by preparing some basic products, such as bio-gas and medicines, using cow dung and urine.

"Cow tourism is all about combining the religious aspect with the economical aspect attached with the cow," Kathiria told PTI.

While cow urine has several medicinal and disinfectant properties and its extract is used in making organic phenyl and soap, cow dung serves as a raw material for producing bio- gas, fertiliser and for making incense sticks, he said.

"Under this project, we arrange a two-day tour of the shelters doing a commendable job in not only keeping the cows in good condition but also making money by preparing cow dung and urine-based products.

"In a short span of introducing this project, we have arranged several such trips across the state," he said.

Apart from cow shelters, grazing land (gauchars) are also included in the itinerary. One of the most popular destinations as far as gauchar goes is Dharmaj, a village near Anand, said Kathiria.

"Preparing a guachar is also an art and one such grazing land has been prepared at Dharmaj. People, who are concerned about the well-being of cows, take ideas from such model gauchar during the trip and implement them at their village.

Many tourists have even started rearing cows and built gaushalas after learning about the monetary benefits during our trips. This all will help in preserving and protecting the holy animal," said the former Union minister.

Protection of cows has become a priority in Gujarat after the state government last year introduced a tough law against cow slaughter with a provision for life sentence.

Apart from cow tourism, the Ayog is undertaking many other initiative to encourage people to rear cows. The Ayog is in consultation with various jails and educational institutions to start cow shelters on their premises.

"At present, jails in Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Bhuj have their cow shelters. We are in contact with authorities of Gondal and Amreli jails to open such gaushalas in their premises.

"Several colleges and even universities have expressed willingness to start cow shelters on their premises," Kathiria said.

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Raising women's participation in the labour force to the same level as men can boost India's GDP by 27 per cent, IMF Chief Christine Lagarde and Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg have said in a joint paper.

Pitching for 2018 to be made "the year for women to thrive", the two leaders said "time is up for discrimination and abuse against women" in the paper published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) ahead of the Geneva-based organisation's annual summit in Swiss ski resort town Davos.

Lagarde and Solberg are among the all-women co-chairs of the annual confab this year, beginning tomorrow. Indian social entrepreneur Chetna Sinha is also among the co-chairs for the annual summit that will be attended by 70 heads of government from across the world, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.

Women would account for 21 per cent of the overall participation at the meeting to be attended by over 3,000 world leaders including from politics, business, art and culture, academia and civil society.

"The need for greater respect and opportunities for women is becoming an ever more prominent feature of the public conversation," Lagarde and Solberg said while asserting that the challenge of female empowerment is firmly on the agenda at the WEF Summit this year.

They said giving women and girls the opportunity to succeed is not only the right thing to do but can also transform societies and economies.

"The economic facts speak for themselves: raising women's labour force participation to that of men can boost GDP, for example, by as much as 9 per cent in Japan and 27 per cent in India," the two leaders wrote.

Quoting IMF research for listing myriad macroeconomic benefits, they said reducing gender gaps in employment as well as in education can help economies diversify their exports, while appointing more women onto banking supervision boards can challenge cozy group-think, thereby supporting greater bank stability and financial sector resilience.

Besides, tackling gender inequality can reduce income inequality, which, in turn, can drive more sustainable growth.

"This is a challenge for any country; a task from which every country would benefit. It is a universal mission," they said.

Lagarde and Solberg said some of the barriers holding women back are universal too and almost 90 per cent of countries have one or more gender-based legal restrictions.

In some countries, for example, women have limited property rights, while in others, husbands have the right to prevent their wives from working. Besides legal obstacles, there are barriers related to combining work and family life, education, access to finance, and pressures from society, they added.

As per the paper, helping women stay active in the workplace while raising a family is key.

Noting that leaders from around the world are meeting in Davos at a time of global economic recovery, Lagarde and Solberg said it is the time when governments must do all they can to sustain this momentum and lay the foundations for long-term growth.

"Helping women make the most of their potential is a key part of this equation...The time has come for women to thrive," they said.
The beats of 'Ghumat', the Goa's oldest musical instrument, which had gone into near obscurity, are being heard again with a music lover trying to encourage women to play it, overcoming traditional gender boundaries.

The ghumat is a kettle or pumpkin shaped percussion instrument with the wider top opening covered with a membrane. In earlier times, the skin of monitor lizard was used as the covering.

It was traditionally played by men during the festivals of Hindus and Christians, and the latter's weddings.

But the efforts made by Marius Fernandes, 56, have now passed on the instrument into the hands of women, who are enthusiastically learning to play it.

He along with his son Ashley began the research on the ghumat in Goa in 2000.

Fernandes, who resides in Panaji, recalled how a law passed over four decades ago in the early 70s classifying monitor lizard as a protective species led to the instrument almost disappearing from the social scene.

"We never used to see this instrument during the day time. It was seen only at night in some temples (during the aarti)," he said.

Ashley, who was pursuing a course in sound engineering in 2000, then ventured into a project at the SAE Institute in London to find a sustainable alternative membrane, instead of the monitor lizard, for the instrument.

The result is evident now with the ghumat having the covering of the goat or sheep skin or a synthetic material, thus pulling it out of obscurity it had gone into due to the conservation laws.

About a year ago, Fernandes organised a festival at Siridao village, near Panaji, where for the first time he handed over the instrument to a young girl.

Since then, he has been travelling to colleges, meeting social groups and teaching young women how to play it.

During a workshop Carmel College For Women near Margao town last year, 69 girls came forward to learn how to play the instrument, which was made available to the students at a very reasonable price, Fernandes said.

Similarly, at the Nirmala Institute of Education in Panaji, 60 young aspiring teachers are learning how to play the instrument, he said.

"As a woman it is empowering to learn how to play the ghumat. It was a historic moment for us when we held the ghumat in our hands and started playing it. The beats of the ghumat were already in our blood," says Jane B Fernandes, a student from the institute.

She said every Goan has been listening to the beats of ghumat since childhood, so it is not difficult to learn it.

Another student, Tanya D'Costa, said it was always her dream to wield a ghumat, which was always seen in the hands of men.

Renowned historian Pandurang Faldesai said passing on the tradition of playing the ghumat to women will go a long way in popularising it among the next generation.

"The women will encourage the next generation to play the instrument," he said.

Faldesai lauded the efforts made by Fernandes in promoting and popularising the instrument.

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Three days after they went on a strike to protest against a rule to compulsorily install speed governors, tourist taxi operators in Goa today withdrew the protest on an assurance from the state government.

BJP legislator Michael Lobo brokered peace between the agitators and the state government.

According to the North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association, a delegation of taxi owners, led by Lobo, met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar this afternoon and secured the assurance that fitness certificates would be issued for taxis by January 24, without installing speed governors.

The tourist taxi operators have been on a strike since Friday to protest the government's rule making it mandatory for their vehicles to have speed governors.

The BJP-led government had refused to exempt the tourist taxi operators from the rule citing a Supreme Court order.

The government had said that taxis without the speed-limiting gadgets will not be issued fitness certificates by the Transport Department from February 24.

Absence of taxis inconvenienced tourists visiting the coastal state which is witnessing peak tourist season.

"The chief minister has assured to give fitness certificate to all taxi vehicles by January 24," North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association General Secretary Vinayak Nanoskar said while addressing agitators at Azad Maidan here.

He said the order asking the state Transport department to issue fitness certificates would be issued within two days.

"Based on the assurance given by the chief minister, the agitators have decided to withdraw the strike," Nanoskar said.

Lobo told agitators that he would quit the government if it fails to fulfill the promise made by the chief minister.

The strike crippled the tourism industry for the last three days even as state government initiated some measures to ease the situation.

State-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited's buses were pressed into service to cater to tourists at various places, including the airport and railway stations.

In the absence of tourist taxis, hotels have failed to arrange for any transport for their guests, who have to manage on their own to reach their destinations.

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Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asserted that "good governance" and "selfless public service" were pillars of democracy and said the challenge was how to strengthen governance.

Patnaik was speaking at the 8th Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad, organised by MIT World Peace University (MIT WPU) and Pune's MIT School of Government, where he was conferred the Ideal Chief Minister award.

"With a passage of time, we have made giant strides in the fields of biology, mathematics, medicine, information technology. Who would have thought that Twitter and Facebook would become such an integral part of our lives or that social relationships and big data, blockchains and nano technology will revolutionise our daily lives like never before," he said.

He added, "However, all of us will agree that the evolution one would like to have in governance and public service has still not been achieved. Good governance and selfless public service are the pillars of democracy and the biggest challenge before all us today and for our youngsters is how to strengthen governance."



He told students during his address that was not complicated, adding that it was the most powerful instrument to bring about change in the lives of people.

Former President of India Pratibha Patil and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi were also present on the occasion.

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A government platform for aspiring businesswomen where they can seek mentoring, raise funds and register their companies could soon be a reality.

The women and child development ministry has prepared a draft Cabinet note on setting up a women entrepreneurship council. The note is being circulated among various ministries for comments.

"The council will be a high-profile body which will include women who are established in their fields as well as those seeking to start their own enterprises. The forum will also facilitate mentoring, funding from banks, assistance in raising venture capital, apart from providing services such as registering patents and new companies," said a ministry spokesperson.

In 2016, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi had launched an online marketplace for women entrepreneurs called mahila e-haat, when she conceived the idea of a council for aspiring businesswomen.

The ministry also supports women in the unorganised sector by providing micro credit for livelihood support through its Rashtriya Mahila Kosh programme.

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Grasim Industries has received green nod for expanding the production of manmade fibre VSF at Bharuch, Gujarat that would entail an investment of Rs 2,560 crore, according to an official document.

The company has four VSF (Viscose Staple Fibre) plants in India, of which two are located in Gujarat, one each in Kharach and Vilayat in Bharuch district.

As per the proposal, the company's Grasim Cellulosic Division wants to expand its Vilayat plant.

In a letter issued to the Grasim Industries, the Union ministry has said it has given the clearance to the company's proposal on expansion of Vilayat unit subject to compliance of certain conditions.

The company's proposal is to increase the production capacity of VSF from 1,27,750 tonnes per annum (TPA) to Rs 2,55,500 TPA. It also wants to set up a production facility of Solvent Spun Cellulosic Fibre with a capacity of 36,500 TPA.

Besides, the company has proposed to expand the production capacity of Sulphuric Acid from 1,02,300 TPA to 1,82,500 TPA, Carbon Di-Sulphide from 23,725 TPA to 34,675 TPA and captive power plant capacity from 25 MW to 55 MW.

Grasim Industries will undertake the proposed expansion within the existing plant premise spread over 222.63 hectare area at Vilayat.

The project cost is estimated to be Rs 2,560 crore and will create about 2,500 jobs, according to the letter.

In its proposal, the Aditya Birla Group firm has said the proposed expansion in VSF production capacity will cater the increased demand of manmade fibres in the country.

Among major staple fibres, VSF will have better growth due to perfect fit for the higher growing categories in apparel retail segments like women and kids wear, it added.

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Ranchi-based capital equipment maker Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd (HEC) will soon kickstart its Rs 1,240 crore turnaround capex plan that is aimed at revitalising the PSU and quadruple its topline to over Rs 1,600 crore in the next five years.

The modernisation and expansion plan will be funded by a mix of internal resources raised through excess land monetization and debt, the company said.

"We are waiting to get government approval to kickstart the capex plan. We don't foresee any major delay as we are not seeking any government financial assistance," HEC chairman and managing director Avijit Ghosh told PTI in an interview.

He said the total capex plan is estimated at Rs 1,240 crore and it would be deployed in phases based on priority sectors over the next few years.

HEC has altered the original turnaround plan submitted by state-owned consulting firm Mecon in 2014. HEC shifted the focus on defence and nuclear energy sector as new strategic focus areas to become a strategic partner for the country in supporting 'make in India' effort taken by the Centre.

"We have modified the plan internally and got the same corroborated by the global consultant Ernst and Young before submitting it to the Heavy Industries ministry,"Ghosh said.

HEC at one point was one of the leading suppliers of capital equipment in India for steel, mining, railways and power.

"Due to various constraints like massive manpower and lack of working capital, it is unable to grow its revenue from around Rs 400 crore which is the main reason for losses. With cost minimization and other efficiency efforts had reduced losses from Rs 240 crore in 2015 to Rs 80 crore leve," Ghosh pointed out.

The turnaround roadmap is of five years by when it has forecasted Rs 1,640 crore revenue.

"Presently, we are an almost debt-free company. We may raise some bank funding but that would depend on cash flow from land monetization and cash flow from other operation," Ghosh said.

HEC has about 1,000 acres of excess land.

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Bihar today claimed to have formed a state-wide human chain, over 13,000 kilometres long, as part of the state government's campaign against dowry and child marriage.

According to the education department principal secretary RK Mahajan, the human chain this year was expected to be 13,660 km long with an estimated four crore people taking part in the formation.

Bihar had formed a similar chain exactly a year ago, which covered an estimated distance of 11,292 km involving two crore citizens, to reaffirm commitment towards liquor ban.

The formation of the human chain today began at around noon, with chief minister Nitish Kumar himself leading thousands of participants at the historic Gandhi Maidan.

The chief minister was flanked by his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and state assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chowdhury.

The leaders released balloons printed with slogans supporting the campaign against the social evils at the beginning of the programme, that lasted for around 30 minutes.

While most participants stood holding each other's hands, many men and women were seen carrying huge banners and placards carrying the message against dowry and child marriage.

Talking to reporters after the event, Kumar said "it was a spontaneous effort made by the people in support of the campaign against child marriage and dowry. No coercion was involved. The people of the state had taken part in a similar human chain on this date last year in support of our prohibition drive".

Pointing out that the length of the human chain this time exceeded that of a year ago by nearly 3,000 km, Kumar said "last year the human chain was formed only on the main roads. But this time people were encouraged to form the chain in their villages and localities as well".

Sushil Modi said, "the event has shown Bihar's resolve against dowry and child marriage but we cannot afford to be lax. These social evils are deep-rooted and we have to brace ourselves for a long battle to emerge victorious".

The campaign against the menace of dowry was started by chief minister Kumar on October 2. He had declared about the formation of human chain at that event.

The one formed last year, claimed as the largest ever formed in the world, had involved about three crore citizens.

Meanwhile, opposition parties RJD and Congress, which had wholeheartedly taken part in the human chain last year, boycotted the event this year terming it as a "drama" and questioned its timing.

"We had joined the human chain last year in support of prohibition. It did not effectively end consumption of liquor. One cannot understand the rationale behind such an event being held in the name of opposing child marriage and dowry, which were banned by law long back", RJD spokesperson Ejya Yadav told PTI.

Bihar Congress spokesman H K Verma expressed similar views and added "the event was held amid biting cold which has forced district administrations across the state to close schools for the past several days. To hold such an outdoor event under such circumstances was not sensible".

Outside the state capital, the human chain was notable in Gaya where scores of Buddhist monks, coming from other countries and staying at monasteries in Bodh Gaya, joined the endeavour in their traditional attire.

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Soni's mother does not agree with officials who hold that 17 people were killed in a blaze that ravaged a firecracker plant here yesterday. She is convinced that 18 died.

For the dead, she said, included her unborn grandchild.

The family of 21-year-old Soni was looking forward to the birth of her first child. Instead, it was asked to identify the body of the pregnant factory worker who died in the fire that gutted a unit producing soundless crackers in Bawana.

"In the fire yesterday, 18 lives were lost, including that of my grandchild. We were looking forward to the birth of Soni's child but everything has been lost," Soni's mother, a factory worker in another unit, said between sobs as she waited outside the mortuary of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital.

Soni's husband was visiting his village in Sitapur and was on his back after being told about her death, her brother, Babu Ram, said.

"It had only been two days since she had started working at a salary of Rs 6000. We were not even aware that it was a factory of firecrackers," he said.

Ram said Soni had been told that she would be working in a factory where dyes were manufactured.

"She was five months pregnant and should have been resting at this time but poverty forced her to start working," he said.

Ram, who also works in a factory, said they want the owner to be punished.

"We don't want money. We want places where we work to have proper measures for fire safety. Our family has been destroyed as we have also lost other relatives in the fire," he said.

Soni's mother said her daughter's face was unrecognisable and they identified her body after they saw her kurta and the bangles she was wearing.

Soni's sister-in-law Sukhda, 42, died in the fire, too. Her husband Mahipal was clinging on to the hope that she was alive, till he saw her body this morning.

"She had started working along with Soni in the factory a couple of days ago. They used to go together. We were not aware that it was a firecracker factory and in the two days that she worked there, even Sukhda did not know," Mahipal said.

Sukhda used to work in an iron company earlier, but moved to the firecracker manufacturing unit because the pay was better.

Families of many of the deceased could be seen outside the mortuary as they waited to take the bodies of their loved ones who died in the blaze back home.

The family of Suraj Singh, 22, who was one among the seven men killed in the fire, had come from Unnao to take his body home.

Singh's mother Rajeshwari said she had not seen her son for almost two years since he had started working here.

"I won't get to see him again," she said and broke down.

The grieving mother said they learnt about the incident yesterday through channels.

"After we saw the on TV about the fire, we tried calling him on his phone but it was unreachable. We were praying for his safety. We have lost him for ever," she said.

Rajeshwari's elder sister's son Rohit, 19, also worked in the factory, and among those killed/



Singh and Rohit's cousin Roop Prakash was one of the two survivors who managed to escape by jumping off the second floor of the building.

"I wish Suraj and Rohit had also jumped from the building," Rajeshwari said.

Khusna, 47, perished in the fire, too. Her husband Vishwanath, who was also standing outside the mortuary, said he regretted his decision to move from his hometown Sitapur to Delhi.

"It's only been 20 days since we moved to Delhi. She had started working at the factory two days ago. I started work at a factory manufacturing plastic granules. We came here for better opportunities but I did not know that we would lose everything," he said.

Seventeen people, including 10 women, were killed in the fire that ripped through the unit last evening.

Till now, 14 of the deceased had been identified -- Rohit, Sanjit, Sukhda, Khusna, Soni, Suraj, Ravi Kant, Baby Devi, Afshana, Sonam, Reeta, Madeena, Rajjo and supervisor Ajeet Ranjan.

The bodies of two men and one woman are yet to be identified.

The police are still probing the cause of the fire.

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Union culture minister Mahesh Sharma has inaugurated an incubation centre at a business school in Greater Noida.

"Such initiatives are making the youth empowered to give back to the society than being in the queue," Sharma said, while inaugurating the incubation centre at Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) last night.

BIMTECH was selected as Atal Incubation Centre, a Government of India's endeavour to promote culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, driven by Niti Aayog.

During the event, the union minister called for going back to the society to leave a rich legacy behind. Dadri MLA Tejpal Singh Nagar was also present at the inauguration.

Under the programme, applications will be accepted for three different stages and the applicant would be provided financial support in the form of a grant-in-aid for a maximum of five years.

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Indian scientists today disputed Union minister Satyapal Singh's remark that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution of man was "scientifically wrong", saying that his statement was made without any scientific basis.

They have also opposed the minister's call for a change in school and college curriculum, terming any such move as a "retrograde step".

Singh, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, had yesterday, at an event, said that Darwin's theory of evolution was wrong as our ancestors have nowhere mentioned seeing an ape turning into a man.

"Darwin's theory (of evolution of man) is scientifically wrong. It needs to change in school and college curriculum. Since the man is seen on Earth he has always been a man.

"Nobody, including our ancestors, in written or oral, have said they saw an ape turning into a man. No books we have read or the tales told to us by our grandparents had such a mention," the minister had said.

Reacting to Singh's statements, the scientists of three science academies of India, which were not named, have said that "there is no scientific basis for the minister's statements".

"Evolutionary theory, to which Darwin made seminal contributions, is well established. There is no scientific dispute about the basic facts of evolution. This is a scientific theory, and one that has made many predictions that have been repeatedly confirmed by experiments and observation," the scientists have said in a statement issued by them.

"An important insight from the evolutionary theory is that all life forms on this planet, including humans and the other apes, have evolved from one or a few common ancestral progenitors," the statement said.

The scientists also said that it would be a "retrograde step" to remove the teaching of the theory of evolution from school and college curricula or to "dilute" this by offering non-scientific explanations or myths.

Darwinism is a theory of biological evolution that states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.

It was developed by Darwin, a 19th century English naturalist, and others.

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A 27-year-old Indian worker was crushed to death after a diesel container fell on him while unloading goods from a small ship near Khalid Port in Sharjah in the UAE, a media report said today.

Police received a call at the operation room about the incident and rushed to the site where the worker was found dead, the Khaleej Times reported.

The identity of the victim was not disclosed.

The body has been shifted to forensic laboratory for autopsy to determine the cause of the death, the paper said.

The incident is being investigated, it added.

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An Iraqi court said today it had condemned to death by hanging a German woman of Moroccan origin after finding her guilty of belonging to the Islamic State jihadist group.

She was sentenced for providing "logistical support and helping the terrorist group to carry out crimes," said court spokesman Abdel Settar Bayraqdar.

"The accused admitted during interrogations that she left Germany for Syria then Iraq to join IS with her two daughters, who married members of the terrorist organisation," he said.

In September 2017, the same court sentenced to death by hanging a Russian man who was captured in Iraq's second city Mosul and found guilty of fighting for IS.

Iraqi forces expelled the jihadists from Mosul in July 2017, ending three years of IS rule in the city.

The same month, a German teenage girl suspected of joining IS was arrested in Mosul, according to Germany's justice department.

German daily Der Spiegel reported she had been held in Baghdad with three other German women including one of Moroccan origin.

Baghdad declared victory over IS in December after expelling the jihadists from vast areas of Iraq it seized in 2014.

There are no official figures for arrests of jihadists during the battle against IS, but Iraqi commanders and Iraqi Kurdish fighters say hundreds gave themselves up.

Others are said to have escaped by blending in with civilians fleeing the fighting.

In the province surrounding Mosul alone, more than 4,000 jihadists were arrested, police chief General Wathiq al- Hamdani said.

Despite Baghdad declaring victory over the jihadists, IS has continued to carry out attacks including in the capital.

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A British woman who married and gave birth under the Islamic State regime in Syria has become one of the first so-called jihadi brides to be arrested on her return to the UK, a media report has claimed.

The 27-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested at Heathrow Airport under terrorism laws when she landed from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, earlier this month, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

Her two-year-old son, whose nationality remains unclear, has been taken into the care of the state.

Scotland Yard has released the woman on bail while it continues its investigation.

The UK authorities are working on a series of measures to tackle cases of such ISIS brides and children returning to the UK following the terroristgroup's defeats in its Syrian and Iraqi strongholds last year, the report said.

Aqsa Mahmood, a 22-year-old Pakistani-origin suspected ISIS recruiter from Glasgow, has been stripped of her British citizenship to prevent her returning to Britain.

The UK Home Office argues that Mahmood has not been made "stateless" because she is eligible to apply for citizenship in the country where her parents were born, which is Pakistan.

A similar order has been made against another British woman who fled Syria at the end of 2016 after her husband, a prominent British figure in ISIS, died in a battle.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave birth to two children, now aged one and three, in the war zone, which means they have no nationality, the report said.

All three remain stranded in Turkey.

The UK's social services departments have been drawing up plans to take into care British children known to have travelled to Syria and Iraq with their families, should their parents bring them back home.

More than 100 British women are thought to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the terror groups.

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Mobile handset company iVoomi is looking at investing around Rs 180 crore this year to rev up manufacturing activities locally, set up supply chain and boost working capital.

"For 2018, We are planning to invest USD 30 million (about Rs 190 crore) in terms of manufacturing, research and development, supply chain and working capital. This is very much required. It will happen in next one or two quarters. Basically, we are looking at 2018-19 timeline," iVoomi chief executive Ashwin Bhandari told PTI.

He said the company has partnered with electronics manufacturing service firm Hipad Technology to make its mobile devices in India.

"We have already set up assembly line where components on mother board of iVoomi devices will be mounted with fully robotic process and involve only 4-5 labourers," Bhandari said.

He said the company has already invested around USD 26 million (around Rs 160 crore) in last 12 months to set up office and team in India and the next investment of USD 30 million is an additional investment.

"We are looking at 4 per cent market share in Indian smartphone segment by the end of 2018. I see this happening positively. We are going to launch health band with pollution indicator soon, voice controlled speaker, face recognition enabled smartphones that are going to push our sales," Bhandari said.

iVoomi makes low cost 4G smartphones in the range of Rs 4000-Rs 10,000 a unit and plans to push sales accessories from March.

"We are now making 98 per cent of our smartphones locally that we sell in India. We have already started shipping 'made in India' phones to Nepal. Now we are looking to ship made in India smartphones to Dubai. By 2020, we will start exporting to more countries from India," Bhandari said.

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Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today expressed deep sadness over loss of innocent lives in Pakistan's continuing ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB).

Eleven persons - five security personnel and six civilians were killed and over 50 others injured in Pakistani firing in Jammu division since Thursday.

In a message, the governor conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families of the civilians and security force personnel, who lost their lives, and wished early recovery to those who sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, Minister for Public Health Engineering Sham Lal Choudhary today conducted an extensive tour of Suchetgarh and R S Pura sectors to take stock of the damage caused to life, property and livestock due to cross border firing.

The minister visited about a dozen villages which include Korotana, Suchetgarh, Gulabgarh Basti, Abtal, Kaporpur, Devigarh, Sai Khurd, Nikowal, Chak Bulleh and Sai Nikowal, an official spokesman said.

Interacting with people, the minister enquired about the damage caused to houses and livestock. He said the concerned departments were directed to assess the damage and submit detailed reports within shortest possible time for processing of compensation cases.

The minister said ambulance services at different locations were ready to meet any exigency. Choudhary said the concerned officials have been asked to take immediate steps for the treatment of injured animals and lifting dead ones.

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Jordan's King Abdullah II today voiced concern over Washington's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, as US Vice President Mike Pence visited Amman during an uncomfortable Middle East tour.

Arab outrage over President Donald Trump's decision to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem had prompted the cancellation of several planned meetings ahead of Pence's trip, originally scheduled for December.

Abdullah, a key US ally, said he had "continuously voiced over the past year... my concerns regarding the US decision on Jerusalem that does not come as a result of a comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian Israeli conflict".

"Jerusalem is key to Muslims and Christians as it is to Jews," he added. "It is key to peace in the region. And key to enabling Muslims to effectively fight some of the root causes of radicalisation."



Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967 and later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

The US move to recognise the city as Israel's capital broke with decades of international consensus that the city's status should be settled as part of a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its united capital, while the Palestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

Israelis and Palestinians alike interpreted Trump's move as Washington taking Israel's side in the dispute over the city.

Pence will head to Israel later today for a two-day visit, during which he can expect a warm welcome from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.

Pence -- a devout Christian -- will visit the Western Wall, one of the holiest Jewish sites in Jerusalem's Old City, and pay his respects at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

He will also deliver a speech to Israel's parliament on Monday. A coalition of Arab parties said it would boycott the address, calling Pence "dangerous and messianic".

The US vice president arrived in Jordan yesterday from Egypt, where he met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a key Trump ally.

The leaders of both Egypt and Jordan, the only Arab states that have peace treaties with Israel, would be key players if US mediators ever manage to revive a stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, as Trump says he wants.

Speaking in Amman today, Pence called Trump's Jerusalem move a "historic decision" but said the United States respected Jordan's role as custodian of the city's holy sites.

"The United States of America remains committed, if the parties agree, to a two-state solution. We are committed to restarting the peace process, and Jordan does now and has always played a central role in facilitating peace in the region," Pence said.

Abdullah said he was "encouraged" by Trump's stated commitment to finding a solution to the decades-long conflict, which he called a "potential major source of instability".

"We hope that the US will reach out and find the right way to move forward in these challenging circumstances," he said.

Sisi had urged the US president before his Jerusalem declaration "not to complicate the situation in the region by taking measures that jeopardise the chances of peace in the Middle East".

The international community considers east Jerusalem illegally occupied by Israel and all embassies are currently in commercial capital Tel Aviv.

Pence's trip has also been overshadowed by the White House's decision to freeze tens of millions of dollars in aid to the United Nations agency for Palestinians, as well as by a federal government shutdown looming over Washington.

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A heated row over luring clients turned fatal as a lawyer was allegedly shot dead by another in full public view in the congested Gwaltoli area, police said.

The shootout triggered panic among locals and passers-by who ran to safer places or shut their doors.

According to police officials, even as people ran helter skelter, some mustered courage and nabbed the alleged attacker, Mohit (32), and his wife, and handed them over to the police. The two were, however, thrashed before being handed over, they said.

Mohit was later admitted at Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) hospital following his critical condition.

The victim identified as Sunil Sharma (36), and was behind bars in a murder case and got bail just a couple of months back, a senior police official said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Kanpur), Akhilesh Kumar Meena, said, "Mohit and Sunil had a tiff over luring clients of each other on slashed fees. They entered into a scuffle after which Mohit asked his wife to get her licenced double barrel gun with which he shot Sunil in the head".

A case under relevant section will be slapped against Mohit who already has some cases pending against him, the SSP said.

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The ruling CPI(M) in Tripura is seeing red over a Hindi feature film called 'Lal Sarkar' which the party believes is a part of the BJP's electoral campaign in the state ahead of Assembly polls.

Scheduled to be released in the first week of February, 'Lal Sarkar' - or the Red Government - is about a documentary filmmaker who discovers the alleged wrong-doings of the Left Front-ruled government in the northeastern state.

Producer and writer Susheel Sharman held that the film had nothing to do with the BJP or the February 18 Assembly polls, but was based on facts.

"I have used my own money to make this film. The BJP has nothing to do with it. It is a commercial film, but based on facts," Sharman said.

The CPI(M), however, insisted that the BJP was behind the film and questioned the timing of its release.

"In every constituency they have brought vehicles with big screens. Why are they releasing the film in February, just before the elections? The producer may not say so, but the BJP is behind it," CPI(M) Tripura state secretary Bijan Dhar told PTI.

The BJP denied it was in any way connected with the film.

"It's completely untrue that the BJP is behind the film. But if the film shows the truth about the Tripura government, I welcome it," said Sunil Deodhar, in-charge of Tripura BJP.

Sharman, however, said BJP Member of Parliament Babul Supriyo had sung a song for free for the film.

"One of the songs has been sung by Babul Supriyo. He has not taken any money for the song. He treats me like his younger brother. We share a personal relationship that has nothing to do with the BJP," Sharman said.

The producer added the film was to have been released last month.

"We had planned the film almost two years ago. The film was supposed to have been released in December 2017, but post-production work took a lot of time," he told PTI.

The producer said the idea for the feature film struck him when he visited the state a few years ago to shoot documentaries on tribal people.

"We went to tribal areas and made two documentaries on the situation in Tripura. But we felt we could not reach out to the people only through documentaries," he said.

It was then that he decided to produce a feature film that would highlight "the plight of the people" of Tripura.

"Nobody in the country knows about the things which are happening in Tripura. People don't even know where Tripura is located," the producer said.

The film tells its story through a documentary filmmaker who visits Tripura and sees alleged irregularities there. It mentions the national scheme MNREGA, which Sharman alleged was a scam in the state.

"Though the state government has claimed it has successfully implemented the national rural scheme but in reality only 5 per cent work has been done. No one knows where the central fund has gone," Sharman claimed.

The Left party denied the allegation.

Dhar pointed out that Tripura had been awarded seven times by the Central government for its performance.

"Why would the Central government give awards to us for MNREGA? For the last seven years, we are number one among the states. We have been considered the best among all states where MNREGA has been implemented successfully," Dhar said.

Though the CPI(M) said it did not think the film would have an impact on the people of the state, the party was considering complaining to the Election Commission.

The 110-minute film, directed by Abhijit Ashok Paul, is subtitled in Bengali and Kokborok, a tribal language of Tripura, and is the Delhi-based producer's first feature film.

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Los Angeles welcomed 48.31 million visitors in 2017, of which 1,21,000 travellers were from India, says a report.

India is an important and rapidly growing market for LA tourism and Indian traveller trends and demands have inspired added efforts to tap the market potential, Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board (LA Tourism) President and CEO Ernest Wooden Jr said in a release issued here.

He said, India's performance, which was a growth of 4 per cent in 2017 over the previous year, is encouraging since it reflects the destination's preference amongst Indians planning trips to the US.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles welcomed overall 48.31 million international and domestic visitors in 2017.

International markets are recording significant gains for Los Angeles in 2017, including China with 1.1 million visitors (6 per cent increase), Canada with its highest visitor total ever at 7,47,000 (5.5 per cent increase) and South Korea with 3,15,000 visitors (6.3 per cent increase).

"The expansion of our travel and tourism sector tells the story of a city whose moment has arrived - and we will continue pushing forward as we expand our role on the world stage, and prepare to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

The 'Everyone is Welcome' was a message of humanity and encouraged people around the globe to see the diversity of LA's faces and places, Wooden said.

"In 2018, we will extend and amplify our message of 'Welcome' and intertwine a message of hospitality, fuelling even greater momentum towards our north star of 50 million visitors by the year 2020," he added.

Tourism is among the largest contributors to the Los Angeles economy, supporting more than 5,17,000 jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector last year.
In the backdrop of an attack on a class 1 student in a school here recently, the Lucknow district administration has decided to run a special campaign to verify the security parameters of schools.

Starting January 22, the administration will check if the schools which are also board examination centers have installed CCTV cameras -- as mandated by law.

"Now, whether all the schools, which are examination centres have really installed CCTV cameras is yet to be ascertained. The verification will be carried out to ascertain the ground reality," Lucknow district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma told PTI.

Sharma said the administration is getting the security cameras installed in all the government schools which have been made examination centre.

"But those schools, which have not been made examination centres, there is no budget for the administration to get CCTV cameras installed," he said.

"The administration can tell the private and government- aided schools to get CCTV cameras installed in their premises, and can even pressure them. But, owing to absence of any budget, the administration cannot put any pressure on the government schools," Sharma said.

In Lucknow, there are 1,027 government and private schools, which are made examination centres.

On January 16, a class 1 student was injured when he was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon in the toilet of a private school in Lucknow, an incident similar to the killing of a Ryan school student in Gurugram.

The incident evoked the call for more measures to ensure safety of children in schools.

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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today appealed to India and Pakistan to make Jammu and Kashmir a "bridge of friendship" between them and not let it become a battleground.

"Our borders are witnessing, god forbid, a bloodbath. Our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) often talks of development but at the same time something opposite is happening in our state. Our schools are shut and children are trapped inside their homes," the chief minister said.

"I appeal to our prime minister and our neighbour Pakistan to make J&K a bridge of friendship between the two countries and not let it become a battleground," Mehbooba said.

She was speaking at the passing out parade of new police constables at Subsidiary Training Centre at Sheeri, 65 kilometre from here, in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.

The PDP chief said it was the people of J&K who were getting killed in firing on both sides of the border.

"It is our misfortune that our state has become a basis of a conflict between our country India and Pakistan. For the last few days, our borders are witnessing firing in which several of our people have been killed," she said.

"It is obvious that the situation will be same on the other side (of the border)," Mehbooba said.

The chief minister said the Jammu and Kashmir Police have the most difficult job in the country as they face many challenges.

"Your challenge is not just to maintain law and order or uphold the rule of law, but you have to face your own people, small children sometimes (while maintaining law and order) and that time you will have to exercise restraint," she said.

At least 10 people were killed and 50 others injured in a firing from across the border that started on Thursday.

The firing also forced thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.

Mehbooba said another challenge for the police was bring back youngsters who were taking up arms.

Referring to the killing of a minor girl in Kathua district's Hiranagar area, Mehbooba asked the police to give special attention to the crimes against women.

"I request you (police) to take care of everything while discharging your duties. Drug addiction is a big problem here, atrocities are being done on women. Recently, a small girl was assaulted in Kathua," she said.

"We had to suspend the SHO there because, perhaps there was some negligence. We have constituted a team to enquire the issue," she added.

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Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken today visited the site of the tragic fire incident in Bawana that claimed 17 lives and demanded a judicial probe into the incident.

He also questioned Delhi government's agencies and said their role in the tragedy should be probed.

"We demand judicial probe. The role of Delhi government's agencies Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (DSIIDC) and the pollution department cannot be investigated impartially in a magesterial inquiry," he told reporters at the site.

Maken also condemned the BJP-ruled North MCD's mayor Preeti Aggarwal's alleged statement about the fire incident and asked the BJP party to take action against her.

A video has surfaced in which Aggarwal is reportedly telling one of her aides that she cannot comment on licensing of the factory as it being done by the civic body.

"BJP mayor gave a very insensitive statement. BJP should take action against her," said Maken.

The North Mayor MCD has called the video "fake", which was also retweeted by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

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US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis began a one-week trip to Asia, hoping to strengthen defense cooperation with Indonesia and Vietnam as regional Chinese military power looms ever larger.

"We share the Pacific -- it's an ocean named for peace -- we would like to see it remain peaceful, so all the nations that use it and live here are prosperous," Mattis told reporters accompanying him on a military plane headed to the region.

In Jakarta, where he is to arrive today evening, Mattis is to meet on Tuesday with President Joko Widodo and Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu for talks on maritime cooperation.

The vast Indonesian archipelago reaches from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.

In Vietnam, Mattis and his counterparts are set to discuss freedom of movement in the South China Sea, a region over which Beijing has extended its dominance in recent years, militarising several small, disputed islands.

Washington hopes to draw a contrast between its own approach and those of China -- seen as aggressively modernising its military capacities -- and Russia, which has annexed parts of Georgia and Ukraine.

"The point I want to make is, we respect Asia's sovereign nations with a sovereign voice and sovereign decisions, and we don't think anyone else should have a veto authority over their economic, their diplomatic or their security decisions," Mattis said.

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The mortal remains of BSF jawan Lance Naik Sam Abraham, who was killed in Jammu Kashmir in cross border firing, was brought here tonight.

Tributes were paid to the jawan at the airport after which the body was taken to the military hospital, a defence press release said.

The body will be taken to his home town at mavelikkara in Alapuzha district tomorrow.

34_year_old Abraham, a member of the Sixth Madras Regiment, was killed after Pakistan army initiated firing at Sundetbani sector along the Line of control on Friday.

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The mortal remains of Sepoy Mandeep Singh, who was killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops, were consigned to flames in Alampur village today.

Mandeep's father Gurnam Singh and his brother Jagdeep Singh lit the pyre.

Rich tributes were paid to the martyr who was also accorded a gun salute.

His body, wrapped in the tricolour, was brought to his native village. He had joined the 22 Sikh regiment about two and half years ago.

He was killed in unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops in Krishnagati sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

A large number of people including former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, local MLA Parminder Singh Dhindsa and senior officials of police and district administration paid their last respects to the martyr.

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Former Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya today said Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan should have mentioned Centre's "contribution" to Kaleswaram irrigation project during his visit yesterday.

Narasimhan had praised Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for taking up the gigantic project and initiating steps to complete it, during his visit.

The governor had said that he wanted KCR to be called as "Kaleswaram Chandrasekhar Rao" and Telangana Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao as "Kaleswar Rao".

His praise for the CM and Harish Rao had evoked criticism from Congress leaders who alleged that the governor was biased towards the ruling TRS party.

Dattatreya said he did not intend to escalate the issue further and bring it to the notice of higher authorities.

"I don't find fault with the governor for visiting Kaleswaram Project. Governor praised the project and the Chief Minister (KCR) also. I don't comment on that. I feel the governor should have mentioned the role of Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi (in the project) because the Centre has been supporting it in a big way," Dattatreya told reporters here.

He said it would have been "nice" had the governor mentioned the role of the Centre or the prime minister because the state government would never mention about the contribution of the Centre to the project.

"They (state government) claim that the entire project is completed with their own resources. At least the governor should have mentioned the names of the Centre or Modi," Dattatreya said.

Kaleshwaram Project, located around 300 kms away from Hyderabad, is an offshoot of the Pranahita Chevella lift irrigation scheme Project.

The project holds the key to the TRS government's promise of providing irrigation facility to one crore acres of land under all projects/tanks.

Narasimhan had recently came under fire from some BJP leaders of Andhra Pradesh over his "functioning".

Andhra Pradesh BJP president Kambhampati Hari Babu had demanded appointment of a governor exclusively for the state at the earliest for "smooth functioning of the administration".

Terming the governor as a "visiting guest" of the state, BJP floor leader in Andhra Pradesh Assembly P Vishnu Kumar Raju had accused him of being "biased against AP".

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Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar today ridiculed former chief minister Narayan Rane by stating that the BJP, after showing Rane a carrot, made him quit his party and were now ignoring him.

Taking a dig at the ruling BJP, he said that the party's symbol should be a carrot and not the lotus.

Pawar while addressing a rally in Nanded today said, "BJP showed Rane a carrot and made him quit and now they are ignoring him. BJP's election symbol should be the carrot and not the lotus."



Rane, who quit the Congress to start his own outfit, had aligned with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance but is yet to get a cabinet post in the state government due to stiff opposition from a section of BJP leaders.

In another development, state Congress chief Ashok Chavan said 2019 would be the year of the Congress and would see the "ghar wapsi" of the BJP.

"The year 2019 is of the Congress, and it will be a "ghar wapsi" for the BJP. The BJP is losing its base across the state and country," Chavan said at a rally in Palghar, adding that the BJP was performing badly on all fronts.

"They have failed to address farmers' issues but are forcing people to go in a bullet train. The use of force in land acquisition for various infrastructure projects is uncalled for. Despite a loan waiver being announced by the state, 1,753 farmers have committed suicide. This is utter failure of the BJP and its policies," he claimed.

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Nearly 300 prisoners lodged inside the district jail here today stood for some time, holding each other's hands, in solidarity with the state-wide human chain formed against dowry and child marriage at the instance of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"Around 300 prisoners, including about a dozen women, joined the human chain formed inside the jail. A lot of enthusiasm was seen among the inmates towards the event and permission was granted so that they were not deprived of an opportunity to support a good cause", Jail Superintendent Lalan Kumar Sinha told reporters.

He said jail staff also joined the human chain formed inside the premises where slogans were raised and banners displayed against the social evils.

"Only those prisoners who were known to be hardened, notorious criminals were not allowed to take part in the event which began at 12 pm and lasted for about half an hour", Sinha added.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced formation of human chain on this date while launching campaigns against dowry and child marriage on October 2.

Today's event was held exactly a year after a similar state-wide human chain was formed in support of the Bihar government's ban on sale and consumption of liquor across the state.

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Calm prevailed along the International Border and the Line of Control in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir overnight after three days of intense shelling by Pakistan which left 10 persons, including six civilians dead, and over 50 others injured.

There was no report of firing by Pakistan along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts since last night, and along the LoC in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch from 4 am, BSF and police officials said.

International Border was almost calm except a few rounds of shelling in Arnia sector last night, a BSF spokesman said.

He said the firing from across the border stopped in Samba and Kathua districts in the afternoon but was intermittently going on in some areas of Jammu district.

The last few mortar shells landed in Arnia sector around 10 pm yesterday without causing any damage.

There was no report of Pakistani firing from anywhere during the night, he said.

A police official said barring Shahpur sector, the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri also remained almost calm as there was no major ceasefire violation by Pakistan since last evening.

Small arms firing from across the border were reported from Shahpur sector of Poonch for a few hours till 4 am, but there no casualty, he said.

He said authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation and rushed police teams to affected areas to ensure prompt assistance to the people.

The people were asked to stay indoors and not to touch any suspicious object in their area as it could be unexploded mortar shell, he said adding the people were also asked to inform police or the Army if any such shell is found so that the same can be destroyed.

The firing from across the border started on Thursday and so far 10 persons two each Army and BSF personnel and six civilians were killed and over 50 others injured.

The firing also forced thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today rejected the notion that India was putting "so much hard work" to isolate Pakistan, asserting that his efforts were aimed at uniting the world powers to defeat terrorism as his country has been suffering from the scourge since decades.

He said the suggestion that the country's foreign policy was based on Pakistan was wrong but stressed that the world was uniting against those sympathetic towards terrorists, an apparent reference to the neighbouring country.

"If you think we are doing so much hard work around the world to isolate one nation, then that is wrong. This is not our work. Yes, the world is grappling with the scourge of terrorism and whoever is sympathetic towards terrorists, the world is uniting against them," he told Times Now in an interview, according to the transcript.

India's foreign policy is issue-based and is in the context of its relations with the world, he said.

Modi also praised US President Donald Trump for raising his voice against terror with "a lot of assertion".

"I welcome him and I respect him. Whoever takes a step against terrorism, I will welcome them and praise them, because my country has been suffering from terrorism for forty years. Innocents are being killed. Terrorism needs to end in the world," he said.

As far as Pakistan is concerned, he noted that he had always said India and Pakistan have fought a lot and now should come together to fight poverty and diseases.

"I directly talk to the people of Pakistan. I directly tell the people, should we not fight poverty? Should we not fight illiteracy? Should we not fight diseases? If we fight together, we will win faster," he said.

On Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praising him for his strong stance against terrorism, Modi said he was grateful to him for praising India so much and for lauding the Indian government.

"Humanity is in great danger and to save humanity, it's important for powers that believe in humanitarian values to unite.

"And I believe this fight is about saving humanity and nothing can be a bigger soft power than this," Modi said.

"You have to unite those who believe in humanitarian values, only then can you isolate terrorists and defeat terrorism," he said.

To a question about Kashmir and the appointment of the Centre's representative for a dialogue, the prime minister said dialogue does take place with every Indian citizen and it will continue to take place.

"Constitution of India has given us that responsibility and we do it. There is nothing new, this has been happening, and I have even said all of this from the ramparts of red fort. There is no difficulty in it," Modi said.

"Every Indian citizen has the right to speak to Mr Modi and say 'Mr Modi please stand and talk to us'. We are there for those who believe in the Constitution of India and for those who live and die for the nation," he said.

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Pune police today arrested one person in connection with the murder of a 56-year-old real estate businessman here.

Realtor Deven Shah was shot dead by two people outside his residence on the night of January 13.

CCTV images from the area showed that two persons had fired five rounds, two of which hit Shah, in the plush Prabhat Road area of Deccan Gymkhana.

Police identified the arrested accused as Ravi Chorage with Additional Commissioner of Police (North/South Region), Ravindra Sengaonkar, stating that Chorage's interrogation was underway.

Police sources said he had been arrested from Jalgaon. Police teams are looking for the other person seen in the CCTV footage, said officials.

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One Syrian refugee was killed and 32 people were wounded today in rocket fire on a Turkish town close to the Syrian border, a local official said, a day after the Turkish army began a new operation against Kurdish militia in Syria.

Two of those hurt were badly injured, Huseyin Sanverdi, the mayor of Reyhanli, a small town situated in Hatay province on the Syrian border, told NTV television.

Earlier, several rockets hit the Turkish border town of Kilis without causing fatalities.

The Dogan agency said that three rockets had hit the centre of Reyhanli, damaging buildings and parked vehicles.

Turkish forces yesterday began a major new operation aimed at ousting the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) Kurdish militia from Afrin, pounding dozens of targets from the sky in air raids and with artillery.

Turkey accuses the YPG of being the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged a rebellion in the Turkish southeast for more than three decades and is regarded as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter that this "terrorist attack" against civilians in Reyhanli had shown the "true face" of the YPG.

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One person was killed allegedly by a gang of unidentified dacoits in Katauli village, a police officer said today.

The incident took place last night when around four to five dacoits attacked a few houses in Baniakheda and Katauli villages with the aim to loot them, the police officer said.

"The dacoits also fired at the villagers. In the firing, son of the pradhan of Katauli village was serioudly injured, and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to injuries," he said.

Police have registered a case in the matter and a probe is underway, he added.

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State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has increased its first ever debt-raising plans by 40 per cent to as much as Rs 35,000 crore to fund its Rs 36,915-crore acquisition of Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL).

The acquisition would create India's first integrated oil company. This would be ONGC's biggest acquisition and second buyout this fiscal after its Rs 7,738 crore acquisition of 80 per cent stake in Gujarat State Petroleum Corp's KG basin gas block.

ONGC Chairman and Managing Director Shashi Shanker said the two deals would not affect the company's overseas acquisition plans as "with a consolidated balance sheet (of ONGC and HPCL), we would be better equipped to take higher risks and eye better assets".

The company had yesterday announced buying of government's 51.11 per cent stake in India's third largest state-owned oil refiner and marketing company for Rs 473.97 per share in an all-cash deal that is to be closed before the month-end.

Refusing to divulge details of how the deal would be funded, he said the company's board has approved raising of the borrowing limit from Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 35,000 crore.

This will be the company's first ever debt.

"We will use our (Rs 12,000-13,000 crore) cash first and then the liquid assets and debt will be last," Shanker told reporters. "This order can change, because we won't sell the liquid assets in distress. Also, we have offers for over Rs 50,000 crore debt at very competitive rates, both foreign currency and local."



ONGC holds 13.77 per cent stake in Indian Oil Corp (IOC), which at Friday's closing price is worth Rs 25,790 crore. It also holds 4.86 per cent stake in GAIL India Ltd, which is worth over Rs 3,854 crore.

Shanker said the company paid less than the acquisition price recommended by the company's valuation adviser, EY.

He, however, refused to share details.

ONGC is paying 14 per cent higher than Friday's closing price of HPCL and over 10 per cent of the 60-day weighted average of the HPCL scrip.

Sources said while the government was seeking as much as Rs 69,000 crore for selling controlling stake in HPCL, EY had put HPCL's valuation at Rs 475 a share plus a premium for getting the controlling stake. The outside advise the company took from Citi put the price at Rs 500 per share.

The stake sale will help the government cross its sell- off target for the first time and would help stick to the fiscal deficit target of 3.2 per cent of GDP.

The government had set a target of Rs 72,500 crore from disinvestment proceeds this fiscal. Before the ONGC-HPCL deal, it had collected Rs 54,337.60 crore.

Shanker said the company will also consider merging its oil refining subsidiary Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) with HPCL at a later date.

While ONGC holds 71.63 per cent stake in MRPL, HPCL has 16.96 per cent.

He said HPCL markets around 35.2 million tonnes of petroleum products while it has an oil refining capacity of 17-18 million tonnes, excluding 11.2 million tonnes joint venture Bhatinda refinery.

MRPL's 15 million tonnes refining capacity is a easy fit as HPCL would be able to source fuel from group firm, he said adding the two companies can do joint sourcing of crude oil at competitive rates.

Acquisition of HPCL would make ONGC the nation's third biggest refiner after IOC and Reliance Industries Ltd.

On the transaction being exempt from the requirement to make an open offer to minority shareholders of HPCL, he said the deal will create immense value and would be beneficial to investors who say invested in the company in the long term.

Based on Friday's closing price of Rs 416.55, HPCL has a market capitalisation of about Rs 63,475 crore. At this price, the government's 51.11 per cent stake is worth Rs 32,442 crore.

He said the company's bid for HPCL was accepted by the government yesterday and it has signed a share purchase agreement (SPA).

Through this acquisition, ONGC will become India's first vertically integrated 'oil major' company, having presence across the entire value chain. The integrated entity will have advantage of having enhanced capacity to bear higher risks and take higher investment decisions.

In this process, ONGC has acquired significant mid-stream and downstream capacity and will attain economies of scale at various levels of operations.

With a turnover of Rs 2,13,489 crore and profit of Rs 6,502 crore during 2016-17, HPCL ranks at 384th position in Fortune Global 500 and 48th place in Platts 250 Global Energy Companies.

ONGC is the largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in India, contributing around 70 per cent of domestic production.

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Online stores offering huge range of products and big store chains entering retail marketing create an adverse impact on the distribution system, besides damaging the small retail network, Federation of All India Distributors Association said here today.

"Distributors purchase products from manufacturers by paying full cash and supply to retail outlets, small or big by offering credit terms, without any guarantee or safety for realising the dues," FAIDA president, Ch Krishna said.

Participating in the silver jubilee celebrations of Coimbatore Consumer Products Distributors Association here,he there was no security for their money and recognition to them from both the Central and State government policies.

The distributors were considered brokers and slaves and there was the need to strengthen the system as the next generation was not willing to take over distribution, he said.

Distributors, who have already faced challenges of both GST and Demonetisation have to face more tests in future, while billing and transactions of over Rs 50,000, he said.

Former CCPDA president T S Mohan Shankar suggested reation of a separate ministry or Board to take care of business activites of distributors, since they worked on 'a wafer-thin margin,' including the products by MNCs.

He asked the president of local chapter of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vanitha Mohan,to assist them, who are also the Chamber members, to help solve disputes between them and industry.

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Over 130 babies were born since the government launched the 'Jiyo Parsi' scheme in 2013 to arrest the Parsi community's declining population, says a foundation associated with implementation of the initiative.

The Parzor Foundation is implementing the scheme, launched by the then UPA government, along with the Union minority affairs ministry.

The population of Parsis plunged from 1.14 lakh in 1941 to 57,264 in 2011.

The average of Parsi children born annually over the last two decades was around 200, according to Shernaz Cama, director of Parzor, a project that aims to reverse the downward trend with the government's help.

"In such a backdrop, if you compare the number of children born in the last three years (131) under the scheme, then it is a proportionately a good number," Cama told PTI.

She attributed the sharp decline in the birth rate in the community -- located mainly in Maharashtra's Mumbai and parts of Gujarat -- to socio-psychological reasons.

These include Parsis having late or non-marriages, its members marrying with people outside the community and also many couples not willing to have babies.

Demographically speaking, 31 per cent of the Parsis are aged above 60 years and 30 per cent are unmarried.

"Parsi women are very highly educated. They do not wish to marry till they finish their education. So, there are late marriages. Once a couple has a late marriage, their fertility automatically goes down (biologically)," Cama said.

The total fertility rate (TFR) of the community is 0.8, that is, a Parsi woman in her total child bearing age has less than one child on an average.

"And that's a very serious problem," Cama added.

To counter the situation, the ministry and the foundation have adopted a multi-prong approach of advocacy (counselling), medical and financial assistance to couples seeking help under the scheme.

"We are advocating and counselling people to get married at the right age. We are even pushing couples to have a second child, for that is important from the point of view of health of their family.

"Our counsellors are available 24x7. They have been de- stressing people whenever they are under stress," Cama said.

Under the programme, the ministry has been providing assistance to families seeking help for treatment.

According to the second phase of the scheme, a Parsi family having an annual income of Rs 15 lakh and below will get 100 per cent assistance from the government.

Those having yearly income between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 25 lakh will get 75 per cent assistance and those community members earning more than Rs 25 lakh and above annually are entitled to get 50 per cent assistance for medical treatment required.

"Add to this, our doctors have been very supportive and have not given up on people who may not have succeeded (in having babies) the first time. All these efforts have been positive. And that is how, we have been able to increase the number," Cama said.

According to the ministry, the scheme will continue in the remaining period of the 14th Financial Commission, that is, till 2019-20 with a total budgetary provision of Rs 12 crore. This is a 100 per cent central sector scheme.

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The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) today suspended its bus services in northern part of the state, following violent protests by Rajput community members against the release of the film "Padmaavat", an official said.

The bus services were suspended in Mehsana, Patan, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts till the situation improves, he said.

There are two separate routes for north Gujarat - one from Gandhinagar to Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha, and another passes from Mehsana and stretches till Banaskantha district via Patan.

According to GSRTC secretary K D Desai, all the buses plying between Ahmedabad and the northern region have been cancelled since last night amid the fear of miscreants making these vehicles as their soft target.

"Owing to the attacks on the state buses in some parts of north Gujarat yesterday, we have temporarily suspended our operations for Gandhinagar, Himmatnagar, Mehsana and Banaskantha. The services for other destinations, such as in central and south Gujarat, are on as per the schedule," he said.

Desai said though they tried to resume the service in Gandhinagar this morning, some people targeted a bus at a village in the district.

"Thus, we have decided to halt the operations. We are in constant touch with police and will resume the service as soon as the situation becomes normal," he added.

Desai said the decision was taken while keeping in mind the safety of passengers, as the miscreants were coming on their motorcycles and running away quickly after throwing burning objects on the buses.

Following the GSRTC's decision, several passengers were stranded at the state transport depots in the city, as they learnt about the cancellation of routes for north Gujarat upon their arrival here.

Last night, the agitators belonging to Rajput community allegedly set ablaze three buses in different parts of Mehsana. They also damaged the window panes of at least six buses in the region, the district's police control room said.

The protesters had also tried to block roads by burning tyres in some parts of Banaskantha, Mehsana, Surendranagar and Bhuj in protest against the film, set to release on January 25.

This morning, the agitators tried to block roads at Unava village near Gandhinagar and at Ambaji town in Banskantha, police said.

The Supreme Court had on Thursday paved the way for the nationwide release of "Padmaavat" on January 25 by lifting the ban on the screening of the controversial film in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The top court passed the interim order on the petition by Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd and other producers of the movie, challenging bar on screening of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali- directed movie by Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.

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Pakistan troops violated ceasefire for the fourth consecutive day today by resorting to heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Noushera, Rajouri and Akhnoor sectors of Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, an Army jawan, injured in Pakistani shelling, succumbed to injuries last night, raising the death toll in the border firing since Thursday to 11, police said.

"Pakistan has resumed heavy shelling along LoC in Bhawani, Karali, Said, Numb and Sher Makri areas of Rajouri district this evening," DC, Rajouri, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.

In Akhnoor, Pakistan resorted to firing along the LoC, police officials said. Indian troops were retaliating, they said.

Sepoy C K Roy, posted in a forward post in Mankote sector of Poonch district, was injured in Pakistani firing yesterday and succumbed to injuries at a military hospital last night, a police official said.

His death raised the number of persons killed in the Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in the five districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri since Thursday to 11.

The dead include six civilians, three armymen and two BSF personnel.

A BSF jawan and a teenaged girl were killed on Thursday while four persons two civilians and a BSF and an Army jawan



were killed and over 40 others, including two BSF personnel, injured in the Pakistani firing on Friday.

Three civilians and an Army jawan were killed and 16 others injured in the ceasefire violations yesterday.

There was no report of firing by Pakistan along the international border in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts last night, BSF and police officials said.

"The International Border was almost calm except a few rounds of shelling in Arnia sector last night," a BSF spokesman said.

He said the firing from across the border stopped in Samba and Kathua districts in the afternoon but intermittently went on in some areas of Jammu district.

The last few mortar shells landed in Arnia sector around 10 pm yesterday without causing any damage. There was no report of Pakistani firing from anywhere during the night, he said.

A police official said barring Shahpur sector, the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri also remained calm as there was no major ceasefire violation by Pakistan since last evening till this evening.

Small arms firing from across the border wss, however, reported from Shahpur sector of Poonch for a few hours till 4 am, but there was no casualty, he said.

He said the authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation and rushed police teams to affected areas to ensure prompt assistance to the people.

People were asked to stay indoors and not to touch any suspicious object as it could be an unexploded mortar shell, he said. The firing has forced thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.

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Pakistan today strongly condemned a deadly terror attack at a luxury hotel in Kabul and called for cooperation among countries for effectively combating and eliminating the scourge of terrorism.

Gunmen stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul killing at least six people, sparking a twelve hour fight with security forces.

"Pakistan strongly condemns the brutal terrorist attack at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul last evening, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

"In our view, cooperation among the states is important for effectively combating and eliminating the scourge of terrorism," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of providing safe havens to militants who carry out terror attacks in Afghanistan.

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Pakistan troops violated ceasefire for the fourth consecutive day today by resorting to heavy shelling along the International border (IB) and LoC in three sectors of Jammu and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, an Army jawan, injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan last night, succumbed to injuries today, raising the death toll in the border firing in Jammu and Kashmir since Thursday to 11, police said.

"Pakistan rangers resumed (shelling) along IB in Kanachak sector of Jammu tonight. They have been mortar shelling and it is being replied back," a BSF spokesman said.

Pakistan has resumed heavy shelling along LoC in Bhawani, Karali, Said, Numb and Sher Makri areas of Rajouri district this evening, DC, Rajouri, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.

In Akhnoor, Pakistani forces resorted to firing along the Line of Control (LoC), police officials said. Troops are carrying out retaliation, they said.

Sepoy C K Roy, who was posted in a forward post in Mankote sector of Poonch district, was injured in Pakistani firing yesterday and succumbed to injuries at a military hospital last night, a police official said.

His death raised the number of persons killed in Pakistani firing along the LoC and international border in the five districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri since Thursday to 11. The dead include six civilians, three Armymen and two BSF personnel.

While a BSF jawan and a teenaged girl were killed on Thursday, four persons two civilians and one BSF jawan and an Army jawan were killed and over 40 others, including two BSF personnel, injured in the Pakistani firing on Friday.

Three civilians and an Army jawan were killed and 16 others injured in the ceasefire violations yesterday.

There was no report of firing by Pakistan along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts since last night, BSF and police officials said.

"International Border was almost calm barring a few rounds of shelling in Arnia sector last night," a BSF spokesman said.

He said firing from across the border stopped in Samba and Kathua districts in the afternoon but was intermittently on in some areas of Jammu district.

The last few mortar shells landed in Arnia sector around 10 pm yesterday without causing any damage. There was no report of Pakistani firing from anywhere during the night, he said.

A police official said barring Shahpur sector, the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri also remained almost calm as there was no major ceasefire violation by Pakistan from last evening till this evening.

Small arms firing from across the border were reported from Shahpur sector of Poonch for a few hours till 4 am, but there was no casualty, he said.

He said the authorities were keeping a close eye on the situation and rushed police teams to affected areas to ensure prompt assistance to the people.

The people were asked to stay indoors and not to touch any suspicious object in their area as it could an unexploded mortar shell, he said.

Firing from across the border started on Thursday and has forced thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.

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The Supreme Court of Pakistan today gave a 72-hour deadline to the Punjab police chief to arrest the culprit behind the brutal rape and murder of a seven- year-old girl that has sparked national outrage.

Police in Pakistan's Punjab province have failed to nab the killer of Zainab, whose body was found in a garbage heap on on January 9, despite carrying out DNA test of 800 suspects in over two weeks.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar held the hearing of the case at the Lahore registry and admonished the police officers for their failure to arrest the killer of the victim.

The parents of the eight girls who have been raped and murdered in Kasur since 2015 appeared before the Supreme Court bench and pleaded for justice.

"An unspeakable crime has been committed against an innocent girl," Nisar said and ordered the Inspector General of Police to arrest the culprit in the case within 72 hours.

Zainab had gone missing while going for tuition near her house in Kasur city, some 50 kilometres from Lahore, on January 5.

Her parents had been in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and she had been living with her maternal aunt.

After her abduction, the footage showed her walking with a stranger near Peerowala Road. Police failed to trace her abductor and on January 9 her body was recovered from a heap of garbage near the Shahbaz Khan Road.

Autopsy report had confirmed that the girl was subjected to rape, torture and was then strangled to death.

The horrific incident triggered public outrage throughout the country with people demanding justice for the child.

The girl's murder was the 12th such incident reported in Kasur district in a year.

A police officer told the Chief Justice that the DNA tests of 800 suspects had been conducted.

"The police are pursuing a one-track investigation and must widen the scope of the probe beyond simply using DNA testing to track down the culprits. The DNA tests of 21 million people will have to be conducted if the investigations continue in this way," Nisar said.

No headway has been made in the case since the girl's body was found, despite the Counter-Terrorism Department, Intelligence Bureau, Special Branch and Punjab Forensic Science Agency being tasked with investigating the case.

According to the initial investigation, the perpetrator of is a serial killer who may have been involved in some six or seven such incidents in Kasur.

Kasur had made headlines in 2015 when it was revealed that a gang of paedophiles was busted for running a child sex ring in the city.

Last year 4,139 incidents of child abuse took place in the province.

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Pakistan summoned India's deputy high commissioner here for the fourth consecutive day today over the alleged "unprovoked firing" by Indian troops across the Line of Control which resulted in the death of two people.

The tensions have increased between the two sides due to ongoing skirmishes and Pakistan has summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh five times since Monday.

Director General (South Asia and SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Singh and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces, the Foreign Office said.

In a statement, it claimed that the latest violation by Indian forces occurred on January 20-21, when 18 Indian posts resorted to "unprovoked firing" with mortars and heavy weapons in the Nikial sector at the LoC.

The firing killed two civilians - a 33-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman - and injured another women and a girl, the Foreign Office said.

Faisal said the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and against the human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws.

The repeated ceasefire violations by India "are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," he asserted.

He urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the repeated incidents of ceasefire violations, the statement said.

Faisal also urged the Indian side to allow the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

India maintains that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control.

The FO, apart from today, had summoned India's deputy high commissioner on January 15, 18, 19 and 20.

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Jana Sena founder and Tollywood actor Pawan Kalyan today said he would visit Hanuman Temple in Kondagattu near Karimnagar tomorrow and announce his political programme.

Kalyan, however, said he would announce his plan of action for the next three days tomorrow, as he has not yet decided the exact mode he would adopt to reach masses.

"I will have 'darshan' of Lord Hanuman tomorrow and announce the programme for the next three days form there. I will announce the schedule for every three or four day. I have not decided whether I would undertake 'padayatra' (foot march) or a roadshow or any other means to meet people," the actor told reporters here.

He said his main agenda for Telangana is to meet the party workers.

"The plan of action would depend on the feedback from them," he said, adding that there won't be any public meetings but only the Jana Sena cadre meetings.

Political analyst and former MLC Nageswar ruled out Pawan Kalyan's impact on Telangana, saying there is no political space for the actor in the state.

Nageswar also said the actor may be trying to consolidate and sustain his fan following through these activities and people of Telangana are unlikely to own him in politics as he is considered to be from Andhra Pradesh.

In a separate development, Polish ambassador to India Adam Burakowski met Kalyan this morning and requested his cooperation to promote his country as an ideal place for Telugu film shootings.

Kalyan, who floated Jana Sena ahead of the 2014 polls, had extended full support to the TDP-BJP combine back then.

However, Kalyan of late started accusing the BJP of not honouring the promises, especially the grant of special category status, the saffron party had made to the people of Andhra Pradesh.

He had caused a flutter after he met Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on New Year's eve at the latter's camp office in Hyderabad.

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US Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Israel today for a visit that will see him warmly welcomed by Israeli leaders but snubbed by the Palestinians, deeply angered by the White House's Jerusalem policy.

The visit, initially scheduled for December before being postponed, is the final leg of a trip that has included talks in Egypt and Jordan as well as a stop at a US military facility near the Syrian border.

Controversy back home over a budget dispute that has led to a US government shutdown has trailed Pence, and he sought to blame Democrats for the impasse during a speech to troops at the military facility on Sunday.

Arab outrage over President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on December 6 had prompted the cancellation of several planned meetings ahead of Pence's tour.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is refusing to meet Pence because of the declaration, making his visit a rare one by a high-ranking US official not to include talks with the Palestinians.

He will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday before addressing the country's parliament later in the day -- a speech that Israeli Arab lawmakers will boycott, calling Pence "dangerous and messianic".

On Tuesday, the devout Christian will visit Jerusalem's Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism. Trump became the first sitting US president to visit the site when he travelled to Jerusalem in May 2017.

The site is located in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

The city's status is perhaps the most sensitive in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Palestinians' reaction to Trump's recognition was an illustration of the importance placed upon it.

Beyond refusing to meet Pence, Abbas has said the United States can no longer serve as mediator in Middle East peace talks and the Palestinians were planning a general strike on Tuesday to protest Trump's declaration.

Unrest since the announcement has left at least 17 Palestinians dead, most of them killed in clashes with Israeli forces. One Israeli has been killed in that time.

Pence, speaking at the military facility, said he hopes "the Palestinian Authority will soon re-engage".

Netanyahu appeared more interested in talking with Pence on other issues, though he stressed "there is no substitute for US leadership".

"We will discuss the efforts of the Trump administration to block Iran's aggression and the Iranian nuclear programme, and of course, advancing security and peace in the region," Netanyahu said ahead of a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

"Whoever truly aspires to realise these goals knows that there is no substitute for US leadership."



Earlier Sunday, Jordan's King Abdullah II, a key US ally, voiced concern over Trump's Jerusalem recognition as Pence visited Amman.

"Jerusalem is key to Muslims and Christians as it is to Jews," he said. "It is key to peace in the region. And key to enabling Muslims to effectively fight some of the root causes of radicalisation."



Speaking in Amman, Pence called Trump's Jerusalem move a "historic decision" but said the United States respected Jordan's role as custodian of the city's holy sites.

"The United States of America remains committed, if the parties agree, to a two-state solution. We are committed to restarting the peace process, and Jordan does now and has always played a central role in facilitating peace in the region," Pence said.

The US move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital broke with decades of international consensus that the city's status should be settled as part of a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

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The Philippines said today that it won't get embroiled in a fresh spat between the US and China involving Beijing's protest of an American warship passing near a Chinese-controlled shoal also claimed by the Philippines.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr said that "the United States can take care of its own interest" and added "we do not wish to be part of a US-China intramural" in the disputed South China Sea.

The Chinese government had yesterday accused the US of trespassing in its territorial waters when a US guided missile destroyer sailed near Scarborough Shoal to promote freedom of navigation in the disputed waters.

The Philippines also claims the shoal, which is a tiny, uninhabited reef that China seized from the Philippines in 2012 after a tense maritime standoff.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has revived once- frosty relations with China since taking power in 2016 and often criticises US security policies.

He has rejected planned joint patrols by the US and Philippine navies in disputed South China Sea waters along with joint combat exercises that could offend China.

His predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, backed a continued US presence in the region to serve as a counterweight to China.

Under Aquino, the Philippines brought its disputes with China in the South China Sea to international arbitration in 2013 and overwhelmingly won the case three years later. China refused to participate and ignored the decision.

Duterte has refused to demand immediate Chinese compliance with the 2016 arbitration ruling, which invalidated China's vast territorial claims to the South China Sea on historical grounds.

He has promised, however, to take up the arbitration ruling with China at a still-unspecified time during his six- year presidency.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has carried out extensive land reclamation work on many of the islands and reefs it claims, equipping some with air strips and military installations that have alarmed rival claimant countries and Western governments led by the United States.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said yesterday that China would take "necessary measures" to protect its sovereignty after the USS Hopper sailed within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday evening without China's permission.

Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the US, Manila's treaty ally, did not notify the Philippines of its naval operation near Scarborough.

"We have no say over whatever the Americans do in the South China Sea. They do not inform us beforehand of their activities there," Lorenzana said.

Asked if the passage of the US warship in Philippine- claimed waters was a concern, Lorenzana said: "No, for as long as they are on innocent passage. International law allows innocent passage even in territorial waters."



The United States does not claim territory in the South China Sea but has declared it has a national interest in ensuring that the territorial disputes there are resolved peacefully in accordance with international law.

The US Navy regularly sails through the area to assert freedom of navigation.

Lt Cmdr Nicole Schwegman, a spokeswoman for the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, said yesterday that such operations are "not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements." Instead they aim to "demonstrate our commitment to uphold the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law."



Scarborough is known in Chinese as Huangyan Island and called Panatag or Bajo de Masinloc by the Philippines. It lies about 200 kms west of the main Philippine island of Luzon, and about 600 kms southeast of China.

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Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today accused the Tamil Nadu government of not releasing water from Veedur dam for farm use in the union territory.

Puducherry has a share in the water from Veedurdam in Villupuram district in that state under an inter-state agreement inked in 1961, he told media here today.

Narayanasamy noted that an agreement was signed by the two governments in 1961 to share water from Veedur dam to meet the irrigation requirements of farmers in Mannadipet constituency in the union territory.

The deal ensured availability of water for Puducherry for 175 days to enable farmers here to get water for cultivation on an extent of 1400 hectares from the dam, he said.

"The release of water for Mannadipet block was stopped this year.. Our plea is that the agreement should be enforced by the Tamil Nadu authorities," he said adding a letter would be shot off to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu seeking immediate release of water in keeping with the provisions of the agreement.

Veedur dam is situated in the catchment areas of Varaha river and Thondiaru in Villupuram district and had been a source of irrigation for farm lands in Mannadipet constituency in Puducherry.

"Besides, Tamil Nadu government was ignoring the Union Territory's share of 6 tmc feet of water released into the Cauvery basin by the Karnataka government," Narayanasamy alleged.

On AIADMK's demand that Congress and DMK MLAs should step down from the posts of chairmen of the PSUs and Parliamentary Secretary to CM, he said "The MLAs belonging to Congress and the DMK were appointed chairmen of the PSUs or Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister here as per the Act adopted in the territorial Assembly in the past."



"We took utmost care before appointing the MLAs to the posts of chairmen and Parliamentary Secretary and therefore the situation in Puducherry is different from New Delhi," he claimed.

The AIADMK had yesterday said it would seek disqualification of ruling Congress and DMK legislators in Puducherry "for holding office of profit," in view of the Election Commission's decision to disqualify 20 AAP MLAs in New Delhi on similar grounds.

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Pope Francis denounced femicides and other gender-based crimes that have turned Latin America into the most violent place on Earth for women, calling for legislation to protect them and a new cultural mindset as he visited one of Peru's most dangerous parts.

At a Marian prayer in the northern seaside city of Trujillo, Francis called women, mothers and grandmothers the guiding force for families. And yet, he said, in the Americas they are too often victims of murder and "many situations of violence that are kept quiet behind so many walls."



The first Latin American pope called for lawmakers to protect women and for a new culture "that repudiates every form of violence." His remarks came the same day large crowds marched throughout the United States and other countries in support of female empowerment.

Francis' use of the term femicide the killing of women where the motive is directly related to gender marked the second time in as many days that he has spoken out against "machismo" culture in Latin America. The region has the dubious honour of having the world's highest rates of violence against women occurring outside romantic partnerships, and the second-highest within.

Even though more and more countries in the region are adopting protective policies for women, female homicides are rising in Latin America with two in every five resulting from domestic violence, according to a November 2017 report from UN Women and the UN Development Program that called the phenomenon a "global pandemic."



In recent years women have taken to the streets across Latin America, including in Peru, to protest gender violence as part of the international "Ni Una Menos" or "Not One Less" campaign.

In the Peruvian Amazon this week, Francis denounced forced prostitution and the trafficking of women in the area, saying it pained him how they are "devalued, denigrated and exposed to endless violence.

"Violence against women cannot be treated as 'normal,' maintaining a culture of machismo blind to the leading role that women play in our communities," he said Friday. "It is not right for us to look the other way and let the dignity of so many women, especially young women, be trampled upon."



Francis' decision to directly address the issue followed a reticence to speak out last year when he visited Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican border city notorious for hundreds of killings of women that brought international attention to the problem.

More than 100 women died in eerily similar killings in the city across from El Paso, Texas, starting in 1993, although the serial or copycat nature of them tapered off a decade later.

At a 2016 open-air mass in Juarez, Francis made an emotional plea to recognise the "human tragedy" of the treatment of migrants but made only a passing mention of the women's killings. At the time he did not use the word "femicide," saying only, "And what can we say about so many women who have unjustly had their lives taken?"



Mothers of some of the Juarez victims had sought unsuccessfully to meet with Francis, and Saturday marked the first time he is known to have used the term "femicide" in public.

Central American countries have the highest rates of gender-based violence, but the issue is also a serious problem in Peru. More than 1,000 women died from gender violence in the South American country from 2009 through last October the vast majority murdered by a partner or relative according to a report by the Public Ministry.

Francis' comments came in his final event in Trujillo, where devastating floods last year killed more than 150 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.

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In a major setback to AAP, President Ram Nath Kovind has disqualified 20 of its MLAs in Delhi for holding offices of profit, a move the party described as "unconstitutional" and "dangerous for democracy".

Kovind gave his assent yesterday to the recommendation by the Election Commission (EC).

Reacting to the development, senior AAP leader Ashutosh said, "President's order to disqualify AAP MLAs is unconstitutional and dangerous for democracy."



The Election Commission (EC) had on Friday recommended to Kovind that the 20 MLAs were liable for disqualification for holding offices of profit between March 13, 2015, and September 8, 2016.

AAP MLAs were appointed parliamentary secretaries and this was described by petitioner Prashant Patel as them holding offices of profit.

Giving its opinion to the president on the issue, the EC had said the MLAs, by occupying the post of parliamentary secretaries had held offices of profit, and were liable to be disqualified as legislators.

Parliamentary Secretaries assist ministers with their work. AAP insisted that despite holding the office these MLAs did not take any salaries or perks.

The President is bound by the recommendation of the Commission. Under the rules, petitions to the President seeking disqualification of lawmakers are referred to the EC. The poll panel takes a decision and sends its recommendation to the Rashtrapati Bhavan which is accepted.

In its opinion to the President, the EC had said that, "Whether or not the individual Parliamentary Secretaries had actually derived the benefits or participated in executive functions of the government is of no relevance" as the Supreme Court in the Jaya Bachchan case had laid down that if the post falls under office of profit, the disqualification is imminent.

The Commission had said that it is basing its opinion on judicial pronouncements of the past, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act and the Constitution.

The 20 MLAs disqualified include, Adarsh Shastri (Dwarka), Alka Lamba (Chandni Chowk), Anil Bajpai (Gandhi Nagar), Avtar Singh (Kalkaji), Kailash Gahlot (Najafgarh) -- who is also a minister -- Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar), Manoj Kumar (Kondli), Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli), Nitin Tyagi (Laxmi Nagar), Praveen Kumar (Jangpura).

Others are: Rajesh Gupta (Wazirpur), Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri), Sanjeev Jha (Burari), Sarita Singh (Rohtas Nagar), Som Dutt (Sadar Bazar), Sharad Kumar (Narela), Shiv Charan Goel (Moti Nagar), Sukhbir Singh (Mundka), Vijendar Garg (Rajinder Nagar) and Jarnail Singh (Tilak Nagar).

The AAP had also approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on EC's recommendation. The court has listed the case for a hearing on Monday.

On Friday, the Delhi High Court had refused to pass any interim order of protection to AAP MLAs from being disqualified.

Madanlal, one of the 20 disqualified MLAs, said that all hopes now hinge on the judiciary and the party was expecting some relief tomorrow.

If AAP fails to get reprieve from the courts, Delhi will have bypolls for the 20 seats. The only technical aspect was that now the Delhi Assembly Speaker will have to notify the 20 vacancies for the EC to announce the bypolls.

Once the vacancies are announced by the Assembly, the AAP's strength would go down to 46 from 66 in the 70-member House. However, it will continue to have a majority to run the state.

"We are expecting relief from the court. Our petition is coming up for hearing tomorrow," Madanlal, who represented the Kasturba Nagar constituency, said.

Alka Lamba, who is among the 20 AAP MLAs disqualified, said the decision was "painful" and the president should have heard them out before arriving at any conclusion.

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BJP and various Hindu outfits today demanded an unconditional apology from lyricist Vairamathu for his alleged remarks against Goddess Andal and also DMK MP Kanimozhi for her derogatory remarks against the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati.

Activists of Aathmeega Adiyargal and Akhila Bharatha Hindu Thuraviyargal staged a protest demonstration here and raised slogans against both Vairamuthu and Kanimozhi.

Andal, the only woman among the 12 revered Vaishnavite saints hailed as 'Alwars' in Tamil, is also venerated as a Goddess and a gifted poet in view of her classic Tamil work 'Thiruppavai,' in praise of Lord Krishna.

According to spiritual texts, she lived in the eighth century AD in Srivilliputhur.

Thiruppavai is a celebrated work in spiritual Tamil literature and is also part of the Vaishnavite "Divya Prabhantham (a collection of verses respected as sacred and in praise of Lord Narayana)."



A case was registered on January 13 Vairamuthu for his alleged remarks at a function in Rajapalayam, on a complaint from a Hindu Munnani functionary.

The protestors also condemned Kanimozhi for her alleged derogatory remarks against the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati.

BJP's Andhra Pradesh spokesperson Pradesh G Bhanuprakash Reddy had on January 11 lodged a complaint with the Tirupati Superintendent of Police against Kanimozhi for her reported remarks.

Reddy alleged that the Rajya Sabha MP had made the "offensive" remarks during an Atheist Conference at Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu.

BJP State general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan and treasurer S R Sekhar were among the party workers who participated in the demonstration.

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Protest demonstrations were held by public today in parts of Tamil Nadu against the steep hike in bus fares announced by the State government.

A group of villagers near Dindigul staged a road-roko against the hike and wanted the government to immediately withdraw the same.

The protesters, comprising mainly of daily wage earners, said the new fare implemented from yesterday took away a chunk of their meagre income.

Similar protests were held in other places like Chengam in Tiruvannamalai and Thanjavur districts.

The bus fare hike in Tamil Nadu has drawn flak from political parties, including the main opposition DMK, which accused the government of being 'sadistic' and giving a 'thunderbolt' to the people.

PMK and DMK have announced protest demonstrations on January 25 and 27 respectively against the hike. CPI(M) will hold a protest demonstration on January 22. All the parties have sought an immediate rollback of fare hike.

Chief Minister K Palaniswamy said yesterday that the hike was effected with "anguish," which was inevitable due to a host of factors which includes increase in the cost of fuel, and maintenance.

Echoing his view, Transport Minister M R Vijayabaskar said at Karur, "we seek the apology of the people. Due to inevitable reasons, Tamil Nadu government was pushed to increase the bus fare," adding there was no scope for a rollback.

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Protests against the recent bus fare hike announced by Tamil Nadu government spread across the state today, with members of the public and some political parties staging demonstrations at various cities.

Protest demonstrations were held in suburbs of Dindigul and in Thanjavur by locals, who blocked roads and demanded that the government immediately withdraw the hike.

In Chennai, DYFI activists staged protests.

The members of the public, comprising mainly daily wage earners, said the new fare implemented from yesterday took away a chunk of their meagre income.

Similar protests were held in other places like Chengam in Tiruvannamalai and Kulithalai in Karur district.

Protest demonstrations were held by CPI (M) and CPI in suburban Madurai and Thanjavur.

In several bus routes, passengers entered into arguments with conductors, who had a tough time convincing them about the new fare structure.

Near Ullundurpet in Villupuram district, passengers of a local bus refused to buy tickets as per the new fare structure and halted the bus, following which officials intervened to pacify them.

Yesterday too, members of the public had staged protests in some towns.

The bus fare hike has drawn flak from political parties, including the main opposition DMK, which has accused the government of being 'sadistic' and giving a 'thunderbolt' to the people.

PMK and DMK have announced protest demonstrations on January 25 and 27 against the hike, while CPI(M) has said they would stage protest demonstration on January 22.

The TMC said today said it would stage demonstrations across Tamil Nadu on January 29 against the hike, as well as for other issues.

Party President G K Vasan told reporters at Erode that he would lead the demonstration in the city that day.

All parties have demanded an immediate rollback of the hike.

Chief Minister K Palaniswamy said yesterday that the hike was effected with "anguish," which was inevitable due to a host of factors which includes increase in the cost of fuel, and maintenance.

Echoing his view, Transport Minister M R Vijayabaskar had at a public meeting at Karur sought an apology from the people for the hike, saying it was due to inevitable reasons



"The government was pushed to increase the bus fare and there is no scope for a rollback," he had said.

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Violent protests by members of the Rajput community against the release of Sanjay Leela Bansali's controversial period drama "Padmaavat" were witnessed across Gujarat today, with agitators damaging buses and blocking roads.

The Supreme Court on January 18 had paved the way for the film's nationwide release on January 25 by lifting the ban on its screening in BJP-ruled states Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Following incidents of protesters damaging and setting buses on fire, the police issued a stern warning and deployed more personnel in the affected areas. The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) also suspended its services in northern parts of the state.

Interestingly, senior state minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said such protests were "natural" and that the government was looking for a legal opinion following the Supreme Court's order.

While lifting the ban, the court had stayed the orders and notifications issued by the Rajasthan and Gujarat governments prohibiting the screening of "Padmaavat", starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor.

The GRTC suspended its services in northern parts of the state where violent mobs set ablaze or damaged as many as eight buses in the past two days.

Protests were held at some places in Gandhinagar, Kheda Banaskantha and Surat by members of the Rajput community, with agitating groups setting on fire a GRTC bus on the Ahmedabad- Kheda highway this afternoon.

Stones were also hurled at another bus at Unava village near Gandhinagar.

Protesters blocked several roads such as the Ahmedabad- Indore Highway and a road connecting Banaskantha to Rajasthan, police officials said.

In Surat, members of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena and some other groups took to streets in the Katargam, Kapodra and Puna areas, police said.

The state in-charge DGP Pramod Kumar announced deployment of the State Reserve Police (SRP) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to tackle the situation, as protests spread, particularly in Surat.

"During the last 48 hours, some people in the garb of holding protests, have tried to disturb peace in the state by engaging in arson, damaging property and by blocking roads. As many as eight buses have been either set ablaze or damaged in north Gujarat during this period," Kumar told reporters in Gandhinagar.

"In view of the current situation, I have asked police officials to take a stern action against the perpetrators," he said, adding that several people have been arrested in connection with the protests.

"We will not spare any one who will break the law. Along with regular police, we have deployed SRP and RAF in affected areas," the top cop said.

Meanwhile, terming the protests as "natural", Chudasama said, "If a you distort historical facts and present it in a movie, it is quite natural that people will protest."



"Though the Supreme Court had stayed our notification banning the release of the movie, the state government is taking legal opinion," he said.

Surat police commissioner Satish Sharma said that police resorted to baton charge to disperse protesters.

"Some protesters suddenly came on roads in different areas of the city today. As they tried to block roads, we were forced to do a baton charge. At two places, protesters even misbehaved with policemen. The situation is under control now. We have arrested 16 people," the police commissioner said.

Due to protests, the GSRTC suspended bus services in Mehsana, Patan, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts till the situation improves, GSRTC, Secretary, K D Desai, said.

Buses plying between Ahmedabad and the northern region have been cancelled since last night amid the fear of miscreants making these vehicles their soft target, the official said.

"Owing to the attacks in parts of north Gujarat yesterday, we have temporarily suspended our operations for Gandhinagar, Himmatnagar, Mehsana and Banaskantha. The services to other destinations, such as those in central and south Gujarat, are on as per the schedule," he said.

Desai said that though they tried to resume the service in Gandhinagar this morning, some people targeted a bus at a village in the district.

Following the GSRTC's decision, several passengers were stranded.

Last night, agitators community allegedly set ablaze three buses in different parts of Mehsana. They also damaged the window panes of at least six buses in the region, according to the district police.

The protesters had also tried to block roads by burning tyres in some parts of Banaskantha, Mehsana, Surendranagar and Bhuj in protest against the film.

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Authorities today imposed restrictions in parts of the city in view of a shutdown called by separatists to protest the killing of civilians in alleged firing by security forces in 1990.

Restrictions under Section 144 CrPc have been imposed in Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Safakadal, MR Gunj, Maisuma and Kralkhud police station areas as a precautionary measure, an official said.

Separatists had called for a shutdown in Gawkadal and the areas adjoining the Lal Chowk city centre.

Shops and business establishments were shut in areas around the city centre, though the weekly flea market was buzzing with acitivity.

JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik, who was arrested on Friday, was sent to judicial custody. The chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was placed under house arrest.

The chairman for hardline Huriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, continues to remain under house detention.

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An Afghan official says a roadside bomb has killed at least 12 civilians in the western Herat province.

Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for the provincial police chief, says a 13th person was wounded in the explosion early Sunday, which struck a vehicle in the Gulran district.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Walizada blamed Taliban insurgents, who often plant roadside bombs to target Afghan security forces.

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Miscreants today kidnapped a 42- year-old school teacher from Megua Songma village, close to the Bangladesh border in Meghalaya's South Garo Hills district, police said.

The incident took place at about 2:50 am this morning when a group of about five miscreants barged into the house of Etwilthon D Sangma. They kidnapped the teacher and are suspected to have crossed the border into Bangladesh, the police said



"The house is a little isolated from the nearby village and so they were easy targets. As the family seemed better off than the rest it seems a case of preplanned kidnapping," said Superintendent of Police, SGH, AT Sangma.

The gang also took off with a motorcycle belonging to the family along with mobile phones of all members except for that of the victim. The motorcycle was later recovered by the police about 5 kilometre from the spot of the incident after it was abandoned by the miscreants.

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Markets regulator Sebi has imposed a penalty of Rs 16 lakh on one Umashankar Agarwal for indulging in fraudulent trading in the securities of Somani Cement Company.

As per an order dated January 19, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had conducted an investigation in the share transaction of Somani Cement Company Ltd (SCCL) for the period from July 2004 to April 2005.

During the course of the investigation, Sebi observed that SCCL made several corporate announcements during 2004-05 which appear to be false and misleading in nature.

The shares of SCCL were traded on BSE for 161 days during the period July 2004 to April 2005 and immediately after the corporate announcements, the scrips witnessed a steep rise in price and traded volume.

In its order, the regulator noted that SCCL's chairman and director Bimlesh Kumar Mishra had transferred 41.31 lakh shares including unlisted excess scrips through various off- market transfers to a web of entities who in turn sold them in the market after the corporate announcements.

Agarwal had admitted to Sebi that he had sold 6.12 lakh shares of SCCL during the investigation period and got twenty five paise per scrip to sell them in the market.

Noting that Agarwal has committed serious offence by acting as a conduit or front for Mishra and aided him in offloading the fraudulently dematted excess shares of SCCL to the innocent investors, Sebi said that large number of investors were defrauded by purchasing the scrips.

"It is established beyond doubt that the noticee (Agarwal) had indulged in fraudulent and unfair trade practices in securities and indulged in acts which created false and misleading appearance of trading and price manipulation in the scrip of the SCCL and, therefore, violated... the PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) Regulations," Sebi said.

Accordingly, the regulator has imposed a penalty of Rs 16 lakh on Agarwal.

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The third day of the Congress' Chhakri Dharna Andolan to highlight the woes of the farm sector in the state saw Shiv Sena Member of Parliament from Yavatmal-Washim, Bhavana Gawali, arrive at the protest venue.

Gawali met the protesters in Pusad here and extended her support to them stating that her party always stood with farmers and farm labourers.

The farmers have been protesting the government's alleged apathy in compensating cultivators whose cotton crop had been damaged by bollworms.

Five farmers also tonsured their heads as a mark of protest against what they claimed was the anti-farmer policies of the state government.

A similar protest was also held at Arni here which was attended by former MLA and senior Congress leader Shivajirao Moghe.

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Spain wants ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont arrested if he travels to Denmark for a university debate from his Belgian exile, Madrid prosecutors said today.

The prosecution service said it would "immediately" have a supreme court judge issue an arrest warrant for the secessionist leader, sacked by Madrid after the Catalan parliament declared independence on October 27, and urge Denmark to hand him over.

Puigdemont fled to Belgium in late October after Madrid sacked his cabinet over their breakaway attempt, but is eyeing a return to power after pro-independence parties won an absolute majority in regional elections in December.

At home, however, he risks arrest on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds.

Several fellow separatist lawmakers are already in custody in Spain over their role in the regional parliament unilaterally declaring independence on October 27 and Spain's general prosecutor office said Saturday that "it's inadmissible that the privilege of parliamentary immunity should be interpreted as impunity."



A final decision will rest with the Spanish judge who will have to act in record time to issue the warrant for examination by Danish authorities.

Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena dropped a European arrest warrant for Puigdemont and four of his deputies who fled to Belgium in early December, saying it would complicate the overall probe into the region's leaders - but warned they would be arrested if they return, retaining a domestic warrant.

Were a magistrate in another EU state to make a ruling on the secessionists - including to drop charges which could bring a maximum 30 years in jail - Madrid would be bound by that decision.

Those facing charges say in their defence that under Belgian law there is no case against them. As long as he does not return to Spain, where the warrant remains in place, Puigdemont and his fellow lawmakers are therefore free to move around Europe as they please.

Puigdemont is due to take part in a debate at the University of Copenhagen about the secession crisis in the region, according to the university website.

The conference is titled: "Catalonia and Europe at a crossroads for democracy?"



It will be his first public trip since he arrived in Belgium. Having been in the country for three months without a residence permit, he would also have to leave, albeit briefly, to conform with EU residence laws.

Tomorrow, Puigdemont is due to reveal which candidate he is putting forward to lead the region ahead of a debate culminating in a vote at the end of the month.

He himself is the main candidate but wants to be invested from Belgium in order to avoid arrest if he returns to Catalonia. The Madrid government has ruled out his being allowed to rule from outside the country.

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A team of 56th battalion of Sashashtra Seema Bal (SSB) today arrested a person, allegedly involved in child trafficking, and rescued five children from Jogbani railway station in Bihar's Araria district.

Acting on a tip-off, the SSB personnel carried out a special search operation at Jogbani railway station and intercepted a person since five children, all of them boys, were accompanying him, SSB's 56th battalion Commandant Mukesh Tyagi said.

On being asked by SSB's patrolling team, the person, later identified as Mohammad Naim, failed to give any satisfactory reply about where he was taking the children and why, Tyagi said.

When asked, the children, all of them less than 15 years old told the SSB team that Mohammad Naim was taking them to New Delhi where they would be given jobs, the commandant said.

SSB later handed over the person, allegedly involved in child trafficking, along with five children to Jogbani Government Railway Police (GRP) for further and necessary action.

While Mohammad Naim is a resident of Bagdara village under the jurisdiction of Jokihat police station in Araria district, the boys are residents of Jokihat village within limits of the same police station in the same district.

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The Shapoorji Pallonji Group firm Sterling & Wilson Generators is eyeing Rs 1,300 crore revenue from its diesel generators business over the next three years as the demand for power back-up is rising from the industrial, commercial and infrastructure sectors.

The company is also hoping to increase the share of its exports from the current 30 per cent to 50 per cent over the next three years, chief executive Sanjay Jadhav told PTI.

"Energy storage solutions are becoming more and more critical issues for the industry due to rising power shortages. That apart, there is an increasing demand for diesel gensets for back-up from the hospitality, infrastructure, and commercial realty sectors. These two factors should help us reach an Rs 1,300-crore sales volume over the next three years," he said.

Jadhav further said since 2005, Sterling Generators has grown rapidly and gained a significant market share, help it net Rs 850 crore in revenue so far in this financial year.

He said the company is also looking at expanding its business into markets like Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa.

"We cannot be dependent on the domestic market if we have to become a global player. We are exploring opportunities in international markets where we see a huge demand. We are already present in a few overseas markets, and we want to enter newer markets," Jadhav said.

The company is also planning to expand its manufacturing facility in Silvassa to meet the growing demand.

"As we aim to become a global player we will need to expand our manufacturing capabilities. We've already invested Rs 100 crore in this facility and we plan to invest Rs 50-60 crore by 2020. With a testing facility for DG sets up to 3000 kVA, we plan to increase our annual capacity to 5,000 gensets by 2020," he said.

The company is also planning to tap the defence segment through its various product offerings including its cooling systems, expertise in fabrication and electrical panels, among others.

"Defence is a new area which we want to explore. With the thrust on local manufacturing of defence products, we believe there will be a lot of scope there," he said.

The company has already delivered its cooling systems for one of Israel's leading defence products and services provider Elta.

"We designed and fabricated the cooling systems as per the requirements and standards of Elta. This gives us a big edge and we think we can provide our various other offerings like panels, cooling systems and fabrication from our Silvassa plant," he added.

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Syria's army today announced it had captured the vital Abu Duhur military airport in the country's northwest, more than two years after losing it to rebels and jihadists.

"After a string of special operations, units from our armed forces in coordination with allied fighters succeeded in their military operation and took control of the Abu Duhur military airport in Idlib province," the army said in a statement.

"Engineering units are now dismantling and clearing mines, explosives, and bombs planted by terrorists in the area," he said.

An alliance of jihadists and rebels overran the vast majority of Idlib province in 2015, seizing Abu Duhur in September of that year.

Syrian troops had been advancing on the northwest province of Idlib, and Abu Duhur in particular, as part of a fierce offensive launched in late December with Russian backing.

Regime loyalists have seized dozens of towns and villages as part of the assault, but the air base's capture marks the first military installation Syrian troops have managed to retake in Idlib.

Moscow today confirmed that allied troops were now in control of Abu Duhur.

With its capture, the Syrian army said, troops could now secure a key route leading from the neighbouring province of Aleppo south to the capital Damascus.

Syria's uprising erupted in 2011 with protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, but a government crackdown paved the way for a full-blown civil war.

The government lost swathes of Syrian territory in the first few years of the conflict but, since Russia militarily intervened in 2015, it has steadily regained the upper hand.

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Syria's main opposition group said it will send a delegation today to regime ally Russia to discuss with officials Moscow's "real stance" on the Syrian political process.

The visit by the Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) comes as Moscow gets set to host peace talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on January 30 along with Syrian regime backer Iran and rebel supporter Turkey.

The SNC has said it will attend fresh UN-hosted negotiations before then but has not yet announced if it will also go to the Sochi talks, which dozens of rebel factions have already rejected.

A statement by the SNC said today's visit was "in response to an invitation by the Russian foreign ministry" and that its delegation will hold talks with the foreign and defence ministers as well as members of parliament.

The visit aims at "understanding Russia's real stance towards the political process, since it is a partner in the conflict, a godfather of talks with Syria and a guarantor of de-escalation zones", it said.

SNC spokesman Yahya al-Aridi told AFP the opposition wanted "simply to make sure that Russia is serious about the entire peace process", particularly UN-led talks.

Numerous rounds of UN-brokered peace talks have been held in Geneva, and the last one concluded in mid-December with no notable progress towards ending the country's war.

They are to resume January 25-26, this time in Vienna, ahead of the Sochi talks.

Key players Russia, Iran and Turkey have been sponsoring parallel peace talks since the start of last year that have looked to still the fighting.

The Sochi meeting is now part of a broader push by Moscow to start hammering out a path to a political solution to end the war and has sparked concerns that the Kremlin is looking to sideline the UN.

The Damascus government has said it would attend the Sochi talks, which are aimed at setting up a new constitution for post-war Syria.

Syria's nearly seven-year war, which began as the regime brutally crushed anti-government protests, has claimed more than 340,000 lives, forced millions to flee their homes and left the country in ruins.

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Turkish attacks in the Afrin region of northern Syria killed ten people, mostly civilians, a spokesman for the Kurdish militia which controls the area said.

"Seven civilians were killed, including a child, as well as two female fighters and one male fighter," said Birusk Hasakeh, spokesman for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin, adding that the child was an eight-year-old boy.

The YPG's political branch, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), said earlier yesterday that 25 civilians had been wounded in the Turkish bombing.

Ankara also said were casualties but were all Kurdish militants.

Afrin, a hilly region that falls in Syria's northern Aleppo province, is home to more than a million people including displaced families.

Turkey and allied Syrian rebels yesterday began an air and ground operation, dubbed operation "Olive Branch", aimed at ousting the YPG from the Kurdish-majority pocket.

The launch came despite warnings that the operation could be militarily tough against an already battle-hardened foe and complicate relations with both Washington and Moscow.

Turkey vehemently opposes the YPG because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey for three decades.

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A woman from Thailand has been arrested for allegedly running a sex racket, police said today.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of officials raided a spa in Virar area of the district and arrested the 43-year-old Thai woman yesterday, Assistant Police Inspector S A Ingole said.

Two women, one of them from Thailand, were rescued during the raid, he said.

The accused woman was operating the flesh trade racket from the spa for the last one year, the police said.

The police sent a decoy to the spa and trapped the accused, they added.

The rescued women, aged 23 and 25, were sent to a shelter home in Boisar, the police said.

The accused woman was booked under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act. She was produced before a local magistrate who remanded her to police custody till January 23, they added.

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"The Handmaid's Tale" co- creator Bruce Miller says the show, which is basking in glory and fetching awards, is about hope and survival.

The show, which is based on the dystopian novel from Canadian author Margaret Atwood, will be premiering in India on AXN on February 5.

Miller said the show is not "dark" but showcases what it is like to be living under a totalitarian state.

"It is very much drawn from the tone of the book, which is an unquestionably a dark world, but it's not a dark show. The show is about hope and perspective.

"It is about not losing the hope of getting out and getting your life back and never losing the idea that this is not the real world. This is not the way that people really are in their hearts. They're acting in a certain way," Miller said.

He said he read Atwood's novel in college but it was the character of the protagonist, Offred, which stayed with him and pushed him to adapt the novel for TV.

"Honestly, it was Offred who I really connected to because at the end of the day the book is Offred's story. She's a woman, she's a mother, she's a human being trying to survive in this world. That's really what attracted me to the project."



"There are all sorts of political implications and religious implications, and those themes are all interesting, but for me it all goes back to the people who live in this world and how they survive and how they're trapped by their own choices," he added.

Talking about the themes that he explored in the show, Miller said it is about hope and survival.

"It has a lot of big, broad themes of control, biological sexism, misogyny, and cruelty, but the biggest theme is hope and survival. That's what the story is about.

"The goal of our main character is to survive in this situation, reunite with her daughter and get back to what we would consider a normal life," he said.

Miller added that people do not realise the value of their lives, and only come to senses when it is "snatched away from them".

"Our lives are messy, annoying, busy and overwhelmed, but we don't appreciate all of that until it is taken away," he added.

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A dumper-truck driver was today injured when his vehicle collided with a moving train at a railroad crossing near Jodhpur in Rajasthan today.

The incident occurred when the dumper carrying sand was crossing an unmanned railway crossing near Banar.

The moving train Marudhar express- hit the dumper which left the driver critically injured and the vehicle completely damaged, a Government Railway Police official said.

The train's engine was also damaged in the incident.

"Two trains were delayed due to the incident. The track has been restored," Tarun Jain, north-western railway's Chief Public Relations Officer (CRPO) said.

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US President Donald Trump today suggested Republicans to go for the so-called "nuclear-option" which requires a simple majority in the 100-member Senate as against 60, as intense negotiations with the Democrats were on to end the government shutdown, the first in five years.

Rarely used in US Congressional proceedings, the nuclear or constitutional option is a parliamentary procedure that allows the US Senate to override a rule or precedent by majority vote.

However, the Republicans are unlikely to opt for this, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Hundreds of thousands of federal government employees would not return to work tomorrow as the Senate -- the upper chamber of the United States Congress -- did not pass a legislation required to fund the expenses of the federal government beginning yesterday due to opposition from the Democratic Senators.

The last time that a government shutdown happened was in 2013 for more than a fortnight.

In a procedural vote to fund the government, even for a short-term four-week period till February 16, the Republican last night got 51 votes as against 60 required to move ahead with the legislation.

"Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our military and safety at the border. The Democrats just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51 per cent (nuclear-option) and vote on real, long-term budget, no CR's!" Trump said in a tweet today.

McConnell ruled out using nuclear option in budget legislations.

"The Republican Conference opposes changing the rules on legislation," his spokesman said.

The issue had come up during internal party deliberations.

Both the Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate said that they were continuing with their negotiations and short out their differences so as to end the government shutdown.

But the White House alleged that the Democrats want to prolong it for days or at least till Trump delivers his State of the Union address on January 30.

"It could go several days because I think there's other Democrats who want to see the president give the State of the Union during a shutdown," the Director of Office of Management of Budget Mick Mulvaney told Fox



"That's nine or 10 days, yes," he said, adding that the ending of the government shutdown depends on Democrats.

"You have to ask the Senate Democrats. They could open this today if they wanted to," Mulvaney said.

The Democrats were quick in opposing the nuclear option.

"This is another example of President Trump growing a tweet in the middle of bipartisan negotiations that are making progress," Democratic Senator Chris Coons told the TV channel.

Ending the government shutdown is president's responsibility, he said.

"He should, instead of throwing tweets from the White House, pull together the four leaders of the House and the Senate on a bipartisan basis today and negotiate.

"I spent all day not going to the floor, not going on cable news, not denouncing Republicans, but meeting with them, listening to them, with a small group that grew and grew, and by the end of the day, we had 20 Republican and Democratic senators listening to each other, trying to not just get out of the shutdown, but address and fix some of the underlying problems that have left us with so many of the priorities that have stacked up over the last couple of months," Coons said.

Top Democratic leader Dick Durbin refused to say when the shutdown would end.

"I'm not going to make that prediction," Durbin told NBC News, adding that Democrats are not willing to extend short- term funding after January.

Meanwhile the White House, on its public telephone and general email, has put an auto-responder which alleges that the Democrats have put the government to hostage.

"Thank you for calling the White House. Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today because congressional Democrats are holding government funding, including funding for our troops and other national security priorities, hostage to an unrelated immigration debate," says a woman's voice when one calls the White House general number.

"Due to this obstruction, the government is shutdown. In the meantime, you can leave a comment for the President. We look forward to taking your calls as soon as the government re-opens," it said.

A similar email gives an auto reply sent to those White House staffers who are not working due to the shutdown.

"Unfortunately, I am out of the office today because congressional Democrats are holding government funding -- including funding for our troops and other national security priorities -- hostage to an unrelated immigration debate," one of those emails said.

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Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari today termed as "triumph of truth" the disqualification of 20 MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for holding offices of profit.

President Ram Nath Kovind disqualified the MLAs of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party in Delhi on a recommendation made by the Election Commission.

"With the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs, truth has triumphed," Tiwari told reporters.

He said that had the disqualification of MLAs taken place 20 months ago, the "horse-trading during the Rajya Sabha elections (in Delhi) would not have taken place".

Responding to a query on a controversy surrounding the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama "Padmaavat", the BJP leader said film directors should keep feelings of people in mind while making movies.

He also said that those opposing the screening of the movie, should see it once.

"The Supreme Court lifting the ban on screening of the movie is binding...." Tiwari added.

The apex court on January 18 lifted the ban imposed by the Gujarat and Rajasthan governments through orders and notifications on the January 25 release of the film, starring Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor.

Though the Haryana and Madhya Pradesh governments had not issued any formal order, but had stated that they would not allow the exhibition of the film.

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Turkish forces and their Syrian allies today pressed a cross border offensive against a Kurdish militia for a second day, as rocket fire hit a border town in apparent retaliation.

Turkey had yesterday launched operation "Olive Branch" seeking to oust from the Afrin region of northern Syria the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) which Ankara considers a terror group.

But the campaign risks further increasing tensions with Turkey's NATO ally the United States -- which has supported the YPG in the fight against Islamic State jihadists -- and also needs at least the tacit support of Russia to succeed.

Turkish artillery pounded YPG targets around Afrin today after the first strikes the previous day saw 72 Turkish aircraft hit a total of 108 targets inside Syria, according to the army.

Meanwhile pro-Turkey Syrian rebels who Ankara calls the Free Syrian Army (FSA) were engaged in a "comprehensive" ground operation on Afrin against the YPG, the state-run Andadolu agency said.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim had raised the prospect that Turkish ground forces would also join the fight later today.

An AFP correspondent on the southwestern edge of the Afrin region saw a warplane bombing the western outskirts of the area early today.

A small unit from a Turkish-backed rebel group was manning a monitoring point on a hilltop overlooking several Kurdish-controlled villages below.

The operation is Turkey's second major incursion into Syria during the seven-year civil war after the August 2016- March 2017 Euphrates Shield campaign in an area to the east of Afrin against both the YPG and IS.

The army emphasised that IS was also being targeted in this operation although it no longer has any major presence in the Afrin area.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had repeatedly vowed that Turkey would root out the "nests of terror" in Syria of the YPG, which Ankara accuses of being the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK, which has waged a rebellion in the Turkish southeast for more than three decades, is regarded as a terror group not just by Ankara and but also its Western allies.

Afrin is an enclave of YPG control, cut off from the longer strip of northern Syria that the group controls to the east extending to the Iraqi border. Turkey wants the YPG to retreat east of the Euphrates River.

The YPG said that after the first strikes on Sunday 10 people were killed; seven civilians, including a child, and two female fighters and one male fighter.

The Turkish army said there were casualties but insisted they were all members either of the YPG or the PKK.

"Now is the time of triumph" headlined the pro-government Yeni Safak daily.

In a sign of the risks to Turkey, four rockets fired by the YPG hit a town in southern Turkey on the Syrian border early today without causing loss of life, local officials said.

There was damage to one building that caught fire and one woman was slightly injured in the rocket fire on the town of Kilis, the Dogan agency said.

"No one lost their life," Kilis' governor Mehmet Tekinarslan said, quoted by Dogan. "They can fire one rocket at us and we will fire 100 back. There is no need to worry," he said.

Turkey risks entering a diplomatic minefield with the offensive and the foreign ministry lost no time in inviting the ambassadors of all major powers to be briefed on the offensive.

The ministry said it had even informed Damascus through its Istanbul consulate. But the Syrian regime, which is at odds with Turkey, however strongly denied this, denouncing the operation as a "brutal Turkish aggression".

There was no immediate comment from the United States on the offensive but ahead of its launch a senior State Department official had raised concerns it risked being harmful for security in the region.

But even more crucial is the attitude of Russia, which has a military presence in the area and is also working with Turkey on a drive to end the civil war.

The Russian foreign ministry said it was concerned and urged Turkey to show restraint. But the Russian defence ministry said its troops were withdrawing from the Afrin area to prevent any "provocation" and ensure the security of its troops.

Timur Akhmetov, Ankara-based researcher at the Russian International Affairs Council, told AFP that Russia appeared to have given the "green light" to the operation but made clear it should not lead to destabilisation elsewhere.

"I don't think Russia will agree to let Turkey occupy the whole Afrin region and insists on keeping the Syrian government in charge," he added.

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Turkey today ruled out the risk of a clash with American forces in its operation in Syria, saying there were no US troops in the area where the campaign was taking place.

Turkey yesterday launched operation "Olive Branch" seeking to oust from the Afrin region of northern Syria the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) which Ankara considers a terror group.

But the campaign risks further increasing tensions with Turkey's NATO ally the United States - which has used the YPG in the fight against Islamic State jihadists.

"US officials declared that there has been no American military or American soldiers in the region," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters in Istanbul.

"It is out of the question to have a direct clash between Turkey and the US in the region," he added.

Afrin is an enclave of YPG control, cut off from the longer strip of northern Syria that the group controls to the east extending to the Iraqi border, where there is an American presence.

Turkey has repeatedly been incensed by images from northern Syria showing US soldiers working closely with YPG forces.

There was no immediate comment from the United States on the offensive but ahead of its launch a senior State Department official had raised concerns it risked being harmful for security in the region.

"Turkey has used its right under international law," said Bozdag, who is the top government spokesman, refusing to be drawn on how long the operation would take.

"We have predictions but we know the force of the terrorists there, their logistics and infrastructure," he said, refusing to provide a precise time.

He added that the operation "is not taking aim at the Kurds... to the contrary, it is aimed at saving the Kurds from the threat and oppression of terror groups."



"Our ultimate goal is to enforce democratic institutions in the region and leave the region to its real owners," he added.

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Turkish air raids killed eight civilians today in the northern Syrian enclave of Afrin, according to a war monitor and a spokesman for the Kurdish forces that control the area.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the dead, who included at least one child, were killed in air strikes on the village of Jalbara.

"Eight civilians were killed in missile strikes on a chicken farm where they were living," said Birusk Hasakeh, a spokesman for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin, blaming Turkish warplanes.

In pictures sent by Hasakeh to AFP, Kurdish Red Crescent rescuers could be seen retrieving bloodied bodies from a collapsed concrete structure and laying them on orange stretchers.

It was the second day of "Operation Olive Branch," an offensive by Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies against the YPG-held Afrin region.

Yesterday, Hasakeh told AFP that Turkish bombardment had killed 10 people, including seven civilians.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Sunday that claims of civilian casualties from the offensive were untrue.

"As always, the PYD/YPG terrorists continue to deceive the world with nonsense propaganda and baseless lies by showing neutralised terrorists as civilians," he wrote on Twitter.

He was referring to the Kurdish Democratic Union Party and its armed wing, the YPG, fighting in Syria.

"They use civilians as human shields. Our target is neither our Kurdish brothers nor Syrians. We are only after terrorists."



And the Turkish army says it is doing everything possible to prevent civilian casualties.

"In the planning and execution of the operation only terrorists and their shelters, positions and weapons are being targeted," the army has said.

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Turkish troops today crossed over the Syrian border into the Afrin region on the second day of Ankara's operation against the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) Kurdish militia, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said.

Yildirim told Turkish reporters in a briefing in Istanbul that the troops crossed into the YPG-controlled region in Syria at 0805 GMT from the Turkish village of Gulbaba, the Dogan agency reported.

The state-run Anadolu agency said that the Turkish army troops, whose number was not specified, were advancing alongside forces from the pro-Ankara rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA).

The Dogan agency published images of tanks and armoured vehicles pushing through grassy terrain.

Turkish forces yesterday began a major new operation aimed at ousting the YPG from Afrin, pounding dozens of targets from the sky in air raids and with artillery.

However this was the first confirmation that Turkish ground troops were now involved in the operation inside Syria.

Yildirim was quoted as saying that the Turkish forces aimed to create a security zone some 30 kms deep inside Syria.

Turkey accuses the YPG of being the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged a rebellion in the Turkish southeast for more than three decades and is regarded as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies.

But the YPG has been the key ally of Turkey's fellow NATO member the United States in the fight against IS jihadists, playing a key role in pushing the extremists out of their Syrian strongholds.

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With the arrest of two foreign nationals, Nepal police today claimed to have busted an international drug smuggling racket, as it seized nearly 2 kg cocoaine pegged worth 40 million Nepalese rupees.

Bolivian national Freddy Mamani Andia and Thai national Khuanjai Khanarat, both in their late twenties, were arrested yesterday after 1.9 kg of cocaine was recovered from their possession, the police said.

The seized amount of the drugs has been pegged at 40 million Nepalese rupees, the Narcotics Control Bureau of Nepal said.

The duo having links with an international drug racket were nabbed from a hotel in Thamel, tourist hub of Kathmandu during a security check, said Thule Rai, Deputy Inspector General of Police in-charge of the anti-drug cell of the police.

The police caught them red-handed delivering a suitcase containing the contraband, he said.

"The destination of the cocaine was Thailand. The Thai woman had been allegedly tasked by her boyfriend from Sierra Leone and currently living in Bangkok with the responsibility of receiving the suitcase from the Bolivian and taking it home," said the police officer.

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Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma today gave his consent to set up three museums and a science city in Uttarakhand.

The minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Sharma, gave his in principle agreement over the issue during a meeting with state chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat here.

According to a government press release here, Sharma gave his nod for a Rs 11 crore fund for setting up a museum in Pauri, which will be based on the life of Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali, a freedom fighter from Uttarakhand.

Similarly, a museum will be constructed on the banks of the Bhagirathi river in Tehri with an expenditure of Rs 20 crore, the release said.

The third museum will be set up in Almora.

A science city will also be set up in Deheradun with full financial assistance from the central government. The Centre has earmarked Rs 190 crore for the science city.

The state government has also decided the spot where the proposed science city would be set up.

Sharma also gave positive indications on setting up more science cities with an expenditure between Rs 10 crore to 30 crore in other cities in the state on the basis of population.

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has invited West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to a business summit in Dubai, a senior state government official said today.

Under secretary of foreign trade and industry of the UAE has written to the Chief Minister inviting her for the business meet, the officer said.

"The business summit is scheduled between April 9 and 11 at UAE's World Trade Centre where around 48 countries are likely to participate. As per our information there can be more than 100 high profile CEOs of different organisations participating in the meet," he said.

The Chief Minister was yet to reply to the invitation, the officer added.

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One of the UK's leading state-funded schools which had hit the headlines as one of the first to impose a ban on the hijab for girls under eight has been forced to reverse its decision after widespread criticism.

St Stephen's School in Newham, east London,had been planning to extend the ban to girls under 11 later this year but has chosen to withdraw the plans.

"The school's uniform policy is based on the health, safety and welfare of our children. The school has taken the decision to make changes to this policy with immediate effect and this follows on from conversations with our school community," the school said in a statement.

"We will work with our school community to continue to review this policy going forward in the best interests of our children," it adds.

Arif Qawi, the chair of governors of the school who had recently called on the UK government to take a firm stand on young children wearing thehijaband fasting during Ramadan, resigned from his post on Friday.

According to 'The Sunday Times', the resignation followed offensive messages posted on social media against him and the school's Indian-origin principal Neena Lall.

"Now the head-teacher needs to go. Kick her out and force her to wear hijab. Let her see what forcing means," one of the messages against Lall reads.

Under the UK's Department for guidelines, uniform policy is a matter for individual head-teachers and their governing bodies.

The school, with a majority of pupils from Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds, had urged the UK government to issue clear guidelines on the issue of hijab- wearing and religious fasting relating to very young pupils to prevent a backlash from parents.

"The department should step up and take it out of our hands and tell every school this is how it [fasting] should be The same for thehijab, it should not be our decision. It is unfair to teachers and very unfair to governors. We are unpaid. Why should we get the backlash,"Qawi had said.

Amina Lone, co-founder of the UK's Social Action and Research Foundation who has campaigned for young girls not to have to wear the hijab, warned that after his resignation other schools in the country would find themselves under pressure if the Department for did not issue clear guidelines.

"These issues are not going away," she said.

The Department for said it is a matter for individual schools to decide how to "accommodate children observing Ramadan, and to set uniform policies".

"But we would expect them to consider the needs of their pupils, and to listen to the views of local parents," a spokesperson said.

In November 2017, St Stephen's School had topped a prestigious primary schools league table published by 'The Sunday Times' annually.

Itwas listed as the best school in England in the 'Schools Guide 2018' for a strong teaching record.

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The UN Security Council will today discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis in Syria after Turkey launched an offensive against Kurdish militias, diplomats said.

The council was already scheduled to meet to hear a report from UN aid chief Mark Lowcock on his recent visit to Syria.

At France's request, the closed-door consultations will also touch on the Syrian campaign in Idlib and Eastern Ghouta, as well as the latest Turkish offensive, diplomats said yesterday.

Turkey on Saturday launched operation "Olive Branch" to oust the Kurdish fighters of the Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) from the Afrin region of northern Syria.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France was deeply worried by the "brutal degradation of the situation" in flashpoints like Afrin.

Russia, which supports the Syrian government, also voiced concern. The defense ministry said it was withdrawing its troops from Afrin to prevent any "provocation."



The United States has backed Kurdish militias in the fight against the Islamic State group (IS), and on Sunday the State Department urged Turkey to "exercise restraint" and keep its military campaign "limited in scope and duration" while avoiding civilian casualties.

But separately, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said that Turkey, a NATO ally, had "legitimate" concerns in Syria, and that US officials had received advance notice of the Turkish incursion.

The talks at the council are expected to begin around 11:30 am (local time), diplomats said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Yogi Adityanath government is committed to addressing the concerns of potato farmers and mulling a number of steps for their welfare, UP Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi has said.

His remarks came a few days after quintals of potatoes were thrown by farmers in front of the Vidhan Sabha building here.

The farmers were enraged at receiving lower prices for their produce.

The minister had attacked the Samajwadi Party for the January 6 incident, saying it was trying to malign the image of the Yogi Adityanath government.

"The government is serious about resolving the problems of potato farmers. A sub-committee has been formed and it has already met twice. We are considering a number of steps in the interest of potato growers," he said.

The panel will submit its report by January 22, he added.

Also, the Yogi Adityanath government will felicitate 11 progressive farmers on UP Diwas on January 24, the day the erstwhile United Provinces was renamed in 1950, he said.

"These farmers have done something exemplary in the field of agriculture, sugarcane cultivation, fisheries, horticulture and others," Shahi told PTI.

He said the government had received complaints regarding wholesalers and retailers forcing farmers to buy zinc powder with fertilisers.

"We have got complaints from Agra and Aligarh divisions. Instructions have been issued to conduct raids and take stern action against such dealers," Shahi said.

On former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav attacking the BJP government on Twitter, Shahi said, "He is a victim of unemployment. He can only tweet, but the tweets lack facts."



"Because of the hard work of the BJP, other parties are tensed," he claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US lawmakers will launch a last-ditch bid today to end a budget impasse before hundreds of thousands of federal workers are forced to start the work week at home with no pay.

The impact of the shutdown that began at midnight Friday has been largely limited so far, closing sites like New York's Statue of Liberty, but the effect will be acute if the stalemate runs into Monday.

Republicans and Democrats have traded bitter recriminations over who is to blame for the failure to pass a stop-gap funding measure by a January 20 deadline, a year to the day since Donald Trump took office as US president.

Highlighting the deep political polarization, crowds estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands took to the streets of major US cities Saturday to march against the president and his policies.

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell on Saturday set a key vote for a funding measure for 1:00 am (0600 GMT) Monday, with both houses of Congress set to reconvene Sunday.

"I assure you we will have the vote at 1:00 am on Monday, unless there is a desire to have it sooner," he said in a statement.

At the heart of the dispute is the thorny issue of undocumented immigration.

Democrats have accused Republicans of poisoning chances of a deal and pandering to Trump's populist base by refusing to fund a program that protects 700,000 "Dreamers" -- undocumented immigrants who arrived as children -- from deportation.

Trump, in return, has said Democrats are "far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border."



The shutdown's effects meanwhile are set to intensify.

Essential federal services and military activity are continuing, but even active duty troops will not be paid until a deal is reached to reopen the US government.

There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. In the last one in 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave.

"We're just in a holding pattern. We just have to wait and see. It's scary," Noelle Joll, a 50-year-old furloughed US government employee, told AFP in Washington.

A deal had appeared likely on Friday afternoon, when Trump -- who has touted himself as a master negotiator -- seemed to be close to an agreement with Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer on protecting Dreamers.

But no such compromise was in the language that reached Congress for a stop-gap motion to keep the government open for four more weeks while a final arrangement is discussed. And Republicans failed to win enough Democratic support to bring it to a vote.

Congress reconvened for a rare Saturday session, where leaders of both sides were meant to hammer out their differences to prevent the shutdown from stretching into Monday. Instead, they traded accusations of responsibility for the shutdown.

Schumer said trying to negotiate with Trump "was like negotiating with Jell-O."



"It's impossible to negotiate with a constantly moving target," he said. "President Trump is so mercurial it's been impossible to get him to agree to anything."Meanwhile, McConnell said Schumer "took the extraordinary step" of preventing the legislation from passing and thus "plunging the country into this totally avoidable mess."Republicans have a tenuous one-seat majority in the Senate, and on Friday needed to lure some Democrats to their side to get a 60 vote supermajority to bring the motion forward. They fell ten votes short.

The measure brought to Congress would have extended federal funding until February 16 and reauthorized for six years a health insurance program for poor children -- a long- time Democratic objective.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
One year later and with a renewed hope for equal rights for women and justice, Women's March 2018 saw several Hollywood A-listers including Viola Davis, Natalie Portman, Adele and Olivia Munn in participation.

Last year, women and men took to the streets of Washington DC, Los Angeles, New York and other cities, to show solidarity for women's rights and refusal to attend US President Donald Trump's inauguration, a day after he was sworn in as the 45th POTUS.

A vocal supporter of equality, Davis gave a hair-raising speech in the wake of the #MeToo movement, after Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal broke out last year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Oscar-winning actor said, "I am speaking today not just for the Me Toos, because I was a Me Too; but when I raise my hand, I am aware of all the women who are still in silence...

"It is through human dedication and effort that we move forward. And then when we don't work, what happens is that time actually becomes an ally to the primitive forces of social stagnation. And the guardians of the status quo are in their oxygen tanks, keeping the old order alive."



Portman lauded the women who were brave enough to share their stories.

"You told the world that time's up on violence. You told the world that time's up on silence. You told the world that it's time for a new day, time for a new locker room culture, and time to think about every person's desires and needs, wants and pleasure," she said.

Munn, who was one of the six women to openly accuse director Brett Ratner of sexual harassment, expressed her gratitude to the people for standing up in solidarity with the victims.

"I feel so much love and support and it's not just me that feels this. I know that so many girls and women around the world in every profession feel that our voices matter, and what happens to us matters.

"There's been a collective unconscious in the world that's gone on for too long, where it's been made to seem as if women are inferior to men. Our voices matter now, and I'm so thankful and grateful that they do," she said.

Adele took to Instagram to share a selfie with actors Jennifer Lawrence and Cameron Diaz from the march.

"... I am so grateful to be a woman, I wouldn't change it for the world. I hope I'm not only defined by my gender though. I hope I'm defined by my input to the world, my ability to love and to have empathy. To raise my son to be a a good man alongside the good man who loves me for everything I am and am not," she wrote in the caption.

While the "mother!" actor held a sign saying, "A woman's place is in the revolution!", Diaz's poster read, "A 'movement' should never take us backwards. It should only ever carry us forwards."



Olivia Wilde, Alyssa Milano, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Ashton Kutcher, Eva Longoria, Mila Kunis, Amber Tamblyn, Chelsea Kane, Patricia Arquette, among others were also present along with the activists who protested against Trump's policies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vice President Mike Pence and Egyptian leader Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi pledged a united front against Mideast terrorism as Pence, the highest-level American official to visit the US ally in nearly a decade, began a trip through the region amid a government shutdown in Washington.

Pence told reporters that he raised the issue of two Americans who have been imprisoned for several years in Egypt and that el-Sissi said "he would give personal attention" to their cases. "We'd like to see our people come home. I made that clear to him," Pence said before flying to Jordan.

Pence and el-Sissi held two and half hours of talks at the presidential palace in Cairo, with acknowledgements of friendship and partnership between the two countries. Through a translator, Pence listened as el-Sissi cited the need to address "urgent issues," including "ways to eliminate this disease and cancer that has terrified the whole world."



Pence pointed to President Donald Trump's efforts to forge stronger ties with el-Sissi in his first year in office, "after a time when our countries seemed to be drifting apart."



The vice president said that "we stand shoulder to shoulder with you and Egypt in fighting against terrorism," and that "our hearts grieve" for the loss of life in recent terrorist attacks against Egyptians.

The vice president noted the deadly attack against Christians in late December, when a militant opened fire outside a suburban Cairo church, killing at least nine people. He also cited the killing of 311 worshippers inside a mosque in northern Sinai last November.

"We resolve to continue to stand with Egypt in the battle against terrorism," Pence said.

Pence arrived in Cairo hours after the US Congress and Trump failed to reach agreement on a plan to avert a partial federal closure. Pence went ahead with his four-day trip to the Middle East, citing national security and diplomatic reasons.

Pence's meetings with el-Sissi delved into security cooperation, economic ties and efforts to fight the Islamic State group. The vice president called it a "very productive" meeting and said he pressed el-Sissi to cut diplomatic ties with North Korea, urged him to respect religious diversity and told him the US was committed to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

His visit to the region came more than a month after Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a step that's enraged Palestinians. El-Sissi identified "the peace issue" as one of the most important issues in their discussions.

"We heard President el-Sissi out," Pence said. "He said to me about what he said publicly about a disagreement between friends over our decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."



Pence said he assured el-Sissi that "we're absolutely committed to preserving the status quo with regard to holy sites in Jerusalem, that we have come to no final resolution about boundaries or other issues that will be negotiated. ... I reminded President el-Sissi that President Trump said that if the parties agree, we will support a two-state solution. My perception was that he was encouraged by that message."



When Pence's motorcade arrived at the palace, journalists traveling with the vice president were initially barred from exiting their bus. After they were taken into the palace, media were not allowed into a photo session with the two leaders. Negotiations between US and Egyptian officials followed, and Pence personally requested to el-Sissi that American media be allowed to cover the event. Members of the media were eventually taken into the meeting and heard the leaders deliver short statements.

Pence was meeting Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman and visiting with U.S. troops in the region. He was traveling to Israel later Sunday but was not expected to meet with Palestinians officials.

El-Sissi has built a strategic alliance with Trump and urged the American president to become more involved in the fight against Islamic militancy in the Middle East. Trump has praised el-Sissi for the April release of Egyptian-American charity worker Aya Hijazi, who had been detained for nearly three years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Germany's Volkswagen group, led by Czech automaker Skoda, plans to invest around 1 billion euros (over Rs 7,800 crore) in India over the next few years to develop six new models.

Skoda is driving the emerging market strategy for the VW group and is leading the development process for new models in India which are expected to be rolled out post 2020 when new regulations related to safety and emissions come into force in the country.

The proposed six new models, three each under Skoda and Volkswagen brands, would cater mainly to the domestic market.

If successful in India, the group may also look at exporting these to some of the select markets abroad. The new products would be developed on Volkswagen's MQB-A0 platform.

When contacted, Skoda Auto India Director Sales, Service and Marketing Ashutosh Dixit told PTI that the company is working on VW's MQB-A0 platform but declined to share investment details and new product launch timelines.

Industry sources, however, confirmed that the VW group has lined up 1 billion euros investment in India for various activities, including plans to set up an engineering and development centre, expand production facility at Chakan and to develop new models.

Last year, Skoda CEO Bernhard Maier had said that the launch of the first products based on localised MQB A0 platform in India will coincide with the changing regulations in 2020.

Skoda has taken over the development of affordable products for the VW group as its deal with Tata Motors for joint development of products failed to take off.

In March last year, Skoda and Tata Motors had announced a long-term partnership for joint development of products with the first roll out expected in 2019.

However, the partnership ran into rough weather, with differences over use of platform and doubts related to business viability.

The partnership finally ended in August.

Elaborating on Skoda's strategy for the Indian market, Dixit said: "We want to build our product portfolio. In short term, we are focusing to launch our latest SUV Karoq in India in the next 12-18 months."



The introduction of the new model would really help the company to expand its SUV portfolio in the country, he added.

"In the medium to long term perspective our CEO has already stated that India is one of the top priority markets for Skoda and we do have some robust plans for the country," Dixit said.

He added that for Skoda to become a volume player in India, the company will have to be present across sedans, SUV and hatchback segments.

"If you look at the Indian market you cannot be a volume player till you cover some significant segments. One of the significant segment is sedans where we have a good presence now, second of course is the SUV which we are working on building up and the third significant segment is the hatchbacks. These are segments we are focussing at," he added.

Skoda sold around 17,500 units last year in India, a growth of over 30 per cent over 2016.
The Naga Hoho, an apex Naga tribal body, today objected to the holding of elections in Nagaland next month before the insurgency issue in the state was resolved and indicated that it may askpolitical parties to boycott the polls.

A delegation of the Naga Hoho, which has been camping in the national capital for the last few days, met several central leaders, including Home Minister Rajnath Singh and voiced their opposition to the polls before a peace pact between the Centre and the Naga rebel group NSCN-IM.

"All tribals, civil society, political leaders have come together and said in once voice that they want a solution to the Naga issue before elections," Naga Hoho president Chuba Ozukum told PTI here.

The 60-member Nagaland Assembly will go to polls on February 27.

Asked about their course of action, Ozukum said: "We will be compelled to ask candidates not to contest the polls."



"At any cost, we do not want polls. The people of Nagaland want solution not elections," he said.

The Naga Hoho president said the home minister told them the Centre would continue its peace initiative in Nagaland, and asked them to cooperate in the election process.

"The home minister said the central government is committed to finding a political solution," he said.

Ozukum said the Naga Hoho would take a final decision on its stand after consultations with political leaders and other civil society groups.

Earlier this month, the Naga Hoho had conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that for the Naga people a Naga peace accord was more important than elections and therefore, it had become imperative to defer polls for peace and tranquillity.

Expectations for a lasting peace have soared in insurgency-hit Nagaland after the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) entered a framework agreement in 2015.

The NSCN-IM has been engaging in peace talks with the Centre's interlocutor since 1997, when it announced a ceasefire agreement after a bloody insurgency movement that began shortly after the country's independence.

The insurgent group's key demand to integrate the Naga- inhabited areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur has already been rejected by the central government.

President Ram Nath Kovind had in November 2017 said Nagaland was at the threshold of making history as the final agreement on the issue would be arrived at shortly.

Nagaland Governor PB Acharya had on September 19 said the vexed Naga issue would be resolved within the next few months.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
wanted to step down as Delhi chief minister in 2012 because of health concerns and also to enable the Congress to find another leader before the next Assembly elections, but the December 16 gang rape of a young woman firmed up her resolve to stay on.

Resigning then would have been seen as fleeing the "battlefield", the former chief minister says in her memoir.

After the Nirbhaya incident, I was in a bind. My family, which had seen my distress throughout that period, urged me to step down as planned earlier, but I felt that such a move would be seen as running away from the battlefield, Dikshit writes in 'Citizen Delhi: My Times, My Life'.

The recently published memoir takes readers through the lifelong journey of Delhis longest serving chief minister.

Dikshit also writes about her three terms in office, the changes she brought about in Delhi, the difficulties she faced and the electoral loss in 2013, among other things.

Our party was defeated in unambiguous terms," she says about the defeat to AAP in 2013.

"I myself was defeated by a margin of over 25,000 votes, losing the prestigious New Delhi seat to Arvind Kejriwal of AAP, a party that many of us had underestimated.

According to her there were many who attributed the loss to public anger against the central government as the Delhi government was often identified with the UPA 2 simply because it was a Congress-led government.

There was one more factor, I feel. A considerable chunk of voters who were casting their ballot for the first time, had not seen the Delhi of 15 years ago. To them a Delhi with regular power, flyovers and Metro rail, as well as several new universities, was their natural right and therefore taken for granted. They could not be expected to feel ecstatic about it, she argues.

Dikshit also says that following allegations of graft in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2G spectrum allocation as also Anna Hazares anti-corruption movement, which was supported by an aggressive media, cracks started showing in the UPA government.

During the debates and discussions in and outside Parliament, it was unable to communicate the simple fact that apart from a vigilance system, the country already had laws and regulations to tackle corruption, she says.

The Centre, she says, ended up looking "tentative" when "decisive political management" was needed.

"One image of senior Congress ministers going to the airport to receive Baba Ramdev, when the Anna camp had upped the ante, revealed the Centres vulnerability before the entire nation, she says.

In 2011, Pranab Mukherjee and Kapil Sibal, then senior ministers at the Centre, met the yoga guru at the Delhi airport to dissuade him from going on a hunger strike. Their efforts, however, failed.

It was evident that the ground had started to shift for the Congress, particularly at the Centre, she writes in the book published by Bloomsbury.

I also knew that the Centres misfortunes would impact our standing in Delhi as well. Call it the effect of proximity, although to tell the truth, it was not always smooth going between our government and the Centre, she says.

Dikshit goes on to say that she doubts if anyone remembered how her repeated demands for a greater statehood for Delhi fell on deaf ears, or how difficult it was for her government to push through the reform of splitting the MCD into smaller and more manageable units.

Party members rose against the proposed move; among them were many who had supporters at the Centre. It was only after the intervention of the High Command that this measure was approved. Instead of the original plan of MCD being divided into five units, however, it was now divided into units in charge of North, East and South Delhi, respectively, she says.

On her plans to step down, she writes that as the winter of 2012 approached, she was overcome with fatigue and bouts of breathlessness.

I felt it was time for me to step away from electoral politics. My family told me in no uncertain terms that I needed to put health concerns before everything else. My decision to resign was almost certain. Moreover, with a year to go for the assembly election, the party had enough time to find an alternative, she says.

But as she slowly recovered her strength and prepared to inform the high command of her decision to step down, Delhi and India were shaken to their core on December 16, 2012, as the young woman -- later named Nirbhaya by the media -- was brutally raped by a gang of men in a moving bus.

The incident prompted Dikshit to stay on.
On the surface, the noise may be deafening at times, but what goes unheard is the daily grind of the huge man-force and machines quietly digging a tunnel about 100 feet underground for the ambitious Metro-3 corridor.

So far, 220 metres of the 33.5 km-long underground corridor, connecting Colaba in South Mumbai to SEEPZ in suburban Andheri, has been dug up to construct the tunnel, the first such in the city, with the help of boring machines.

The corridor, expected to be a "game-changer" for the city's transportation system and also reduce pollution, is likely to pass over around 2,000 buildings.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has devised a comprehensive plan for digging underneath while allying fears that the vibrations caused by the work may affect the heritage and dilapidated structures.

"Nearly 1,500 project-affected families have been shifted and a manpower of 7,600, including skilled and unskilled, is on the job," the state-owned agency implementing the project, said recently.

The Metro-3 corridor will zip through Colaba up to SEEPZ (Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone, a special economic zone), making halts at 27 stations, out of which 26 will be underground.

Some activists and citizens' representatives have raised concerns over the safety and sustainability of the old and heritage buildings ever since the construction work began.

Dispelling the fears, MMRC Managing Director Ashwini Bhide said the "best internationally tried and tested" technologies are being used and thus, no such question arises.

"Over 20 types of monitoring tools, which are internationally tried and tested, have been pressed to ensure the longevity and safety of the buildings coming in way. The vibrations caused during the piling work are being regularly measured and recorded by advanced instruments," she said.

Bhide said the records show the vibration levels to be even less than one-fourth of the permissible safe limits allowed for heritage or weak buildings.

Underlining the safety measures taken up by the MMRC, she said, "We have identified the zones falling in the stretch of 50 metres on either sides of the route alignment and categorised them under various levels of strengths."



The corporation has hired the best available design consultants who are extending their professional expertise to the contractors, she assured.

Appealing activists and other stakeholders to cooperate in executing the project, she said the Metro services help reduce carbon footprint as well as pollution, and constitute the greenest mass rapid transit system.

"This Metro will subside the burgeoning load over the local rail, which is unfortunately leading to deaths in thousands every year due to over-crowding. Eventually, this is going to be a game-changer in terms of the transportation scenario in the country's financial capital," Bhide said.

Japan's International Co-operation Agency (JICA) is providing a loan assistance of Rs 13,235 crore, which accounts for 57.2 per cent of the total cost. The remaining funds would be made available by the state and the Union governments.

The MMRC has been constituted as a joint venture between the Centre and the Maharashtra government. It has set 2021 as the deadline to get the entire stretch operational.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier said that by the end of 2022, over 90 lakh people would travel in the Metro trains.

The Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova Metro corridor is already running since the last three years, attracting a huge ridership.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday that the upcoming 2018 would be historical for Railways and capital investment plans were expected to increase by three times.

"The capital investment plans of the Indian Railways are expected to almost triple between 2013-14, the last year of the Congress government, and 2018-19, the last year of the first term of our government. The upcoming will (be) historical for Railway," Goyal told ANI.

"Prime Minister Modi and his government have been committed to development. The first four Budgets had also focused on the rapid development of the country. This will be no different, it will focus on the well being of the people of India... every section of people of India. It will be focused on development, good governance," said Goyal.

Goyal also said that the Mumbai local train would soon be revamped and all issues would be solved in the coming five years.

"I am a Mumbaikar myself. I totally understand the expectations of Mumbaikars from Budget and my dream would be to provide best facilities to them. Our experiment of AC local train was a great success. Forty-seven more AC local trains have been ordered. To develop the Suburban Mumbai Railways is our dream, passion," the minister added.

Earlier in the day, as part of the ritual, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley performed the symbolic 'Halwa Ceremony' ahead of the Parliament's Budget session, commencing on January 29.
With barely 10 days for the presentation of the fifth and final Budget of the current term of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has indicated it might not be populist. In an interview to the Times Now television channel, telecast on Sunday evening, the PM said he was open to more changes in the goods and services tax (GST).

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the World Economic Forums Annual Meeting 2018 in Davos carries great significance in terms business opportunities. PM Modi will spread the word about India's progress and seek investment on the lines of India's 'Make in India' agenda. Take a look at 15 most important highlights of the world's biggest gathering.

1. Giant billboards of Prime Minister Narendra Modi - only Indian PM to attend the event after former PM HD Deve Gowda post 1997 - have already appeared in the resort town of Swiss alps town of Davos.



2. India will also host a welcome reception for the WEF members. Around 1,500 people who're expected to attend the event would get a taste of Indian cuisine, culture and heritage.

3. PM Modi will address the opening plenary session of the WEF in Davos on January 23. It will set the tone of the mega annual event, which is likely to host over 2,000 rich and powerful people from 190 countries.

4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his visit to the WEF, will stress on structural reforms carried out by his government to show India is ready for the world to accept it as a major investment destination.

5. PM Modi will also have a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset. Two leaders are expected to talk about mutual participation and commitment towards global initiatives.

6. Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, says the PM will also host a round table dinner on January 22 for 60 top CEOs, including 20 from India; Airbus, Hitachi, BAE Systems and IBM CEOs will be part of the meet.

7. Prime Minister Modi will also have an interaction with 120 members of the investor community at the WEF on January 23.

8. PM Modi will discuss India's investment readiness with giants like General Motors, Salesforce and Royal Dutch Shell, Nestle and JP Morgan.

9. Besides PM Narendra Modi, six Union Ministers - Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu, Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal, Jitendra Singh, MJ Akbar - will address several sessions during the four-day event.

10. Suresh Parbhu will have nine sessions, Dharmendra Pradhan five, Piyush Goyal (10), Jitendra Singh (three) and M J Akbar (two).

11. The five-day WEF Annual Meeting beginning on January 22 will host government heads, global organisations, and nearly 2,000 CEOs from top companies of the world. Around 400 sessions will be held.

12. This year's WEF - focused on theme 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World' - will see largest ever women participation (21 per cent).

13. Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan will be honoured with Crystal Award alongside Cate Blanchett and Elton John

14. Shahrukh Khan will also hold a session on 'women empowerment' and its significance for India.

15. The WEF will be chaired exclusively by women members, including IMF director Christine Lagarde and Mann Deshi Mahila Sahkari Foundation founder from India Chetna Sinha, Norwegian PM Erna Solberg, IBM chief Ginni Rometty, ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow, CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti and ENGIE Chief Executive Isabelle Kocher.
With exquisite desi cuisine on the platter and live yoga sessions on display, the annual Swiss jamboree of the rich and powerful from "a fractured world" will begin tomorrow in Davos where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to pitch India as a growth engine for the global economy.

Over 3,000 world leaders from business, politics, art, academia and civil society will attend the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting over the next five days in the small ski resort town on snow-covered Alps mountains, where the Indian presence will be the largest ever with over 130 participants.

WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab will declare the summit open tomorrow evening with a welcome message on the meeting's theme, 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World'.

It will be followed by honouring Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, Australian actress Cate Blanchett and legendary musician Elton John with the annual 'Crystal Awards' for their respective work towards improving the state of the world.

The evening will also see a ballet performance, while India will host the 'welcome reception' with the country's "exquisite cuisine and age-hold Yoga heritage as well as the spirit of a young, innovative New India".

The official sessions will begin on Tuesday when Modi will deliver the 'opening plenary', during which he is expected to pitch India as an open economy that is ready for investments from across the world and also as a major engine to drive the global economic growth.

Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to attend Davos meeting in about 20 years since H D Deve Gowda in 1997.

During his 24-hour-visit, described by officials as "short but very focused", Modi will also host a dinner for CEOs from across the world -- 20 of Indian companies and 40 from elsewhere -- on Monday evening and will interact with a large gathering of 120 members of WEF's international business community on Tuesday.

Besides, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset, among other pull-asides, as per the government officials.

Modi will be accompanied by six union ministers -- Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, M J Akbar and Jitendra Singh.

The CEO delegation, led by apex industry body CII, will include Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Azim Premji, Rahul Bajaj, N Chandrasekaran, Chanda Kochhar, Uday Kotak and Ajay Singh, among others.

Among global leaders, US President Donald Trump will be there to deliver the closing address, but any meeting with Prime Minister Modi is unlikely as the two would not be in town on the same day.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will also be in Davos, but officials in India have said no meeting is planned between him and Modi.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among the other attendees.

While Trump is expected to talk about his 'America First' policy, officials in India said Modi's central message at this multilateral forum will be about India being an economy that can be an engine of global growth and which wants others to participate in its growth and also wants to contribute to others' development.

A lot of focus is expected on what Trump says and what would be the response of other world leaders, including from Germany, France and the UK.

Ahead of the summit, an annual WEF survey, likely to be discussed in detail during the meeting, showed that the world will see risks related to environment, economy and international relations intensify this year with a majority of stakeholders expecting political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen.

In a first at the WEF summit, India will also host yoga training sessions for the entire duration of the meeting, while also showcasing Indian heritage and culture in Davos.

On the sidelines of the WEF summit, the Swiss government will also host the annual informal WTO ministerial meeting, which will be attended by Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu and his global counterparts.

According to a Swiss government statement, negotiations on a bilateral investment protection pact and the envisaged free trade agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, will figure prominently during Modi's meeting with Berset.

Modi is expected to encapsulate making of 'a new, young and innovative India', while he is also expected to talk about his experience with 'cooperative federalism' in India, while urging the world for a collective crackdown on terrorism, economic imbalances, cyber threats and various societal ills.

According to officials, Modi will also talk about numerous steps they have taken to make it easier to do business in India, check corruption, clamp down on black money, streamline taxation and boost sustainable growth.

Another star speaker will be ex-RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, who has been praised as well as criticised often for his vocal views on everything from politics to economics and is credited for predicting the global economic crisis of 2008.

He will speak on the power of economic narratives and how policymakers can address the challenges of the 21st century.

Bollywood king Shahrukh Khan, for a change, would not be seen serenading heroines with his signature 'open-arm' charm on Swiss Alps, but will rather talk about creating a change in India through women empowerment.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) was established as a not-for-profit foundation in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1971. The organization aims to improve the world through public-private cooperation by engaging the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global agendas. Not tied to any special interests, the forum strives to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public interest while upholding the highest standards of governance.

Since the global event is held in the Alpine resort town of Davos, the event is colloquially called Davos. The forum holds four major annual meetings in a year. Around 3,000 delegates from over 120 countries will attend this year's event that aims to rededicate leaders to developing a 'shared narrative to create a shared future in a fractured world'.

How does forum work?

Through meetings, the WEF gives participants opportunity to discuss global issues. The forum has built world-class research capabilities, producing cutting-edge data on some of the world's most significant issues like competitiveness, gender parity and global information technology. The programme, initiatives and projects of the meeting are focused on creating a shared future. This year's WEF has all-female list of co-chairs -IMF chief Christine Lagarde, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty; Norway's PM Erna Solberg, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) general secretary (Belgium) Sharan Burrow; Fabiola Gianotti, director general of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva; Isabelle Kocher, CEO of ENGIE Group; and Chetna Sinha, founder and president of Mann Deshi Mahila Bank and Mann Deshi Foundation in India.



Why WEF is important for India?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would lead the largest Indian contingent of over 100 delegates to Switzerland during this year's four-day World Economic Forum. The Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address on January 23 before holding a bilateral meeting with Swiss Confederation president Alain Berset. According to Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum, India's unique demographic dividend, rising tide of entrepreneurial spirit, breakthrough innovations, and structural reforms have enhanced India's long-term economic outlook. He adds the time is right for India to amplify its global influence and accelerate the development of robust and resilient economic, social and political foundations.

From the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, demonetization to GST (Goods and Services Tax) and FDI, India has taken a series of steps to formalise the economy. For this, India has received positive feedback from international credit rating agencies like Moody's and S&P. On the global front, India has shown its commitment towards Paris Climate Deal. This year's World Economic Forum would provide a unique opportunity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi tell the world that India is ready to reap the benefits of its reforms process, and that foreign investors could also become a part of this process.




His comments came ahead of the Angelus prayer in the Peruvian capital of Lima on Sunday.





He said life's many difficulties can leave them discouraged. But the Holy Father told them to look to their Saints, like Martin de Porres, Rose of Lima , and many others.





He said their example shows that God loves us just as we are, without any kind of falsification or enhancement.





"I know that we all like to see digitally-enhanced photographs, but that only works for pictures; we cannot 'photoshop' others, the world, or ourselves."





The Pope told Peruvians that "the heart can't be 'photoshopped,' because that's where authentic love and genuine happiness have to be found."





Jesus, he said, "loves you as you are, and he has a dream for every one of you."





Pope Francis said that, even if we get discouraged with ourselves or others, God "never grows discouraged with us."





Following the Angelus prayer, the Catholic Church leader left the Archbishop Palace for the Apostolic Nunciature in Jesus Maria district, where he is scheduled to have lunch.





After that, he will head to Las Palmas Air Base in Surco district to celebrate a multitudinous mass in front of 1,200,000 people.





Source: Vatican News





(END) NDP/RMB/MVB

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Pope Francis invited the people of Peru to have courage and to follow the many saintly examples the Church of their country offers them.Publicado: 21/1/2018
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Parents and caregivers are ignoring warnings about leaving children in cars on hot days, Kidsafe ACT chief executive Eric Chalmers said. Children's advocates have issued a warning to Canberrans about the "dangerously high" temperatures the interior of a car can reach, particularly in the extreme heat forecast for the capital. Kidsafe ACT, ACT Children and Young People Death Review Committee and ACT Policing are asking all Canberrans to be vigilant, know the dangers and take notice of what's happening around them. Mr Chalmers said following interstate news reports of children being left in hot cars, it was a timely and seemingly simple reminder to not leave children in cars over summer. "The temperature inside a parked car can be more than 30 degrees hotter than outside the car," he said. "That means that on a 30 degree Canberra summer day, the temperature inside the car can reach over 60 degrees, and the temperature rises quickly." Children have died from being left in cars alone, Mr Chalmers warned. "Recent media reports [from interstate] highlight that parents and caregivers are still ignoring warnings about the risks of serious heat related injuries or death to children who are left unattended in cars during hot weather." ACT Children and Young People Death Committee chair Margaret Carmody said the message is clear. "Never leave children alone in cars, always take children with you," she said. "Children can quickly suffer dehydration and serious brain injury. In hot conditions, children may suffer organ failure and die from heat exhaustion and dehydration if left along in a hot car." "Leaving the windows down a few centimetres has little effect and only causes a slight decrease in temperature," she said, even if it was for a short time. She said even when travelling in a car, carers should ensure children have enough to drink and windows should be shielded to protect from the sun. Ms Carmody said if bystanders see a child left alone in a car, call Triple 0 immediately and emergency services will provide advice on what to do. If the car is unlocked, open the doors and shield the windows from the sun until emergency services arrive, she said. A spokeswoman for ACT Policing said if contacting emergency services in this situation, tell police as much information as you have, including your location, details about the vehicle and how old you think the child is. "These situations are considered emergency priority situation and resources will be dispatched immediately," the spokeswoman said.

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It sounds like the political class have stirred from their Christmas slumber, as I can hear two opposing groups shouting 'change' and 'keep' at each other. They can't hear each other, due to the shouting, but from a distance their shouts sound like calls for two dates, an Australia Day and a Reconciliation Day. Accounts from 1808 tell us of a celebration on the 20th anniversary of the colony, and 1818 was the first official celebration. It was known as Foundation Day on the 50th, and Anniversary Day on the 100th. By 1938 on the 150th the day was widely celebrated around Australia, and the Bicentennial saw 2.5 million people attend events around Sydney, while the rest of the nation watched the tall ships on the telly. The 26th of January is stamped in history as the date Arthur Phillip raised the flag to mark the establishment of the colony, and only the self-interested try to re-write history. The day is the beginning of modern Australia, all the good and bad. Last year in the ACT Assembly all three parties jointly agreed to have a public holiday on the first Monday on or after 27 May, to be known as Reconciliation Day, which is the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and the start of National Reconciliation Week. State and federal governments should consider expanding Reconciliation Day to be a nation-wide public holiday to celebrate the people and culture of Indigenous Australia, and a day to focus on reconciliation. Stuart Walkley, Lyneham I support Ian Foster's suggestion (letters, 16 Jan) that January 26 should be re-named Australian Citizenship Day. Many of us can happily celebrate that day when we received Australian citizenship. Currently, Australia Day, celebrating the day when the Australian nation was founded, is divisive and a source of sorrow to our Indigenous peoples. Despite prime minister Kevin Rudd's welcome apology, federal funding has been slow trickling down to those who really need it in remote communities, partly because of alleged corruption and diversion of funding by some local councils. Racial attitudes have been slow to change. If we need to rename Australia Day I have two suggestions: June 18 or August 10. It wasn't until June 18, 1962 that the Menzies Liberal and Country Party government finally gave the right to vote to all Aboriginal people. The Australian referendum of 27 May, 1967, called by the Holt government, approved two amendments to the Australian constitution relating to Indigenous Australians. It led to the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginals) 1967, including Aboriginal people in the census and allowing the Commonwealth to create laws for them, which became law on 10 August, 1967. Not that it was perfect, but it was another step in the right direction. Susan MacDougall, Scullin Every time there is a movement to address inequality in our society, there is a reaction which relies on blaming the victim to maintain the comfort of the status quo for the dominant group in our society. Women who protest against the harm of sexual harassment and sexual assault are blamed for attacking men's rights to act as men, which means they should have the right to define what the difference is between flirtation and sexual harassment, not women. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who protest against celebrating Australia Day on 26 January are attacked for being overly sensitive. What does it matter if it was the start of an invasion which meant that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lost any power over their lives? It is white people who should determine if they have a legitimate reason to be upset. Poor people who have few resources who protest that they the benefits they receive from the government are not enough to live on are labelled dole bludgers and leaners. That way, we well-off people can continue to enjoy our comfortable lifestyles without a guilty conscience. It seems we are reluctant to give up even the smallest amount of privilege. Elizabeth Dangerfield, Crace Regarding the debate about cyclists and pedestrian crossings, one must consider the following. Your average pedestrian has since they could walk been taught when approaching a road to stop, look left, look right and then left again before crossing the road. I for one do not blindly just walk out onto a pedestrian crossing without ensuring that I think it is safe to do so (people glued to their phones is becoming an exception). This means that most pedestrians are not doing around 6 kilometres an hour before and at the early stages of their crossing. However, a cyclist does not generally stop to check the road and just assumes that a car will see them and stop in time to avoid hitting them. This suggests that any cyclist that tries to put themselves on par with pedestrian speeds at crossings is just trying to fool themselves. Stephen Petersen, Dunlop It saddened me to read Sigmund Jorgensen's comments on Australia's mainland old-growth forests and his call for the creation of a Great Forest National Park for Victoria ("We must act to protect our forests before it's too late", canberratimes.com.au, January 13). I too have had the privilege of experiencing the beauty and majesty of several of Australia's old-growth forests from Queensland to Tasmania, and never fail to be awestruck by the intricacy, complexity and diversity of the ecosystems that have evolved. I've also stumbled across areas laid to waste by clear-felling and have been moved to tears. Destroying these living treasures by harvesting the trees is little different to cutting off shark fins and throwing the creatures back into the sea to perish. That we permit the destruction of entire biomes to produce wood chips for export sickens me. These forests are one-offs  once they're gone they'll never return. We should be preserving them not just for future generations, but for their own sake. Jorgensen highlights the conflict between political expediency and maximising the long-term benefit for all, but employment numbers and tourism revenue aren't the biggest issue. At some point the preservation of nature must take precedence over short-term profits for a select few  developers, investors, jobs in unsustainable industries be damned  otherwise humanity's seemingly inexorable march towards extinction will continue unabated. James Allan, Narrabundah In the article "One tram a week ...", (January 18, p.2) I see the Chief Minister again claiming the tram was the secret of his success at the last election. He would do well to stop drinking the government's Kool-aid. He then refers to "Those sceptics also said there wouldn't be this sort of investment and renewal of the Northbourne corridor ...". Given that the government is spending $600 million (the government's own figure) to relocate some 1300 public tenants from Northbourne Avenue and elsewhere, Mr Barr's claim may have more credibility if he were to publish a 'balance sheet' of gains/losses for Northbourne Avenue development as a result of the tram. In respect of Stage 2, Mr Barr expects the Cabinet to consider the business case this month. The business case for Stage 1 was not worth the paper it was written on and that for Stage 2 may not be any better, should the public ever be able to view it. M. Flint, co-ordinator, Smart Canberra Transport, Erindale The 100-megawatt lithium battery built in South Australia by Elon Musk's company can synchronise to the power grid in only 0.14 seconds, compared to the 5 to 10 minutes needed by the fastest of the "fast-start" (presumably gas-fired) power stations. The battery has also demonstrated an 80 per cent "round-trip" efficiency (the ratio of energy dispatched to energy required to recharge it). Bruce Mountain of Carbon and Energy Markets has said that batteries can also be useful in taking up excess energy (from slow-reacting coal or gas-fired generators) by using it to recharge themselves. He also said that the energy industry and the regulators are dominated by major energy operators, including AGL, Energy Australia and Origin Energy, and have the regulators firmly on side. Mountain also estimated that the Snowy Hydro 2.0 scheme would need 1.8 megawatts-hours (in pumping) to store each megawatt-hour, and that its cost could balloon out to $8 billion. It looks to me that the future for the storage in batteries of solar and wind energy is looking very rosy already. Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin We are very disappointed to see the contempt with which the owners of 44 Curtin Place are treating the residents of Curtin and members of the local small business community. Having terminated the leases of 7 businesses their shops are now empty and surrounded by an ugly wire mesh fence. We assume the fence has been erected to protect the owners' assets and prevent occupation by squatters. But the best method to protect their assets would surely have been to keep the shops occupied until a development application had been submitted and approved. Unfortunately the owners' current behaviour seems to be aimed more at punishing the local community for opposing their original development application. Their decision to close and fence off the shops altogether, with no formal application for development of the site lodged, has been distressing and disruptive to the local community  and it's bullying behaviour. Fortunately our culture now abhors bullying and we trust our politicians to back the community. Vikki McDonough and Michael Mulvaney, Curtin Kenneth Griffiths (Letters, January 15) and Eric Hunter (Letters, January 17) support the general idea of providing our first nations peoples with a body to provide advice to parliament on matters of direct concern to them. But when we have had this previously, think the National Aboriginal Conference followed by ATSIC, they have been beset by nepotism, corruption and claims that they failed to truly represent the needs of their constituents. Why should we think that an ATSIC Mark 2 will be any different, or even better than the existing failed system? Roger Dace, Reid But for a small change in the political, military and economic imperatives of European nations in the 17th and 18th centuries, Australia may have been colonised by the Dutch and/or French. If so by the 19th century and the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars those settlements and claims would very likely be taken over by Britain, as were the Dutch African and French Indian possessions. At the end of hostilities it is possible that some settlements in New Holland were handed back as was the case with several islands in the Caribbean. I wonder what Australia Day would represent in that event? P. R. Clark, Isaacs Han Nguyen's article ("Canberra Rents Spike", January 18, p.1),missed one of the most significant contributors to increased rents in the ACT  the ACT government's rates and land tax on rented properties. For example, rates and land tax on a detached house in Braddon renting for $550 a week total about $250 a week. Before 2017, flats were not as badly affected as detached houses, but now a studio flat in Campbell renting for $285 a week pays $85 a week in rates and land tax. In summary, much of the high cost of renting in the ACT is due to the budgeting policies of the Barr government. C. Williams, Manuka I am puzzled as to why more people are not suggesting the most obvious day to celebrate Australia Day  the date that Federation was inaugurated, January 1. The community (or at least those who voted in favour of federation) were certainly prepared to celebrate on the first day of federation, so why did it not continue? January 26 certainly wasn't a day of significance to colonies other than New South Wales and its derivatives, Victoria and Queensland. Worried about losing a public holiday? Simple  just move the New Year holiday to New Year's Eve, which is when those celebrations take place anyway. Chris Mobbs, ACT Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message eld, not as an attached le. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610. Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).

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Photo: BC NDP Shelley Cook

The NDP candidate in the upcoming Kelowna West byelection kicked off her campaign Saturday morning by officially opening her campaign office.

Premier John Horgan announced earlier this week the byelection will be held on Valentine's Day, prompting Shelley Cook to kick off her campaign at her office in the Westbank Shopping Centre.

Its wonderful to see so many people coming out to celebrate the start of this campaign, said Cook in a a statement. Kelowna West deserves a real representative in government who will stand up for what matters to this community. Im eager to spend the next few weeks showing people Im ready to start working for them.

Cook was joined by the NDP's MLA for the Vancouver-Hastings riding, Shane Simpson, who was in town for meetings with the government's Poverty Reductions Committee.

Im thrilled to be here in Kelowna West, a riding the BC Liberals took for granted for so long, said Simpson in a statement.

Shelley Cook would be an exceptional voice for the people of Kelowna West and a valued member of John Horgans team. I hope we get the opportunity to work together in Victoria.

Cook is the former executive director of the John Howard Society of the Central and South Okanagan. She lost to former Premier Christy Clark in last spring's election.

Clark handily won the Kelowna West seat for the BC Liberals, but quit after the NDP formed government with the help of the Green Party in June.

Cook is facing off against BC Liberal candidate and former MLA for the riding, Ben Stewart, Green Party candidate Robert Stupka, and Libertarian Party candidate Kyle Geronazzo.

Stewart stepped down from the position in 2013, allowing then-party leader Clark to run in a byelection when she wasn't elected in her Vancouver-Point Grey riding.
Photo: Facebook Barry Neufeld

A school board trustee in Chilliwack is vowing to stay in his job, despite calls that he resign over controversial remarks he made about LGBTQ issues.

Barry Neufeld says in a statement that he "must" remain on the Chilliwack Board of Education to protect "impressionable children."

The statement comes after the board passed a motion on Thursday asking him to resign, saying he has publicly made statements expressing "strong opposition" to the expansion of the B.C. Human Rights Code to include sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as curriculum initiatives on the same subjects.

Neufeld says in his statement that he does not oppose changes to the province's human rights code and that nothing he has said is contrary to the code.

Last fall, Neufeld criticized an educational resource aimed at supporting LGBTQ students, calling it a "weapon of propaganda'' and saying it was "nothing short of child abuse.''

Neufeld later apologized for his comments, saying he believes in a safe learning environment, but that educational resources should be reviewed by parents and teachers before they're implemented.

In his latest statement, released on Friday, the trustee said he wants all students to receive an "excellent education regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion or other group identity."

Neufeld said he does take issue with educators teaching that gender is fluid, that there are more than two genders and that gender is not based in biology.

He said he believes children will be "confused and harmed" by such teaching.

"It is my duty as an elected school board official to speak up when the best interests of children may be compromised," said Neufeld, who has been a trustee for more than two decades. "I will continue to do my duty as trustee in this regard, while exercising my constitutional freedom of expression as a Canadian."

British Columbia's education minister has also called for Neufeld to step down, saying in a Facebook post on Friday that the trustee's comments were hurtful and offensive, and undermine the goals of the school board and the ministry.

"While individuals are entitled to their opinions, Mr. Neufeld has jeopardized student safety, divided his school community, and acted against board and ministry policies," Rob Fleming said in a statement.

Fleming noted that an education minister does not have the authority to dismiss an individual trustee, but he does not believe that Neufeld should continue in his role.
Photo: Contributed

aNo winning ticket was sold for the $15.8 million jackpot in Saturday night's Lotto 649 draw.

However, the guaranteed $1 million prize was claimed by a ticket holder in Quebec.

The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Jan. 24 will be approximately $20 million.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Ed Thompson remembers the helplessness he felt each of the thousands of times his twin daughters would turn blue and go lifeless in his arms.

The young girls suffered from acute breath-holding spells, an involuntary condition that causes children to pass out, in their case up to 40 times a day.

"Having your kids die in your arms 7,500 times kind of sucks," he said.

The girls' conditions eventually improved, but the experience compounded earlier trauma Thompson had witnessed as a firefighter in South Carolina, sending him into a spiral of post-traumatic stress, substance abuse and thoughts of suicide.

That all changed in 2015 after Thompson enrolled in an experimental psychotherapy trial that used clinical-grade MDMA, also known as the party drug ecstasy, to treat patients suffering from severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Thompson said the experience saved his life and kept his family together.

Now, researchers across North America, including British Columbia, are gearing up for the third and final stage of trials ahead of plans to legalize psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in Canada and the United States by 2021.

Vancouver is one of 16 locations in the United States, Canada and Israel where clinicians hope to demonstrate that a drug historically associated with gurus and raves can revolutionize psychotherapy and trauma treatment.

The B.C. Centre on Substance Use will conduct the Vancouver trials as part of a larger research project overseen by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, or MAPS, a non-profit pharmaceutical company based in California. Talks are also underway for a Montreal facility to participate.

"We hope to prove that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is the most effective treatment for PTSD that exists on the planet," said Mark Haden, a public health professor at the University of British Columbia. Haden founded the Canadian wing of MAPS and helped organize stage two of the organization's research trials in Vancouver.

Traditional PTSD treatment focuses on desensitization, which is painful and can last years, or even a lifetime, Haden said, adding that only about 10 to 15 per cent of people successfully recover and the drop-out rate is high.

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, however, lasts fewer than four months and preliminary studies show two thirds of participants remained free of PTSD one year after treatment, he said.

The experimental trials have been so successful, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which overseas the approval and regulation of pharmaceutical drugs, has labelled it a "breakthrough therapy" for PTSD treatment.

Researchers believe the psychedelic drug's effectiveness is partly due to its ability to dispel a participant's fear and to boost what Haden called the therapeutic alliance.

"The alliance between the therapist and the subject is ... the greatest predictor of success," Haden said, describing MDMA as an empathogen. "MDMA really, really, really increases bonding between people."

The therapy involves three psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy sessions lasting eight hours each, as well as 12 therapy sessions without MDMA, which all take place over a three-and-a-half-month period.

Thompson, who participated in the stage two trials, said the drug allowed him to trust his therapists and open up in a way he could not before.

"It wasn't a party drug. There was no party," he said, as he described laying on a futon and wearing eye shades for most of the experience. "It wasn't trippy. I didn't see things. I didn't have some miraculous spiritual experience. I didn't get the urge to get up and dance.

"For the first time in years  I was able to open up and talk painlessly," he said. "The fear, the barriers were removed and I was able to talk to these people."

Rick Doblin, who founded MAPS in 1986, said one reason so little effort has been put into researching the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics is that pharmaceutical companies don't stand to profit from studying compounds that are already in the public domain and cannot be patented.

Phase three will cost $26 million and involve up to 150 study participants. It aims to demonstrate that results obtained in the trial's second stage are applicable on a larger scale.

Doblin said the FDA has agreed to approve the therapy if stage three studies show the drug is effective and there are no safety issues.

Health Canada gave the green light for the latest round of trials, and discussions are slated to begin in February over what the department will need to see in order to approve the treatment.a
Photo: The Canadian Press

Montreal's widely loathed quota system for traffic tickets is over, says Mayor Valerie Plante, as are lucrative performance bonuses for bosses that were tied to lower-level cops reaching the targets.

Drivers aren't getting off easy, however, because the city's new budget estimates Montreal will collect roughly $12 million more in revenues from traffic and parking violations this year than in 2017.

The union representing police officers, known as the Brotherhood, had been calling for an end to the quotas for years. But past mayors had officially denied any system existed, and it remained the subject of rumour among frustrated motorists who suspected police were trapping drivers primarily to collect revenue for City Hall.

After winning office last November, Montreal's new government confirmed the system was very real indeed.

"The police directors, in order to get bonuses, the cops under them had to reach a certain number of tickets," Nathalie Goulet, the city councillor responsible for public security, said in a recent interview. "The bonuses used to be as high as eight per cent of a director's annual salary."

In 2016, she said, the city paid a total of $350,000 in bonuses linked to fines handed to motorists.

"We don't think it's the first mission of the police to trap drivers or cyclists for traffic violations," Goulet said. "Police will continue to give tickets but they will no longer be tied to the evaluation of their (bosses)."

Goulet said she didn't know what the quotas were.

In 2014, police union head Yves Francoeur told reporters that police bikers had a target of 18 tickets per day, while the traffic squad had 16. "Depending on the staffing of a police station, it's between 450 and 1,500 a month (per station)," he said at the time.

Francoeur claimed that in order to fulfil their monthly quotas, police were told to ignore all but the most serious calls on some days, and instead focus on handing out fines.

The union has been silent since the new mayor made the announcement.

"We have clearly stated our position in the past on this issue," Brotherhood spokesman Martin Desrochers said in an email.

Despite the end of the quota system, Goulet couldn't say exactly why the city predicted it would collect more money this year in fines. A city spokesman couldn't provide a clear answer, either.

"We estimate, it will be highly likely, the revenues generated from traffic and parking tickets (in 2018) will go back to normal," Goulet said.

By "normal," Goulet was referring to the years before the police were in a contentious battle with the city over a new contract and unwelcome changes to their pensions.

In 2013, the city collected almost $173 million in traffic and parking violations, but that number dropped to $161 million the following year, when then-mayor Denis Coderre announced he wanted to cut the city's contributions into municipal workers' pension funds.

Coderre had publicly demanded millions back from the police after accusing them of purposefully not giving out tickets in order to deprive the city of money as a pressure tactic during negotiations.

Ticket revenues continued to fall as contract talks stalled, reaching a low of $147 million in 2016, before climbing to $174 million in 2017, the year police and the city signed a new agreement with generous pay increases.

Goulet said her party was able to quickly abolish the quota system because it had strong support from the new, interim police chief, Martin Prud'homme, who is on a one-year leave from the provincial police to help clean up Montreal's force.

The provincial government suspended former chief Philippe Pichet in December after a series of scandals shook the public's confidence in the city police.

The Montreal police did not return a request for comment.
Photo: Mountwashington

Can too much snow be a bad thing?

Mount Washington Alpine Resort received over 105 centimetres of snow in the past 24 hours, closing the resort.

The resort is closed, stated the website on Sunday. Due to heavy snowfall and high avalanche danger we will not be opening today."

Overnight 80 cm fell on the mountain located on Vancouver Island.

We advise that guests do not travel the road up, stated the resort.

DriveBC said Mount Washington Road is closed in both directions due to winter highway maintenance. Estimated time of opening is 5 p.m.
Now, I know a lot of people feel that no one should get anything for nothing, but here lies the problem. Most of these unemployed people probably will not or cannot fill out the required forms and probably will not seek employment. Kentucky has already said that an estimated 90,000 to 100,000 people will end up without insurance right away. Now when these uninsured people get sick, theyll have to go to the local hospital emergency room. The emergency room cannot turn them away, and thus the hospital incurs a loss. That loss needs to be paid for, so in turn the hospital increases the cost of services. Then the insurance companies increase the cost of premiums to cover the higher hospital costs.
Markle and Prince Harry tasted Snowdonia's award-winning cheese, but Mercer said he didn't expect they'd take the whole cake back with them, though they were more than welcome to if they wanted. A cake made entirely of cheese might not be appearing at the royal wedding, but it'd certainly be at home among these 25 jaw-dropping wedding cakes.
Whip it out of your pocket or purse and spray the rape away. Or maybe not. "I've always had this fear: What if I were in a situation where I had to carry (pepper spray) to protect myself, but what if it were turned on me? What if it blew up in my bag and ended up making me get sick?" says Jamia Wilson, director and publisher of the New York-based Feminist Press. "I'd rather have a society that holds people accountable, that teaches people about consent, and where rape culture doesn't exist."
Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung addresses the celebration in Hanoi (Source: VNA)



Speaking at a ceremony to celebrate the 68th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (January 18th, 1950) in Hanoi on January 20th, Trung said the Vietnam-China traditional friendship is a valuable asset of the two Parties, States and their people.

He urged the two sides to work hard to nurture and foster the relations.

The Deputy Foreign Minister highlighted positive development in the bilateral ties in 2017, especially visits by top leaders of the two Parties and States during the year.

Cooperation between the two countries in economy, trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchange also recorded fruitful outcomes, he said.

In its foreign policy of independence, multilateralisation and diversification of international relations, Vietnam attaches great importance to the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China, Trung affirmed, adding that this is a consistent and long-term policy, and is a strategic choice and top priority in Vietnams foreign policy.

He expressed his belief that with efforts made by both sides, the relations will be constantly strengthened and will make new strides forward, importantly contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region.

Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hong Xiao Yong also looked back at achievements in the Vietnam-China relations over the last 68 years in his speech.

He affirmed China attaches important to developing the friendship with Vietnam and is willing to work with Vietnam in realising common perceptions reached by the two countries' high-level leaders, towards deepening the Vietnam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership./.
In an email about 3 p.m., a police spokeswoman said the girl had been found earlier in the day, but the time wasnt immediately released. The girl was found in the 5200 block of South Morgan Street, in the Back of the Yards.
I spent my entire adult life looking out for the well-being, the training, the equipping of the troops for whom I was responsible, she said. Sadly, this is something the current occupant of the Oval Office does not seem to care to do. And I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft dodger.
Were building our own movement that stands strong with the immigrants rights movement, that stands strong with Black Lives Matter and that stands strong with MeToo, said John Beacham, coordinator with Answer Chicago, a group that organizes against war, racism and police brutality. And were not going to stop until we win. Our oppressors in both parties are not going to stand in our way any longer. We are going to do this on our own.
Pakistani religious students protest against U.S. President Donald Trump in Lahore, Pakistan, on Jan. 4, 2018. Pakistani authorities recently closed the offices of a U.S. government-funded radio station whose broadcasts it said were "against the interests of Pakistan." (Tribune New Service)
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, left, meets with King Abdullah II at the Husseiniya Palace in Amman, Jordan, on Jan 21, 2018. (Raad Adayleh / AP)
We need to keep an eye on possible flooding at points along our area rivers and streams in the next few days. Rainfall totals of an inch are possible with this storm system, and that combined with the snow melt will make for a significant runoff. Melting ice could cause ice jams and subsequent flooding.
The Chicago Bears kick off the 2021 season Sunday night against the Los Angeles Rams  and the player most Bears fans are most excited to see, rookie quarterback Justin Fields, will begin the season on the bench. We start with that decision as our trio of Bears writers tackles four key questions facing the team in Week 1.
Wearing a pink hat with #Persisterhood written in black and white, Grenier said she was attending the march to support those, be it women or progressive-thinking men, who are political candidates and are going to work to right the wrongs of the Trump policies, which she called divisive and discriminatory.
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 coordination of responding law enforcement personnel from all four agencies along with the cooperation of hospital staff allowed the situation to be resolved successfully without injury or the use of force," the release said.
They were able to pull three unconscious people from the house: Isiah Hunter, 85; Joella Hunter, 83; and the girl, who Jones identified as the couple's granddaughter. The girl was airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., due to her injuries, Jones said.
Love, 49, and her daughter, Amelia, from Schererville, were two of the dozens of people who traveled from Northwest Indiana Saturday morning to join hundreds of people at the second Women's March in Indianapolis.
You are here: Business

A China-Europe freight train carrying 36 containers of auto parts, engineering equipment, and daily necessities left Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Friday.

The train will travel through Xinjiang's Alataw Pass and stop at a port in Kazakhstan where the containers will be transferred to ships which are bound for Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.

This new rail-ship route was jointly launched by railway authorities of Xinjiang and Kazakhstan, and opens quicker access to connect China with Central Asia, West Asia and Europe.

According to the Xinjiang railway bureau, the 4,186-kilometer journey will take eight days, less than one-third of travel time via rail alone.

"The rail-ship route can save logistics time and increase the added value of our export products," said Liu Chang, general manager of a Shanghai-based global trade company.

"Urumqi plans to send 1,400 China-Europe trains in 2018, further improving connectivity with Central Asian and European cities," said Nan Jun, vice general manager of Xinjiang Xintie International Logistics Company.

The number of China-Europe freight train trips reached a new high of more than 3,000 last year, and is expected to reach 4,000 this year, according to China Railway Corporation.


China's Ministry of National Defense has told the United States not to "cause trouble out of nothing," and to respect the sovereignty of China.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for the ministry, made the remarks Saturday in response to the actions of a U.S. warship Wednesday.

According to Wu, on Jan. 17, the USS Hopper, a guided missile destroyer, arbitrarily entered waters surrounding Huangyan Island in the South China Sea, before Chinese missile destroyer Huangshan immediately conducted an identification and warning process to drive it away.

Under joint efforts by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the situation around the South China Sea is becoming more and more stable and positive, Wu said.

The United States has sent vessels to illegally enter the waters around China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea on multiple occasions, endangering the safety of vessels and personnel from both sides, the spokesperson continued.

It has also threatened China's sovereignty and security, harmed the regional peace and stability, and gone against the stable development of relations between the two countries and their militaries, he stated.

"We hope that the United States will respect China's sovereignty, respect the efforts made by the countries within the region, and not cause trouble out of nothing or make waves," Wu said.

The Chinese military will continue to fulfill its defensive duties, intensify its patrols in the air and at sea, in order to firmly safeguard the sovereignty and security of the country, as well as the regional peace and stability, he added.
Ten airlines have confirmed they will operate at Beijing's new airport, local officials said at a meeting held by the Daxing District government on Jan.16.



Construction of the new airport, which sits at the border between Beijing and Hebei Province, will be finished in late 2019. The airport is expected to handle up to 72 million passengers and 2 million tons of cargo and mail in 2025.



The new airport will share the passenger load of the busy Beijing Capital International Airport. Both airports will serve as large international aviation hubs for domestic and international passengers and cargo, according to Zhao Jianguo, deputy head of the Daxing District Office for the New Airport Construction. China Eastern and China Southern Airlines, both SkyTeam Alliance members, will be the main carriers for the new airport, each to account for 40 percent of passenger volume. Air China, a Star Alliance member, will remain as the main carrier for the Beijing Capital International Airport.



Construction for the starting area of the new airports economic zone will begin this year, said Wang Youguo, acting head of the district government. According to a guideline released by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2016, Beijing will work with Hebei to establish the airport economic zone. The zone will cover an area of 150 square kilometers, which consists of three areas including the aviation logistics area, the sci-tech innovation area, and the supporting facilities area.



The new airport will be surrounded by trees to offer a green landscape, also according to Zhao. He said the new airport will begin noise control measures, and the district will manage and relocate villages in the affected region.
Perhaps the largest obstacle to the innovation and adoption of new technologies is the creation of a legal infrastructure that will support such change. Universities of the 21st century have a major role to play in uniting with tech companies, law firms, government, business and other stakeholders to conduct research on the legal challenges and framework for new technologies to be piloted, implemented and regulated.

An encouraging example of such a relationship occurred on Dec. 29 of last year when Gridsum Holding Inc., a provider of artificial intelligence solutions and cloud-based big-data analytics, announced a partnership with Peking University Law School. The broad goal of the new Peking University Legal AI Lab and Research Institute is to promote the development of AI and its many applications across Chinese society while at the same time ensuring a leading role for the country in this rising industry.

The initiative makes strategic sense for China. With an aging population and the need to move up the value chain in economic models, China needs to identify the technology markets of the future and assert itself as a major player. Business models based on China's ability to provide cheap labor are rapidly declining. The Philippines, Mexico, Bangladesh, Vietnam and many countries on the African continent are among those that can now provide even cheaper labor as education, wages and working conditions in China continue to improve.

Moreover, the Legal AI Lab serves as a good example of how all institutions, including law schools, are transitioning from an industrial focus to one befitting the information age. While universities have long been a significant source of research, law schools are not usually considered noteworthy in this regard. Their emphasis has traditionally been on stability and looking to the past. In a 21st century economy of constant change, law curricula must be future-focused, with greater priority given to design thinking and technology literacy. Law schools specifically and universities generally must do more to embrace technology, in the same way that the legal profession itself is being forced to do.

As "consumers" of higher education, students too are increasingly demanding that their education prepare them for careers of the future. While routine, lower-order professional work is increasingly being replaced by technology, many intermediary jobs are being flattened or eliminated. Partnerships with leaders in emerging technologies, such as AI, present excellent opportunities for students to gain relevant experiences and skills that will serve as entry points to stable careers.

This signals that the old "ivory tower" model of universities, distant and separated from the rest of society, is rapidly ending. In many parts of the world, academics have seen their purpose mostly as providing a critique of the outside world. Today, however, we need universities to be able partners in shaping and designing a better civilization rather than merely reacting from a distance to developments in technology, government and business.

Perhaps most importantly, there is the larger question of what remains for the law in a future society where technology increasingly governs our behavior while also monitoring compliance. The Gridsum-Peking University partnership points to the important role that law schools play. Those in the legal profession must cooperate with technology specialists and other stakeholders to design a system of regulation that balances all relevant interests, so that the wider community is benefitted with harms minimized.

Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.




 Flash





The U.S. government filed on Friday a notice of intent on the website of the Department of Justice to seek death penalty against Brendt A. Christensen of Champaign, Il. charged with kidnapping resulting in death of visiting Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying.



28-year-old Christensen is charged with kidnapping resulting in death of visiting Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) on June 9, 2017.

The filing follows the decision and directive by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to seek the death penalty against Christensen.

The U.S. government said the circumstances of the offense of kidnapping resulting in death, as charged in count one of the superseding indictment returned on October 3, 2017, are such that, in the event the defendant is convicted of committing the crime, a sentence of death is justified.

The superseding indictment alleges that Christensen held Zhang Yingying on June 9, 2017, and used a cellular telephone and Saturn Astra motor vehicle to commit and in furtherance of the commission of the offense; and the kidnapping resulted in the death of Zhang.

The notice to seek a sentence of death includes intent factors that allege Christensen acted with intent against the victim; and that his intentional acts of violence resulted in the victim's death.

The notice sets forth statutory aggravating factors including that Zhang's death occurred during the commission of a kidnapping; that the offense was committed in an especially heinous, cruel or depraved manner, which involved torture or serious physical abuse; and that Christensen committed the offense after substantial planning and premeditation.

The notice also alleges non-statutory aggravating factors that were not previously asserted, including victim impact evidence related to Zhang's loss and the impact of her death upon her family, friends, and co-workers; the future dangerousness of the defendant; his lack of remorse; other serious acts of violence allegedly committed by Christensen; the vulnerability of the victim due to her small stature and limited ability to communicate in English; and the defendant's alleged attempt to obstruct the investigation by making false statements to investigators, destroying or concealing the victim's remains, and sanitizing the crime scene.

UIUC visiting Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying, 26-year-old, went missing on June 9 after she got into a black Saturn Astra about five blocks from where she got off a bus on her way to an apartment complex to sign a lease.

Christensen was arrested on June 30 after being caught on tape pointing out people he described as "ideal victims" during a vigil in Zhang's honor. On July 5, U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long ordered that Christensen remain detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the UIUC Police Department jointly conducted the investigation.




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The Catholic Church needs to listen to the ideas of the young people and learn how to be challenged by them, according to Pope Francis during a meeting with Chilean youth on Jan. 17.

As he met with a crowd of young people at the Basilica of Our Lady of Carmen in Santiago, Pope Francis said he wants the Synod of Bishops to hear what the youth has to say and not only listen to those who claim to represent them. The pontiff acknowledged that these young people have a lot of good ideas that the Church can learn from, The National Catholic Reporter relayed.

"I am afraid of filters, because sometimes young people's opinions can arrive in Rome very filtered," Pope Francis said on Tuesday. "Realizing how important young people and their experiences are, this year I wanted to call the Synod ... so that you can feel a and really be a protagonists in the heart of the church."

In addition, the pope told his Chilean audience that he wants the theme of the Synod in October to be "Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment." He said it is important for all churches to listen to their youths.

On Jan. 18, Pope Francis celebrated Mass near the port of Iquique, where he reminded the faithful about the importance of being compassionate to those who lack shelter, work, and land. His message carried the theme of treating immigrants with love and being kind to people "who have had to leave everything behind and set out," the Los Angeles Times reported.

Pope Francis' latest remarks come after Chile stirred political controversy over a policy accepting tens of thousands of refugees from Venezuela and Haiti. A CEP survey found that two out of five Chileans believe that the newcomers cause the country's crime rate to increase even though police have said there is no basis for that idea.
A court in Guizhou province in China has imposed fines amounting to millions to two pastors who collected church offerings from their congregation, saying the money they received was classified as "illegal income."

Earlier this month, a Guizhou court issued a final verdict to house church pastors Su Tianfu and Yang Hua of Huoshi church over accusations in May last year that they had received 7,053,710.68 yuan ($1,096,499.33) in "illegal income." The two pastors have been ordered to pay the same amount as a fine for the church offerings that their congregation had donated, China Aid detailed.

Pastors Su and Yang spent seven months fighting back against the allegations, arguing that the money they had collected was not illegal income as it was used on their church. Unfortunately, the court rejected their arguments and issued a final verdict.

This was not the first time that Pastor Yang had a brush with Chinese authorities. Despite Huoshi Church's compliance with the government's law on religion, authorities still subjected the house of worship to several raids in 2015 and even took into custody some of its members.

Authorities also detained Pastor Yang in December 2015 for keeping a church hard drive from being confiscated by officials. He was later moved to a criminal detention facility for the alleged possession of "state secrets" and was officially arrested on Jan. 22, 2016 for the charge of "divulging state secrets."

Pastor Yang reportedly experienced repeated torture at the hands of government officials who tried to force him to confess to the charges. In January last year, a court handed him a sentence of two-and-a-half years in jail.

Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that authorities in Shanxi province had demolished the Golden Lampstand Church using explosives, jackhammers, and diggers. The incident sparked fears among Christians that their community would be targeted in a wider crackdown on religious activities.

The demolition of the Golden Lampstand Church came at the heels of a similar incident in the Shaanxi province which targeted a Catholic church that had stood for 20 years. China Aid founder Bob Fu said the recent string of demolitions of independent house churches could be a prelude to the enforcement of stricter religious regulations this February.
Several Christian students who were prohibited from joining student organizations at a university in Ireland have recently spoken out about the details of the "persecution" they experienced for their Christian orthodoxy.

National University of Ireland Galway students Ammi Burke, Enoch Burke, Isaac Burke and Kezia Burke were banned for life from joining student organizations in November 2014 after administrators said the four had mishandled university funds. The four siblings had supposedly misused 325 euros in club funding for the printing of pamphlets, The Church Militant detailed.

A number of Equality Tribunal hearings were then held starting October 2016, but the Workplace Relations Commission still has not given the Burkes any feedback on the results. The siblings have already submitted an appeal to the Circuit Court, thinking there was a bias on their case.

For the Burkes, the ban imposed on them was a form of retaliation for the legal action they filed against NUI Galway. They also attributed the action to their history of expressing their Christian beliefs in school, which reportedly included putting up pro-life posters around campus when the university held an abortion referendum in 2013.

"Unlike in the USA, in Ireland there is no 'right' vs 'left' dichotomy in the news media and practically all outlets are unfavorable towards Christian belief," Isaac Burke told The Church Militant via email on Jan. 13. "Freedom of expression and religious liberty would be rarely discussed. Therefore, our full story has not (yet) been picked up by mainstream media in Ireland."

In September 2017, NUI Galway made headlines after a mature arts student complained about the university's decision to convert disabled toilets to transgender facilities. Emer Coyne, a registered disabled student after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, described the move as "deeply offensive," The Irish Times reported.

NUI Galway, on the other hand, issued a statement defending the conversion of the disabled toilets to gender-neutral ones. The university said they want to implement a practical way of addressing the needs of all their students and staff.
Christians in Nepal have started a petition calling for the removal of the anti-conversion law that was implemented in October, but there is still no feedback from the secular state.

While Nepal's 2015 constitution guarantees freedom of religion despite the country being a secular nation, President Bidhya Dev Bhandari signed a law in October which criminalizes religious conversion. Violators of the Criminal Code Bill could be fined with 50,000 rupees and face five years in jail, Mission Network News detailed.

A local pastor who only gave the name Chhatri said the implementation of the anti-conversion law has sparked fear among Christians in Nepal. Nevertheless, he said they would continue to urge believers to adhere to their faith and to persevere in spreading the Gospel.

"This decision made by [the] government made a great discouragement and brought fear in the life of Christians," said Pastor Chhatri. "But, we Christians leaders [and] families stand and encourage our people to adapt to any situation and to continue [to] share Christ and continue [to] encourage each other and support each other."

So far, the government has reportedly not done much to enforce the anti-conversion law. Because of this, Christians are now teaching people about Christ and establishing churches in Nepal.

In addition, Pastor Chhatri shared that the Church in Nepal is experiencing a leadership crisis because of the rapid growth of the Christian population in the country. He said hardline Hindu groups have even threatened them and have tried to suppress their growth, but they vowed to continue following God's call and vision for them.

Many Nepalis see Christianity as a way to escape the caste system. Rika Tamang, a Christian convert who is now the pastor of a village in Lapa Valley, has expressed relief that he no longer has to pay for burdensome animal sacrifices that local shamans had recommended before now that he has embraced Christianity, AFP reported.

Based on Nepal's 2011 government census, less than 1.5 percent of the secular nation's population of 29 million people are Christians. However, Christian groups say the actual count reaches more than 3 million as many of the converts were not included in the census.
The majority of Catholic women in America are open to the idea of ordaining women as permanent deacons in the church, a new survey commissioned by America Media has found.

According to the survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in partnership with survey firm GfK, 60 percent of American Catholic women are ready for the possibility that women could be inducted as permanent deacons. While Pope Francis has already clarified that having female priests might not be possible, he has expressed an interest in studying the possibility of having women serve as deacons, The Huffington Post noted.

The America Media survey found that 21 percent of Catholic women in the U.S. said they may support the idea of having female deacons in the Church but still want to study it before they make a final decision. However, 7 percent rejected the thought of ordaining women as deacons.

In addition, the poll found that Catholic women who went to hear Mass every week were less likely to agree to the idea of female deacons compared with those who attended infrequently. Still, 53 percent of the weekly attendees said "yes" to the idea.

Dr. Phyllis Zagano, who is part of the Vatican commission looking thorougly at the matter and is the best known advocate for female deacons, said the Catholic Church is still not ready to have female priests. During a talk at Yale University in 2013, she said priesthood and being a deacon were "two separate ministries," The Catholic Herald reported.

In addition, Dr. Zagano said she could not find anything that said women had once been ordained as priests and added that none of her work supports the idea. However, she said the history of the Catholic Church favors the idea of ordaining women as deacons even though there are those who argue that the role of "deaconesses" in the early Church was different from that of today's notion.
Pope Francis wrapped up the last day of his papal visit in Chile on Jan. 18 with a message urging nations to be compassionate to immigrants, saying closing the doors to those in need was unChristian.

Before he was due to leave Chile and move on to Peru on Thursday, Pope Francis spoke in the homily of a Mass held on a beach in Iquique. The pontiff reinforced his defense of migrants and refugees by delivering another message that called on nations to welcome people affected by poverty and injustice instead of making them feel unwelcome, Reuters relayed.

"There is no Christian joy when doors are closed; there is no Christian joy when others are made to feel unwanted, when there is no room for them in our midst," Pope Francis told the crowd of 50,000 who gathered for Mass in northern Chile. "The cry of the poor is a kind of a prayer; it opens our hearts and teaches us to be attentive."

In addition, the pontiff urged Christians to pay attention to those afflicted by exploitation and injustice. He said these immigrants were having a hard time keeping their families together because of their trials which made them feel like the quality of their lives had been diminished.

The pope's message came as Chile welcomed refugees from Haiti and Venezuela amidst anti-immigrant sentiment among locals. Official statistics showed that Iquique had the highest percentage of migrants in the country, but Chile itself had lower immigration figures compared to other South American countries.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis brought delight to a couple working as cabin attendants when he performed the first inflight papal wedding while he flew from Santiago, Chile. Although Carlo Ciuffardi Elorriage and Paula Podest Ruiz were already married in a civil ceremony in 2010, their church wedding did not push through because of an earthquake that struck on the scheduled date, ITV reported.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke confirmed the impromptu wedding ceremony on the plane on Jan. 19. The publication noted that the inflight ceremony provided a happy moment in Pope Francis' papal visit that seemed "awkward" at times.
A newly-released national study which was conducted for two years explored the reasons why young people leave the Church and found that many do so at an age as early as 13.

On Jan. 17, St. Mary's Press and the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University (CARA) released a study called "Going, Going, Gone! The Dynamics of Disafffiliation in Young Catholics." The research found that 74 percent of the 214 respondents left the Church between 10 and 20 years old, the Catholic News Agency detailed.

One of the reasons why young Catholics leave the church is when a hardship or tragedy strikes which make them think that God is not there, such as divorce, death, or the illness of a loved one. The second reason appears to be the struggle to connect one's real identity with one's Catholic faith, prompting that person to simply drift away from the Church. And the third reason is an active rejection of one's Catholic faith, or "dissent," in which young people disagree with the Church's teaching on issues such as same-sex marriage, sexuality, and birth control. It is worth noting that only 2 percent of the respondents left the Church due to the clergy sex abuse scandal.

In light of their findings, St. Mary's Press CEO John Vitek recommended creating an environment where young people are free to explore questions and doubts about their faith as part of an effort to prevent them from leaving the Church. He said the youth are willing to discuss their faith but are hesitant to do so because the fear of being judged.

In 2011, The Barna Group published the results of a five-year project which explored the opportunities and challenges that young people encounter in their faith development. While no single reason topped the factors for disconnection from church, the study found that 59 percent of Christians leave their congregation either permanently or for a long time after age 15.

Based on the Barna study, the first reason for why young people leave the church is the feeling of being overprotected. Other reasons include the feeling that their Christian faith is shallow, tension between Christianity and science, pressure to live up to church's expectations of chastity, struggle to choose between faith and friends, and personal doubts about their Christian experience.
Bishops who visited the Gaza Strip's lone Catholic parish urged the believers not to lose hope amid their difficult situation, praising the young people who have chosen to stay despite the dwindling Christian presence in the region.

During Mass at the Holy Family Parish in the Gaza Strip on Jan. 14, Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, South Africa, encouraged parishioners to hold on to their hope even though their difficulties have stretched on for a decade. Residents have been living a tough life since Israel established a blockade in 2007 while Egypt implemented travel restrictions at the border crossing, The National Catholic Reporter detailed.

Archbishop Brislin was accompanied by other bishops from South Africa, North America and Europe during their visit to Gaza. They met with Israeli and Palestinian groups there to encourage dialogue and peaceful relations between the two parties.

Bishop Declan Lang of Clifton, England, noted that young people in Gaza were frustrated because they felt that nothing was happening to alleviate their sufferings while the unemployment rate for their age group was at 70 percent.

Despite the situation, Archbishop Brislin praised the youth who have chosen to stay in order to establish their life in Gaza.

"The young people feel they must decide between staying in Gaza or leaving to find schools and jobs in other parts of the world," Brislin told the Catholic News Service. "This affects the Christian community. The young people who stay in Gaza are the real heroes. They are willing to sacrifice in order to create families and Christian life in Gaza."

In light of the situation in Gaza, Brislin said new job opportunities, skills, and cultural projects should be generated for the young people. He also said the Christian community there must persevere through their difficulties.

Meanwhile, a new study done by the Dar al-Kalima University in the West Bank town of Beit Jala said the Israeli occupation was the main cause of the Christian exodus from Palestinian territory. The study said only a few believers were concerned over Muslim religious conservatism, Al Jazeera reported.

Nevertheless, the study also revealed that 50 percent of Christians and 54 percent of Muslims who participated in the study felt that their situation would improve later on through God's help.
The chilly winter weather Houston is experiencing this year is motivating animal welfare nonprofits throughout the city to provide quick shelter for at-risk animals.



Friends For Life, an animal shelter and foster care organization, responded to the winter storm that hit the Houston area Tuesday and Wednesday by distributing more than two-dozen small-scale shelters for cats and dogs. Staff members and volunteers at Friends For Life annually make "WARM houses," shelters composed of storage tubs lined with foam and hay for insulation.

"They're in large demand," Friends For Life spokeswoman Megan Carpenter said of the shelters. "Most people really like them because they're lightweight and helpful during this time."

Due to the inclement weather, Friends For Life, located on E. 22nd St. in the Heights, and whose program includes nearly 300 animals, was closed Jan. 16 and 17. The nonprofit still managed to distribute 26 WARM houses Monday and Tuesday and built 46 during the remainder of the week.

Many of the beneficiaries of the WARM houses are feral cats. The City of Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC) website describes these felines as unsocial cats that fall under the umbrella definition of "community cats," who lack owners.

This year, more than 240 WARM houses were made and distributed for feral cats and 22 slightly bigger ones for dogs. In exchange, the shelter accepts $20 donations to help cover the costs of materials. Carpenter said Friends For Life does not want failure to pay to discourage anyone from picking up a WARM house for their pet.

People interested in receiving a WARM house "just simply have to let us know and we will help them out. If they can donate anything, that's fine, if they can't, we understand," Carpenter said. "Our main goal is to help as many feral cats as we can during this weather."

Other groups anticipating the cold also labored to help animals in need.

Houston PetSet is a fundraising organization that raises funds and redistributes them to local animal welfare nonprofits, Friends For Life among them. In anticipation of the drop in temperatures, PetSet helped spearhead a Jan. 13 effort by Huts 4 Mutts, a group dedicated to providing shelter for dogs living in lower-income homes.

"We were rushing to get them into the community because we knew the temperatures were dropping," Houston PetSet co-founder Tama Lundquist said about the efforts. Huts 4 Mutts "came up with this quick, easy, fairly inexpensive design" for the dog houses, costing about $40.



Lundquist said 100 volunteers from five separate PetSet beneficiary organizations built 130 dog houses in about four or five hours and distributed them this past Monday and Tuesday in Houston.

Meanwhile, the icy temperatures failed to freeze operations at the city's largest resource for animal shelter and protection, the Houston SPCA.

"We didn't have any impacts, in terms of our operations," Houston SPCA spokeswoman Julie Kuenstle said as she cited the organization's use of a 24-hour animal ambulance.

Kuenstle said the SPCA's team of animal cruelty investigators were managing calls about the welfare of apparently shelterless pets during the cold spell. Texas law states a person must provide shelter for animals in his or her custody.

Kuenstle pointed out that the SPCA recommends people bring animals in their care inside during cold weather. Sheltering should protect pets from wind, sun, rain and sleet and dog houses should be off the ground to keep surfaces dry, she added.



Carpenter, of Friends For Life, urges limiting the length of time pets are out during the cold and ensuring they are not exposed to ice.
Despite what the pundits and many naysayers in the media and Congress said, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is doing exactly what we promised.

Since President Trump signed the bill into law, there has been daily news of businesses increasing wages, delivering bonuses, extending maternity and paternity leave, increasing 401(k) contributions and making major investments at home. To date, more than 160 American companies have announced more than $1.6 billion in new investments in the United States. Many utility companies have announced reduced rates, and the Treasury Department recently confirmed that 9 out of 10 taxpayers will see a boost in their take-home pay as soon as next month.

As House Ways and Means Committee chairman, and lead author of the bill, my goals were simple: Cut taxes for the middle class, simplify our unfair and broken tax code and make America the most competitive place in the world to do business.

The hardworking American people now have a tax code that allows them to keep more of their money to use as they see fit not how Washington sees fit. This is only the beginning. As each new part of the law takes effect, and America becomes more competitive, families will see even more of the benefits with a stronger economy, more jobs, fairer taxes, and bigger paychecks for Texans and hardworking taxpayers nationwide.

***

As Congress kicks off 2018, we have a constitutional responsibility to address one crucial priority: our national defense. For too many years, we have asked our military to do more with less. Today, only five of 58 Army Brigade Teams are combat ready for immediate action, our Navy is the smallest it has been since World War I, and the average Air Force aircraft is 27 years old. Facing threats like North Korea's nuclear threat and Iran's continued action to destabilize the Middle East, we must ensure our troops are fully prepared to respond to any situation. We owe our men and women in uniform the best, and I am dedicated to making sure they get it.

***

Immigration and border security remain at the forefront of the conversation here at home and in Washington, D.C. I opposed President Obama's power-grab in 2012 when he first ordered Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA. President Trump is right to insist on the rule of law - our Constitution dictates that Congress, not the president, should write our laws.

I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress - and President Trump - to secure our borders and find a fair solution for DACA. However, I do not support citizenship for anyone who comes to America through the back door of illegal immigration. Citizenship is earned by those who come through the front door of legal immigration.

U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady chairs the House Ways and Means Committee. Call his Conroe office at 936-441-5700.
A man was shot repeatedly Saturday night in a west Houston apartment courtyard, according to police.

Some sort of argument started between two men around 9:30 p.m. in the second-floor walkway of an apartment complex near South Gessner and Town Park.

An older man in his 50s pulled out a gun and shot victim 28-year-old Enrique Espinoza three times, police said. Afterward, the shooter fled while the victim ran back into his unit.

The wounded man was rushed to the hospital in serious but stable condition with gunshot wounds to the legs and hip.
Metro Video

A 36-year-old man was shot to death Saturday night on a Westview apartment balcony, according to Houston police.

Julio Mole was rushed to the hospital just before 7 p.m. after he was shot multiple times on a second-story balcony in the 1500 block of Wirt.
A woman was shot in the chest near the Eden nightclub in west Houston early Sunday, according to police.

A dispute turned to gunfire around 3 a.m. in a parking lot across from the hotspot at Richmond and Unity.
UPDATE:

6:30 p.m.: Local media is reporting the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Richard Jose Concepcion has died from his wounds.

Sheriff's office officials did not return phone calls Sunday night.

11:40 a.m.: San Antonio police report homicide suspect Richard Jose Concepcion is being treated for a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being found in Guadalupe County. His 18-month-old son, Aaron Joseph Concepcion, was found unharmed.

Police say that Richard Concepcion is in grave condition.

ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES

A confrontation between an estranged couple ended in the death of a mother of three children and a manhunt for the father who police say fled with couple's 18-month-old son after shooting the woman, police say.

San Antonio police are searching for Richard Jose Concepcion, 37, who was last seen in a white 2016 Toyota Tundra, license plate GH58MH.

According to court records, Sarah Alexis Furey, 32, filed a petition to divorce Concepcion on Oct. 31, 2017.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said officers were responding to a call Sunday morning about 8 a.m., to the 10400 block of Arbor Bluff, for assistance in a child exchange when the call changed to shots fired.

RELATED: Deadly night on San Antonio streets as three killed in separate wrecks

When police arrived at the home, they discovered Furey shot dead at the doorstep of the home.

According to an Amber Alert, the child is Aaron Joseph Concepcion. McManus said Concepcion may be in the Seguin area.

Concepcion's Tundra has a specialty "bronze star" license plate. McManus confirmed Concepcion is a veteran of the U.S. Army and that police have contacted area military bases.

According to the Facebook account belonging to Concepcion, a photo posted Saturday shows him holding a certificate of discharge from the Army with the caption, "done!"

In the same Facebook page, Concepcion lists his birthplace as Eagle River, Alaska, and notes he joined the military in 2008.

RELATED: Horrific collision east of Bexar County leaves two dead

Officers have been called to the house several times for domestic issues in the past three months since the couple split-up, McManus said.

The estranged couple have two other children, but police say they were not involved in the incident. Police have not given any other details about the condition of the other two children.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "Stable Genius" and master of "The Art of the Deal" Donald Trump could make a deal to keep a porn star's mouth shut, but he couldn't make a deal to keep the U.S. Government he leads from shutting down.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that a month before the 2016 election, Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, set up Delaware shell company to pay porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money to deny having an affair with Trump in 2006, when he was married to Melania and she was pregnant with their son, Baron.

If any other evangelical-supported presidential nominee had paid hush money to a porn star, just before the election, it would have cost him the presidency. If such a story had come out about any other sitting president, it would have been a major scandal, dominating the news. But with Trump, it's just a passing shower, barely showing up on radar, not a storm.

Follow the money.

The reason the Stormy Daniels story is worth paying attention to is the money aspect. As with the Russian investigation, it's important to follow the money, and what payment of that money says about Trump's vulnerability to be compromised.

Based on what the Wall Street Journal has reported, Trump's lawyer took great effort to try and cloak the payment to Daniels. Yet to be uncovered and reported, is who and what was the source of the payment, and how many other women may have been paid. Did the money come from Cohen, Trump or bible-thumping Trump campaign donors?

The Stormy Daniels story also gives further credence to the Dossier reports that Trump may have been compromised by the Russians, either as the result of sexual escapades or financial deals. The alleged payoff to Daniels shows Trump is vulnerable to being compromised and willing to do what it takes to prevent being found out.

Stormy Government Shutdown.

"Stormy" is how you might expect First Lady Melania Trump would react to news of her husband paying hush money to a porn star. Stormy is also likely an apt description of Sens Graham, Schumer and Durbin's current relationship with Trump, Stephen Miller, John Kelly and Sen. Tom Cotton.

It's unlikely "Schumer Shutdown" moniker will be as effective for Trump as "Crooked Hillary" was.

Many Americans don't even know who Sen. Chuck Schumer is. But they do know Donald Trump is president and Schumer is not. They know they voted for Trump, in large part, because they thought he was a master at making deals.

In 2013, Trump told Fox News the president alone is responsible for any shutdown.

"Problems start from the top and they have to get solved from the top and the president's the leader. And he's got to get everybody in a room and he's got to lead.

When they (historians) talk about the government shutdown, they're going to be talking about the president of the United States, who the president was at the time.

They're not going to be talking about who was the head of the House, the head of the Senate, who's running things in Washington.

So I really think the pressure is on the president."

Senate leaders have good reason to doubt if they have a negotiating partner they can trust in the Trump administration.

Twice, Senate leaders thought they had reached a deal with Trump only to see him reverse himself.

First Graham and Durbin thought Trump had agreed to the outlines of a bipartisan deal, only to have Stephen Miller and John Kelly sabotage it with help from Sen Tom Cotton.

At Trump's invitation, Schumer went to the White House, and like Graham and Durbin before, thought Trump had agreed to the outlines of a deal, which included Democrats support for the wall, only to have Trump backtrack again, hours later.

Republican, Democrat and White House extremists shutdown needed.

The government shutdown will not benefit Republicans, Democrats or the Trump administration, it's a failure of leadership of all for giving into the extremists in their wings.

The Republican leadership has failed to stand up to the far-right in their ranks. Democrat leadership is giving sway to the far-left. Trump has reneged on two bipartisan deals because of the interference of his hard-right staffers like Stephen Miller. Extremists on the right and left in congress and the White House make compromise impossible.

Given how Trump's first year has played out, it seems almost fitting it finishes with a government shutdown.

Will Trump's second anniversary be marked by a shutdown of his presidency by the midterm elections and Mueller investigation?
LAKEWOOD, Ohio - Dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds and colors and their human companions enjoyed a Tails & Ales party 3-5 p.m. Jan. 20 at Bottlehouse Brewery and Mead Hall in Lakewood.

The event was organized by BarkHappy , a social app for dog lovers that offers information about dog-friendly events. It attracted attendees from Akron to Cleveland Heights, Parma, Lakewood and many other Greater Cleveland communities, Drdek said.

A large crowd plays doggy trivia and shares pet stories at Tails & Ales.

"It's like Facebook for dogs," said Savannah Drdek, senior event manager for BarkHappy.

She said the group plans monthly events so dog owners can meet socially. Often nonprofit groups partner with BarkHappy and share in the proceeds. Rescue Me Ohio , a nonprofit educational organization that is committed to improving the lives of companion animals, benefitted from the Jan. 20 event.

"We're very excited about the turnout for this event (Jan. 20)," Drdek said. About 70 tickets were sold. "All are welcome."

Blanco relaxes while his owner, Dorsena Drakeford of Parma, chats with other Tails & Ales attendees.

Tickets were $12 to $15 and included a free h

our of bowling at Mahall's, a coupon sheet from PetSmart Grooming and free food from nearby Woodstock BBQ. There also was a doggy trivia game organized by Jared Plotts, Bottlehouse general manager, and raffle prizes, a cash bar and some drink specials.

Plotts said before moving to Lakewood, he worked at MSPCA in Boston , the second-largest animal shelter in the country.

Theo, left, and his sister, Pooka, watch the action at the event.

"I have a deep love of dogs," Plotts said, adding that Bottlehouse, which is marking its second anniversary, is a dog-friendly establishment.

"We welcome families and dogs are a member of the family," he said. Groups are invited to host fundraisers at the brewery. "We don't charge a fee and you can bring in food, he said.

Drdek said all well-behaved dogs are welcome at BarkHappy events, but they must be leashed during the socials.

Christine Friscic, public relations coordinator for Rescue Me Ohio, said the nonprofit group has been hosting events since May 2017 at various locations to help raise awareness of and funds for its mission. This was its fourth social.

Staffing the registration table is Savanah Drdek of BarkHappy.

"We work hard to engage with the public through community outreach programs, events and social media in order to educate, as well as advocate for humane standards of care, adoption of shelter pets and the importance of spay/neuter," she said.

As the humans enjoyed beverages and refreshments, dogs greeted each other and sought some attention, especially from the youngsters in attendance.

The pooches ranged in size from a tiny chihuahua to an imposing 120-pound great Pyrenees. The youngest dog in attendance was a 9-week old German shorthair pointer named Bulliet who was enjoying some attention from Kathryn Lucchese of Parma.

Bottlehouse Brewery and Mead Hall in Lakewood hosted the dog-friendly benefit.

Blanco, the great Pyrenees, came with his owner, Dorsena Drakeford of Parma, a WKYC TV-3 reporter/anchor.

"I've only been here nine months, but I've taken him to quite a few events," she said. "I love that Cleveland is so dog friendly."

Around the corner from Blanco, Theo and Pooka, year-old corgi littermates, were relaxing near their owners, Shane Mattson and Becca Finley of Cleveland Heights.

"We went to the Spooky Pooch Parade (sponsored each October in downtown Lakewood by LakewoodAlive) and dressed them up," Mattson said, adding, "It was a lot of fun." He said it was their first time at a BarkHappy event.

Aria, a 3-year-old husky, stopped for a drink of water then visited with some youngsters as her owner, Taylor Mohnickey of Parma, looked on. "She loves kids," Mohnickey said, adding it was their first time at a BarkHappy event. "We like to go to any type of dog fundraiser," she said, adding that Aria likes being around other dogs and people.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Donald J. Trump campaigned for president he promised a get tough on immigration policy to rid the country of so-called bad hombres.

Since then, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it has focused its deportation efforts on those who pose a threat to safety. But it also has decided to round up those who are in the country illegally, even those who previously had permission to stay.

Numbers released by ICE and research by the University of Syracuse show how the policies are playing out:

More people (143,470) have been arrested for being in the country illegally during the current fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, than any of the last three reporting periods. Though, more arrests were made during the early years of the Obama administration.

In the ICE Detroit region that includes all of Ohio and Michigan, 36 percent more people were deported in the 2017 fiscal year than the last.

While arrests are up nationally, the actual number of deportations is down. ICE blames the decrease in a large backlog in the immigration court system that began during the Obama years.

About the same number of people without criminal backgrounds were arrested during the last two fiscal years.

The number of criminals arrested by ICE increased nationally by about 25 percent this year over the previous year. The largest block had criminal offenses relating to driving under the influence of alcohol, possession of drugs or some traffic violations such as speeding.

Locally, the number of people arrested who had previous criminal arrests or convictions jumped from 1,745 in the 2016 reporting period to 2,308 in the most recent fiscal year.

The number of people arrested in the local region in fiscal year 2017 who had no criminal background more than doubled from the previous fiscal year - from 476 to 1,101.

Immigration advocates see the increase as an indictment of the current administration's intention to deport as many of the "easy to catch" people as possible.

They note that this year many were arrested when they walked into ICE offices for their annual check-in. Instead of the usual interview, they were either taken into custody or affixed with ankle monitors and many were deported within weeks.

Many of them had been in the country for decades and had permission to stay, often to care for their families, and given work permits under the Obama administration.

"These folks were the low hanging fruit that were not causing problems," said Cleveland immigration lawyer David Leopold. "They had jobs, paid taxes, raised families and obeyed the law. Year after year they reported to ICE and year after year ICE allowed them to stay.

"There is no more discretion, humanity or, frankly, common sense from ICE. Almost everyone who reports, goes," he added.

Matthew O'Brien, director of research for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) said that argument is "absurd".

"The reason they are reporting to ICE in the first place is because they were illegal aliens with a final order for removal," he said. "The Obama administration chose to ignore the removal orders and allow them to stay here under ICE supervision...ICE is merely enforcing the immigration laws."

ICE spokesman Kaalid Walls said: "ICE continues to focus its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. However, as ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan has made clear, ICE does not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement.

"All of those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States," Walls continued. "All of ICE's enforcement activities are conducted with the highest levels of integrity and professionalism."

Trump supporters are quick to point out that the number of arrests this fiscal year are actually lower than the number of arrests during the first five years of the Barack Obama presidency when numbers ranged from 297,898 in 2008-2009 to a low of 183,704 in 2013-2014.

The number of people who were deported under Obama also is higher than recent years. In the 2011-2012 reporting period 409,849 were deported, according to ICE. This fiscal year, 226,119 people were deported, which is down 6 percent from the previous one.

ICE suggests that one reason for the decline might be that fewer people tried to cross the border from Mexico over the last few years and therefore, are not counted in deportation numbers.

"Many fewer aliens were apprehended at the border in fiscal year 2017 than in 2016 - possibly reflecting an increased deterrent effect from ICE's stronger interior enforcement efforts," ICE's website said.

ICE also notes that immediately after Trump took office, the number of deportations increased. From inauguration day (Jan. 20) through the end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30) 61,094 people were deported versus 44,512 during that same period in fiscal year 2016. Those figures do not include people who were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Border Patrol) which covers areas close to the United States borders.

Court backlog contributes to deportation decrease

ICE also says the decrease in deportations is due to a huge backlog in the number of cases in the immigration court system that came from the large numbers of arrests during the Obama administration.

According to research by the University of Syracuse, there are upwards of 650,000 people free on bond or sitting in jails awaiting resolution of their cases. About 8,000 are in the system in Ohio.

Basically, immigrants arrested who have not been deported before or are not under a previous deportation order have a right to appear before an immigration judge to argue their case. Typically, a person who has been deported before or who was stopped at the border coming in to the U.S. is jailed and put on a plane within weeks.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he plans to streamline the system and add more judges to make it run faster.

People like immigration lawyer Leopold worry that Sessions' efforts will turn the process into a "deportation assembly line, churning out final orders of removal regardless of an individual's right to asylum or other relieve from deportation under the law."

Getting rid of 'bad-hombres'

As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump made immigration a cornerstone of his campaign. To make a case for ramped-up deportation efforts, Trump appeared with victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants. He promised to remove 'bad-hombres' from the country.

A breakdown of national arrest figures shows that the number of people arrested by ICE with no previous arrests or criminal convictions this fiscal year was about equal to the number in the previous year.

The number of people arrested with criminal arrests for convictions rose by about 26 percent this reporting period compared to the previous fiscal year.

Critics note that the definition of criminal can include some traffic offenses, such as speeding or the common offense, driving without a license. This has been a long-standing rule. Immigration lawyers and immigrant rights supporters say that calling traffic offenses "criminal" is unfair since it leads people to believe the undocumented person committed serious crimes.

According to ICE, the largest block of those criminal offenses were for DUI (80,547) followed by drug charges (76,503) and then all traffic offenses (68,346). Compared to the number of people arrested for drunk driving, drug offenses, a much smaller number were charged with serious felonies such as homicide (1,886), kidnapping (2,027), robbery (5,619) or weapons offenses (11,173).
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Family, friends, community organizations and strangers all banded together Saturday evening to remember the life of a 21-year-old man who was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer at Corner Alley.

The same questions were posed throughout the night: What happened? Why did it happen? How could it happen?

The crowd demanded justice and answers in the death of Thomas Yatsko.

Candles were lit and the crowd marched in front of the popular bowling alley, bar and restaurant in University Circle. They held hands and chanted while lining up in front of the business. Many tears were shed as everyone gave their thoughts and prayers to Yatsko's family.

Yatsko, 21, was shot and killed Jan. 13 by 51-year-old Cleveland police Sgt. Dean Graziolli who was working as part-time security at the Corner Alley in University Circle.

"Yatsko came to enjoy an evening and now we come here and he's dead," said Khalid Samad, chief executive officer for Peace in the Hood and a cousin of Yatsko. "We want to know what happened. You don't get the death penalty for fighting in a bowling alley."

Samad wants to figure out how a man working as a police officer shot a man who doesn't have a criminal record.

"It sounds like murder," he said. "He (Yatsko) had no weapon. The officer had a gun, a taser and mace."

Yatsko got into a fight about 11 p.m. and bar employees kicked out Yatsko and the brawlers.

Graziolli escorted them outside, a police spokeswoman said.

Yatsko returned and attacked Graziolli, police said. Graziolli fired shots, killing Yatsko, police said.

Yatsko was taken to University Hospitals where he was pronounced dead.

Melissa Yatsko, his mother, sobbed as she read a statement at the vigil alongside loved ones.

"There are so many questions as to how this happened," she said. "It's about Thomas, it's about him."

Yatsko was a sweet man who found himself in the middle of a blended family, his grandmother, Patsy Congdonchurch said.

"He was sweet, joyful and thoughtful," she said. "We'll never know the why, but the family wants to know how."

Graziolli, a 26-year veteran of the department, suffered several injuries, including cuts and bruises on his head, face and body, the police supervisor's union said. He was taken to University Hospitals and was later released.

He was on administrative leave and is being placed on light-duty in the department's gym until the sheriff's investigation is finished, Cleveland Fraternal Order of Police President Brian Betley previously said.

Graziolli was disciplined seven times and has recieved two police department awards for exceptional work as a patrolman, according to his personnel file released Friday.

Yatsko's mother, Melissa, did not hear about her son being shot and killed until news reporters started calling her Tuesday morning.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office said they were unable to get a hold of family until Tuesday. Police say they took multiple steps to identify Yatsko.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Friday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Thousands of people rallied at Cleveland Public Square Saturday to promote women's rights and a host of political and social causes. Many also demonstrated against President Donald Trump, who was the target of many signs and effigies.

Dubbed the Women's March Northeast Ohio, the event featured speeches by activists and politicians, including Democrat Betty Sutton, who is gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray's running mate. The rally was followed by a march from Public Square to Cleveland City Hall and back. The march temporarily tied up traffic near the Cleveland Convention Center, which was hosting Tribe Fest and the Cleveland Tattoo Arts Expo.

Millions of women marched in cities across the country one year ago to protest President Trump's inauguration. An estimated 15,000 people participated in last year's march at Public Square. This year, millions of people again turned out around the country but fewer people participated in Cleveland's event than they did last year, according to an early estimate by Cleveland police.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jimmy Dimora, who has been sitting in federal prison since 2012, was a larger than life figure when he ruled as chairman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and served as an elected county commissioner.

He used his power and charm to deflect political opponents, subjugate sycophants and stymie annoying reporters.

Dimora walked with swagger, and why not? The rumors about him being less than squeaky clean were everywhere, but who was going to prove it?

That's where Ann Rowland, then the federal prosecutor in charge of the county corruption scandal, comes in. Rowland looks about as threatening as a grade school librarian.

By the time she and her fellow prosecutors, Antoinette Bacon and Nancy Kelley, were done with Dimora, a federal jury convicted him of racketeering and other corruption and bribery related charges. U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi then threw the book at him with a 28-year sentence. Prosecutors had asked for 22.

Rowland never stood atop the courtroom steps giving play-by-play on the progress of the government's case. "The only public speaking I've ever done is where I have facts I can prove beyond a reasonable doubt," she said. She talks to juries.

Ann Rowland retired after 37 years as a federal prosecutor.

But Rowland, 66, retired last week and, now away from the prosecutor's office, she agreed to meet me at a local coffee shop to chat about what she agrees is the biggest case of her 37-year career as a federal prosecutor in Cleveland.

The government secured more than five dozen convictions in the county corruption case, including Dimora's and former County Auditor Frank Russo, who was sentenced to 22 years but is likely to leave earlier because he cooperated with prosecutors. Dimora did not.

"He was in it up to his eyeballs," Rowland said flatly.

And lucky for the government, Dimora loved to talk on his phone.

"All these conversations between Dimora and Russo and contractors -- more conversations than you'd have with your wife in a week. It was unbelievable how much they talked on the phone," she said.

The wiretaps began in December 2007 and continued until fall 2008. In the end, nine phones were tapped. Around that time, Plain Dealer reporters were onto a story about patronage in the county, and Rowland said the government team, which included her office, the FBI and the IRS, were worried.

"When we started intercepting calls about this, we thought, 'They're going to stop talking on the phone.' But what they really did was lead us to all the areas where they were concerned. ... In some of the job-buying situations, they would say, 'Did they ask about so and so?' and it was a name we didn't know," she said.

The phone tap might never have happened had an agent working on another case not encountered Dimora's friend, contractor Steve Pumper, in a separate investigation of bribery involving a Cleveland building inspector. That got them permission to tap Pumper's phone.

"Within two weeks, we had enough to go up on Dimora," she said.

Another key piece was the cooperation of former county employee Kevin Kelley.

"Based on the wire, we predicted Kevin Kelley would be the one we wanted to flip and he did right away. He gave us schemes that we didn't know about. We were in a room with him for, I think, four days straight just after the searches (in July 2008)," she said. "He was smart enough, he would understand that we had them cold and that he could help himself."

An appeals court has upheld Dimora's conviction and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case, but he's hopeful that the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will lead to his exoneration.

Despite retiring, Rowland won't share her thoughts on that because it is pending. But even after a lifetime chasing corruption, she retires with a healthy belief in the goodness of most people, elected officials included.

"I am not jaded. I know there are public officials out there with nothing on their minds but doing the best for the public," she said. "We just have to keep being vigilant."
China launches two high-resolution optical remote sensing satellites, Jilin-1 Video 07 and 08, into the preset orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Jan. 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Yang Xiaobo)

JIUQUAN, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- China launched two high-resolution optical remote sensing satellites into a preset orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 12:12 p.m. Friday Beijing Time.

The two commercial satellites, Jilin-1 Video 07 and 08, were independently developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd., and will provide remote sensing data and products for government and industry users in conjunction with the eight previously launched Jilin-1 satellites.

In October 2015, four Jilin-1 commercial satellites were sent into space. In January 2017, Jilin-1 Video 03 was launched, and Jilin-1 Video 04, 05 and 06 were put into predetermined orbits in November last year.

Friday marked the fourth launch for the Jilin-1 satellite family, and the satellites were carried by a Long March-11 rocket. This was the 264th mission of the Long March rocket series.

It was also the 100th aerospace launch mission carried out by the Jiuquan center. Established in 1958, the center was China's first comprehensive space launch center and only manned space launch center.

Also at Friday's launch, four other small commercial satellites were on the Long March-11 rocket, including one for Canada.

The Long March-11 is a solid-propellant rocket and the only series in the Long March family that uses solid propellants. It has a length of 20.8 meters and a rocket diameter of 2 meters, much smaller than the normal liquid-propellant rockets in the Long March family.

Although it is smaller, it is capable of sending small scientific experimental satellites and commercial satellites into space, according to Peng Kunya, chief designer of the Long March-11.

As solid fuel can be stored inside the Long March-11 rocket for a long time, it takes less time for launch preparation compared with liquid-propellant rockets, which need fuel injection before launch.

Jin Xin, deputy commander of the rocket, said that the carrying capacity of the Long March-11 increased by 20 percent at Friday's launch compared to previous missions. [ "The rocket team will develop and produce larger solid-propellant carrier rocket for commercial use at lower cost," Jin said.

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>>> APPF-26 a great success: APPF Representative Honourary President

The following is the full text of the Hanoi Declaration:

HANOI DECLARATION

A New Vision for Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Partnership

1. We, the parliamentarians of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), gathered in Hanoi, Vietnam under the theme Parliamentary partnership: Peace, innovation and sustainable development. We endorsed this Hanoi Declaration to mark the 25th anniversary of APPF and chart out the course of development for the Forum towards 2030.

2. We recall the timely establishment of the APPF in 1993 to meet the demand for dialogue and cooperation of member countries and the region at the end of the Cold War.

Outstanding Achievements

3. We are pleased to note on the remarkable achievements that the APPF has attained in its twenty five years of development. The APPF has relentlessly pursued common goals of promoting dialogue and cooperation for peace, stability, prosperity in the region.

The APPF cooperation and dialogue have contributed to regional peace, stability, cooperation and development. The APPFs member countries have redoubled efforts to strengthen international cooperation on the basis of equality, mutual respect and benefits, respecting the principles of international law, toward a peaceful, stable and prosperous Asia-Pacific region.

APPF has supported and complemented efforts of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in promoting trade and investment liberalization through lowering tariffs, trade barriers, streamlining custom procedures, thus narrowing the development gap among members and reinforcing the multilateral trading system.

APPFs member countries have achieved encouraging results in implementing international sustainable development commitments, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the agreements under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Meeting of Women Parliamentarians, inaugurated at the 24th Annual Meeting of the APPF in Vancouver, henceforth will be held on the occasion of the APPF Annual Meeting in order to foster ongoing discussion and exchange of best practices and experiences related to topics of common interest to women parliamentarians and promoting gender equality in the region.

4. APPF has contributed to the common efforts of regional and international mechanisms, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), Pacific Basin Economic Council (PBEC), in maintaining the peaceful and stable environment for cooperation and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific and worldwide.

APPF in a fast-changing world

5. We recognise that the regional and global landscape and multilateralism are undergoing fundamental changes with many intertwined opportunities and challenges that have far-reaching impacts. Fundamental shifts worldwide are harder to foresee.

The political and security situation in the world, particularly in the region, have experienced complex developments with various underlying destabilising factors, in particular security threats which seriously influence regional and international peace, stability and prosperity exist in Asia-Pacific in spite of constant efforts by entire international community. Nationalism, populism and unilateralism are on the rise; flashpoints, regional conflicts, terrorism, territorial disputes, refugee crisis, cyber security, disasters and epidemics continue to present serious challenges.

Regional and global economic recovery is on track, yet economic integration has slowed down in many regions as protectionism has risen. Trade and investment have generated unprecedented prosperity in the Asia-Pacific, but barriers remain.

The multi-layered integration and cooperation trends as well as reforms and revitalisation of multilateral institutions have been actively pushed forward. Historic multilateral agreements such as the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change have brought fresh opportunities for development cooperation. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is expected to boost productivity, transform the linkages in global and regional value chains, but at the same time may contribute to increased inequality in the distribution of the benefits of growth and globalisation.

Against that backdrop, it is critical to maintain and further the role of multilateral forums in the regional architecture and in addressing those intertwined challenges.

6. We acknowledge that the APPF is at a critical transforming juncture and the Forum needs to reform to better serve the need for dialogue and cooperation among members and for increased contribution to international and regional multilateral cooperation, including the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Parliamentary partnership for a shared future of the Asia-Pacific Community

7. Building on the achievements of the APPF and leveraging on the opportunities of the digital age and globalisation, we believe that APPF will shape a strategic and an aspirational vision, thus contributing to maintaining and reinforcing peace, stability and prosperity in the region, as well as promoting multilateral efforts to cope with new challenges. To realise that vision, we reaffirm that peace, stability and security are prerequisites for sustainable development.

8. In an ever more connected region, we maintain as an important objective of our engagement the increased participation of women, youth, and Indigenous communities across the political, economic and social spheres as well as the greater inclusiveness of our societies for our mutual benefit.

9. We commit to further the APPFs mandate and build up a responsible parliamentary partnership towards a shared Asia-Pacific communitys future of peace, stability, innovation, interconnected and sustainable development. We highlight a partnership underpinned by the seven principles on the relations among Asia Pacific countries as mentioned in the Vancouver Declaration, the Tokyo Declaration, and the Pacific Basin Charter reflected in the Valparaiso Declaration.

10. We underscore the commitments made by member parliaments to the common goals and shared benefits, on the basis of the principles of respect for independence and sovereignty, territorial integrity, political, cultural, religious diversity, placing particular emphasis on the rule of law and the international law.

11. We reaffirm our commitment to promote cooperation in the spirit of frank and constructive dialogue, tolerance, harmony, mutual support, respect for the fundamental principles of the United Nations and international law.

That the APPF member countries continue to pioneer in maintaining peace, stability and security in the region and worldwide, preventing conflicts and seeking solutions to end conflicts, promoting dialogue, building trust, respecting international law, norms and standards.

Underlining the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation, maritime and aviation safety and security; calling on countries to resolve differences and disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law and norms and relevant agreements, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Strengthening dialogue and joint actions to address non-traditional security threats, including food security, energy security; enhancing cooperation on sustainable management of natural resources, including integrated management and sustainable use of land, forest, ocean and water resources, through joint efforts and trans-boundary cooperation.

Strengthening cooperation on disaster risk reduction and response, post-disaster recovery, in such areas as policy framework improvement, innovation, science and technology, facilitation of uninterrupted business, early warning systems, search and rescue.

Highlighting the importance of APPF member countries contribution to common efforts in preventing and countering terrorism and extremism.

12. We support the efforts and encourage APPF member countries to implement the following actions to promote sustainable and inclusive development and strengthening regional economic integration.

Urging and monitoring the Governments of APPF member countries to redouble efforts and coordination in implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Fully mobilising resources for investment projects in clean technology, energy-saving technology; showing responsibility and contributing to international efforts in mitigating the impacts of climate change to Asia-Pacific region and worldwide.

Advancing structural reform, business facilitation; promoting economic, financial and social inclusion, quality human resources, job and skill training and education with an aim to enhancing capacity of the labour force in the digital age.

Enhance cooperation to further free and open trade and investment toward the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP); building a comprehensively connected and integrated Asia-Pacific; promoting quality and resilient infrastructure, sub-region and remote area connectivity.

Reaffirming commitment to support the rules-based, free, open, transparent and inclusive multilateral trading system; commit to urging the Governments to refrain from introducing new protectionist measures.

Strengthening cooperation to capitalize on the potential of the digital and internet economy, including through facilitating e-commerce and digital trade; enhancing services competitiveness.

Strengthening Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) innovation, facilitating MSMEs access to finance, technology and management; fostering policies and legal frameworks for start-ups and womens leadership role in MSMEs.

Enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture, increasing agricultural productivity and resilience in response to climate change.

13. We underscore the importance of reforming APPFs procedures in making policies, implementing resolutions and agenda, as well as the Executive Committees membership and operation. We reaffirm our commitment in reforming APPF for the Forum to be more adaptive to the fast-changing regional and global landscape.

14. In a world where countries are more interconnected and interdependent, we commit to promoting the coordination and synergy between the APPF and other parliamentary forums and regional, international institutions in dealing with regional issues with concrete initiatives and actions to strengthen linkages between APPF and other regional institutions, toward a strategic vision which contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in the region. With this in mind, we welcome the tangible outcomes of the APEC Vietnam 2017 in upholding the core values of APEC of free and open trade and investment and its continued support for the multilateral trading system. We support APECs leadership in addressing global economic challenges and building regional economic structure. We congratulate the ASEAN for its 50th anniversary and welcome ASEANs contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.
That, they say, means one of two things is true: The brain injury changed her personality overnight and turned her into a sex-crazed fiend, or she managed to scam the courts with the world's most hilariously implausible disability. We talked to her and found that the reality is, as usual, more interesting than the clickbait headlines ...

Alissa Afonina is internet-famous today as the woman who won a huge lawsuit after a car accident turned her into a dominatrix . We realize that reads like a nonsense string of words, which is why tabloids couldn't resist the headline. The story goes that she was a good student on the path to a promising career, when a car accident gave her brain damage. Suddenly she was posting half-naked photos of herself, and soon she was doing professional sex work.

5 The Truth Is Weird, But The Tabloids Couldn't Resist Making It Weirder

For the rest of her life, headlines like this will turn up when anyone searches Afonina's name:

The Daily Mail

The popular narrative goes something like this, per The NY Post:

Alissa Afonina, 23, of Burnaby, British Columbia, said in court papers that she was a bookish teen at the top of her high school class until a pickup truck she was riding in ran off the road and she bumped her head.

The resulting brain damage caused a loss of 'impulse control,' turning her into a sex-crazed wild child -- and leading her to sex work, say the court documents, filed in British Colombia Supreme Court.

First off, it was a bit more than a bump on the head. Alissa's accident caused significant damage to her frontal lobe, which we all kind of need to operate as human beings. It controls motor function, judgement, impulse control, and the way we behave socially and sexually. So yes, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can change people's personalities on a dime. A 35-year Swedish study found a significant uptick in violent criminality among those who had suffered TBI (another study found that more than 20 percent of serial killers have such injuries in their past). More than half of TBI sufferers experience depression -- a rate eight times higher than among the general population.

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Alissa was in that last group, and struggled with intense depression and anxiety in the wake of her accident. Of course, that's not what the press focused on during her lawsuit. Here's Cosmo's tasteful take:

Can a car accident lead you to Fifty Shades of Grey territory? That's what one lawsuit claims. An accident victim filed suit for damages in Canada, and one of the arguments was that her resulting brain damage led to her career as a dominatrix.

Each story asserted that Afonina was claiming her "bump" on the head took away her sense of reason and unleashed her basest carnal desires, wiping out her old personality altogether. That's a promising plot for an extremely high-concept porno, but not necessarily something that happens in the real world.
Today legendary country star Dolly Parton turns 72 years old. Shes known for her distinctive voice, build, and that blonde hedge of hair that seems to climb closer to God as the years go by.

Born in 1946, Parton began her musical career picking on a guitar in her family's bare bones home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

RELATED: Dolly Parton reveals the hilarious reason she never had kids

She began performing songs in front of audiences at just 10 years old. She turned 18 and moved to Nashville for good.

"Probably the best birthday I ever had was when I turned 18, because I had been traveling back and forth to Nashville all those years before, and I knew my Daddy would send a posse after me if I left before I was 18," she says on her website.

The rest is country music history, likely blaring out of a dive bar jukebox or a classic country radio station somewhere. You've woken up to "9 to 5" and probably broken up to "I Will Always Love You" at some point.

RELATED: The story behind Janis Joplin's landmark hit 'Me and Bobby McGee'

By her count she says she's written thousands of songs.

Earlier this week the she earned accolades from the Emmys, the Guinness World Records camp, and the Recording Industry Association of America.

The Guinness folks recognized her for having the "Most Decades with a Top 20 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Songs Chart" and "Most Hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs Chart by a Female Artist".

The Emmys (namely the The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) honored her for her 2016 telethon, Smoky Mountains Rise, which raised money for Tennesseans impacted by wildfires.

Gary Fountain/Gary Fountain/For the Chronicle

The RIAA awarded her with four plaques this week, including gold records for "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You". Additionally her song "9 to 5" earned a platinum award for over 1 million streams and downloads.

RELATED: The most anticipated concerts in Houston for 2018

Since Whitney Houston's recording of the Parton-penned "I Will Always Love You" just racked up 3 million streams and downloads, she got another plaque for that.

Shes also Miley Cyrus godmother. By the way Miley does a great version of "Jolene" in her own right.

Fun fact: Parton once entered a Dolly look-alike contest and lost. Imagine that.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. He's an intolerable native Texan with too much ink in his skin and too much brisket stuck in his teeth.
BRIDGEPORT  Ask Daniel Maloney, 26, about chocolate, and he digs into his knapsack for a slender bar wrapped in gold foil.

You are going to like this, he said with a wide grin, holding up the bar and talking about its notes of raspberry, cherry and citrus as if he was describing a fine wine.

A 2009 graduate of Central High School and 2013 graduate of Fairfield University, Maloney has a degree in electrical engineering and a job as a construction manager in Manhattan.

He identifies, however, as a chocolatier and credits his success to a program he joined as a teen.

At the Bridgeport Holiday Inn on Jan. 9 to address a Mentoring for Academic Achievement and College/Career Success  or MAACS  reunion, Maloney told fellow alumni of the college prep program that with enough effort, everyone has the capability to follow multiple passions.

Each and every one of us has the capability to create a luxury product. To tell a story and transform an emotion. Basically anything is possible if you are willing to sacrifice, be flexible and do the work, Maloney said.

Along with older brothers Dominic and Nicholas  who also graduated from Bridgeport high schools  Maloney runs Sol Cacao, a bean-to-bar craft chocolate factory in the South Bronx. They do so juggling their day jobs: While Daniel manages construction contracts, Dominic is a biotechnologist and Nicholas is a registered nurse.

The three run their chocolate business out of a 2,000-square-foot-factory for six to eight hours after they get off work.

It was something they had talked about doing for years and finally made a reality in March 2015.

Even in college, I knew I was going to be doing this, said Maloney. I love chocolate and every step of the process from how it is grown to how it should be enjoyed.

The brothers were born on Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean islands filled with cacao trees. Their great-grandfather planted cacao trees. Their great-grandmother was a cinnamon farmer.

Growing up, we didnt have much, but we always ate well, Maloney recalls.

The family moved to New York when the boys were young and then to Bridgeport in 2004 when Maloney was in the seventh-grade.

He attended Dunbar, then Central Magnet School. In his senior year, he was introduced to MAACS through Jessica Bromberg, then a coordinator of the program.

Sponsored by the Bridgeport Public Education Fund, MAACS pairs participants with mentors who stick with them through college, helping them with adjustment issues, finances and fitting into college.

MAACS made me realize the importance of attending college, Maloney said. I always find myself looking back at the past wondering how life would have turned out without the support of my mentors.

Maloneys mentor was Antonio Musto, a couple of years older than Maloney and a student at Fairfield University. Musto is why Maloney ended up at Fairfield.

Getting real time insight on what college is like makes a difference, Marge Hiller, director of the fund, said.

To date, the MAACS program has provided mentoring to more than 6,000 students and has a success rate of 95 percent of its students going on to college.

Maloney viewed college as an opportunity to think critically and creatively. He wanted to create something other people werent really doing.

It took years of research and trial and error to perfect their recipes, settling on two ingredients: cacao beans  sourced from farmers in Madagascar, Ecuador and Peru  and raw cane sugar.

Craft chocolate is all about letting the bean speak for itself, said Maloney. Less is more. You will be impressed with how much flavor we are able to generate.

Maloney said his goal is to demystify the chocolate-making process and introduce palates to dark chocolate that tastes differently.

He does not want to be the next Hershey. Hershey, he said, is mostly fat and sugar.

Hershey disrupts the pallet and confuses people to what chocolate really is, he said.

The brothers sell Sol Cacao online and in markets throughout New York City, along with a smattering of shops from Massachusetts to Oregon. They are also working on opening a retail space and a cacao tea recipe.

Sol Cacao, as of yet, can not be found in Connecticut, where many people, Maloney said, still do not understand the $8 a bar price point.

In New York, home to five bean-to-bar chocolate makers, it is less of a learning curve.

People appreciate it for the experience, he said. It is something special.
Bradley Cooper was born on 5 January 1975 in Pennsylvania and attended acting school in New York. He was nominated for his first Oscar in 2012 for his leading role in the movie Silver Linings Playbook. He received his second nomination in 2014 for a supporting role in American Hustle. He received two nominations as an actor and producer in 2015 for his critically acclaimed role in American Sniper. Cooper was nominated for a Tony award in 2014 for the play, The Elephant Man which he previously performed at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and later went on to perform in Londons West End. Cooper made his commercial breakthrough with the lead role in the comedy, The Hangover. This October, Cooper will make his directorial debut with A Star is Born playing opposite Lady Gaga in which he also wrote alongside, Will Fetters and Eric Roth. The film will be released on 5 October 2018 by Warner Brothers.

Bradley Cooper and Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC, at the gala evening during the SIHH  IWC

In 2014, Cooper started The Bradley Charles Cooper Foundation with a pilot program, The Charles J. Cooper Patient Support Fund, which aims to bring care coordination, financial assistance and support to patients diagnosed with cancer and their families all over the country.
To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry.

Disclaimer

Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes.
And still it goes on, the rumbustious pantomime of insult and egotism that first rolled into the White House one year ago, when businessman and reality television star Donald Trump found himself inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.

Many will find it fitting that the very weekend Trump celebrates his first anniversary in Washington, American government itself has ground to a halt amid an acrimonious budget stand-off.

No doubt the 'very stable genius' will take the opportunity to lash out once again at those who oppose him.

Historian ANDREW ROBERTS (pictured) is the biographer and Napoleon and Churchill

Doubtless, too, his several million critics will rejoin battle with a man whose reputation is mired in allegations of collusion with a foreign power  a 'p****-grabbing', potty-mouthed leader of the Free World who denounced Mexicans as rapists, and is said to have dismissed a range of poverty-stricken nations as 's***holes'.

A vain egotist who has pushed the planet to the brink of nuclear conflagration.

Yet for all that we decry Trump as an oaf who should never have stood for office with such nugatory credentials  and it is true I described him as a clown before the election  here is the real surprise: he has not been the disaster many predicted.

Indeed he has (whisper it quietly) made rather a success of it.

Indeed he has (whisper it quietly) made rather a success of it

Compared to Obama's last years in office, President Trump made a number of important gains which would categorically not have been achieved by his predecessor.

Take the $1.5 trillion tax cut, for example.

It has already persuaded Apple to repatriate hundreds of billions to the US and pay a $38 billion tax bill, opening the prospect of other American companies unleashing an avalanche of money hitherto kept overseas into the US economy.

Trump's choices  after several bad mis-steps  for his top officials has now produced an excellent team in the White House, Pentagon and elsewhere.

General James Mattis was always going to be a giant in the Defense Department, but General John F. Kelly as Chief of Staff and Steve Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary are also significantly superior to Obama's lacklustre team.

Compared to Obama's last years in office, President Trump made a number of important gains which would categorically not have been achieved by his predecessor.

Trump's overturning of Obama's threat to put a post-Brexit Britain 'at the back of the queue' in future trade deals was welcome, as was his decision finally to recognise the reality of where the Israeli government has geographically been for decades, and move the US Embassy to Jerusalem.

He did that in the face of threats of a revolt across the Middle East that has completely failed to materialise.

Moreover, the military onslaught on Islamic State has been devastating in city after recaptured city, though not yet terminal as some have made out.

The decision to de-fund Unesco, which had become so ideologically vicious that it even officially stated that the Jews were not historically connected to King Solomon's temple, was long overdue.

Then there is the fact that some of the more contentious promises have been shelved.

For Trump seems not to be building the massive wall he promised on the Mexican border, at least not in the way that it was originally envisaged.

He did not manage to get through the repeal of Obamacare that he wanted, thereby not inflaming tens of millions of poorer Americans.

Nor should one assume that projected defeats for Republican candidates in the mid-term elections on November 6 will mean that Trump will not win the presidency again in 2020.

One should now assume that projected defeats for Republican candidates in the mid-term elections on November 6 will mean that Trump will not win the presidency again in 2020

Obama got what he candidly called a 'shellacking' in the mid-terms in 2010, but then went on to win re-election comfortably in 2012, and there have been many other examples further back in history.

Americans treat their midterm elections rather like we treat by-elections and council elections  largely as opportunities to punish the incumbent government for short- term reasons, rather than signal the way we will vote in a general election.

If the US economy continues to improve, not least because of Trump's widespread deregulation, there is no reason why he could not be re-elected in 2020.

The Democrats are perfectly capable of choosing another terrible candidate to stand against him, as they did with Hillary Clinton.

That is why it is profoundly irresponsible of Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) and Sadiq Khan to be so hostile to a visit from the leader of our closest ally.

If they select Bernie Sanders or the equally Left-wing Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, they would throw the election to Trump in the same way they did in 2016.

It is, therefore, not impossible that we have just seen the first of eight years of a Trump presidency, not least because Special Investigator Robert Mueller's probe into Russian links seems to have gone nowhere.

That is why it is profoundly irresponsible of Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan to be so hostile to a visit from the leader of our closest ally.

Once again, Corbyn has shown how unfit he is to run British foreign policy.

Some things are more important than his next soundbite, and 70 years of the mutually beneficial Special Relationship with the USA is one of them.

By contrast, Theresa May deserves credit for trying to patch up the Special Relationship in Davos, despite Trump's totally unconscionable retweeting of a British neo-fascist group's discredited video.

Some things are more important than his next soundbite, and 70 years of the mutually beneficial Special Relationship with the USA is one of them

Needless to say, it would be great if President Trump could control the tweeting thumbs on those huge hands of his, but that seems wildly unlikely.

The mine-is-bigger-than- yours diplomacy towards North Korea was painful to watch as a friend of America's, but at least Trump was unwilling to ignore the issue of Kim Jong Un in the way Obama did for eight years.

Having met President Trump, I can attest to his planet-sized ego, but the fact remains that we have to make the best of what we have got, possibly until January 2025.

It is not fake news to say that, for all the vulgarity, aggression and offensiveness, what he has actually done this past year is by no means all bad, and some of it might turn out to be very good.

People you like can do things you don't, but we should remember that vice versa is also true.
An overheard aside by John McDonnell as Jeremy Corbyn paused to take a photograph of a rainbow over the London Eye on Monday will do nothing to quash rumours that the Shadow Chancellor has his eyes on the Labour leaders job. Ah, there goes Jeremy, always looking for the pot of gold, muttered Mc the Knife as Jezza took the snap.

Mutterings suggest John McDonnell may have his eye on the job of PM

When Emmanuel Macron arrived 45 minutes late for his pub lunch with Theresa May, it was all the fault of a Boris bus. One of the vehicles carrying the French presidents entourage was a bus provided by the Foreign Office which  foot to the floor  struggled to go much above 50mph, forcing Macrons limo to crawl along the motorway.

A Boris bus caused Macron to arrive for a meeting with Theresa May 45 minutes late

The fragile Victorian furnishings of the Commons were no match for Labours Ruth Smeeth as she barged out of PMQs last week after yet another Jeremy Corbyn flop at the Dispatch Box. Barrelling into the Members Lobby like Clint Eastwood in a Western saloon bar, the Stoke MP made one of the wooden doors come clean off its hinges  prompting flunkies to come scurrying to inspect the damage.

Did David's turtles get May out of her shell?

Theresa Mays new hug a husky-style conversion into an eco-warrior has been influenced by our greatest living naturalist himself. Sir David Attenborough  whose heartstring-tugging turtles in Blue Planet II showcased the problems of plastic waste  slipped into No10 recently to lobby for more action on ocean detritus.

David Attenborough's Blue Plant II may have swayed Theresa May towards eco-friendly policy

Dog hopes the conversation did not stray on to Brexit, which Sir David, above, compares to spitting on the face of the EU

New Education Secretary and Robin Williams lookalike Damian Hinds will have his work cut out trying to win over truculent school staff. One of his wheezes when he worked for a Westminster think-tank was to force teachers to sit maths and English exams to test if they are up to scratch themselves. See how that goes down with the Trots at NUT conference this Easter.

Meacher's lazy days

Reflecting on threats by pro-Corbyn activists to sack lazy Labour MPs who neglected their constituencies, it is just as well they werent around when the late Michael Meacher was Oldham Labour MP.

The late Labour MP for Oldham Michael Meacher made few visits to his constituency home

Michael made so few visits, the Christmas lights in his constituency home were still up in July, said a Labour veteran.

You cant accuse Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson, seen by some as Vince Cables successor, of being shy. An invitation to attend a speech by her proclaims: Jo will discuss her career, her book, her policies in Government and those she seeks to implement in future. Itll be like hearing Barack Obama in 2003.

Our revelation that every member of the Commons committee overseeing the bloated HS2 project had received a knighthood has done wonders for recruitment to a new committee being set up to scrutinise plans to extend the line. A source said: They are queuing round the block, despite it being as boring as sin. I cant imagine why.
Egypts Court of Cassation upheld Saturday death sentences passed down on three defendants over the murder of a high-ranking police officer in rural Kerdasa town in September 2013 in the aftermath of Islamist president Mohamed Morsis ouster.

The court commuted four other death sentences to life imprisonment in the same case. It also confirmed 10-year jail sentences on five others.

The defendants were convicted of the September 2013 murder of police officer Nabil Farag as well as the attempted murder of other police officer during a subsequent raid by security forces on terrorist hideouts in Kerdasa. They were also convicted of possessing arms and explosives manufactured to use against the state.

Saturdays ruling comes following an appeal against death sentences passed down in the case on seven defendants in September 2016.

Kerdasa is known to be a stronghold of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group.

Short link:


When the Carillion signboards began to appear on building sites in the Blair era, I suspected something fishy was going on. Carillion wasn't a real word.

It wasn't anyone's name and it didn't mean anything. And it probably wasn't really a company either.

I knew I was supposed to believe that the Thatcher era had begun a new age of freedom, but it looked to me more like a new age of money-making, in which nobody was really responsible for anything any more.

And so it is. Complain to the BBC about one of its biased programmes, and your complaint is actually handled by an outfit called Capita. I say handled. I mean stonewalled.

I am not sure if any of the responsible people at the BBC ever even find out that a complaint has been made against them. They certainly don't change their ways.

When the Carillion signboards began to appear on building sites in the Blair era, I suspected something fishy was going on. Carillion wasn't a real word, writes Peter Hitchens

Somehow the same outfit is also in charge of the great failure which is Army recruiting.

And I think this versatile body pursues the parents of children who play truant from schools.

Ah, yes, schools. They are mostly 'academies' now, run by mysterious 'trusts' and financed by a government office which is almost impossible to find or question.

As far as I can see, when a school becomes an 'academy', the first thing that happens is the head teacher buys a big new house  in the same way that directors of privatised rail-operating companies often seem to acquire villas in the Caribbean.

This could explain why my train this morning (supposed to be an eight-carriage express) was replaced by a burbling three-car rail bus, without apology or explanation.

Rivers of public gold can be poured quite legally into the pockets of people who do not seem to do anything especially good in return for the huge payments they attract.

What is so good about all this? I'm sick of hearing about how long it took to get a telephone in the days of nationalisation.

So it did, but that was partly because it was just before new technology allowed a huge expansion in phone lines.

And have these people tried getting anything out of free, privatised BT? If you want any formerly public service, it's now always an agency or a service company or a call centre.

Actually, I like the public sector, the old sort, of town clerks, coal boards and men in peaked caps.

I long for the return of British Rail. I see no benefits in privatised water or power

I long for the return of British Rail. I see no benefits in privatised water or power.

For me the lost ideas of public responsibility are symbolised by the glorious old Thames Conservancy, which used to keep that great river in order, patrolling it in beautifully varnished Edwardian launches.

Fallen trees were swiftly removed, and tributary channels were dredged. Now there's some 'agency'.

And since this happened, my home town is hit by floods far more often than it used to be, no doubt because dredging contributes in some way to global warming.

It's all power without responsibility, spending without accountability, greed without restraint.

The supposed freedom is accompanied by the greatest assault on free speech and thought in modern times (in the name of equality).

It looks to me like the ugly love child of Margaret Thatcher and Deng Xiaoping, and I wish it had never been born.

A tuneful cry for help from Kim's favourite girl band

Having visited North Korea, and found it crumbling, militarily decrepit and kept going mainly by copious quantities of fiery rice spirit, I have decided that all its actions are really a shout for help, hoping to be rescued from China by the USA.

Plans by Kim Jong Un to deploy his hand-picked Moranbong Band in South Korea, on a new charm offensive, suggest that the hermit states leader is more humorous and diplomatic than we may have guessed.

The band look rather like Pyongyangs hypnotically lovely female traffic police, who conduct the capitals sparse traffic with graceful gestures, day and night  another example of how North Korea isnt quite what we think it is, and may in fact be something else altogether.

Charm offensive: One of North Korea's Moranbong band performing on stage

Many months ago I tried to find out the basis in fact for a scene in the film Denial, a broadly factual account of Deborah Lipstadt's well-deserved court victory over the Holocaust-denying alleged historian David Irving.

The scene showed Dr Lipstadt (played by Rachel Weisz) at a press conference, more or less equating disgusting Holocaust denial with reasonable doubt about man-made global warming.

I wasn't convinced this had happened, and asked Dr Lipstadt if she had any record of saying the words.

After some months, she courteously conceded that she could find no such record. So where had the words come from?

Many months ago I tried to find out the basis in fact for a scene in the film Denial. It showed Dr Lipstadt (played by Rachel Weisz, pictured) at a press conference, more or less equating disgusting Holocaust denial with reasonable doubt about man-made global warming

She urged me to contact Sir David Hare, the film's very grand scriptwriter.

I called Sir David's agents, and also wrote to him at all of his known addresses, asking for the origin of the scene.

I do not seem to have had any reply. Given that this was a film about truth, I find this unsatisfactory.

Why must films do this sort of thing? The overpraised, oddly dull and damp Churchill drama Darkest Hour is likewise full of departures from the known truth, some of which seem to me to be designed to fit in with modern prejudices.

If you want to make up stories, call it fiction. Don't pretend it is history.

We're ignoring the real evil behind terrorism

In this column on April 16, 2017, I said it was likely that Khalid Masood, the Westminster killer who murdered four pedestrians and a police officer, was in fact on steroids, which are increasingly correlated with outbreaks of crazed rage.

Other mass killers and violent rampagers known to have been on steroids include the Norwegian Anders Breivik, the Orlando mass killer Omar Mateen, and violent criminals David Bieber and Raoul Moat.

I was right. Tests on Masood's urine have now proved he was indeed high on anabolic steroids when he committed his crimes.

Tests on Khalid Masood's (pictured) urine have now proved he was indeed high on anabolic steroids when he committed his crimes

But nobody wants to know about the clear link between the use of mind-altering drugs and mass killings.

Empire-building 'security services' and enemies of freedom who want more surveillance are determined to blame these events on elaborate terror conspiracies which cannot be shown to exist.

We are constantly told about a mysterious jihadi WhatsApp message supposedly viewed by Masood. But ask for actual details of it, and see what you get.

Imagine what would have happened if, after the Appeal Court had found (say) the Birmingham Six innocent, the Home Secretary had said: 'I still think there's a significant cloud over their names. I'm not letting them go.'

Well, this is how the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is behaving over Bishop George Bell, wrongly accused of child abuse and cleared last month by a devastating report.

Lord Carlile QC, who reviewed the case, says that had Bishop Bell been alive when the accusations were made, 'there would have been absolutely no chance of him being convicted'.

This is how the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby (pictured), is behaving over Bishop George Bell, wrongly accused of child abuse and cleared last month by a devastating report

But the Archbishop refuses to accept that his Church was mistaken when it publicly condemned Bishop Bell.

Now a group of powerful historians and another group of international church leaders have written sternly to Mr Welby, telling him to accept the verdict.

Is he big enough to climb down? We shall see. But if not, is he big enough for his throne?

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Fashion designer Yiota Kouzoukas, who suffers from endometriosis, has given birth to a baby boy named Connor.

The 29-year-old and her husband George Kouzoukas welcomed their first child into the world shortly before 2pm on January 17.

The proud new mother, from Brisbane, shared intimate photographs showing her bundle of joy after he was born weighing 3.32 kilograms.

'We have never felt love like this before ever and we know how blessed we are to have such a beautiful and healthy baby boy now in our lives,' she said.

Australian fashion designer Yiota Kouzoukas has given birth to a baby boy named Connor

The 29-year-old woman showing off her incredibly tiny baby bump at nine months pregnant

Her husband George explained the meaning behind their newborn son's name.

'Connor, is in honour of both our Dads' names with a bit of a modern twist,' he said.

'Our Dads played such an influential role in both our lives, and we couldn't wait to give our son such a special piece of his family through his name.'

The co-owner of Sabo Skirt announced her pregnancy in August after she revealed her struggles to conceive due to complications from endometriosis.

The crippling condition prevents women from falling pregnant because the tissue, which usually grows within the uterus grows outside the uterus.

The proud new mother shared intimate photographs showing her son, born weighing 3.32kg

The 29-year-old and her husband welcomed their first child into the world on January 17

After undergoing surgery in February last year to get most of her endometriosis removed, the woman said the procedure gave her a better chance to conceive.

And against all odds, Yiota fell pregnant.

During her pregnancy, she experienced a smaller than average baby bump because the debilitating condition 'anchors' her uterus further inside her body.

'I had a lot of people come to me with a lot of questions about the size of my bump and my pregnancy journey after experiencing Endo,' Yiota said.

'Connor is very healthy and already such a happy boy which just goes to show that every body, and every pregnancy is completely different.'

Following a five-and-a-half-hour labour, Yioti said she's recovering well as she enjoys the beginning of motherhood with her brood.

'We can't wait to share Connor with everyone,' she said.

'But first we are very excited to enjoy these special moments that come with a new birth with our loved ones, we know this time will turn into life long memories.'

Following a five-and-a-half-hour labour, Yioti said she's recovering well as she enjoys the beginning of motherhood with her brood

Yiota (right), is the co-owner of fashion label, Sabo Skirt, with her sister, Thessy (also pictured)

What is endometriosis? * Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus  the endometrium  grows outside it. * Endometriosis most commonly involves your ovaries, fallopian tubes and the tissue lining your pelvis. * With endometriosis, displaced endometrial tissue continues to act as it normally would  it thickens, breaks down and bleeds with each menstrual cycle. * Endometriosis can cause pain  sometimes severe  especially during your period. Fertility problems also may develop. Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement

The birth announcement comes just weeks after Yioti stunned more than 200,000 of her Instagram followers after she showed off her incredibly tiny baby bump.

'For the first four months of my pregnancy, my uterus was retroverted which means that I was growing backwards into my body rather than outwards,' she previously told Daily Mail Australia.

'Most people with this type of uterus tilt forward at around 12 weeks and continue growing outwards like you normally would.

'My uterus didn't 'flip forward' until well into being four months pregnant because of the backwards tilted position paired with decade old endometriosis scarring that I have on my uterosacral ligaments.'

'Basically, these ligaments are acting like anchors keeping my uterus 'inside' rather than 'outside', which is why I appeared smaller than most people for the first four or five months.'

Yiota suffers from crippling endometriosis, which meant originally that she couldn't conceive until the endometriosis was removed and her uterus was 'anchored' further inside her body (pictured at the beginning of her pregnancy journey and at five months pregnant)

'For the first four months of my pregnancy, my uterus was retroverted which means that I was growing backwards into my body rather than outwards,' Yiota told FEMAIL (pictured)

The 29-year-old has documented all of her symptoms, which include migraines (pictured over the course of her pregnancy)

However, Yiota has remained tiny throughout her pregnancy, documenting her bump with regular Instagram posts and updates.

Just last month, the 29-year-old posted an 'overdue bump update' in which she explained that her little one is 'five pounds already'.

'My torso is also short and my stomach is naturally toned which is keeping my belly super tight, so I've had to personally stop all ab exercises to avoid any issues with possible ab separation,' she wrote on social media around the six-month mark.

Yiota has also posted about her migraines throughout, writing: 'My migraines are muscle/scar tissue related from multiple car accidents, so I usually stay on top of them with remedial massage, physio and regular exercise'.

The reason why Yiota (pictured early on and six months into her pregnancy) has shared her story is to encourage others to know more about endometriosis

'My torso is short and my stomach is naturally toned which is keeping my belly tight, so I've had to stop all ab exercises to avoid issues with possible ab separation,' Yiota (pictured) said

She said they wanted to garner support as endometriosis can leave people feeling alone (pictured before and when she first announced her pregnancy)

Her sister-in-law Thessy Kouzoukas, also co-owner of Sabo Skirt, has been battling Stage 4 endometriosis.

By sharing her story, Yioti said she wanted other women to draw hope from her endometriosis experience.

'I wanted to get behind my sister-in-law Thessy whose endometriosis is quite severe at the moment,' she told FEMAIL.

'We wanted to raise awareness about the condition. It's important to get support. Endometriosis does leave people feeling isolated.

'Be proactive, speak to your doctor will make a big difference. I wish I'd seen one earlier. I was in denial for so long but it's better to know earlier than later.'
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, is expecting a baby in June, making her the first world leader since 1990 to expect a child while in office  and by far the most annoying.

(They dont count Tony Blair who had baby Leo while in No10, though Im sure Cherie made him breastfeed as well as pee sitting down.)

This year well join the many parents who wear two hats, announced Ms Ardern to raptures from the sisterhood. Ill be PM & a mom while Clarke will be first man of fishing & stay at home dad.

The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, is expecting a baby in June, making her the first world leader since 1990 to expect a child while in office

Oh please! Giving birth months after winning an election isnt multi-tasking. Its more a betrayal of voters. Its worse than Damian Green and those porngate claims! At least he could snap his laptop shut if World War III broke out.

What will a new mum PM do? Hurry back from Waitrose, wailing: Im sorry I missed Armageddon, but wed run out of organic Ellas Kitchen?

Ardern talks about how in June her team will expand from two to three. Yuk! Even Ive now got morning sickness. Theyre not a team. Whats baby going to be? Minister for Midday Naps?

You may feel Im being a little harsh. After all, what do I know, having never pushed a human being out from between my thighs? But I do know what its like to work with mums.

Dont believe what all these female propagandists write in the press about having it all, viz Vogues new beauty director, who in the latest issue witters: Depending on the day, his nanny or my mother arrives at 8am and then he and I go our separate ways.

Oh please! Giving birth months after winning an election isnt multi-tasking. Its more a betrayal of voters

Once I shut the front door, its game-face on making sure once Im there I can be so effective that I will make it home in time for bath and bedtime by 7.30pm. The hours before I leave the house and those on my return are the most precious of my 24, enhanced by the fact Ive had the day to be working me.

Can I tell you the truth about sitting opposite one of these new mums? Game face? Effective? They crawl into work late, with egg in their hair and wearing last nights onesie.

They are never, ever off the phone, microscopically grilling the nanny/granny about what the blasted child is eating, becoming enraged if water is given from anything plastic (It must be glass! Glass!!) while simultaneously cooing at babys Instagram feed.

Once they get off the phone to the nanny/granny, they are then back on it again, discussing the new leather flooring in the master bedroom (So good for tiny knees once he starts crawling), and arranging a villa in the South of France.

Then they try to get hold of the other member of the team triangle, Dad, whose colleagues at his investment bank have absolutely no idea he is even attached, let alone a new parent.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford announce her pregnancy

I know the old argument: surely being a mum makes you more rounded, empathetic. Isnt it all about work/life balance these days?

Fine, if you want to work behind the counter at Boots. But if you want to get to the top of your game? If you want to be a world leader? Surely your country shouldnt have to compete for your attention with a colicky toddler.

This is what makes me mad when women wail about being paid less than men.

It has nothing to do with discrimination and everything to do with the fact that, while on maternity leave, you never hear a peep, except when they pop in to collect their gifts.

When my fashion director disappeared on maternity leave, I had to call to let her know we were still, you know, being published every month.

When she returned to work three days a week (you see?), it was barely a season before she announced she was off to breed another one.

When I objected she said: But its a feminist magazine! This is what we stand for! I countered: But youve just increased my workload and blown my budget.

Im a woman as well, you know. Barely, she muttered, gathering her things.

P.S. My favourite graffiti of all time, spotted beneath a poster for the movie I Dont Know How She Does It, starring Sarah Jessica Parker. Under the title, some wag had scrawled: I do. She hired help!
Tricia Cusden looks immaculate. Her naturally grey hair has an artfully highlighted streak at the front

Tricia Cusden looks immaculate. Her naturally grey hair has an artfully highlighted streak at the front; her make-up is subtle with a flash of bright, pink-toned lipstick.

She wears an unapologetic shade of purple and an expression framed by a well-defined arched eyebrow. The overall effect is rather fabulous. And, as Tricia would say, why not? For now, at the venerable age of 70, she has an almighty crusade on her hands  fighting back at the casually ageist assumptions of the beauty and fashion industries.

Following a hugely successful career running a management training consultancy, five years ago Tricia had an existential crisis prompted by the birth of her granddaughter India, who was diagnosed with a serious chromosomal abnormality. It led her to appraise her remaining years and to launch a pioneering cosmetics range for older women  Look Fabulous Forever.

Tricias no-nonsense video tutorials, or vlogs, have had more than 4.4 million views since the ranges 2013 launch while make-up sales rocketed to over 2 million last year. This month will see the publication of her book, Living The Life More Fabulous, which encourages women to discard the outdated models of ageing and embrace the third act of life as a renaissance. Its feisty, forthright and aims a firm body blow to the youth-centred beauty industry.

Something happens to women at a certain point  I blame the menopause, Tricia complains. Women despair at 50 because theyre often considered less relevant, less attractive and certainly less employable. What nonsense this is! So starts the desperate cycle of chasing a youthful appearance for fear of this terrible invisibility.

Beach Belle: Aged 16 in 1964. Five years ago Tricia had an existential crisis prompted by the birth of her granddaughter India, who was diagnosed with a serious chromosomal abnormality

I understand why there are women who get stuck doing this. But Im deeply offended by the way that the beauty industry only seems to be interested in selling me something with an anti-ageing label attached. I hate the casually ageist assumption that I must want to do everything in my power to turn back the clock. Im quite happy being the age I am.

Tricia is speaking from the companys offices in Wimbledon, South West London. I shop in Zara, she says. Have you seen M&Ss Classics range? Theyve lost the plot, its diabolical. Its for little old ladies with sausage curls. Were told less is more with make-up, too, lest we look like pantomime dames clinging to the vestiges of our youth.

Tricia's top five do's for older women 1 WEAR RED LIPSTICK I adore red lips on older women. There is something about the combination of silvery white hair and red lips that is alluring in the best possible way, and it helps them look full and luscious. I keep being told older women shouldnt wear red lipstick. Nonsense  go for it. 2 ACCEPT YOUR AGE Crows feet, sagging jowls and droopy eyelids are not only normal but perfectly OK  although no one in society will tell you this. Our lines and wrinkles and all other signs of ageing are a small price to pay for a life lived to the full. 3 ALWAYS DRESS TO IMPRESS High necklines can accentuate jowls, so try a boat-neck top, which can look prettier than a round neck. Bust darts may not fit in the right place if the bosom is now low-slung, so try a well-fitting bra and tighten the straps. Most shoulders can be improved with subtle shoulder pads  not the 1980s monstrosities, but smaller versions which can correct poor posture. Accentuate your best bits (mine are all above the waist). 4 GO GREY GRACEFULLY I love the French expression eminence grise, or grey eminence. It means a person who exercises influence without holding an official position  a bit like a lot of women! Grey hair actually makes us look more youthful because pigment loss happens equally to skin as to hair. If you recreate a solid mass of dark hair atop a paler face in which the main features have also faded, you run the risk of looking older because the effect is too harsh. 5 TAKE THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED Being braver, and less cautious, is key to living the life more fabulous. Move location, embrace a new relationship, learn a new skill or backpack to the Great Wall of China. Retirement is no longer Gods waiting room  its a renaissance. Will you take the road less travelled or settle for the safety and security of sticking with the same old, same old? Advertisement

Tricias new make-up range is one of the first to be formulated specifically for older skin. I wanted to promise eternal fabulousness, not eternal youth, so I bit the bullet hard and called our customers older women. I also decided to turn the anti-ageing rhetoric on its head and call our make-up pro-age. One man told me, patronisingly, that only the young were interested in make-up and that if it was a good idea the beauty industry would have done it. I thought, Ill show you! 

Tricia initially trained to become a primary school teacher and married Stewart Cusden, who worked in the oil industry. But later, after having daughters Anna and Suzy, Tricia studied for a second degree and got a job in management consultancy training, which led her to set up her own business. It was her mothers death from metastatic liver cancer in 1989 that prompted a re-evaluation of her life and marriage. It had a galvanising effect on me. I remember thinking, I may only have 25 years left if I die at 67. I mustnt waste a moment of that time. 

Tricia divorced Stewart and her business flourished. Then, her fourth grandchild India was born in January 2012. She was diagnosed with partial Edwards syndrome, a debilitating genetic abnormality which doctors said meant she may never walk, talk or recognise others. She had open-heart surgery at five weeks old. Yet India confounded expectations and now attends a Surrey school for children with disabilities.

Recalling Indias fight for life, Tricia says: Nothing could have been better designed to remind me how our lives hang by the thread of a single heartbeat.

So began a new challenge. Tricia argues baby-boomers have no role model for ageing well because previous generations died in their 60s, and says changing that involves increasing the presence of older women in the media. Our generation is not seen as interesting or necessary. Even in an area where they might want to appeal they get it wrong. When I saw Helen Mirren looking sexy for a beauty campaign, it implied it was to attract a younger guy. But thats ludicrous  on what planet do 70-year-old women wake up and say they want to look attractive to considerably younger guys?

Tricia's top five don'ts for older women 1 HAVE COSMETIC SURGERY Facelifts and Botox may make your face look more weird than youthful. Good make-up, a smart haircut and fashionable clothes can transform. 2 FRET OVER FASHION Become less concerned about the latest fashion and more focused on creating a look that reflects your personality, lifestyle, self-image, size and shape. 3 BE A GRUMPY OLD WOMAN Some older people feel entitled to moan about everything. Its very wearing. Being older does not automatically confer rights over and above the ones we would give to anyone, regard-less of age. If you are on a high horse, I suggest you may need to climb down from it. 4 BE A COUCH POTATO After nearly 70 years of minimal physical exertion, I realised I either had to exercise or slide into ever-decreasing immobility. This is the only body youll ever have  so nurture it for a healthy old age. 5 HAVE ANY REGRETS Imagine youre on your deathbed  what would you regret most? It may seem strange to talk of ambitions, aims and goals but that is exactly what we may need if we are to stay vital, purposeful and engaged. Ultimately, it could prolong our lives. Advertisement

Despite the battle, Tricia says she is having the best fun of my life

Older women on TV are slightly dotty, like June Whitfield in Absolutely Fabulous.

Ageism should be called out wherever it arises, she says. Tricia supported former Countryfile presenter Miriam OReilly, who won an age discrimination claim against the BBC after being dropped from the programme. Her ire is also clear in blog posts about the prevalence of older, grizzled men.

I really resent the fact that amazing, talented older women like Anna Ford either disappear from our screens or are only allowed slots on the radio, she says. Meanwhile, John Humphrys and David Dimbleby, who are both well into their 70s and very craggy, are still regularly fronting primetime shows.

Despite the battle, Tricia says she is having the best fun of my life. I have come to realise that ageing is not a terrifying monster to which we need to passively submit.

My life is full of purpose, and now I know how I am going to get through the next 30 years.

On Christmas Day 2037 I will be 90 and it will coincide with my daughter Suzys 60th and my grandson Patricks 30th birthdays. I want everyone to be saying. Patricks granny Trish is 90, you know  isnt she fabulous? 

Living The Life More Fabulous: Beauty, Style And Empowerment For Older Women, by Tricia Cusden, is published by Orion Spring on February 8, priced 20. Offer price 16 (20 per cent discount with free p&p) until January 28. Pre-order at mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640.
Marina Fogle, 39, is the wife of author and broadcaster Ben Fogle, 44, who shot to fame in the BBC reality show Castaway 2000. They live in West London with their children, Ludo, eight, and Iona, six.

On the last day of 2017 I found myself lying in a hammock on a beach in the Bahamas, squished between my family. As Ben and I tried to contain our two wriggling children, we started talking about what we could do to make the coming year better.

My wish was for better table manners. Eating with a knife and fork seems to be beyond my childrens grasp. Ben wanted them to adopt a more adventurous attitude when it came to trying new foods.

And then it was the childrens turn.

Marina Fogle (pictured), 39, is the wife of author and broadcaster Ben Fogle, 44, who shot to fame in the BBC reality show Castaway 2000

I think its unfair that you get to spend as much time on your phone as you want, piped up Iona. I think we should be allowed to do the same.

Ludo nodded in fierce agreement.

I tried to argue that I relied on my phone to answer emails as part of my job as a writer and broadcaster.

Marina and Ben attend the Cartier Queen's Cup Polo Day 2013 at the Guards Polo Club in Egham, England

But this was an argument I wasnt sure I was going to win.

Ive done my best to discourage my children from discovering the joys of 21st Century tech: they have never played a computer game and dont have regular access to an iPad. And this year, instead of Dry January, we have committed to Dry-fi January, where we restrict wi-fi access in our home to the working day.

What children crave most is not digital devices; its the attention of their parents. And its our phones that are stealing that attention away.

So after 6pm Ben and I have been leaving our phones in a basket in our hall so they cant distract us. I might well miss a tweet or Facebook post.

But what Ill be getting back is irreplaceable time snuggled up with the ones I love the most.

I hope Ill also be showing my children its this  and not some tiny lump of metal and glass  that is the most important thing in life.

Marinas column will appear monthly. Her podcast, The Parent Hood, is available to download for free.
Joining the royal family Meghan Markle can expect to photographed wherever she goes, much like her soon-to-be sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge.

However, while the former actress is proving to be as popular with photographers as Kate there is one big difference in the way she has her photos taken.

While the Duchess always displays a dazzling smile for her photographs she never looks directly at the camera while Meghan has been seen doing so on several occasions.

The Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan Markle are some of the most photographed women in the world, however, their is a subtle difference between the way they are snapped

When out on public engagements the mother-of-two makes the effort to avert her gaze when being snapped but Miss Markle can be seen looking straight into the lens.

While it might be assumed that Meghan's more active relationship with the camera could be related to her history in film, however, body language expert Judi James says this is not the case.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan James says her approach reflects her relationship with social media.

While out on public engagements Kate will make the effort to avert her gaze from the camera

However, Meghan Markle can often be seen looking directly into the camera lens

She said: 'Although Meghan is the same age as Kate, there is a virtual generational difference in their relationships with the camera.

'Like many young women of the selfie generation, Meghan's habit of doing what is called 'camera courting' (addressing the camera with a direct eye gaze), suggests a desire to communicate openly and confidently.'

James also remarks that while Meghan has spent much of her life before the camera as an actress she has previously been trained not to look at it.

While Kate will make the effort to smile before the camera she is wary to keep her eyes away from it

Body language expert Judi James says that Meghan's relationship with the camera is reflective of her social media association

She continued: 'A TV actor like Meghan would behave more like Kate, allowing the camera to court her.'

While Meghan may be of the 'selfie generation' as James puts it, the bride-to-be has had to put her hashtagging days behind her as she prepares to join the royal family.

Earlier this month the 36-year-old deleted all of her social media accounts including her Twitter and Instagram.

James says that Meghan's 'camera courting' (addressing the camera with a direct eye gaze) is an effort on her part to communicate confidently

A palace source said: 'Ms Markle is grateful to everyone who has followed her social media accounts over the years, however as she has not used these accounts for some time.

'She has taken the decision to close them.'

Meghan's decision to close her social media accounts is in line with her changing status, as she will soon become a member of the royal family when she marries Harry in May.

Senior members of the monarchy have official Twitter and Instagram accounts, run by the social media teams of their households, which do not normally feature personal tweets or posts.
Following their starring roles at Pippa Middleton's wedding, Prince George and Princess Charlotte are expected to act as flower girl and pageboy at their uncle Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in May.

However, it seems that they will not be alone with Meghan expected to enlist a second flower girl.

According to Hello! the bride-to-be is tipped to ask the daughter of her best friend Jessica Mulroney to follow her down the aisle.

Meghan Markle is thought to have chosen the daughter of her best friend, Jessica Mulroney (pictured here with Meghan) to be her flower girl

Four-year-old Ivy is Jessica's youngest child and can often be seen posing for photos on her mother's Instagram account.

Before closing her Instagram account Meghan has previously shared photos of the toddler on her Instagram account.

Prince Harry is also thought to have a strong connection with the Mulroney's having spent plenty of time with the family when visiting Meghan in Toronto.

Ivy Mulroney is Jessica's youngest child and is reported to have spent plenty of time with both Meghan and Harry, who is a 'hit' with the four-year-old

If Ivy does follow the couple down the aisle she will likely be joined by Prince George and Princess Charlotte

In October a source told E!: 'Harry's become close with their children Brian, John and Ivy. Ivy especially is a big fan.

'She, of course, has no idea that he's a prince though - he's just auntie Meghan's special friend Harry, who sometimes comes over with fun presents!'

MailOnline has contacted Kensington Palace for a comment.

If Ivy does join the wedding party it is likely she will walk alongside Harry's niece and nephew Charlotte and George.

According to The Sunday Times the royal siblings have been confirmed as bridesmaid and pageboy for the nuptials of their Uncle Harry to Meghan Markle in May next year.

Jessica (pictured with Meghan) is also thought to have flown to London in recent weeks to help her friend select a wedding dress

George, 4, and Charlotte, 2, will join their aunt-to-be's wedding party, following her up the aisle at St George's Chapel in Windsor in the Spring.

Meanwhile it is thought that Meghan's best pal Jessica has made a pre-wedding visit to help with a dress fitting.

According to Good Morning America Meghan flew her Canadian friend to London where she is reported to have stayed at the couple's cottage at Kensington Palace.

Royal reporter Omid Scobie said the bride 'attended a top secret fitting at Kensington Palace with a designer'.

As well as providing services as a friend, Jessica also acts as Meghan's stylist and is believed to have been employed three years ago to make sure her pal is perfectly preened for her public appearances.

Jessica is also thought to have helped Meghan select several outfits for upcoming engagements ahead of the wedding on May 19.

Jessica is the daughter-in-law of former Canadian prime minister, Brian Mulroney, and the pair met after Meghan moved to Toronto for her role in Suits.
Temperatures dropped across the UK today with some parts experiencing snow, but that wasn't enough to deter the royals from attending their traditional Sunday church service.

The Queen braved a smattering of snow as she was joined by Prince Philip and granddaughters Beatrice and Eugenie at St Lawrence Church, Castle Rising this morning.

Her Majesty looked her elegant best in an emerald ensemble complete with matching coat and hat as she headed into the chapel, and could later be seen leaving the building with an umbrella after the heavens opened.

While her husband, son and granddaughters were covered with a light dusting of snow, the monarch looked relieved to be protected from the elements underneath her brolly.

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Singing in the reign! Her Majesty didn't let the rain dampen her spirits as she left the church in Castle Rising after attending a traditional Sunday service alongside her family

The Queen wrapped up warm as she headed out to church in Norfolk on Sunday morning accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh

The Queen appeared to stumble slightly as she walked unaided up the shingle path to the church after being driven there from Sandringham House.

But she did not lose her footing and continued up the 100 yard long path while chatting to Lord Greville Howard who lives in Castle Rising.

It started snowing during the 50 minute service, prompting the Queen to protect herself from the elements with an umbrella on the walk back to her Range Rover.

Wrapping up warm she added a fur scarf in a deep shade of teal adding a pair of much needed gloves to keep out the chill.

Following behind was the Duke of Edinburgh who had prepared for the elements in a forest green pea coat, perfectly complementing the monarch.

Also opting for green was Princess Eugenie who showcased her flair for fashion in a trendy cape in a darker hue, adding an elegant hat with lace detail to her outfit.

Also joining Her Majesty at St Lawrence Church in Castle Rising were her granddaughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie

The monarch looked elegant in shades of emerald and added a fur scarf and gloves to keep out the January chill

Prince Philip prepared for the elements in a forest green pea coat this morning

Her older sister, however, appeared to have missed the colour memo with Beatrice arriving at the church in a navy blue overcoat.

This was no matter, however, as the Princess of York looked effortlessly chic in a beret and bravely opted for bare legs.

Their father and the Queen's son Prince Andrew was also in tow, looking dapper in a grey overcoat and two piece suit.

The Queen amused onlookers by taking a wrong turning down the church path. She had been dropped off at the main gate, but her car then went to a side gate to pick up her and 96-year-old Philip after the service.

It meant that the Royal party had to turn left at a junction of the path in the grounds of the 12th century church.

While most of the family had opted for various shades of green Beatrice appeared to have missed the memo dressing in blue today

But a church warden at the head of the procession with the Queen, guided her to turn right instead towards the main gate, prompting an onlooker to shout: 'No'.

The Queen turned round when she realised her mistake and headed back to the gate where her car was waiting. A policeman joked about the blunder, saying: 'All the best laid plans'.

The service was conducted by Sandringham rector the rev Jonathan Riviere and the sermon was given by the Bishop of Lichfield, the Right Rev Michael Ipgrave.

The Royal party went to the home of Lord Howard for refreshments after the service before being driven back to Sandringham House.

Locals from the surrounding Norfolk area had gathered at the church to greet the royals as they arrived on Sunday morning.

As he walked along, Philip exchanged greetings with a party of women from Corby, Northamptonshire, who were staying in a cottage in Thornham, Norfolk.

When one of the women Jane Tyler, 54, wished him a good morning, he smiled and joked about the snowy weather, saying: 'What's good about it?'

Another of the women Elizabeth Barry, 54, said: 'It is so lovely to see the Queen. She is fabulous and looks really well. It is a bonus for us to see Prince Andrew and his girls as well.'

Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and their father, the Duke of York, leave after attending a church service at St Lawrence Church, Castle Rising, Norfolk

The Princesses of York were joined by father Prince Andrew who looked dapper in a suit and grey overcoat

Prince Andrew also remarked about the weather, saying: 'When did this start?' as he emerged into the blizzard.

When a policeman told people to move back for the Queen, Andrew cracked another joke with the crowd, saying: 'Tow the line'.

According to local publication Eastern Daily Press, one couple Brian and Linda Cobbold, from Bromley, had travelled up to Norfolk for the weekend.

For the past five years the royal fans they have visited Sandringham and were lucky enough to watch Princess Charlotte's Christening last year.

They told the paper: 'It is just amazing for us. We have always appreciated them. This is fantastic you get to see them so close.'
A Swiss company is selling cans of 'fresh air' to tourists in the hope to 'reanimate' their senses.

Swissbreeze offers aerosol cans of oxygen, bottled in the mountain regions of Switzerland for 19 ($25. 90) in what they describe as a 'cool souvenir'.

Describing the product the company writes: 'Our goal is to provide you with the best, most pristine and freshest Swiss canned air, gathered in the most beautiful and remote lake and mountain regions.

A Swiss company is selling canned air from the mountain regions for 19 ($25. 90) online

'Our Swiss made product will reanimate your spirits, clear up your mind and let you feel a breeze of Swiss serenity.'

The company is owned and run by Moritz Krahenmann, 25, from Zurich, who regularly travels to the Fluela Pass, a mountain road close to Davos where he collects up to 70,000 litres of the air at one time.

The air is purified and filtered before filling eight litres canisters which are sold for almost 20 online.

Speaking to the Observer magazine Krahnemann recommended shoppers inhale 30 to 50 breaths for every hour they spend outside helping them 'relax and calm the lungs'.

Krahnemann is certainly not the first to offer the product with bottled air launched in China in 2013.

Swissbreeze is owned by Moritz Krahenmann who recommends customers inhale 30-50 breaths every hour they are outdoors

Entrepreneur Chen Guangbiao, sold soda pop-sized cans of air, purportedly from far-flung, pristine regions of China such as Xinjiang in the northwest to Taiwan, the southeast coast.

At the time of the launch the businessman claimed to have sold 10 million cans have sold in 10 days as pollution levels climb to record highs.

Canada was quick to follow suit launching company Vitality Air just one year on.

Vitality Air was co-founded by Moses Lam and Troy Paquette in 2014. They travel to high rocky mountains in Alberta, western Canada for the fresh air, which is home to over 600 lakes.

In the mountains, massive cans are filled through clean compression with pure revitalising air.

On their website Vitalityair.com it says: 'We strive to provide a premium quality necessity that isn't always available.

'The best and the freshest necessity of life - fresh clean air and oxygen.'

They initially put the fresh mountain air into sealed plastic bags and sold it on eBay for 99 cents (65p) per bag.

Now they are selling one canister of compressed air for up to $46 dollars (42) depending on the size.

The pair found that the product sold particularly popular in China.

Speaking to the MailOnline, Harrison Wang, Vitality Air's China representative, said: 'It's been a pretty wild ride for us as we only started to market the product a month and a half ago.

'We got the website up and running, then put Vitality Air on Taobao  a Chinese website similar to eBay for online shopping  and we sold out almost instantly.'
Everyone needs a piece of tweed. Its the sartorial equivalent of the little black dress, its as useful as a pair of jeans and as reliable as a classic white T-shirt.

Its ageless, understated and beyond the whims and crazy capriciousness of the catwalk trends. In short, its the perfect thing to wear now that the temperature has snapped back to freezing.

But its not only tweed under the spotlight here, its the whole country look, British through and through, thats as enduring as, well, the Queen  and her wardrobe at Balmoral, the vast estate in the Scottish Highlands that is said to be her favourite home.

In check: Claire Foy (pictured right) in The Crown wearing Balmoral inspired style while depicting QEII

Why my obsession with all things Balmoral? Like you, most likely, Ive been devouring The Crown, the Netflix series chronicling in sumptuous detail the reign of QEII.

Isnt it brilliant? Not only for the gripping story-telling, the history, the cinematography and the acting, but for the wardrobe, which makes me want to pull on a pair of Hunter wellies and a Harris tweed jacket, tie on a silk scarf and head for the Highlands.

Balmoral fashion is very important for the costume designers of The Crown, says my sister, Philippa, who, Im very proud to say, directed two episodes of the second series. It creates an important contrast from the fashion of Buckingham Palace.

She tells of taking the famous Caledonian sleeper train from Euston to Newtonmore, where there is an actual Harris Tweed shop, and filming in gale-force winds.

Remember the scene when the Queen retreats to Balmoral to escape the Press? She dons her plus fours, knitted socks, brogues, neat tweed jacket and head scarf to go deer stalking.

The restful, unassuming colours of the tweed fused with the landscape, says Philippa. It reminds us of the Queens relationship with nature and the earth.

And dont we all want to escape to the great outdoors? I know I do. The country is my happy place.

Mulberry recently showcased Balmoral chic on the runway during Fashion Week

Soft, green gabardines remind me of sitting by fires, warming my feet on the dogs after a long day outside. Heritage tweeds are woven into the fabric of my family, with farmers on both my mum and dads sides  from Uncle Peter in his flat cap smelling of woodsmoke and straw, to Aunty Hildas jacket that seemed to mould itself to her shape over the years.

Did I mention how cutting-edge the Balmoral look has become? Elements of it have cropped up on catwalks all over the place, from Stella McCartneys quilted green jackets and headscarves to Burberrys checked trenches.

Balmoral chic: the rules Real tweed is better beaten up. Crisp tweeds look a little try-hard.

Put a modern twist on the Balmoral look with a check jacket worn over indigo jeans.

Away from the country, go for a smart loafer rather than a classic country brogue.

Not a fan of tweed? Try a headscarf. They will be big this year. Advertisement

Indeed, checks are all the rage for spring, so whatever you buy now will be the height of fashion until at least the end of summer. And what about sporting a full-on country look in the city? I know some of my family would roll their eyes at the sight of gabardines and wellies on Londons Hampstead Heath.

Not a speck of muck, theyd roar, laughing at the sight of these faux city squires. And its true, the more wear and tear, the more authentic  and better  youll look.

The check jacket from Zara (39.99, zara.com) or the Joules tweed field coat (229, joules.com) are both ideal.

Wear them with a polo-neck and a smart, tailored trouser or, better still, a pair of cords. As for shoes, go for a sleek, black loafer rather than a country brogue.

My favourite pieces are Balmoral-inspired, but not so literal as to require you to be tramping up glens or down dales to wear them.

Take Mangos fabulous check shirt with ties at the cuffs (17.99, mango.com), which Id wear with indigo jeans, or that great Prince of Wales check Zara dress (19.99) and a stomping black boot.

Talking of stomping, its about time I went for a walk in my tattered old tweeds and mud-spattered boots.

Rebecca Lowthorpe is Fashion Director of Grazia.
Egyptian President Adbel-Fattah El-Sisi told US Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday that only negotiations based on a two-state solution can end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, six weeks after President Donald Trump's announcement that the US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

El-Sisi made his comments during Pence's brief visit to Cairo at the start of a three-nation Mideast tour that includes stops in Jordan and Israel.

In a meeting with Pence, El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's "firm position on the Palestinian issue," pointing out that the "settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will only be achieved through negotiations based on the two-state solution," El-Sisi's spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The Egyptian leader added that "Egypt would spare no effort to support this."

Pence told reporters after the meeting that El-Sisi described his opposition to Trump's decision as a "disagreement between friends," Reuters quoted him as saying.

Pence assured El- Sisi that the United States was committed to preserving the status quo regarding holy sites in Jerusalem and had come to no final resolution on boundaries for the two parties, according to Reuters.

El-Sisi reiterated Cairo's support for the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

During the talks, Pence pledged firm US support for Cairo's fight against extremists.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with you and Egypt in fighting against terrorism," Pence was quoted as saying.

The US VP pointed to President Donald Trump's efforts to strengthen ties with Egypt in his first year in office, "after a time when our countries seemed to be drifting apart," according to Reuters.

El-Sisi hailed longstanding strategic ties between Cairo and Washington, saying they are "one of the pillars of stability in the Middle East."

The Egyptian president discussed the tough economic reform measures the Egyptian government is implementing to shore up the country's economy, inviting major US companies to take part in key development projects being carried out.

Pence left Cairo to meet Jordan's King Abdullah II, a close US ally who has rejected Trump's move on Jerusalem, in Amman on Sunday.

Pence is traveling to Israel later on Sunday.

He told reporters that Washington "is deeply committed to restarting the peace process in the Middle East."

Trump's December decision to move the US embassy in Israel prompted an outcry from Palestinians, Middle East leaders and the wider international community, setting off protests in the occupied territories and across the region.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has warned that the United States can no longer play any role in future peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Officials from Arab countries and several world powers have insisted that the final status of Jerusalem should only be determined through negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

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To feel the real impact of the Carillion collapse on small firms and ordinary people, you have to leave the confines of Whitehall and the City and head to a place such as Liverpool.

There, the firm was building a long-awaited new hospital. Once the site of hope, it is now a scene of worry and despair.

'Bust,' says the scrawl on a Carillion sign at the now eerily quiet 335million site where a new state-of-the-art hospital had been going up to replace the crumbling one next door.

It is not not clear when the new Royal Liverpool Hospital will be completed

'Pay the wages,' says another piece of graffiti. The words speak volumes about the anger felt by scores of small firms whose future is now in jeopardy.

It is now not clear when the new Royal Liverpool Hospital will be completed. Sub-contractors have downed tools in protest over hundreds of thousands of pounds of fees they are owed by the firm.

The few Carillion staff present on site were sitting in cabins behind locked gates.

Carillion contracted around 30 firms to work on the project. The collapse threatens their jobs, pay and pensions.

The Unite union is calling for a public inquiry. Regional officer John Sheppard branded the 1.5 million pay handed to Carillion CEO Richard Howson 'extortionate' and 'a disgrace'.

Patients, too, are angry. Margaret Hill, 62, who is awaiting surgery, said the existing hospital, opened in the 1970s, is 'falling to bits'.

She added: 'Nothing gets fixed on the wards we are on. We have cold air streaming in through the top of the window. It's freezing. We really need this new hospital.'

Another patient, William Clarke, 73, said: 'I look down into the new hospital from my ward and I don't see anybody working there.'

Doctors say Carillion's collapse is a 'nightmare'  as the new Royal, originally due to open last March, now faces further delays.

The 1970s Royal is a creaking concrete block that has cracks in the floor held together by gaffer tape, with water dripping from the gutters.

The automatic entrance doors are broken, and so is the vending machine. Overhead, an enormous pink banner urges patients to 'Donate Now!' to a 10 million appeal to fund 'a world-class new Royal'.

'The whole thing's a total nightmare,' said an exhausted care worker, who asked not to be named. 'We're just getting on with it. It's all we can do.'

Dr Fath Alloba, a sexual health specialist, said: 'We need the new hospital right now. Delays like this put an additional burden on the patients. This is the last thing the NHS needs.'

Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, is pressing Ministers to secure a completion date for the hospital 'as a matter of urgency'. 'My concern is that this will drag on for a long time,' she said.

The Hospital Company (Liverpool), the private sector consortium set up to deliver the project, is expected to appoint a new contractor to complete the remaining 10 per cent of the new hospital.

But Aidan Kehoe, chief executive of the Royal Liverpool Trust, is still waiting to be told a date. Unite's Sheppard said: 'The hospital will be delivered but no-one knows when. It's a mess.'
Short-sellers who cashed in on Carillion's collapse are now targeting its rival Interserve and other Government contractors.

Their bets against firms in the building and outsourcing sector now total 500 million.

The Cabinet was forced to allay fears about the financial position of construction firm Interserve after reports suggested it was monitoring the firm.

Data from IHS Markit shows that short positions in Interserve have soared to more than 13 per cent of the value of the firm  from less than 1 per cent in August, despite the company's value already having fallen by more than half in a year.

Marshall Wace and GSA Capital, which bet against Carillion, are among the largest short-sellers of Interserve, City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority has disclosed.

Marshall Wace, a London hedge fund, raised its short position to nearly 3 per cent last week.

Interserve's value has slumped to 180million, meaning that total short positions come to around 24million.

There are concerns about Interserve's net debt, which is expected to hit 600 million by the end of this year. Interserve declined to comment.

Sam Pierson, director of securities finance at IHS Markit, said Serco, Capita and Balfour Beatty had all seen 'large increases in short interest in the last 12 months'.

He added: 'Short-sellers have clearly anticipated problems for outsourcing firms and have increased short positions across the sector.'

Bets against outsourcer Capita and construction firms Balfour Beatty and Kier Group have almost doubled in a year.

Short positions in outsourcer Serco have more than trebled over the same period.
The UK must strike a transition deal with the EU in 70 days, the Confederation of British Industry will warn tomorrow.

Failure to do so would force firms to trigger contingency plans  involving the loss of investment and jobs to rival nations  and a 'no-deal scenario would be an act of great economic self-harm', according to the lobbying group representing 190,000 companies.

In a speech Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, will say the UK needs to be in a 'comprehensive' customs union with the EU, avoiding tariffs.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, wants the UK to be in a 'comprehensive' customs union with the EU

Calling for a transition deal by the beginning of April and for the outline of a final deal to be agreed by October, Fairbairn will add: 'Time is running out  by March next year our country will be out of the EU.

'Decisions must be taken fast, or firms will have no choice but to trigger their plan Bs.

'More jobs and investment will leave our shores and future generations will pay the price.'

She believes deals that replicate the EU's agreements with Canada and Norway would not be good enough, saying: 'Canada does less than ten per cent of its trade with the EU whereas the EU is our largest trading partner.

'Put simply, a Canada deal is an ocean away from what we need.'
The ruthless new leader of Zimbabwe is being welcomed by the global elite in Davos this week  despite his links to decades of repression and genocide alongside predecessor Robert Mugabe.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, nicknamed the crocodile, became president of the African nation last year when Mugabe was forced out after a 37-year rule.

Mnangagwa will set out his vision for the country during a 30-minute address at the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Alongside the bosses of most major banks and the biggest US and British companies, attendees this year include US President Donald Trump.

The talk by Mnangagwa is one in a series called An Insight, An Idea, which will also feature Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett describing her work with refugees and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai telling how she was shot by the Taliban for going to school.
If Polar explorer Craig Mathieson became Chancellor of the Exchequer, he would throw all the accountants who set up offshore tax havens into prison  and chuck away the key.

Mathieson, who worked as an accountant before he became a full-time explorer, thinks those experts who help individuals and businesses move money offshore to avoid paying UK tax should face criminal charges.

The former anti-fraud officer for Revenue & Customs and ex-Royal Navy seaman has led explorations to both Poles and is currently 'explorer-in-residence' with the Royal Scottish Geographical Society.

Craig Mathieson's most lucrative year was 2012 when he earned more than 100,000 as an accountant

His biggest luxury on an expedition is a fly fishing rod, which he recently used in Greenland to catch a 50lb fish  despite being ridiculed for bringing his fishing kit by the local Inuits.

He has set up a charity  the Polar Academy  to inspire young adults to fulfil their potential by taking them on Arctic expeditions.

He says the North Pole is the best place in the world to go if you want to forget all your money worries.

Now 48, he lives in Bo'ness, Firth of Forth, with wife Michele, 46. They have two sons Jake, 19 and Ruari, 14, and 21-year-old daughter Layla.

Craig Mathieson's biggest luxury on an expedition is a fly fishing rod

What did your parents teach you about money?

That wealth is about contentment and happiness. My father was a farm labourer while mother kept the house and looked after us kids. Money was one of those things other people had. We did not go short of anything though. We never went on holiday or had new cars, but we never missed that stuff. We did not worry about money. We were happy.

We lived out in the country on the edge of the Trossachs in the Highlands and I had a lot of freedom. I used to camp out in the wilderness in isolated places. I grew up needing nothing. As long as I had a fishing rod, I was happy.

What was the first paid work you ever did?

Putting the tops on to milk bottles when I was seven, to help my dad out on the farm. I did it every night for a couple of years and I think my dad paid me five or ten pence for two or three hours' work which I would save up in a little pot.

But once, when my dad needed money for fuel, he emptied the pot. There was nothing wrong with that  he did it because he needed the money. That is the way it was.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

No. I have never been in a position to have much in the way of savings. What comes in goes out. But I did not consider that to be struggling.

I left school at 16 and immediately enrolled in the Royal Navy. For the first year, I did not know my pay. I just knew I had enough to get by. The first Gulf conflict was kicking off at the time so I did not spend much time in the UK. You do not have a lot of opportunity to spend on board a ship.

Have you ever been paid silly money for a job?

No, not at all. I know some people charge an absolute arm and a leg to give a speech at a corporate event. The most I have ever charged is 2,000 for an hour's talk at a bank. If I am speaking to a charity, I rarely charge anything. I do not get paid when I go on expeditions.

What has been the most lucrative year of your life?

It was 2012 when I was working as an accountant in Glasgow and earning more than 100,000. I hated every minute of it. I jacked it in the following year to become a full-time explorer and set up my own charity, the Polar Academy.

Now I go round schools in Scotland looking for kids who have shut down, youngsters who believe that achieving something significant is for other people to do. I recruit those kids and train them to go with me on polar expeditions, funded by donations to the Polar Academy.

What is the most expensive thing you have ever bought yourself for fun?

It was a 1962 Fender stratocaster electric guitar for 2,700. It was a bargain. I play it everyday  blues, rock and sometimes my own stuff.

Craig Mathieson paid 2,700 for a 1962 Fender stratocaster electric guitar

What is the biggest money mistake you have ever made?

BUYING a Ford Fiesta on hire purchase for 10,000. I only did about 4,000 miles a year  it just sat outside so I eventually got rid of it. Maybe, it would have been cheaper to just go by taxi.

Do you save into a pension or invest in the stock market?

No. I used to save into a pension. I started when I was 16 with a military pension and I have a civil service pension because at one point I worked as an anti-fraud officer at Revenue & Customs. But my pension saving has been put on hold since I started my charity four years ago.

Do you own any property?

Yes, my home in Bo'ness. My wife and I bought it 14 years ago for 80,000 and it is now worth 280,000. I have also just paid off the mortgage.

What is the one luxury you like to treat yourself to?

When I am exploring, a fly fishing kit. That is a real luxury on an expedition. The Inuits have a good laugh at me when they see I have brought it. But we can catch fish weighing up to 50lbs on that fly rod.

If you were Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the first thing you would do?

I would make it a criminal offence for accountants to set up offshore tax havens for individuals and companies.

If a normal person on the street does not pay their tax bill, that is a criminal offence  it should be exactly the same for wealthier individuals and companies such as Google and Amazon.

What is more, the accountants who help people and businesses avoid paying UK tax by moving money offshore should be prosecuted as accessories to criminal activity and put behind bars. I think that would put shock and fear into everyone working at these offshore accountancy firms.

Also I would put aside money in the Education budget to teach children about financial discipline and respect.

I would like us to move away from the greed culture we have nowadays and the over-dependence on credit.

Have your polar expeditions changed your attitude to money?

Yes. Everyone tends to worry about money. But when you are on an expedition, you have a tent, stove, some food and a sledge.

That is all that matters in the world. As long as you have got those few possessions, you are usually absolutely fine.

That puts everything in perspective. It makes you realise you do not need much to be content in life.

I feel extremely happy when I am out there exploring. Doing these big trips is a lot of fun  it is not as gruelling or as difficult as people make out.

It feels a real privilege to go to the Poles. Then I come back to this world and am confronted with all this greed and celebrity nonsense. It makes me sick.

Expeditions put financial matters in perspective

Do you think it is important to give to charity?

Yes absolutely  and not just individuals. Companies should give as well.

What is your number one financial priority?

To ensure my charity survives. The aim is to help the invisible children  the kids who have no confidence in themselves.

Schools in Scotland put them forward and I select ten each year. I give them responsibility and a huge objective and they always rise to the challenge and succeed. We have never had anyone drop out.

In 12 months, I train them from zero fitness to become elite athletes and at the end of it they take me on a big expedition to the Arctic.

This year, we will travel to a part of the east coast of Greenland that has never been explored before.

Every mountain and ski pass is unnamed, every valley they cross has no title.

The kids do everything themselves  they pull their own sledges, do all their own navigation and cook their own food. We just make sure it is all done safely.

The experience changes them. Each youngster comes back a different person. It opens their eyes. It is just incredible.
Lucy Cottier shares her body with four other personalities, including a 'sexual' woman who seduces her partner, an 'immature' little boy and an 'aggressive' girl who has repeatedly overdosed and tried to kill her.

The 17-year-old Brisbane woman was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) - otherwise known as Multiple Personality Disorder - three months ago, after she tried to commit suicide and had no recollection of it.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia this week, Lucy revealed the reality of living with five different personalities.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia this week, Lucy Cottier (pictured) revealed the reality of living with five different personalities

Her body is shared with Bridgette, a 'sweet and cute' 11-year-old who likes to dress in pink, Avrel, an overtly 'sexual' 18-year-old who seduces her partner, Emily, a 14-year-old who is 'sad and angsty', Sam, a 12-year-old boy who is 'immature' and Void, who is Lucy's aggressive and harmful alter.

Lucy developed her first alter, Void, three months ago.

She woke up in hospital after overdosing, with no memory of what happened. That was the first of many self harm attempts by Void.

'The scariest was probably 97 stitches in two days, thanks Void!' she said.

While Void was her only aggressive alter, she was not the only one to have caused Lucy physical injury.

'The funniest was probably Bridgette changing into her pink shirt and dislocating my shoulder. I have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, so her getting into the shirt a bit too excitedly ended in a hospital trip,' Lucy said.

Lucy first developed her first alter, Void, three months ago, the result of trauma as a young teenager

Lucy (left and right) says she uses poetry and singing to get her through the difficult times

The 17-year-old said her alters differed drastically, each bringing their own challenge for her family, friends and partner, Samara (pictured together)

Who are Lucy's alters? Bridgette: A 'sweet and cute' 11-year-old who raids Lucy's wardrobe for pink clothes Avrel: An overtly 'sexual' 18-year-old who seduces her partner Emily: A 14-year-old who is 'sad and angsty' Sam: A 12-year-old boy who is 'immature' Void: Lucy's aggressive and harmful alter, no specific age Advertisement

The 17-year-old said her alters differed drastically, each bringing their own challenge for her family, friends and partner, Samara.

'They don't get along with my not-so-nice personalities, but no one does really,' she said.

While she struggled with one or two difficult alters, Lucy said some were more amiable.

Lucy said her 'sexual' alter, Avrel, showered her partner Samara in compliments.

'(Samara) just politely declines any advances and takes the compliments, because me switching usually means I'm upset or stressed so she respects that and just tells Avrel no,' Lucy said.

'She's the most understanding, thoughtful person. I couldn't wish for a better partner.'

'(Samara) just politely declines any advances and takes the compliments, because me switching usually means I'm upset or stressed so she respects that and just tells Avrel no,' Lucy said (Lucy and Samara pictured together)

Lucy (with Samara) said she had no control over her alters or when she switched between them

WHAT IS DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER? Dissociative Identity Disorder was formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder It is usually a reaction to trauma - as a way of coping with and avoiding bad memories The disorder is characterised by the presence of two or more personalities Each personality has its own name, memories and characteristics DID is diagnosed about six times more often in females than in males Advertisement

Lucy said she had no control over her alters or when she switched between them.

'I'll be in the middle of a conversation and randomly switch back and have someone fill me in on what I've said for the past hour and I'll have no recollection of it,' she said.

'It's pretty sudden, I'll switch into a personality and suddenly switch back. It feels like being jolted awake when you're dreaming.'

She said she switched almost every day, and had no recollection of the time she lost to her alters.

Lucy revealed her DID diagnosis was the result of trauma she suffered as a child and young teenager.

She endured bullying in primary school, and was the victim of mentally and physically abusive relationships in her early teenage years.

'I thought I was more over it than I was, but I obviously wasn't that over it, because I developed the DID so it did shock me,' she said.

Lucy is pictured playing the piano in Brisbane, after she was admitted to hospital for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Despite the challenges DID brought, Lucy said she maintained a positive outlook on life

Lucy, who graduated from school with top marks, said she only knew information about her alters because they told her family and partner about themselves

Lucy said she only knew information about her alters because they told her family and partner about themselves when they came to the surface.

Now three-months since she first switched, Lucy said her life changed drastically.

One of the most difficult parts of the disorder, she said, was losing large gaps in time.

She said she often jolted awake in a completely foreign place, with no memory of how she got there.

'I woke up in a public bathroom at my local shops. I was just laying on the floor when beforehand I was just sitting in my bedroom,' she said.

'I was confused, shocked and scared. I quickly ran home and told mum what happened. I've dissociated and walked away from home quite a bit.'

Lucy is pictured with her mother Sandi after she was hospitalised for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

Lucy said she was forced to leave Grade 12 early in the year due to her disorder, but still graduated with an OP 4 - an ATAR equivalent of 94

If Lucy is unable to snap out of it herself, the responsibility falls on her family or partner

If Lucy is unable to snap out of it herself, the responsibility falls on her family or partner.

Her family uses 'grounding techniques - like breathing exercises' to bring her back, but Lucy said it wasn't always so simple.

'Realistically my other personalities aren't that cooperative so that usually means ice or water being thrown on my head to shock my senses and bring me back,' she said.
A high school teacher in the Bronx was stony-faced Saturday as she denied allegations of sexual assault on her teenage student.

Dori Myers scowled as prosecutors accused her of performing oral sex on a 14-year-old boy, according to the New York Post.

The 29-year-old, who teaches social studies at The New School for Leadership and the Arts in Kingsbridge, was also seen massaging the victim, according to a witness statement.

Myers was arrested Friday night and charged with criminal sexual act in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child.

Dori Myers scowled as prosecutors accused her of performing oral sex on a 14-year-old boy, according to the New York Post

The 29-year-old, who teaches social studies at The New School for Leadership and the Arts in Kingsbridge, was also seen massaging the victim, according to a witness statement

Prosecutors said Myers 'abused her position as a trusted authority figure,' requesting a $50,000 bail.

But Judge Laura Drager denied the request and released her on her own recognizance, according to the Post. Drager issued a 30-day order of protection which mandates Myers must stay away from the victim.

Police were notified of the alleged sexual encounter after the victim, who is thought to be one of Myers' students, told one of his classmates.

That classmates told a school administrator, who notified the police, according to the Post.

The criminal complaint claims the assault took place somewhere in Upper Manhattan on November 1.

Myers denies the allegations, according to her lawyer Andrew Stoll.

She lives in Rockland County where her husband is sheriff's deputy.

The Department of Education has called the allegations 'deeply troubling,' but said Myers has no prior disciplinary history. She hasn't been fired, but was reassigned 'away from students'

Myers is pictured with her husband, Rockland County Sheriff's Deputy Matt Myers

Stoll told the Post that Myers started a track team at the Bronx high school - where she has worked since 2014.

'It takes just one person's accusation to make an arrest in this town and she's a model citizen who looks forward to clearing her name,' Stoll explained.

The teacher's Facebook page showed a series of smiling photos in which she laughed with friends and drank straight out of champagne bottles before it was deleted.

Myers also wrote about her students and partying in a number of different posts.

In several now-deleted photos she wore shirts with catchy slogans referencing alcohol - such as 'Whisky makes me frisky' and 'Champagne all day.'

In a tweet from 2015, which has now been deleted, Myers bragged that her students often commented on her looks.

'Ms. Youre like, real pretty, but, no offense, you got a big forehead,' she claims one student told her.

The Department of Education has called the allegations 'deeply troubling,' but said Myers has no prior disciplinary history. She hasn't been fired, but was reassigned 'away from students.'
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The Las Vegas Police Department released new photos Friday night that show the spot from which the worst mass shooting in modern US history took place. Paddock is pictured before the October 1 massacr

Machine guns and bullet casings litter the floor of a hotel room in photos released Friday by the Las Vegas Police Department that show the spot from which the worst shooting in modern US history took place.

Photos of Stephen Paddock's room inside the Mandalay Bay hotel on October 1, 2017 show guns and other weaponry covering the hotel-room floor. Images also show his dead body lying on the floor of the weapon-infested suite.

Also visible is a smashed window from which Paddock, 64, was able to shoot his assault rifles, killing 58 and injuring nearly 1,000 people.

The photos also confirm what investigators already expected - that Paddock had hidden cameras inside and outside the room to watch for anyone who might attempt to enter. One of the cameras was hidden in a food cart just outside his room, and another was mounted in the door's peephole.

Investigators still have not discovered what motivated Paddock to massacre dozens - but determined he researched SWAT tactics ahead of the massacre and investigated other possible targets, including a famed California beach in Santa Monica, officials said on Friday

They also determined that Paddock acted alone when he opened fire from his high-rise hotel suite, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo told reporters.

Lombardo made public a preliminary report into the shooting and said he does not expect charges to be filed against Paddock's girlfriend, Marilou Danley, who had been previously called a person of interest in the case. Investigators also found that Paddock had possessed child pornography, Lombardo said.

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Investigators recovered 23 guns in Paddock's suite. Some of the rifles are seen above

Twelve of the rifles had been fitted with 'bump stock' devices to make them fire faster, similar to a fully automatic weapon

Pictured above is a previously released photo of the gunman dead on the floor of his hotel suite after the 10-minute shooting

Paddock's vantage point from the Mandalay Bay, where he carried out the attack, is seen above. He targeted concertogers at the Route 91 music festival across the street

The report included never-before-seen pictures from inside the gunman's suite, which he used to fire down on innocent concertgoers. The photo above includes a picture of the smaller connecting room that Paddock used as a second shooting vantage point

Paddock fired more than 1,100 bullets, mostly from two windows in the high-rise hotel. Above, some of the bullets on the floor, near the window where he shot from

Paddock set up a camera on a room service cart outside of his room so he could know when officers were arriving outside his door (straight ahead and on the right)

Above, a view of the covert camera that Paddock his underneath a plate on the food service cart left outside his room

Mandalay Bay security were first drawn to Paddock's hotel room when they noticed a stairwell door that had been screwed shut (above). A security officer responded to the floor and heard gunshots

By the time they burst into the suite, Paddock had already shot himself dead. Above, a view of the entrance to the larger suite

Paddock also set up a second camera in the peephole of the hotel room door, as a second vantage into the hallway

Paddock's online searches before the shooting included research into SWAT tactics and for other potential public venue targets - and he took photographs of some potential sites, the sheriff said. The searches also included the number of attendees at other concerts in Las Vegas and how many people go to Santa Monica's beach.

During the Friday press conference, Lombardo also revealed that police are investigating a person of interest, who is not Danley. Lombardo reiterated, however, that they believe Paddock was a lone shooter.

The sheriff and the FBI have said they found no link to international terrorism. They said they believe Paddock meticulously prepared and concealed his plan to fire assault-style weapons from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel into a crowd of 22,000 people attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival music below.

Paddock fired more than 1,100 bullets, mostly from two windows in the high-rise hotel, Lombardo has said. That includes about 200 shots fired through Paddock's hotel room door into a hallway where an unarmed hotel security guard was wounded in the leg and a maintenance engineer took cover to avoid being hit.

Several bullets hit aviation fuel storage tanks at nearby McCarran International Airport that did not explode. Authorities reported finding about 4,000 unused bullets in Paddock's two-room suite, including incendiary rounds that Lombardo said were not used.

Investigators also included this graphic showing the layout of Paddock's two connecting rooms. Room 32135 was the larger suite, and room 32134 was the smaller one. He shot out of windows on the northeast side of the larger room and on the east side of the smaller room

The Mandalay Bay hotel is seen in the top left of this picture, released in the report on Friday

When officers first arrived at the scene, Paddock tried shooting at them through the door to his suite

Paddock used a computer to livestream the feeds from the cameras so he could watch the hallway from inside his suite

Paddock smuggled a huge array of tools into his hotel room to prepare for the horrific attack

This is the chilling notes Paddock wrote as he calculated the distance to the concertgoers across the street, so he could use the right weapon to target them

Paddock booked two rooms at the Mandalay Bay that connected through the door above. He shot out of two windows, one in the larger room and one in the small room

Pictured above is Paddock's smaller room, and some of the guns found inside

The above picture shows Paddock's minivan, which investigators initially said he planned to use to escape

Several packages of tannerite, an explosive, were found inside Paddock's car

According to the report, investigators found 20 two-pound containers of exploding targets, 10 one-pound containers of exploding targets, two 20-pound bags of explosive precursors, a loaded magazine for an AR-10 rifle, a loaded magazine for an AR-15 magazine, boxed ammunition, suitcases and towels inside Paddock's 2017 Chrysler Pacifica

Several bullets hit aviation fuel storage tanks at nearby McCarran International Airport that did not explode

Above, a bullet hole that truck one of the fuel tanks at McCarren

Another item found in Paddock's room and taken as evidence was a blue snorkel mouthpiece attached to some piping. The report doesn't say what the believe this was for

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S INVESTIGATION INTO THE MANDALAY BAY MASSACRE Investigators determined key findings as a result of this investigation: Paddock acted alone. Thousands of hours of digital media were reviewed and after all the interviews conducted, no evidence exists to indicate Paddock conspired with or acted in collusion with anybody else. This includes video surveillance, recovered DNA19 and analysis of cellular phones and computers belonging to Paddock. No suicide note or manifesto was found. Of all the evidence collected from rooms 32-135 and 32-134, there was no note or manifesto stating Paddocks intentions. The only handwritten documentation found in either room was the small note indicating measurements and distances related to the use of rifles. There was no evidence of radicalization or ideology to support any theory that Paddock supported or followed any hate groups or any domestic or foreign terrorist organizations. Despite numerous interviews with Paddocks family, acquaintances and gambling contacts, investigators could not link Paddock to any specific ideology. Paddock committed no crimes leading up to the October 1st mass shooting. All the weapons he purchased to include all the ammunition, were purchased legally. This includes all the purchases Paddock made at gun stores as well as online purchases. Paddock did not commit a crime until he fired the first round into the crowd at the Las Vegas Village. Reference the 1,965 investigated leads, 21,560 hours of video, 251,099 images obtained and 746 legal notices filed or sent, nothing was found to indicate motive on the part of Paddock or that he acted with anyone else. Security Officer Campos was not shot with a BB gun but rather sustained a gunshot wound from one of the rounds fired by Paddock down the hallway of the 100 wing on the 32nd floor. Security Officer Campos did in fact have a pre-planned vacation to Mexico to go visit his father and Security Officer Campos asked law enforcement for permission to make this trip. One aspect of the investigation focused on Paddocks financials. The investigation proved Paddock was self-funded through his gambling and past real estate transactions. He was indebted to no one and in fact paid all his gambling debts off prior to the shooting. The investigation revealed several indicators of intent on the part of Paddock. Those indicators are as follows: Paddock had a reservation for a hotel during the Lollapalooza music festival held at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois during the month of August. Like Route 91, the Lollapalooza festival was held in an open air venue. Paddock specifically requested a room overlooking the venue when he made the reservation. The reservation was cancelled two days prior to the check-in date. Paddock made lodging reservations during the Life is Beautiful music festival held in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. The festival was also an open air music venue attended by thousands of people. Paddock requested units overlooking the venue. Paddock reserved three different units during the period and all faced the venue. Paddock was observed in video surveillance transporting several suitcases from his vehicle to the units he reserved. Paddock was alone for the trip and was never accompanied by anyone for more than a casual conversation. Investigators have been unable to determine if Paddock intended an attack during this festival or if he used it as a means to plan a future attack. Paddock conducted several internet searches while planning his actions. Search terms included open air concert venues, Las Vegas SWAT tactics, weapons and explosives. Paddock also searched for various gun stores. The purchasing of over 55 firearms, which were mostly rifles in various calibers, from October 2016  September 2017. He also bought over 100 firearm related items through various retailers during that period. During a stay in early September 2017, Paddock requested specific rooms that overlooked the Las Vegas Village. According to Danley, Paddock spent time looking at the Las Vegas Village venue from different angles and windows while inside the room. Advertisement

Investigators found 23 guns in the rooms, including 12 rifles that a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms official said were fitted with 'bump stock' devices that allowed rapid-fire shooting similar to fully automatic operation.

Paddock killed himself with a gunshot to the mouth before police reached him. The 64-year-old retired accountant and multimillionaire real estate investor had earned hotel upgrades as a high-stakes video poker gambler at several Las Vegas casino resorts.

Danley was in the Philippines at the time of the shooting.

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo discusses the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting during a news conference on Friday

The report says that Paddock's girlfriend, Marilou Danley, will likely not face charges. She had previously been called a person of interest in the case

Lombardo and Aaron Rouse, FBI agent in charge in Las Vegas, had described Danley as a person of interest in the investigation but not a suspect. She was questioned by the FBI when she arrived in Los Angeles from overseas, and was described as cooperating with investigators.

However, a document filed October 6 and unsealed last Friday by a federal judge in Las Vegas said the FBI considered Danley 'the most likely person who aided or abetted Stephen Paddock.'

Questions have been raised about Danley's receipt in the Philippines of a $10,000 wire transfer from Paddock just days before the shooting.

FBI warrant documents also showed that Danley told investigators that they would find her fingerprints on bullets used during the attack because she would sometimes help Paddock load high-volume ammunition magazines, and that Danley deleted her Facebook account in the hours immediately following the shooting.

The Clark County coroner ruled that all 58 people killed in the attack died of gunshot wounds. Paddock's death was ruled a suicide. Media organizations including The Associated Press are seeking autopsy records that have not been made public.
Oxford student Oliver Mears, pictured, spent two years on bail before the charge was dropped on the eve of his trial last week after a diary was found

Prosecutors have admitted that 13 rape trials collapsed last year because they failed to disclose vital evidence that undermined the case against the defendants.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyers charged the suspects with sex crimes but the cases had to be abandoned in court when it emerged not all the material collected by police had been given to the defence.

It likely means that innocent men were wrongly accused, but also that dangerous criminals may have escaped justice because of blunders by police and the CPS.

The 13 cases date back to 2016-17 and exclude four rape trials which had to be abandoned in the past month at the last minute.

Last week, Oxford University student Oliver Mears had his rape charge dropped after being on bail for two years, because of a diary discovered on the eve of his trial.

The embarrassing revelation by the CPS will put fresh pressure on Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders, who has insisted no one is wrongly behind bars because of disclosure failures.

The true scale of the problem was quietly slipped out in the House of Lords earlier this month. Former Attorney-General Lord Morris asked how many rape trials had been discontinued because of a failure to disclose evidence.

May 15, 2016: Three men accused of gang rape but exonerated before trial talk to our reporters

In reply, Lord Keen, the Ministry of Justice's spokesman in the Lords, said: 'Internal CPS case outcome recording data for 2016-17 shows that issues connected to the disclosure of unused material were recorded as the primary reason for two per cent of the rape prosecutions that were subsequently not proceeded with after charge.'

A spokesman for the CPS told The Mail on Sunday: 'The two per cent represents 13 rape cases that were not proceeded with in 2016/17 after being charged due to a failure to disclose unused material.'

He added: 'This represents 0.3 per cent of the 5,190 rape cases we prosecuted in 2016-17.'

During a parliamentary debate last week, former Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas said: 'We can no longer continue this failure of accountability It is a disgrace  I do not use that word lightly  that this problem has been left unresolved for so long.'

Dec 31, 2017: Danny Kay, cleared thanks to his sister-in-law, described his ordeal in the Mail on Sunday

The 13 cases dropped last year included those of four agricultural students wrongly accused of gang-raping a woman at a college ball. As this newspaper revealed, the young men endured two years of 'being dragged through hell' because the detective in the case had failed to disclose what the judge called 'game-changing' evidence that undermined their accuser's claims.

The CPS said: 'The CPS accepts that we, along with police colleagues, need to do more to improve our disclosure of unused material. There are systemic disclosure issues across the criminal justice system, and it will take a collective effort from all participants for improvements to be made.'

Last night, Lord Morris said: 'The repeated collapse of rape trials is crying out for an independent review. A CPS and police inquiry will not satisfy the public.'

Critics say DPP Mrs Saunders has still not got a grip on the problem, after she declared that police did not always have to look for evidence on social media or mobile phones. We don't ordinarily trawl through people's lives,' she said.

Dec 17, 2017: Liam Allan talked to the Mail on Sunday after almost two years on bail before police handed over text messages that exonerated him

'If people have known each other for a day, you might look at the texts between each other on that day or perhaps a day after.

'But you wouldn't and couldn't, without a huge amount of resources, completely download a phone and trawl through it all.'

Former Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West, Nazir Afzal, said: 'We wouldn't be saying that about looking for witnesses or DNA or fingerprints. We've got to do it, that's how we ensure a fair trial.'

He added that the DPP had been 'very bold' to claim that no one was currently wrongly in jail because of a failure to disclose evidence.

'I know of cases where digital evidence would have perhaps meant that person wasn't convicted, and with 84,000 people in prison it's a bold statement to say that not one of them shouldn't be where they are.'
Huge fines will be imposed on irresponsible company bosses who 'line their own pockets', Theresa May has warned.

The Prime Minister will outline plans in the coming weeks to crack down on 'abuse' of the system by business chiefs following the Carillion scandal.

Proposals include giving the pensions regulator specific powers to issue punitive fines on company directors in cases of clear wrongdoing.

Huge fines will be imposed on irresponsible company bosses who 'line their own pockets', Theresa May has said

Writing in The Observer, Mrs May revived the pledge she made on taking power to prioritise 'ordinary working people' rather than the 'privileged few'.

Several former executives at failed outsourcing giant Carillion received significant pay and perks packages before it collapsed.

The PM told the newspaper 'tough new rules' will be introduced to tackle the behaviour of 'executives who try to line their own pockets by putting their workers' pensions at risk - an unacceptable abuse that we will end'.

She added: 'Too often we've seen top executives reaping big bonuses for recklessly putting short-term profit ahead of long-term success. Our best businesses know that is not a responsible way to run a business and those who do so will be forced to explain themselves.'

It comes after a Tory former minister accused Mrs May of timidity and a lack of ambition in a devastating attack on her leadership.

Nick Boles warned the Prime Minister it was 'time to raise your game' and claimed her government 'constantly disappoints'.

He tweeted: 'There is a timidity and lack of ambition about Mrs May's Government which means it constantly disappoints. Time to raise your game, Prime Minister.'
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated a number of development projects in Upper Egypt and nationwide via video conference on Sunday, in a public event during his visit to Beni Suef goverorate.

The projects include a number of hospitals, water treatment stations, road expansions and university development plans across different governorates, including Sohag, Luxor and Beni Suef.

The new projects also include expansions to a Samsung factory that produces devices relying on made-in-Egypt components at the rate of 80 percent.

The president also inaugurated the $185 million second phase of Beni Suef's General Hospital.

Acting Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi and other state officials accompanied the president on his visit to Beni Suef.

During a conference at which Egyptian ministers and government officials spoke about recently-launched projects, Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali said 86 percent of the ministry's financial aid to the country's most impoverished groups under the Takaful and Karama program goes to Upper Egypt.

The Takaful and Karama (Solidarity and Dignity) programs were launched in 2015 with the aim of offering financial backing to impoverished families with school-age children, the elderly and people with special needs.

Upper Egypt is home to the country's poorest areas. A 2016 report by Egypt's official statistics agency CAMPAS said that 57 percent of rural areas in the country's south are impoverished, with the country's highest poverty rates in Upper Egypt's governorates of Sohag, Assiut and Qena.

In his address to the conference, Tade Minister Tarek Kabil said 10 industrial zones and 3,000 small-sized factories in the country's south are planned for completion by the end of this year.

The projects are part of the government's plans to stimulate industrial growth in Upper Egypt and its contribute to the growth in the national domestic product, he said.

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On the first anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration, people across the country took to the streets carrying clever and hilarious signs at the 2018 Women's Marches.

The banners broadcast the participants' motivation for showing up, in some 250 cities across the country.

Reproductive rights was a popular theme at the second annual installment of this event. One sign read: 'We need to talk about the elephant in the womb'.

Many of the banners on display at the 2018 Women's Marches were thought-provoking and serious, others funny and some downright brutal.

On the first anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration, people took to the streets to protest in the second annual Women's March. The signs people carried were thought-provoking, full of puns and sometimes downright brutal

A sign in Philadelphia read, 'This episode of Black Mirror sucks' - a reference to the popular TV show on Netflix

The flagship Women's March, held on January 21, 2017, reportedly brought more than 5 million people together, worldwide.

On Saturday, the 2018 Women's March again drew crowds all over the nation, from Los Angeles to New York City.

While the turnout was not expected to be quite as high this year, several cities had hundreds of thousands show up to protest against issues including misogyny, sexual harassment and assault, lack of equal treatment in the workplace, and the deportation of immigrant children.

Two women held up a sign with an ode to Mean Girls, the movie, which had a picture of Regina George on a pair of ovaries and a uterus, saying 'Why are you so obsessed with me?'

'Our first female president shouldn't be Mother Russia,' a sign from the Washington, DC march read

Signs in Denver read 'We need feminism, the patriarchy won't f*** itself,' and '365 Days of White House Dysfunction... the new normal'

Another said, 'Keep your rosaries off my ovaries.'

'Grow a pair,' read a sign being carried in Los Angeles, with the words displayed on a banner positioned around a uterus and set of ovaries.

Human rights was another trending topic, showcased throughout the marches.

A woman drafted her own version of the lyrics to Cardi B's Bodak Yellow, writing on her sign: 'Said Donald Trump, you can't f*** with us if you wanted to, these is Human Rights, these is Basic Rights, these is Women Moves.'

More broadly, humanity was also a central theme.

A young girl holds a sign in New York City on Saturday that reads, 'Tweet others as you want to be tweeted'

A woman drafted her own version of the lyrics to Cardi B's Bodak Yellow, writing on her sign: 'Said Donald Trump, you can't f*** with us if you wanted to, these is Human Rights, these is Basic Rights, these is Women Moves'

An ode to Mean Girls, the movie, had a picture of Regina George on a pair of ovaries and uterus, saying ' Why are you so obsessed with me?'

'Grow a pair,' read a sign being carried in Los Angeles, with the words displayed on a banner positioned around a uterus and set of ovaries

 Slide me  Washington DC: There were calls for impeachment at the Lincoln Memorial. The 'Impeach #45' signed flipped around to denounce the president as a 'narcissist'

This dog also walked in the protest, with its owner promising the pooch would pee on any border wall

A sign carried by a boy in Cleveland read, 'Boys will be good humans,' with 'good humans' written in after the words 'boys' was crossed out.

Another popular sign simply said, 'No human is illegal.'

In another immigration-themed sign, this time hung around a dog's neck, its owner promised the pooch would pee on any border wall.

A little girl seated on a grown up's shoulders in Denver carried a sign that said, 'Build a wall and my generation will tear it down.'

Other signs didn't require words and just relied on images, like one from Washington, DC that showed a baby with Trump's face being held up by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

A young girl in Los Angeles carried a sign that said, 'F*** Trump,' with two rainbows

Washington DC: Among the protest signs were unflattering illustrations depicting Trump as Putin's baby

A woman in Los Angeles carried a sign that said, 'I like stories where women save themselves'

Washington DC: The president ignored the thousands of signs such as these and encouraged his fans to 'get out' and 'celebrate' all the good he has done for the country

A woman proclaimed, 'I hate crowds but I hate Trump more'

Washington DC: In Washington DC, a women holds up her protest sign which poked fun at the president's hair

Other signs in Los Angeles said, 'Norway, Please help us!', and depicted Trump in Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's painting, The Scream, captioned 'The American Scream'

In Los Angeles, one woman urged that time was of the essence, carrying a sign that read, 'I'm 98 and can't wait: Dump Trump'

Other signs in Los Angeles picked up on Trump's desire to bring more people from Norway to the United States, which he made clear when he reportedly called Haiti, El Salvadaor and African nations, 'S***hole countries.'

One sign said, 'Norway, Please help us!'

Another depicted Trump in Norwegian artist Edvard Munch's painting, The Scream, and added the caption, 'The American Scream.'

A trio of signs from supporters in Ottawa, Canada, urged people to 'fight like a girl,' and said, 'women's rights are human rights'

Washington DC: One of the thousands of protest signs in Washington DC on Saturday afternoon

Washington DC: A female protester takes a seat at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with her sign

Americans outraged over the fact that Congress let spending appropriations expire, causing the federal government to shut down, expressed their outrage at the demonstrations, as well.

A sign from DC blamed the President, specifically, reading, '#TrumpShutdown,' which was trending worldwide on Twitter in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The sign also said, 'No leadership skills,' in reference to Trump.

Another creative set of signs from Washington, DC worked double duty for those carrying them, spelling out, 'Impeach #45' on one side, and then flipping over to spell out,' narcissist' on the reverse.

One woman's sign read: 'Keep your rosaries off my ovaries'

A woman holds a banner during the 2018 Women's March on the 6th Avenue of New York City on Satuday

Signs in Washington, DC said, 'Vote to flush in 2018' and 'Keep abortion legal'

In DC, a protestor carried a sign depicting a mocked up cover of Time Magazine that read, 'Puppet of the Year' with Trump on Putin's lap; in New York, a woman's sign read, 'I will not go quietly'

'Elect a clown, get a circus,' a sign from Washington, DC read

'Resistance is fertile,' read a sign carried through the crowd at a march on Saturday

Washington DC: Liberal young women were confronted with anti-abortionists at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday

Washington DC: A man in a 'p****' hat takes a break and surveys the crowds while holding up an 'impeach' sign with the White House insignia on it

A woman holds up a sign as she attends the Womens March on New York City on Saturday

Washington DC: Protesters praised special prosecutor Robert Mueller and repeated calls of the Times Up movement

Washington DC: Protesters at the Lincoln Memorial stood behind plastic fencing with signs condemning the president

A sign reads, 'No human is illegal,' at the Washington, DC Women's March on Saturday

Other groups of people across the US worked together in another way to send a collective message.

Women in both Austin, Texas, and Cincinnati, Ohio dressed up as characters from the series, A Handmaid's Tale, in a protest against female oppression.

Another group that called themselves 'Gays Against Guns' cloaked themselves in white and carried a sign that read their name, along with images of people who had lost their lives due to gun violence.

New York City: Tens of thousands of protesters gathered near Central Park for the Manhattan march. The group's Facebook page suggested that as many as 80,000 planned to attend

A girl held a sign depicting Trump as Pinochio, saying, 'No one respects women as much as I do,' with a grown nose to suggest it's a lie, as happens to the cartoon character when he tells an untruth in the animated film by the same name

New York City: Protesters in Manhattan held up graphic illustrations including one which showed Trump being groped by the Statue of Liberty

A sign carried by a boy in Cleveland said, 'Boys will be good humans,' with 'good humans' written in after the words 'boys' was crossed out, showing that people are tired of the old phrase, 'Boys will be boys'

New York City: A group of protesters who called themselves Gays Against Guns took part in the march in Manhattan

Los Angeles: Some of the many signs in the crowds in Los Angeles were focused on the looming midterms

Washington DC: A child holds up an illustration depicting Trump's face and hair next to the word 'hate'

New York City: A woman marches with a sign reading Mujer in New York City. She was also dressed up as a character from The Handmaid's Tale, the popular Elisabeth Moss show tells a story of female oppression

In Denver, a little girl's sign reads: 'Build a wall and my generation will tear it down'

A young boy carried a sign calling out Trump, asking him to respect women and their rights

In Los Angeles, actress Scarlett Johansson wore a Time's Up t-shirt to give her speech. Yoko Ono, the former wife of late Beatle John Lennon, invoked his anthemic song Imagine in her sign

Los Angeles: There were large crowds in Los Angeles where packs of stars gathered to speak in front of crowds

Smaller marches were seen in Chattanooga, Tennessee (left) and in St Louis, Missouri (right)

The #MeToo movement, calling out men in high positions who have abused their power in the form of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, also had a presence at the nationwide marches.

One woman in Chattanooga, Tennessee, turned her body into a canvas, with a sign that read '#MeToo' taped on the back of her coat as she marched while carrying an American flag.

Another lady in St Louis, Missouri carried a sign showing three fists in three different skin tones raised in he air, reading 'I will not be silent,' with the hashtags, '#BLM' for the Black Lives Matter movement, and '#TimesUp' and '#MeToo.'

A sign in Los Angeles quoted Emma Watson, saying, 'If you stand for equality, then you're a feminist. Sorry to tell you'

Austin, Texas: Women descended on the Texas State Capitol with protest signs for the Women's March

Austin, Texas: A group of women dressed up as characters from the series A Handmaid's Tale in a protest against female oppression

Cincinnati, Ohio: A different group wore the same costumes and had children dress in them as well in Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio: A large group of protesters walks behind a police car with signs in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Saturday

A bright sign at one march said, 'Sorry Trump you turned me into an activist'

New York City: Many of the signs and chants were geared towards the 2018 midterm elections when more female candidates are standing than ever before

New York City: Some of the protesters poked fun at Trump and his comments with their signs

New York City: A woman holds a sign reading 'I am 2018' as she marches with crowds in New York City on Saturday

New York City: In Manhattan, glamorous protesters held signs calling for an Oprah Winfrey presidency in 2020 after the television legend's recent speech at the Golden Globes

Voting was another major focus for 2018 Women's March signs, calling for women to run for something across the US.

One sign called for Elizabeth Warren and Oprah Winfrey to run as a ticket for president in 2020, and another warned Trump that elections were coming, that looked 'mighty pink.'

Another still more generally said, 'Vote 2018: A woman's place is in the house and senate.'

That message, however, was apparently lost on Trump, who tweeted the following on Saturday: 'Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!'

Public sentiment against Trump was lost on the president during the 2018 Women's March, who tweeted on Saturday, 'That message, however, was apparently lost on Trump, who tweeted the following on Saturday: 'Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!'

New York City: A woman in Manhattan holds a 'resisting b**** face' sign as she marches with fellow protesters, as a play on words to the well-known phrase, 'resting b**** face'

New York City: Women stood patiently behind barricades along Central Park West in the mid-morning

New York City: Crowds descended on Central Park West in New York City for the march on Saturday morning. Mercifully, it was a warmer in the city than it has been for weeks

New York City: Protesters arrive at Columbus Circle in midtown Manhattan to begin the march on Saturday

New York City: People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan in New York City, New York, on January 20, 2018

Philadelphia: protesters held signs calling for the end of nuclear warfare and for Trump to be impeached

The first Women's March was held on January 21, 2017, the day after Trump was sworn in as president.

Women and their allies came together that day, spreading a message of unity in what was widely reported as the largest public demonstration in recorded history.

It's estimated that last year's Women's March in Washington, DC drew anywhere from 440,000 to 500,000 people.

Nationwide, reports ranged that anywhere from 3,267,134 to 5,246,670 people participated last year.

Worldwide involvement for 2017 has been estimated at over five million.

The 2018 Women's Marches were held across the US on Saturday, in cities including New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Dallas, Denver, and more.

Over 500,000 people showed up in Los Angeles, alone, and more than 120,000 marched in Manhattan.

Philadelphia: Oscar Janicki, six, holds a sign reading 'I'm With Her' as is carried through the crowds on an adult's shoulders
The man behind the Twitter handle @ChicagoWest - which is also the name of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's newborn - says he will happily hand over the social media marker.

Jon Wyatt - a grain trader and farmer who owns the Twitter account - says all the Hollywood powerful couple have to do is ask.

According to TMZ, who spoke to the agriculturalist on Saturday, Wyatt has had the handle since 2010, when he decided to leave Chicago and move out west to the mountains.

Kim and Kanye revealed the name of their third child on Friday, calling the newborn baby girl Chicago after West's home town in Illinois

Jon Wyatt - a grain trader and farmer who owns the @ChicagoWest Twitter account - says he'll gladly hand over the social media handle

So far, no one has reached out to Wyatt about handing over the Twitter account.

Kim and Kanye revealed the name of their third child on Friday, calling the newborn baby girl Chicago after West's home town in Illinois.

Chicago, who came into the world on Monday, is being called Chi (Shy) for short. She has older siblings North, 4, and Saint, 2.

So far, no one has reached out to Wyatt about turning over the Twitter account (Kim Kardashian pictured with her children four-year-old North, right, and Saint, 2)

Kim and Kanye had their third child via surrogate and she weighed a health 7 lbs.6 oz.

Kardashian and West, 40, who married in a lavish ceremony in Italy in May 2014, have been dogged by rumors of trouble in paradise recently amid gossip-press speculation that their marriage is on the rocks.

Kim ranks 47 on Forbes' celebrity 100 ranking of highest-paid entertainers with pretax earnings of $45.5 million.

Celebrity website TMZ said the couple chose a surrogate after Kardashian suffered from a serious condition in which the placenta becomes too deeply attached to the wall of the uterus during her second pregnancy, making a third pregnancy too risky.

TMZ said the couple paid the surrogate $45,000, banning her from smoking, taking drugs, hot baths, dying her hair and eating raw fish during the pregnancy. An image of the newborn baby girl has not been released.
Police have been called in after a top-rated primary school was 'intimidated' into dropping a ban on Muslim girls wearing hijabs.

St Stephen's in Newham, East London, was bombarded with thousands of emails  many allegedly abusive or threatening violence against staff  after it ruled that girls aged under eight should not wear headscarves.

In the face of the protests, the chairman of the governors, Arif Qawi, announced his resignation on Friday and the school said it had reversed its ban after 'speaking to the school community'.

St Stephen's primary school in Newham had said it was banning hijabs for girls aged under eight but U-turned after a barrage of threats

However, insiders said staff had been bullied by an 'orchestrated' campaign of up to 500 emails a day from across the country, with some messages falsely branding head teacher Neena Lall, 50, a 'paedophile' who 'deserved what she had coming'.

Critics said the school had failed to consult parents properly.

The ban was imposed before Christmas to help five- and six-year-olds integrate better after staff noticed they were often reluctant to join in playground games because their headscarves were cumbersome. The campaign against the ban gathered momentum last week after locals began a petition opposing it, and Islamic activists and Left-wing Newham councillors criticised the decision.

The school's headteacher, Neena Lall (pictured), who had supported the change in a bid to make pupils feel more integrated, was branded a 'paedophile'

According to well-placed sources, Mr Qawi, 54, felt he had to step down because staff were becoming frightened to come into school.

He told colleagues in an email: 'I wish the school continued success and am truly sorry that my actions have caused any harm to the reputation of the fantastic school.'

A note posted on the school's website on Friday read: 'Having spoken to our school community we have decided to reverse our position with immediate effect.'

Sources blamed Islamic activists MEND, who have faced accusations of extremism, for encouraging the email campaign.

Dr Usama Hasan, an imam and Islamic expert at the Quilliam think- tank, said: 'There is no religious requirement for under-eights to wear the headscarf. It is valid to raise health and safety, which is an Islamic requirement, as is encouraging children to play.

'But there's nothing wrong with parents dressing their daughters like them. Consultation is encouraged in Islam, so the school should consult widely.'

But Mr Qawi's resignation was welcomed by the Muslim Council of Britain, which said the 'appalling' ban was discriminatory as it did not target the dress of pupils of other faiths.

St Stephen's last year topped the Sunday Times's Parent Power league tables after impressive academic results.
Terrifying footage showing a convicted drug-dealer swerve onto the wrong side of the road and plough into an oncoming car has been captured on a dashcam.

Tyler Heycox lost control of his Toyota Rav4 and smashed into a Toyota Hilux on the Kings Highway at Monga, New South Wales on December 27, the Daily Telegraph reported.

A dashcam inside the Hilux being driven by Stuart McIntyre with his 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter in the car shows Heycox cross the centre line before the horrific crash.

Tyler Heycox lost control of his Toyota Rav4 and smashed into a Toyota Hilux on the Kings Highway at Monga, New South Wales on December 27

A dashcam inside the Hilux being driven by Stuart McIntyre with his 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter in the car shows Heycox cross the centre line before the horrific crash

Heycox, 35, was charged with negligent driving and given a fine after the head-on collision

Mr McIntyre's teenage daughter can be heard screaming as the cars crunch together.

Airbags burst open inside the Hilux as the impact of the smash knocks the dashcam over.

Heycox, 35, was charged with negligent driving and given a fine after the head-on collision.

In September he was involved in another accident were he allegedly fell asleep before driving into the path an oncoming truck.

Mr McIntyre said if the family were in a smaller car the 'outcome would have been catastrophic'.

'Given the seriousness of the accident and potential loss of life, we felt at least the driver should have faced a magistrate to explain his actions,' he said.

'It makes me angry and sad that drivers who act like this continue to be on our roads.'

Mr McIntyre said Heycox didn't tell police his name or address but they recognised him from recent road accidents.

Mr McIntyre said Heycox didn't tell police his name or address but they recognised him from recent road accidents

Heycox spent two years behind bars for trafficking methampetamine and ecstasy on the Gold Coast

Heycox spent two years behind bars for trafficking methampetamine and ecstasy on the Gold Coast.

The crash in Monga happened just one day after Home and Away actress Jessica Falkholt was involved in a devastating crash which killed her as well as her father, mother and sister.

Craig Whitall had dozens of prior driving offences and was on his way home from a methadone clinic when he smashed into the Falkholt's car on the NSW south coast.

The crash in Monga happened just one day after Home and Away actress Jessica Falkholt was involved in a devastating crash which killed her as well as her father, mother and sister
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Bitter clashes have broken out across Honduras as police and the armed forces battle with protesters enraged by their president's re-election.

A 60-year-old man is believed to have died when police opened fire on protesters in the town of Saba, 130 miles north east of Tegucigalpa.

Violent images are also emerging from the capital, where demonstrators blocked roads with burning tyres and riot police used tear gas to break up crowds yesterday.

Bitter clashes have broken out across Honduras as police and the armed forces battle with protesters enraged by their president's re-election

Violent images are also emerging from the capital Tegucigalpa, where demonstrators blocked roads with burning tyres and riot police (pictured) used tear gas to break up crowds yesterday

Discontent is still raging after the re-election of centre-right President Juan Orlando Hernandez on November 26

Riot police are pictured trying to put out a burning tyre laid as a roadblock on the streets of Tegucigalpa yesterday

Three police officers and one solider were also injured in the chaos, while 12 protesters were arrested nationwide.

Discontent is still raging after the re-election of centre-right President Juan Orlando Hernandez on November 26.

The 49-year-old has been in power since 2013, and is the first President of Honduras to run for a second term after the supreme court lifted a re-election ban.

He beat centre-left opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla, who was backed by former President Manuel Zelaya - ousted in a 2009 coup.

Zelaya has since called for people to take to the streets as part of the Opposition Alliance Against the Dictatorship.

Masked protesters (pictured) who launched gas canisters at police shouted 'Out with JOH, out with the dictator' in the capital's Miraflores neighbourhood this weekend

Honduras, a poor, violent country that has long sent vulnerable migrants north to the United States and is often attributed with the highest murder rate in the world, has been embroiled in a political crisis since the election

A 60-year-old man is believed to have died when police (pictured fighting violent crowds in Tegulcigalpa) opened fire on protesters in the town of Saba, 130 miles north east of the capital

Honduras, a poor, violent country that has long sent vulnerable migrants north to the United States and is often attributed with the highest murder rate in the world, has been embroiled in a political crisis since the election.

At least 31 people have died in deadly street protests across the nation.

Masked protesters who launched gas canisters at police shouted 'Out with JOH, out with the dictator' in the capital's Miraflores neighbourhood this weekend.

Three police officers and one solider were also injured in the chaos, while 12 protesters were arrested nationwide

Late last year the electoral tribunal declared Hernandez, a staunch ally of the US, the official winner, despite strident protests over the vote count.

Initially, the vote tally had clearly backed Nasralla, but it swung in favour of the incumbent after a 36-hour delay.

Hernandez is due to take office on January 27.

Zelaya said: 'We have to stay in the streets. If they move us from one spot, we have to move to another.

'We need to be permanently mobilized to keep up the pressure and prevent the dictator from installing himself.'
A charter school in New Mexico raffles off guns at an annual fundraiser.

Estancia Valley Classical Academy in Moriarty, New Mexico, has a fundraising group comprised of staff and parents. They host numerous fundraisers every year in hopes of constructing a new school building.

At the 2017 'Made in America' fundraiser, the big-ticket items were a handgun and a rifle.

Estancia Valley Classical Academy (pictured) in Moriarty, New Mexico, has a fundraising group comprised of staff and parents

At the 2017 'Made in America' fundraiser, the big-ticket items were a gun and a rifle

And while those living near the school didn't comment, KRQU News 13 spoke with families in Alburquerque who felt those were warranted items.

'I think it's good for the kids to build familiarity with the firearms and know what they're doing,' said Albuquerque resident Colt Noah.

According to the Public Education Department, it is up to individual districts or schools to decide how they wish to raise money and the state has no control.

While no one nearby the school would comment, those nearby in Albuquerque found little issue with the raffle. One of the winners of the raffle is pictured

The school hosts numerous fundraisers every year in hopes of constructing a new school building

The state is only able to enforce that the money be used for proper ventures.

According to the school's website, they've been holding gun raffles during the fundraiser since 2015.

The school is a charter school meaning it is run independently separate from public schools.

And while they are less stringent with their guidelines, other schools do have rules on what can be sold at fundraisers.
The BBC has come under fire for paying Rohingya Muslims just 33 per day to relive their plight fleeing Myanmar during filming of hit show Our Girl.

Although some of the extras said filming the scenes felt like 'torture', they said they needed the money too much to be in a position to complain.

The treatment of the Rohingya Muslims on the set of the show angered both crew and cast after they were covered in dirt and made to wade through water for hours.

The BBC has come under fire for paying Rohingya Muslims just 33 a day to relive their plight fleeing Myanmar as extras on the hit show Our Girl (file photo)

Cast and crew, including Michelle Keegan, pictured, expressed concerns about the treatment of refugees. Habibah Abdullah said she saw a man collapse in the heat during a 12-hour day filming

Refugee Habibah Abdullah told the Sun: 'Everybody was reliving personal nightmares and it was very difficult for us but we had to go through it all because we need the money.

'We are accustomed to hardship and if that is what we have to go through to earn money to feed our families, of course we will do it.'

She added: 'Babies were crying and children all around me were screaming 'mummy, mummy'. It was a really hot day and one man collapsed in the water.'

The 23-year-old had spent 15 days at sea escaping Myanmar, yet spent hours in fast-moving water for the show.

Ms Abdullah claims she even saw one man collapse due to the heat on the day of filming.

Around 100 refugees were picked to play extras and they were collected from their homes in Kuala Lumpur at 5am for a 12-hour day for which they were paid 33.

The next season of the BBC1 drama is being filmed in Malaysia and will air in April.

Since season two Michelle Keegan has played Army medic Georgie Lane on her journey as a medic on a tour of Kenya.

The next season of the BBC1 drama is being filmed in Malaysia and will air in April. Around 100 refugees were picked to play extras and they were collected from their homes in Kuala Lumpur

Mubarak Bindi, who saw her home village burning to the ground, was placed in a replica of the refugee camp she ended up living in in the aftermath.

She said: 'My heart sank when I saw the film set. It reminded me of where I had to live after my village was burned down.

'It brought back all the terrible feelings of that time. I felt very upset.'

A source told the Sun that many of the cast and crew were concerned about the treatment of the refugees on set, include star of the show Ms Keegan.

A BBC spokesman said: 'The storyline was conceived to shine a light on the plight of the Rohingya.

'All the supporting artists were contracted in the normal manner and at rates standard for work in Malaysia, including some Rohingya refugees living in Malaysia.

'At no point were any of the artists asked to do anything that would compromise their safety and their welfare was of paramount importance to us.

'One of the Rohingya supporting artists was seen by an on-set medic and taken to hospital with the producer.

'Filming stopped to allow this to happen and there is no footage of the event in the programme.'

Ms Abdullah said: 'Everybody was reliving personal nightmares and it was very difficult for us but we had to go through it all because we need the money' (file photo)
Boris Johnson has called for Donald Trump to be welcomed to Britain ans warned that 'puerile' attacks on the US leader could harm the UK's national interest.

The Foreign Secretary said America is one of Britain's closest economic and security allies, with many billions of pounds of businesses between the two countries every year.

But he warned that 'puerile and backward-looking' Labour protesters trying to stop the President from visiting the UK risks jeopardising these close ties.

Britain is eager to strike a post Brexit free trade deal with America but there are fears that our increasingly frosty relations with our cousins across the Atlantic could harm the chances of getting one.

Boris Johnson has launched a scathing attack on 'puerile and backward-looking' Labour protesters trying to stop Donald Trump from visiting the UK

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Johnson wrote: 'The Labour Party is, of course, entitled to espouse all manner of puerile and backward-looking ideas.

'That is their privilege as a kind of glorified Momentum-based protest group.

'But in opposing the visit of the president of the United States to this country, they risk actually damaging the national interest.

'From Jeremy Corbyn downwards, Labour figures have been fulminating against what should be a routine event in the diplomatic calendar.'

The Foreign Secretary pointed out that Britain sells twice as much to America as we do to Germany.

And he warned that Jeremy Corbyn is letting his anti-Americanism damage Britain's ties with our closest ally.

He added: 'So when Jeremy Corbyn dismisses that partnership, and says there is nothing particularly important about it ('no, I think there are many important relationships', he burbles) the Labour leader betrays not only his anti-Americanism but also his ignorance of this country's economic interests.'

Mr Johnson is due to meet Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of State, this week at the formal opening of America's new embassy in London.

It comes after Mr Trump pulled out of the visit saying the new embassy in Battersea is in an 'off location'.

Mr Johnson said the new US administration is showing a 'new willingness to get stuck in' in the Middle East to tackle Assad's use of chemical weapons and hasten the defeat of ISIS.

He added: 'President Trump has had highly successful visits to France, Germany, Japan, China, and other countries. It is absolutely right that we should welcome him here, and it is time for Labour to end their Spartist agitations.

The Foreign Secretary's comments come after Tillerson said he hopes to visit the controversial new US embassy when he visits London this week.

Johnson's comments come after Tillerson said he hopes to visit the controversial new US embassy when he visits London this week

The State Department said it had not been decided whether he would formally open the building.

Mr Trump cancelled a trip to London to open the embassy scheduled for next month, saying he did not want to endorse a bad deal agreed by the Obama administration to sell the old one for 'peanuts.'

Speaking to reporters while flying back to Washington from a trip to the North American west coast on Wednesday, Tillerson did not respond when asked if he would formally open the controversial building, but said he hoped to go there.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a news briefing on Thursday no 'ribbon-cutting ceremony' by Tillerson was currently scheduled during his January 21-23 London visit before the World Economic forum in Davos.

While the deal on the sale of the old embassy site was concluded under President Barack Obama, the decision to move from Grosvenor Square in up-market Mayfair to the south bank of the Thames was agreed in 2008 under Republican President George W. Bush.

Nauert said the new embassy opened this week and the bulk of staff had moved from the old building.

The cancellation of Trump's trip was a further blow to relations between Britain and the United States, for long the closest of allies. More than a year into his presidency, Trump has yet to visit London, with many Britons vowing to protest against a man they see as crude, volatile and opposed to their values on a range of issues.

Tillerson rejected the suggestion that Trump might see Britain as less useful now that it was embroiled in Brexit and other political issues.

'No, not at all,' he said. 'I mean, we still have the special relationship with the British people. As you know, President Trump was supportive of the UK's exit from the EU. He still thinks that was the right decision for them.

'Britain needs to focus on those Brexit negotiations right now, which is really important to them, and I think the president realizes that's where Prime Minister May really needs to focus her attention.'
Mr Worthington (pictured) has avoided facing any criminal charges

Poppi Worthington's father boasted he would sue police for 100,000 for wrongly accusing him of her murder, his former friends have claimed.

Paul Worthington, 49, sexually abused his daughter before she died in 2012, a coroner ruled last week.

Two of his former friends claim he told them: 'They think I murdered her but they've got nothing on me. There's no evidence and I'm going to sue them. I'll make 100,000.'

One ex-friend told The Sun On Sunday: 'He was always going on all the time about how much money he would get.'

Another added: 'All he seemed to be bothered about was money, not his daughter.'

It comes as a petition calling for an independent review into the death of tragic 13-month-old Poppi reaches more than 30,000 signatures.

Mr Worthington has avoided facing any criminal charges due to a series of farcical investigative and forensic blunders by Cumbria Police.

But the petition, which is using the hashtag #poppisvoice is calling for a review following the failure to prosecute her father.

Organisers set an initial target of 15,000 signatures but the figure was approaching 12,000 on Thursday night and reached 30,000 by Saturday.

The Crown Prosecution Service was on Wednesday reviewing the inquest report in case it offered enough fresh evidence to reopen their criminal probe into her death.

Already Poppi's local MP John Woodcock demanded a full public inquiry into Poppi's death and how the police case was so badly handled.

Poppi Worthington (pictured) was sexually abused by her father Paul before she died, a coroner ruled

The petition has used the hashtag #poppisvoice and is calling for an independent review into her death

Now Mr Woodcock has met Home Secretary Amber Rudd in her House of Commons office and been assured she will give his request her consideration.

Mr Woodcock, MP for Barrow-in-Furness, said: 'I am pleased that the home secretary took time to see me.

'She made clear she recognises the community is reeling over Poppi's death and the terrible failings that surround it.

'Mrs Rudd pledged to consider urgently what steps she can take in the light of (the inquest) verdict and asked me to work with her home office team to try to make any action she takes as effective as possible.

'Ministers always stress they cannot direct the Crown Prosecution Service who we are praying will look at the case in a fresh light following the coroner's verdict.

'But the home secretary can act to help restore confidence in our policing system which has been badly damaged by this terrible affair.

'Poppi will probably never get justice because of grotesque failings into the police investigation into her death.

'But we owe it to her to campaign for a public inquiry that can expose all that has led us to this terrible day.'

Earlier this week Mr Woodcock slammed Cumbria Police for giving Mr Worthington 50,000-a-year police protection - despite the coroner's claims he abused his baby.

The taxpayer-funded ring of steel has shielded Worthington since a High Court judge in 2016 also accused him of molesting Poppi.

Labour's John Woodcock fumed: 'Our community will resent this daily reminder of the abject failure of the police to do their job in the first place.

'We have to try every avenue and hope that the coroner's verdict gives us a chance at getting a trial that would end this absurd and expensive situation.

'But the chances are slim, which is why I am calling for a public inquiry.'

On Monday, coroner Mr Roberts concluded that Poppi suffered a serious sexual assault in her father's double bed at the family home.

But a dozen crucial police blunders after her death left CPS chief Nazir Afzal unable to charge Mr Worthington, who has always denied sexually assault.

Instead, it was left to High Court judge Mr Justice Jackson in 2016 to sensationally rule the father had sexually assaulted Poppi.

During last month's inquest in Kendal, Worthington shamelessly refused to answer all 252 questions about her death.

The petition is now calling for an independent review into the death of the 13-month-old (pictured)

Poppi's local MP John Woodcock met Home Secretary Amber Rudd (pictured) in her House of Commons office and been assured she will give his request her consideration

He only appeared before the inquest when accompanied by two police officers armed with Tasers.

But his accounts of how Poppi died were slammed by the coroner for 'not being credible' and 'raising concerning questions'.

Mr Roberts added: 'Whilst parts of his previous accounts may be true, I cannot rely upon them providing a complete and truthful history of what took place.'

Describing the events that led to her death, Mr Roberts ruled: 'At some time after 2.30am, Poppi was taken from her cot into the double bedroom.

'Her pyjama bottoms and nappy were removed and she was sexually assaulted. Only Paul Worthington can provide an account of what happened.'

Worthington's lawyers stress their client is 'considering his options' and 'not saying anything'.

While Poppi's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also demanded a fresh criminal enquiry.

Her lawyer Fiona McGhee said: 'My client hopes the CPS will now take another look at this case.'

Cumbria Police's chief constable, Jeremy Graham, has publicly apologised to Poppi's family for his force's failings.
Photographer Mario Testino, 63, pictured had been brought in to guide the look of the new Annabels in Londons Mayfair, which is due to open in a matter of weeks following a 55 million renovation

The UKs most famous nightclub  Annabels  has severed its ties with Mario Testino following a string of sexual harassment claims against the fashion photographer, I can reveal.

Testino, 63, had been brought in to guide the look of the new Annabels in Londons Mayfair, which is due to open in a matter of weeks following a 55 million renovation.

The photographer, a favourite of the Royals, has been accused of sexual harassment by more than a dozen male models.

A statement from the club said: In light of recent allegations, Annabels has decided it is appropriate to end our association with Mario Testino as a member of our Cultural Committee.

Last week Gucci model Ryan Locke said Testino climbed on top of him during a photoshoot on a bed saying: Im the girl, youre the boy. Another Gucci model, Jason Fedele, said models had to do a nude shoot with Testino to advance your career.

Annabels  membership 3,000 a year  is planning a grand opening in early March of its new premises, two doors down from its previous address. It will have a 20 million-plus Picasso portrait renamed Annabel hanging in the hall.

Down the years, the club in Berkeley Square has welcomed stars ranging from the Beatles  who were kicked out for not wearing shoes  to Princess Diana, who turned up dressed as a policewoman during Prince Andrews stag night.

A spokesman for Annabels told me: He was going to be on our cultural committee when the club opened. Weve now ended the relationship with him. Another member of the committee is make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury, who will design the ladies powder room.

Publisher Conde Nast, has also distanced itself from Testino, as has fashion brand Burberry.

Testino, who took iconic shots of Diana and the official engagement photographs of William and Kate, was accused of sexual advances by 13 male assistants and models.

Testinos lawyers have challenged the character and credibility of his accusers.

Meaningless noise emanating from Liam Gallaghers mouth? Who ever would have thought it!

The former Oasis frontman has been attending Korean Qi energy chanting classes at the Jung Shim centre in Marylebone, London.

The 40-minute sessions involve repeating vibrational sounds that have no translatable meaning but declutter the mind.

Perhaps his classes led to Liam, 45, recently ending the long-term feud with brother Noel, 50.

It's the film the whole fashion world has been waiting for, Im sure. But Im afraid to have to tell them that Naomi Campbells planned documentary about her life as a model has failed to get off the runway.

The temperamental South London star, 47, pictured below  who has lobbed her mobile phone at more than one assistant  was seen filming at a Chelsea book launch in 2016 but since then there has been no progress on the project, and I hear it has been canned.

It could be that she is too busy, having been made a contributing editor at Vogue magazine. One job too many for Naomi!

Cara Delevingnes first novel didnt trouble the bestseller lists and her Hollywood career isnt taking off, so now shes giving music a try.

One-time model Cara, 25, said: I want to finish an album. Dont expect her pop star ex St Vincent is too worried by the competition!
Egypt's foreign ministry on Sunday expressed condemnation of Turkey's military intervention in Afrin, a Kurdish-controlled city in Syria's northwest near the Turkish border, saying it constitutes a "fresh violation of Syrian sovereignty."

Turkeys army said it shelled shelters and hideouts used by militants in the area on Friday and Saturday, as Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan vowed to wipe out "terrorists" in the region.

The Turkish government has accused the Syrian Kurdish forces which control Afrin to be connected to the PKK, which Ankara considers a terrorist organziation.

The attacks "undermine the existing efforts for political solutions and counter-terrorism efforts in Syria," the ministry added in a statement published on its Facebook page.

The ministry reiterated Cairo's firm position rejecting military solutions to Syria's nearly seven-year civil war, which it said would add to the suffering of the Syrian people.

The ministry renewed its call for serious negotiations towards a "comprehensive and objective political process" that includes all parties.

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A number of well-connected Russian nationals with ties to Vladimir Putin were reportedly in attendance at the President's inauguration last year and the FBI is reportedly trying to figure out why.

Days before Donald Trump's swearing in ceremony, The Washington Post reports that at least half-a-dozen powerful Russian figures and activists arrived in the nation's capital to mark the ushering in of the new administration.

Social media posts on Facebook, for example, show Russian pharmaceutical executive Alexey Repik, along with his wife, Polina, boasting of their prime access to festivities and politicians during their week long excursion.

Days before Donald Trump's swearing in ceremony, at least half-a-dozen powerful Russian figures and activists were in Washington

Social media posts on Facebook, for example, show Russian pharmaceutical executive Alexey Repik, along with his wife, Polina, boasting of their prime access to festivities

Repik was fortunate enough to witness the swearing-in ceremony from ticketed seats in front of Capital Hill and later posed shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump's then nominee for CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, for a picture.

He also posed shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump's then nominee for CIA Director, Mike Pompeo (L), for a picture.

'I believe that President Donald Trump will open a new page in American history,' Repik wrote in one post while holding a clutch of inauguration passes arranged next to a white 'Make America Great Again' in Russian.

The presence of other high-profile Russians such as business tycoon Viktor Vekselberg and Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer whose June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with Donald Trump Jr. has become a focus of a special counsel investigation, reportedly raised red flags among security officials in Washington.

The FBI expressed concern at the time because some of the individuals had surfaced in the agency's investigation of the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, according to former U.S. officials who spoke to the Post under the condition of anonymity.

Other guests with Kremlin ties included Boris Titov, a politician and business advocate who is running for president of Russia with Putin's blessing, according to The Post.

The presence of high-profile Russians such as business tycoon Viktor Vekselberg (L) and Natalia Veselnitskaya (R) also raised concerns in the FBI

Other guests with Kremlin ties included Boris Titov (R), a politician and business advocate who is running for president of Russia with Putin's blessing (Pictured along with his wife Yelena 2017)

'It was a great, amazing experience,' Repik later told the Post in an interview. He also said that he was in Washington in 2013 during former President Barack Obama's inauguration, but did not attend any events.

At the same time, Russian officials in Moscow were celebrating Donald Trump's victory, popping open champagne bottles and looking forward to dealing with an administration with an 'America First' attitude that emphasized more on business and domestic issues instead of promoting democracy abroad, the Post reported.

A year later, however, sanctions placed on Russia by the Obama administration are still in place and US special prosecutor Robert Mueller is still investigating possible collusion allegations between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

Donald Trump taking the oath of allegiance during his swearing-in ceremony on January 20, 2017 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC

'We hoped that a lot of things would change, that the relations would be built on equal terms, that we would be able to start a new stage in the relations between countries,' Titov said in an interview. 'But unfortunately, this is not happening.'

Titov refused to reveal how he received an invitation to the inauguration or any of the events held that day, saying only that he came 'via our friends  entrepreneurs in the Republican Party.'

A spokesperson for Vekselberg, head of the Renova group - which oversees business interests in energy, telecom and mining - said the Russian billionaire attended Trump's inauguration as a guest of 'one of his closest American business partners.'

The spokesperson refused to reveal who the American business partner was.

Vekselberg reportedly has close ties to Vladimir Putin and his inner circle, regularly participating in gatherings of Russian business leaders at the Kremlin and occasionally holding private meetings with the powerful Russian leader.

Russian officials in Moscow were celebrating Donald Trump's victory, opening champagne and looking forward to dealing with an administration with an 'America First' attitude
A charity foundation created in the name of 14-year-old 'Akubra girl' Amy 'Dolly' Everett, has been defrauded.

The devastated family and friends of Dolly pushed through their grief to set up the charity to help prevent other children from committing suicide, after the young Northern Territory girl took her life on January 3.

The fundraising charity took to its Facebook page on Saturday to say 'unfortunately some folks have been using 'Dolly's Dream' to raise funds without then forwarding them on'.

Amy 'Dolly' Everett (pictured) took her own life on January 3 after being 'overwhelmed' by online bullies

'We know that most of you out there have been amazing with your fundraising efforts and your donations, but we need to protect the money being raised for this effort so we can put it to the best use,' Dolly's Dream said.

'We thank you for all of your efforts so far and for your contributing support.'

Dolly took her own life on January 3 because she was 'overwhelmed' by social media bullies.

Her devastated family, including her mother Kate and father Tick, launched Dolly's Dream to help bring about positive change.

'In remembrance to Dolly and to facilitate positive change for other young lives, the Dolly's Dream Foundation aims to provide support to charity groups through fundraising and promotion,' the page said.

'Together we can keep Dolly's Dream for a better world alive.'

'Unfortunately some folks have been using Dolly's Dream to raise funds without then forwarding them on to the Dolly's Dream account or the GoFundMe page,' the page said

Dolly's (pictured) devastated family, including her mother Kate and father Tick, launched Dolly's Dream to help bring about positive change

Her devastated family, including her mother Kate, father Tick and sister Meg, launched Dolly's Dream to help bring about positive change

Supporters of the charity were quick to express their disappointment and anger that Dolly's name had been taken advantage of.

'It saddens me to think that someone would try to profit from the tragedy that brought about the need for Dolly's Dream Foundation,' Rachael Cruwys said.

'Please know, those of us with our hearts in the right place will continue to roll up our sleeves and support you openly and honestly, and our numbers will always outweigh those who are seeking their own financial gain.'

'Sorry to hear that the ugly side of humans is rearing its head. Good will always rise to the top over bad,' Suze Ad said.

'People are a**holes, I can't believe it,' Andy Hayes said.

Since the fundraising page was created, it has been flooded with tributes for the teenager and her family

Veida (pictured), the great-grandmother of Amy 'Dolly' Everett sheds tears at a funeral service

Friends and family members read Vieda's (pictured left) sweet poem out loud at a memorial service for Dolly

Since the fundraising page was created, it has been flooded with tributes for the teenager and her family.

'This beautiful family has taken their tragedy & turned it into something that will have a positive change not only in this country but in cyber space as well!' said one supporter.

'Thank you Everett family for showing so much strength during this tragic circumstance and wanting to make a difference,' another said.

The young girl from the outback south-west of Katherine in the Northern Territory has been described as the 'kindest, caring, beautiful soul' by her parents Tick and Kate, and her older sister Meg in a statement sent to Daily Mail Australia.

'She was always caring for animals, small children, other children at boarding school who were less fortunate than herself,' the statement said.

Touching photographs of the young girl prove this to be true.

The young girl from the outback south-west of Katherine in the Northern Territory has been described as the 'kindest, caring, beautiful soul' by her parents

'She was always caring for animals, small children, other children at boarding school who were less fortunate than herself,' Dolly's parents said
Supporters of Jeremy Corbyn have drawn up a deselection hitlist of up to 50 Labour MPs, it was claimed.

Moderate MPs within the party have been told that Mr Corbyn's allies want to replace centrist candidates with more left-leaning ones.

A party whip has warned moderate MPs in private to keep their heads down or they could face deselection.

It comes amid fears that up to 50 could be deselected if rule changes are given the green light in autumn, according to The Sunday Times.

Moderate MPs within the party have been told that Mr Corbyn's allies want to replace centrist candidates with more left-leaning ones. The Labour Leader is pictured in September 2015

Chris Leslie and former shadow foreign secretary, Hilary Benn, are said to be top on the list.

Angela Eagle - who challenged Mr Corbyn for the leadership in 2016 - and her sister Maria Eagle, the former shadow culture secretary, are also believed to be vulnerable.

'Allies of Corbyn have admitted they have a list of MPs they want to get rid of,' a source told The Sunday Times.

It comes as Momentum members sought to make it more difficult for MPs to be confirmed as candidates for the next general election.

MPs now need only win a simple majority of nominations from local party branches, affiliated trade unions and socialist societies in a 'trigger ballot' to confirm their candidacy.

Chris Leslie (left) and former shadow foreign secretary, Hilary Benn (right) are said to be top on the list

The new policy is under consideration for the Labour manifesto in the north London borough of Haringey.

The council is almost certain to come under the control of Momentum - which is safely Labour - from May.

It follows 17 sitting Labour councillors having been replaced by pro-Momentum candidates in a spate of purges and resignations.

Around 21 sitting councillors already support the hard-left campaign group.

While the manifesto is still to be finalised, if the pay cut becomes part of it, at least 270 staff will be worse off  including dozens of heads and senior teachers.

Angela Eagle (left) - who challenged Mr Corbyn for the leadership in 2016 - and her sister Maria Eagle (right), the former shadow culture secretary, are also believed to be vulnerable

Around 51 of the borough's 63 state schools come under council control  headteachers and other 'leadership group' teachers in Haringey earn up to 116,00, while the majority are paid above 60,000.

One outgoing Labour councillor told The Sunday Times: 'This is probably aimed at supposed fat cat council officers, but mass resignations by heads would be devastating for our children. You can't govern in slogans, and Haringey is about to find that out the hard way.'

Writing in an article for a 2013 communist journal, Momentum Haringey councillor Noah Tucker (left, with Jeremy Corbyn) said: 'The Zionist state of Israel is in a de facto alliance with Islamist jihadi fighters'

It comes after senior Momentum Haringey councillor Noah Tucker - who is tipped as almost certain to attain a council cabinet post and, potentially, the leadership - defended the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Writing in an article for a 2013 communist journal, he said: 'The Zionist state of Israel is in a de facto alliance with Islamist jihadi fighters.'

Nora Mulready, an anti-Momentum Labour member in Harengey, said there was a level of 'absolute ugliness' unfolding.
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Natalie Portman said that at the age of 13, after starring in her first film, she experienced 'sexual terrorism' from fans and the media that impacted the way she went about the rest of her career.

Portman shared the traumatic experience Saturday while speaking to a crowd of thousands of women at the Los Angeles Women's March.

The Oscar-winning actress explained that she turned 12 on the set of her first film, 'Leon: The Professional,' in which she played a young girl who made friends with a hit man in hopes of avenging her parents' murders.

The French film attracted controversy for its moral ambiguity, with many viewing Portman's character as a Lolita-esque figure and many were left uncomfortable with the relationship between her and the middle-aged killer, played by Jean Reno.

Indeed, the movie's writer and director, Luc Besson has admitted that in the initial draft script, the pair actually become lovers, but he changed his mind.

When the movie was released a year later, she said she was excited to open her first fan letter. But inside the letter a man had written to her about a 'rape fantasy' he had about her.

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Natalie Portman told thousands at the LA Women's March that at the age of 13, after starring in her first film, she experienced 'sexual terrorism' from fans and the media that impacted the way she went about the rest of her career

Portman explained that she turned 12 on the set of her first film, 'Leon: The Professional,' in which she played a young girl who made friends with a hit man in hopes of avenging her parents' murders. Pictured: Portman and Jean Reno in the film

Portman's performance in The Professional is considered one of the top performances by a child actor. But many were left uncomfortable with the relationship between her and the middle-aged killer, played by Jean Reno

Natalie Portman is seen with her parents at age 15 in 1996. She was hand-picked for The Professional from thousands of girls in casting, after director Luc Besson was impressed with the emotional depth of her performance

The award-winning actress explained that she turned 12 on the set of her first film, 'Leon: The Professional,' in which she played a young girl who made friends with a hit man in hopes of avenging her parents' murders. When the movie was released a year later, she said she was excited to open her first fan letter, which detailed a rape fantasy inside

From that point on the 36-year-old said she adjusted her personal and professional behavior to avoid this - even going so far as rejecting roles with kissing scenes. In interviews she emphasized her 'bookish and serious' side, and eventually built a reputation as 'prudish, conservative, nerdy, serious'

As Portman spoke passionately, she was flanked by fellow actresses and Time's Up advocates Eva Longoria Baston and Constance Wu.

'A countdown was started on my local radio show to my 18th birthday, euphemistically the date that I would be legal to sleep with,' she said.

'Movie reviewers talked about my budding breasts in reviews. I understood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself sexually I would feel unsafe and that men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body to my great discomfort.'

From that point on the 36-year-old Harvard graduate said she adjusted her personal and professional behavior to avoid this - even going so far as rejecting roles with kissing scenes.

In interviews she emphasized her 'bookish and serious' side, and eventually built a reputation as 'prudish, conservative, nerdy, serious.'

But, she said, it was what she had to do in order to feel safe and be sure her voice was heard.

'At 13 years old, the message from our culture was clear to me,' Portman said. 'I felt the need to cover my body and to inhibit my expression and my work in order to send my own message to the world that I'm someone worthy of safety and respect.

'The response to my expression, from small comments about my body to more deliberate statements, served to control my behavior through an environment of sexual terrorism.'

Portman then went on to call for a world in which women can express their sexuality and 'desire' without feeling physically unsafe.

Pregnant Eva Longoria watched on with Constance Wu as Natalie Portman spoke at the Los Angeles event. Portman called for a world where women can express their 'desire' without feeling physically unsafe

Portman breastfeed her young daughter backstage while taking a break from speaking. Her young son and husband were there to support her too

Los Angeles: Thousands gathered downtown for the anniversary march, which took on a new meaning with the #MeToo and Time's Up movements

In Los Angeles, actress Scarlett Johansson wore a Time's Up t-shirt to give her speech. Yoko Ono, the former wife of late Beatle John Lennon, invoked his anthemic song Imagine in her sign

Portman was discovered in a pizza shop by a Revlon modeling agent at the age of 10, but quickly turned from modeling to acting, according to HDNet Movies.

In her first audition for The Professional, casting director Todd Thaler felt she was too young. But in a callback, director Luc Besson was impressed with her emotional depth, and hand-picked her for the role.

Portman was one of dozens of celebrities who took part in Women's Marches around the country Saturday, the anniversary of the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria, Lesley Ann Warren and Gay Harden all joined Portman in Los Angeles, while Jane Fonda, Chloe Moretz and Common marched in Park City, Utah, and Amy Schumer, Padma Lakshmi and Amber Tamblyn took to the streets of New York City.

As processions of pink, 'pussy' hats and illustrations asking for Trump to be impeached made their way through the nation's many cities, Trump ignored their complaints about him and said: 'Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March.

'Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months.

'Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!'

This year, the marches also take on the momentum of the Me Too and Time's Up movements against sexual misconduct which were sparked with allegations against Hollywood heavyweights.

They also coincided with a government shutdown which went into place late on Friday night.

Jane Fonda spoke at a rally in Park City, Utah - where hordes of stars have gathered for the Sundance Film Festival - and Padma Lakshmi gave remarks in New York City. Gloria Allred, the celebrity attorney, was also there to promote the forthcoming documentary about her work

Chicago: Actress Viola Davis delivered an impassioned speech in Chicago in front of the crowds there

Whoopi Goldberg spoke in New York City as did Padma Lakshmi (right) on Saturday afternoon at one of the larger protests

Eva Longoria (left) and Scarlett Johansson (right) were happy to mingle among other protesters backstage

Some 250 cities around the world were planning to play host to some form of Women's March on Saturday.

In Park City, Utah, Jane Fonda led a snow-dusted march. A number of stars are in the winter resort for the annual Sundance Film Festival.

Among them was lawyer Gloria Allred who delighted in joining the Hollywood crowd. She is the subject of a new Netflix documentary.

In New York City, Whoopi Goldberg was joined by Padma Lakshmi and Yoko Ono who invoked her lake husband John Lennon's song on a sign which read: 'Imagine peace.'

Adele shared an image from a march with Jennifer Lawrence and Cameron Diaz.

She said: 'The most influential people in my life have always been women. My family, my friends, my teachers, my colleagues, and my idols. I am obsessed with all the women in my life. I adore them and need them more and more every day. I am so grateful to be a woman, I wouldn't change it for the world. I hope I'm not only defined by my gender though. I hope I'm defined by my input to the world, my ability to love and to have empathy.

'To raise my son to be a a good man alongside the good man who loves me for everything I am and am not. I want what's best for people, I think we all do. We just can't agree on what that is. Power to the peaceful, power to the people x #womensmarch2018.'

Amy Schumer shared several Instagram photos from NYC.

'Today we march #timesup,' she added.

Los Angeles: There were large crowds in Los Angeles where packs of stars gathered to speak

Los Angeles: Some of the many signs in the crowds in Los Angeles were focused on the looming midterms

Portman was one of dozens of celebrities who took part in Women's Marches around the country Saturday, the anniversary of the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Pictured the Los Angeles march

New York City: People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan in New York City, New York, on January 20, 2018

Philadelphia: protesters held signs calling for the end of nuclear warfare and for Trump to be impeached

Philadelphia: Oscar Janicki, six, holds a sign reading 'I'm With Her' as he is carried through the crowds on an adult's shoulders

New York City: Crowds descended on Central Park West in New York City for the march on Saturday morning. Mercifully, it was a warmer in the city than it has been for weeks
Missouri Governor Eric Greitens has not made a public appearance since admitting to an extramarital affair on earlier this month. But today, in his first interview, he said he will not be stepping down and he vehemently denied accusations that he had in any way threatened his mistress.

'This was a consensual relationship,' Greitens said. 'There was no blackmail, there was no violence, there was no threat of violence, there was no threat of blackmail, there was no threat of using a photograph for blackmail. All of those things are false.'

Greitens added: 'The mistake that I made was that I was engaged in a consensual relationship with a woman who was not my wife. That is a mistake for which I am very sorry.'

In his first interview since news of his extramarital affair broke, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens denied claims he'd blackmailed, or struck his mistress

A contrite Governor Greitens said he's made apology calls to almost every Missouri lawmaker

St Louis TV station KMOV broke the news of the sexual relationship between the Republican politician, who assumed office in January 2017, and an unnamed woman on January 10.

The woman's now ex-husband shared audio recordings of their conversations about Greitens in the bombshell story.

In the audio recording, the woman purported to be Greiten's lover is heard telling her husband about a physical interaction she had with the lawmaker just days earlier.

The woman said she met Greitens, a client, at her hair salon roughly one year before - when she revealed she was 'instantly' attracted to him.

One Saturday morning in March of the following year, she went to his house, where the two had sex for the first time.

In the story on KMOV the woman tearfully tells her now ex-husband that she was blackmailed in an audio recording

Then he allegedly threatened to expose naked images of her if she told anyone what happened.

The distraught woman can be heard weeping in the audio as she explains the the encounter.

'He used some sort of tape, I don't know what it was... and taped my hands to these rings and then put a blindfold on me,' she first explained.

Then, 'he stepped back, I saw a flash through the blindfold and he said: "You're never going to mention my name, otherwise, there will be pictures of me everywhere,"' she added, tearfully.

Sheena Greitens, his wife and mother of his two sons, has forgiven her husband

Greitens says that right now his marriage is strong

In the Saturday interview, Greitens did not directly say 'yes' or 'no' when asked if he had bound and blindfolded and taken a photo of the woman.

The Republican Governor did firmly deny that he had attempted to coerce the woman, or that he or anyone associated with him had paid her to be silent.

After news of the affair broke, an attorney for the ex-husband said his client told him that Greitens had slapped the woman, at the hospital where Greitens' wife was giving birth. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner said she was opening a criminal investigation into the various claims about Greitens' actions.

The Governor was vehement when asked Saturday if he had ever slapped the woman: 'Absolutely not.'

Greitens, a former Navy Seal, is married to Sheena Greitens, a professor at the University of Missouri, and the couple has two young sons. Sheena has said she's forgiven her husband for the affair.

And In the days since the news broke, Greitens told the Associated Press that he has called almost every state lawmaker in Missouri, and posted an apology on Facebook that reads in part: 'I ask for your forgiveness and hope you can find it in your heart to do so.

'I assure you that this personal mistake will not deter us from the mission we were sent here to do.'

He said the 'love and support has been tremendous from people all over the state.'

In Greitens' Facebook apology, he says he is focused on moving forward.

Despite calls for his resignation from Republicans and Democrats alike, Greitens said 'I'm staying. I'm staying.' Saying it twice for emphasis.

'I'm very confident that God has a way of bringing good from difficulty. God has a way of helping people in the midst of pain to emerge with wisdom,' Greitens said. 'God has a way of helping you to move through suffering and actually become stronger.'
Four groups with diametrically opposed viewpoints, including two with reputations for violence, are set to come face-to-face with each other tomorrow in Tennessee.

The 2018 Women's March scheduled its Knoxville event for Sunday, the same date on which the event was held last year.

Representatives for March For Life, a group that advocates against abortion, arranged to have a counter-protest in Knoxville, on the same day.

Upon hearing this news, neo-Nazi Matthew Heimbach organized a group of white supremacists to counter-protest the Women's March, as well, claiming to be in support of the March For Life, according to a blog published on January 12.

Following Heimbach's announcement, at least two sub-groups of Antifa, a term used to collectively refer to anti-fascist and anti-racist activists that are known for violent demonstrations, have planned to counter-protest Heimbach's demonstration.

Matthew Heimbach has organized a group of white supremacists to counter-protest the Women's March in Knoxville on Sunday, claiming to be in support of the March For Life

The 2018 Women's March participants all have their own reasons for showing up, but the overall message is one of unity and inclusiveness.

Those taking part have come out publicly to decry misogyny, sexual harassment and assault, lack of equal treatment in the workplace, discrimination in all forms, and the deportation of immigrant children.

Heimbach, who has been called 'The Little Fuhrer,' helped organize the violent 'Unite The Right' rally in Charlottesville, Virginia over the summer that left many injured and resulted in the death of anti-racist protester Heather Heyer.

New York City: Over 120,000 protesters gathered near Central Park for the Manhattan Women's March on Saturday

He wrote on his white nationalist group's site on January 12: 'As the defenders and advocates of women and our children, the Traditionalist Worker Party is taking a stand in Knoxville Tennessee on Sunday January 21st against the proposed feminist march and in support of the March for Life being held the same day.'

Representatives for March For Life issued a statement via Facebook this week, denouncing Heimbach's pledge of support from his neo-Nazi group, called the Traditionalist Worker Party (TWP).

'Any group or individual that promotes white supremacy or other dehumanizing world views, are not in tandem with the position of Tennessee Right to Life on the value of every persons dignity and life,' Ed Albin, a Tennessee Right to Life leader, wrote on Wednesday.

'Our organizations march has a single agenda to support the rights of mothers and the unborn, and we dont agree with the violent agenda of white supremacists or Antifa.'

Heimbach (right) smiles while participating in a 'White Lives Matter' rally in Shelbyville, Tennessee on October 28

In claiming his neo-Nazi's group support for the March For Life, and disapproval of the Women's March, Heimbach wrote: 'Feminism and abortion are opposed to life in every way. The gift of having children is a blessing for woman, and the entire nation, and it should be promoted as truly sacred.'

In response to Heimbach's plan to bring 50-60 neo-Nazis to Knoxville on Sunday, the Women's March changed their planned protest route.

Two additional groups locally known for anti-racism activism also decided to show up on Sunday, after learning of Heimbach's plan.

The Holler Network and Nashville Anti-Racist Action released a statement, as well, as to their decision to have a demonstration of their own in Knoxville.

'The TWP and other white supremacist groups view Southeast Appalachia as an ideal region for a white separatist movement, and they prey upon rural and semi-rural areas to build their base,' the joint statement read.

'But their claims to Appalachia fly in the face of centuries of resistance to white supremacy and settler colonialism that are woven into these hills and rivers.

'From indigenous resistance to militant maroon communities, to multiracial labor strikes and prisoner uprisings, to the very existence of tight-knit black and brown communities across these hills, we know Appalachia has never been and will never be their all-white vision- as long as we continue to resist.

'So join us! Bring your love, solidarity, and rage to Knoxville on January 21st and help us take this trash the f*** outta East Tennessee!'

Matthew Heimbach of the Traditionalist Workers Party speaks to participants at a white nationalist's rally on October 28 in Shelbyville, Tennessee

The joint statement was posted on January 12 on It's Going Down, a website which describes itself as 'a digital community center from anarchist, anti-fascist, autonomous anti-capitalist and anti-colonial movements.'

The site says it's mission is 'to provide a resilient platform to publicize and promote revolutionary theory and action.'

Law enforcement in Knoxville has said they will do their best to keep Womens March participants and those demonstrating against them in different locations, according to Knox News.

Bags will be checked and no weapons or bottles will be allowed in any of the protest areas.
An Alzheimer's patient who had forgotten he was married to his wife of 34 years has asked her to marry him again.

Linda Joyce, 64, had 'the happiest day' of her life on Saturday when she renewed vows with husband Michael Joyce, 68.

After Michael popped the question Linda put a call out for assistance organising the ceremony and was overwhelmed by the response she got. With the help of the community the pair were able to wed again just a week later.

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Linda Joyce, 64, had 'the happiest day' of her life on Saturday when she renewed vows with husband Michael Joyce, 68

Sealed with a kiss (again): Alzheimer's patient Michael Joyce, 68, has married his adoring wife of 34 years for a second time

Her face says it all: An Alzheimer's patient has married his adoring wife of 34 years Linda Joyce (pictured) for a second time in a heartfelt ceremony that was 'meant to be'.

The ceremony was held at Hamilton Lake, 150kms south of Auckland, after Michael came to Linda late at night and popped the question

The ceremony was held at Hamilton Lake, 150kms south of Auckland, after Michael came to Linda late at night and popped the question.

He then remembered the pair's second engagement every day for an entire week - a feat which Linda described as 'absolutely unbelievable'.

'Michael has sifted through his jumbled mind in asking me to marry him and then to remember it for six days is obviously a blessing which was meant to be,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday.

'I already loved and adored him, now I am in absolute awe of him.'

Michael was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2010, and later dysphasia after he started showing speech difficulty.

Linda said he came to her looking 'particularly anxious' while she was on the lounge late last Sunday night.

She added: 'I held his hands and asked him what was wrong. He looked me straight in the eyes and stuttered: 'Will you marry me?''

A marriage celebrant and photographer Desmond Downs were booked with short notice for the ceremony on Saturday

Linda Joyce, 64, renewed vows with husband on Saturday in Auckland

'I was absolutely gobsmacked but kept my calm and said: 'Darling, yes I would love to marry you'.'

But Linda said her greatest surprise was when he remembered in the morning their agreement to wed the following weekend.

She decided it was a good opportunity for the pair to renew their wedding vows, and began hastily planning a ceremony.

Linda placed a call out on New Zealand community website Neighbourly for wedding services, and she was 'blown away' by the response she received.

Ms Joyce decided it was a good opportunity for the pair to renew their wedding vows, and began hastily planning a ceremony.

Linda said her greatest surprise was when he remembered in the morning their agreement to wed the following weekend

A marriage celebrant and photographer Desmond Downs were booked with short notice for the ceremony on Saturday.

'On the morning of the wedding, I was lying beside Michael when he opened his eyes, and his first words were: 'Today's the day',' Linda said.

'About 15 of our nearest and dearest friends of 30-plus years, and those whom Michael remembered, were in attendance.

'To be standing amidst the beauty of the Hamilton Lake and our precious friends, to re-marry the love of my life, was the happiest day of my life.'



An Alzheimer's patient asked wife of 34 years to marry him again
Thousands of women, and men, have rallied at Women's Marches across the country to protest against bigotry, misogyny and discrimination.

The grassroots campaigns, held in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday, were spearheaded by the #MeToo movement which started in the US and gained traction internationally.

Women, as well as men, joined together in solidarity at Sydney's Hyde Park on Sunday to campaign for systemic change.

Co-founder and lead organiser of the Women's March in Sydney, Kate Taylor, said the issue of gender inequality was 'an ongoing battle'.

'My favourite position is CEO... if it bothers you, take a lap,' one woman at the Sydney Women's March wrote on her sign fashioned from a pizza box

Co-founder and lead organiser of the Women's March in Sydney, Kate Taylor (pictured), said the issue of gender inequality was 'an ongoing battle'

'It's something that our mother's mothers have been working on, but we're working to make sure it's something our daughter's daughters won't have to,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday.

'The Women's March is new, we're still young, but we're standing on the shoulders of so many feminists who have worked on these issues for years.'

While the issues women faced were not new, Ms Taylor said the #MeToo movement ignited an international discussion about the treatment of women.

'In the wake of the Me Too movement, and all the different instances of women speaking up together, we want women to know we're here to listen and to stand up with people when they are wanting to talk about the hard issues,' she said.

'We have to listen first before moving on to changing policy and legislation.'

'We are the spark that will light the fire that will burn the patriarchy down,' one woman's sign read

Girl power: The grassroots campaigns, held in Sydney and Melbourne on Sunday, were spearheaded by the #MeToo movement which started in the US and gained traction internationally

'What Oprah said': Women, as well as men, joined together in solidarity at Sydney's Hyde Park on Sunday to campaign for systemic change

Thousands of women rallied in solidarity at the Women's March held in Sydney (pictured)

Ms Taylor said it was often difficult to speak out about feminism due to the overwhelming backlash she faced.

'Any feminist thinks 'if I speak out about this, what sort of threats will I get in my inbox or comments section?' she said.

'But we're happy to have anyone voice their opposition to what we say.'

This year, the Women's March decided to create a chain rather than actually march.

Ms Taylor said the chain represented a 'culture of unity and support'.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of women, and men, showed up for marches in cities across the United States and the rest of the world.

'Resist sexism, resist racism, resist hate, resist Trump,' one woman wrote on her sign in Sydney

'Free the nipple,' one woman wrote across her bare chest at the Sydney Women's March

'Don't 'mansplain' my rights to me,' one woman wrote on her sign at the Sydney rally

Ms Taylor said it was often difficult to speak out about feminism due to the overwhelming backlash she faced (attendees of the Women's March in Sydney pictured)

Brynn Quick, who was present at the first Women's march held in Washington DC last year, spoke in Sydney on Sunday.

'Oh my god I get chills thinking about it, it was incredible,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

I was in a bus load of women because I live about 45 minutes out of DC. The bus doors opened and you couldnt believe how many people there were  it was amazing. It was the most polite Ive ever seen AmericansIt was so nice, it was so calm.

Its awesome that now I live here I can keep doing these types of things and its so cool to see people from all across the world.

'Well behaved women rarely make history,' one woman wrote on her sign on Sunday

This year, the Women's March decided to create a chain rather than actually march

Ms Taylor said the chain represented a 'culture of unity and support' for women in Australia and internationally
In a bold package that could make or break his premiership, Boris Johnson laid out that national insurance rates will rise by 1.25 percentage points from April. A typical higher earner will be paying more than 700 extra. Finally revealing his vision for social care in England, he said reform can no longer be 'ducked' and the elderly should not lose their life savings and homes due to the 'bolt from the blue' of dementia. But the respected IFS think-tank said the changes added to a 'huge year for tax rises' with the burden at its highest sustained level for peacetime. There was also grumbling from the Tory benches, with MPs asking Mr Johnson if he still believed in 'low taxes' and warning that the NHS will simply suck up the extra money without making genuine improvements. Just 5.3billion of the 36billion of revenue raised in the next three years is expected to go to social care, with the rest earmarked for a huge 'catch up programme' to stabilise the NHS after the pandemic. Social care chiefs welcomed the moves, but warned they will not be enough to tackle the problems being driven by the aging population and staffing shortages.
An elderly man has died after his glider plane crashed and sparked a fire in central New South Wales.

Emergency services were called to Piper's Airfield in Eglinton, near Bathurst, just before 1pm on Sunday.

The only person on-board was the glider's 75-year-old pilot who died at the scene.

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A 75-year-old pilot has died after his glider plane crashed just before 1pm and sparked a fire in central New South Wales

The crash ignited a grass fire which led to four Rural Fire Service and two Fire and Rescue trucks being dispatched.

A RFS spokesperson said the fire was contained within half an hour after burning through less than a hectare of shrub.

A crime scene was then established by police and investigations commenced.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and Gliding Federation of Australia will assist detectives in the investigation.

Emergency services were called to Piper's Airfield (pictured) in Eglinton, near Bathurst
Egyptian police forces killed Sunday a "dangerous arms smuggler" during a shootout at a checkpoint in Upper Egypt's Qena governorate, an interior ministry statement said.

Upon security intel, police forces deployed at several checkpoints to arrest Sharaf F, 58, notorious for arms and ammunition smuggling operations through the country's Eastern Desert routes.

"While approaching a security checkpoint deployed at Qeft-Quasair in the vicinity of Qena governorate, the criminal element opened fire from his semi-truck, prompting security forces to fire back, leading to the truck hitting the checkpoint barriers and the death of the smuggler," the statement said.

"The criminal element was wanted for arrest in two cases for possession of illegal arms and ammunition."

Searching the smuggler's truck, police forces found 32 automatic rifles and 33 hidden sacks of ammunition.

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The bushfire that tore through the Royal National Park in Sydney on Saturday has been declared suspicious as it continues to burn through the weekend.

A NSW police spokesperson revealed that special investigators have been dispatched to the park as its believed that someone deliberately lit the fire on a 34 degree day.

'It is absolutely frustrating as I think the average person in the community finds it just unbelievable that people would...start a potentially deadly fire on purpose,' RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers told 9NEWS on Sunday.

Approximately 100 crew members are still on the scene, and are continuing to battle the blaze.

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The bushfire that tore through Royal National Park on Saturday has been declared suspicious

Special investigators have been dispatched to the park to determine the cause of the blaze

Crews take a breather at Garie Beach after working through the night at the Royal Nation Park

Fire crews worked all through Saturday and Sunday to control a suspicious blaze at a NSW park

A total fire ban has now been declared in four regions of New South Wales as the inferno has so far devoured more than 600 hectares of land.

Authorities are searching for evidence that the blaze was deliberately lit, keeping the park closed for the second day in a row.

Firefighters continued to fight the fire overnight, and were successful in extinguishing a smaller fire in the same park just before 9pm.

'Firefighters will conduct back burning operations overnight to establish containment lines and slow the spread of the larger fire south of Wattamolla Road,' the update read.

The park will remain closed for a second day as firefighters struggle to douse the inferno

Authorities have said beaches may provide safety for people who are unable to leave the park

Thick plumes of smoke can be seen from the beach where visitors have flocked to find safety

Visitors were urged to move to safety onto one of the park's beaches away from the blazing fire

The fires forced the closure of the Royal National Park south of Bundeena and the evacuation of hundreds of visitors on Saturday afternoon.

Private boat owners and surf lifesavers joined efforts to rescue people stranded on beaches as bushfires swept through the park, NSW Rural Fire Service said.

'There are a number of boats being utilised by surf lifesavers, NSW Police Force and some private citizens that are picking some people up from beaches in the area,' RFS spokesman James Morris said earlier in the evening.

Mr Morris said those caught up in the drama had found the park's many beaches to be the best places to take cover: 'They're providing the best protection given the fact a lot of the escape routes are through the middle of the bushland which isn't safe at the moment given the intensity of that fire.'

Australia's south-east sweltering through a summer heatwave with temperatures over 40C

Two bushfires are raging in the NSW Royal National Park, near Bundeena

This map shows the size of the fire burning through the Royal National Park on Saturday night

A raging fire has devoured 600 hectares of land at the Walumarra Fire Trail near Bundeena

More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze on Saturday evening, supported by water bombers and aircraft.

While 200 people were escorted from popular tourist spot Wattamola Beach to Bundeena by RFS crews, Mr Morris said a 'significant' number were still being observed on walking tracks by circling planes.

Given the limited mobile coverage in the Royal National Park, Mr Morris said many people in the bushland were 'unlikely' to have received emergency text warnings.

Authorities have said beaches may provide safety for people who are unable to leave and the park is now closed to the public. Walking tracks were patrolled to ensure no one was trapped.

The horrific blaze can be seen from Sydney - pictured is the view from Barangaroo near the city

More than 30 fire trucks and seven water bombers are battling the huge grassfire (pictured)

The fire was seen burning in the background at the Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday

Firefighters supported by water-bombing aircraft and heavy planes are working to slow the spread of the fire.

Further south, firefighters from the ACT have been sent into NSW to protect houses threatened by another bushfire in the Southern Tablelands.

Three heavy tankers, backed up by smaller crews, were deployed to the 274 hectare Braidwood blaze on Saturday morning after it burned through the night.

'Their objectives are to protect properties, attack and contain the main fire and contain spot fires,' the ACT Emergency Services Agency said.

Meanwhile, firefighters continue to battle with a bushfire that's burnt about 20,000 hectares in the Pilliga Forest between Coonabarabran and Narrabri.

A third blaze is threatening homes across central Victoria and is travelling north (pictured)

Locals affected by blaze were told by firefighters it was now too late to leave their homes

Meanwhile, more than 30 fire trucks and seven water bombers have brought a bushfire in central Victoria under control and downgraded evacuation warnings.

The huge blaze threatened homes across central Victoria was travelling north towards Campbelltown and Strathlea late on Saturday afternoon.

Cotswold, Glengower, Moolort, Smeaton and Ullina were issued with emergency warnings after a grass-fire began in Smeaton around 3pm on Saturday, where 'dry growth' caused the fire to spread quickly, a CFA spokesman told Herald Sun.

Water-bombing aircraft are being used to help slow large fire burning in Royal National Park
The New first lady of New Jersey told of the sexual assault she experienced more than 30 years ago while giving a speech in front of thousands at the Woman's March in New Jersey.

Tammy Murphy, wife of Governor Phil Murphy, spoke in front of a crowd on Morristown Green on Saturday, contributing her story to the #MeToo movement.

'Today I will add my voice to this growing chorus. Three decades ago, as a college sophomore, I was sexually assaulted,' Murphy stated.

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Tammy Murphy, wife of Governor Phil Murphy, spoke in front of a crowd on Morristown Green on Saturday, contributing her story to the #MeToo movement

Murphy attended the University of Virginia as an undergraduate and claims that she was walking alone when she decided to ho down a shorter path to avoid two groups of friends.

The now- 52-year-old was then dragged into the bushes by a man.

'I was thrown on my back, I had a man on top of me -- pulled my shirt up, pulled my skirt up and I started screaming, she added.

And while she could see people at a nearby party through a window, Murphy claims no one heard her scream.

'Today I will add my voice to this growing chorus. Three decades ago, as a college sophomore, I was sexually assaulted,' Murphy stated

Murphy attended the University of Virginia as an undergraduate when she was grabbed by a man in the bushes

At one point, the man picked a crab apple off the ground and tried to put it in her mouth to quiet her, but she bit his hand.

'I bit him as hard as I could,' Murphy asserted.

Escaping to a nearby fraternity house, the half-clothed Murphy was able to get assistance and students called the police.

No one could hear her scream but when the man tried to stuff a crab apple in her mouth she bit him and used the moment to escape. Pictured at the Women's March on Saturday

Her assailant never faced justice for the crime as it was the 'attitudes of the time' but they would later be convicted of another crime, she stated.

'Until today, only a few have heard my story,' Murphy added.

'Now, you all know. I tell this today not for me, but really for all of you. Surely, among us is a woman who has been silent about her own story.'

She would go on and cite a report from the NJ Advance Media that was about the state's rise in campus rapes over the last few years. Murphy continued by saying that she doubts that all have been reported, however.

Murphy was introduced by her husband, who spoke on the executive order he signed calling for the equal pay for women.

The crowd cheered her on for sharing her testimony.

The couple have been married for more than 20 years and have four children together.

The now 52-year-old was able to run to a nearby fraternity house and have police charged but justice was never served

Murphy was introduced by her husband, who spoke on the executive order he signed calling for the equal pay for women

Tammy was the student vice president at the University of Virginia and grew up in the state.

She would eventually serve on the school's board of trustees.

The Virginia-native would meet Phil while working at Goldman Sachs.

Across the country, thousands convened to march at Women's Marches and protest Donald Trump.

The focus this year was 'Power to the Polls' which is an effort to boost turnout for the November election.
A 40-year-old man has been rushed to hospital after his earlobe was allegedly bitten off in an argument.

Police were called to a quiet suburban street in Inala, Brisbane at 1.20am on Sunday after complaints of a disturbance.

When they arrived, one man had allegedly had his earlobe bitten off by another man.

A man was rushed the Princess Alexandra Hospital (pictured) after his earlobe was allegedly bitten off in an argument on Sunday morning

The injured man was rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, a 20-year-old local man was charged with one count of grievous bodily harm.

He will appear in the Richlands Magistrates Court on Monday January 22.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Policelink on 131 444.

Police discovered the gruesome scene at a home on Andromeda Street (street view pictured) in Inala following reports of a disturbance. A 20-year-old has been charged in relation to the incident




The founder of Innocent smoothies has slammed the Wetherspoons boss for backing Brexit - complaining the pub chain chief has sold out the economy for 'cheap chardonnay'.

Richard Reed said Tim Martin, chairman of the pubs chain, has helped to 'junk' the UK economy by throwing his weight behind the vote to Leave.

But Mr Martin dismissed the comments by Mr Reed - who sold his ethical smoothie company to Coca-Cola in 2013 for a staggering 320million - branding them 'melodramatic'.

Mr Reed said: 'Brexit is unhelpful, no one I know is saying it's a good thing.

Innocent smoothies founder Richard Reed (pictured left) said Wetherspoons chairman Tim Martin (pictured right) has helped to 'junk' the UK economy by throwing his weight behind the vote to Leave

'That guy from Wetherspoon (Mr Martin) is talking about it means he can buy cheap Chardonnay from the New World, but I don't think that's a reason to junk a country's economy.

'It's just not going to help anything, it's not a good idea to anyone who uses logic, facts and reason.'

Mr Martin has been a vocal supporter of Brexit and has warned that his chain of pubs will stop selling European beers if Brussels slaps Britain with punitive tariffs when we quit.

And he dismissed fears about economic Armageddon outside of the EU bloc, warning that business prospers in democracies and Brussels is becoming less democratic.

He said: 'Richard is being melodramatic.

Tim Martin has been a vocal supporter of Brexit and has warned that his chain of pubs will stop selling European beers if Brussels slaps Britain with punitive tariffs when we quit. (file pic)

'Wetherspoon will benefit from leaving the EU, but so will everyone else in the country.

'History shows that democracy and prosperity are closely aligned, and the EU is becoming more undemocratic.'

Mr Reed is a member of the group Open Britain - a vocal pro Remain group desperate to keep Britain in the EU.

The Cambridge graduate became a multi multi millionaire when he sold Innocent to Coca-Cola in 2013 alongside co-founders Adam Balon and Jon Wright.
Britain's tiniest teenager battles through constant pain - but she keeps on smiling.

Georgia Rankin, 19, has a form of skeletal dysplasia which caused her bones to fuse together when she was a toddler, stopping her from growing.

Standing at just over 2ft 7in, she is shorter than an average two year old and not much taller than her eight-week-old shih-tzu puppy.

Georgia's condition is so rare than she has never been officially diagnosed.

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Britain's tiniest teenager Georgia Rankin, 19, has a form of skeletal dysplasia which caused her bones to fuse together when she was a toddler, stopping her from growing

Standing at just over 2ft 7in, she is shorter than an average two year old and not much taller than her eight-week-old shih-tzu puppy

However, the teenager's concern isn't about her height, but the constant agony she suffers.

She told The Mirror: 'It's a big cloud over my life. My life is pain. It's not just about being small. There's no escape.

'The pain is there from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed.'

She says her bond with her dog Poppy is so deep that she knows when her owner is in pain and is very protective.

Despite being isolated at school and excluded from parties, the Warrington teenager now appreciates what makes her different

She says she loves being unique and wouldn't want to be the same as everybody else

Playing with her eight-week-old shih-tzu puppy called Poppy is one of the few things which distracts Georgia from the incessant pain and aches

Though Georgia says she was isolated at school and excluded from parties, she now appreciates what makes her different.

'I love being so unique,' she said.

'Now I don't want to be the same as everyone else.'

When she was 13, Georgia opted to have an operation to remove the ball joint in both her hips which doctors said could ease some of her pain but would cost her the use of her legs.

She now doses up on painkillers including morphine and paracetamol up to four times a day, as well as taking anti-inflammatories twice daily and a local anaesthetic patch on her hips.

Georgia doses up on painkillers including morphine and paracetamol up to four times a day, but she dazzles with her beaming smile (above with pop star Dua Lipa)

In 2014, Georgia and her friends and family campaigned to buy her a specially-adapted wheelchair - and in September 2015 the 18,000 chair finally arrived

But the brave teenager's beaming smile belies her suffering and she laughs about times when her height has come under the spotlight.

For example, when the tie she wore at secondary school was as long as she was tall and when she used her Christmas stocking as a sleeping bag.

Another challenge is finding clothes and shoes designed to fit a three or four year old which don't look unusual on an adult.

In 2014, Georgia and her friends and family campaigned to buy her a specially-adapted wheelchair - and in September 2015 the 18,000 chair finally arrived.

A qualified make-up artist, Georgia shares her zeal for life with her 1,400 YouTube followers who subscribe to her channel MakeupJunkieG where she posts video tutorials

Playing with her dog Poppy is one of the few things which distracts Georgia from the incessant pain and aches.

And Georgia, a qualified make-up artist, shares her zeal for life with her 1,400 YouTube followers who subscribe to her channel MakeupJunkieG where she posts video tutorials.

Georgia's parents Andrea, 40, a school admin assistant, and police officer Simon, 42, knew something was wrong with their daughter soon after she was born.

She wasn't able to keep her food down and lost weight rapidly.

The little fighter was diagnosed with a life-threatening bowel condition called tufting enteropathy by experts at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Warrington, Cheshire, where she lives with her parents.

Georgia was fed through a tube for the first ten years of her life and suffered from constant infections and septicaemia.

Doctors told her parents she may not make it - but she battled on.

Georgia's parents Andrea, 40, a school admin assistant, and police officer Simon, 42, knew something was wrong with their daughter soon after she was born

It was tough for them to see Brody, Georgia's eight-year-old brother, progress through life and hit important milestones

When Andrea and Simon realised that Georgia was smaller than her primary school friends they took her back to the hospital.



There they learned the devastating truth: that she suffered from osteoporosis, an inherent bone weakness, and would never grow again.

It was tough for them to see Brody, Georgia's eight-year-old brother, progress through life and hit important milestones.

But the hardest thing was seeing their beloved daughter in so much pain.

In 2014 and 2016 she appeared on popular ITV programme This Morning and put a smile on everyone's face as she chatted with Holly and Phillip

To ease her symptoms, Georgia considered using cannabis oil while on a trip to the Little People of America convention in the United States.

Among the 70,000 people there, she didn't see anyone who was smaller than her.

Despite her suffering, Georgia's effervescent personality continues to shine through.

In 2014 and 2016 she appeared on popular ITV programme This Morning and put a smile on everyone's face as she chatted with Holly and Phillip.
The father of Cameron Calvisi (pictured) has shared details of the afternoon he had to speed his five-year-old son to hospital because the boy had been shot in the face

A Queensland father has shared excruciating details of the afternoon he spent rushing his five-year-old son to hospital after the youngster was shot in the face.

Robert Calvisi told The Courier Mail he drove with a 'lead foot' through a fierce storm to reach the nearest hospital as his son's eyes rolled back and blood poured out of his mouth.

Cameron Calvisi, five, was hit by a bullet fired from a .22 rifle at a Cottonvale property near the Queensland-NSW border early this month.

He was shot by his 12-year-old cousin while the pair and another child were playing with the gun at the rural property, in what police have described as a 'tragic accident'.

The youngster immediately ran for his father, yelling: 'Daddy, I've been shot'.

Robert said he stuffed the child in his car, placing a shirt under him to absorb the blood that was running from his mouth and kept his son talking as he sped towards the closest hospital.

'I've never driven so fast in my life, 156km/h I think I was doing all the way, in the rain,' he said.

Robert Calvisi said his son Cameron had blood pouring from his mouth and his eyes were rolling backwards as he sat in the car

The Queensland father said he was driving with a 'lead foot' through an afternoon storm in the hope of saving his son's life

'He was drowsy. His eyes were starting to roll [as we drove to the hospital].

'I just kept making him say 'dad' all the way into town. I was making him talk to me and he was doing it.'

When the father and son arrived at Stanthorpe Hospital, doctors quickly realised he needed specialist care, and he was airlifted to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane.

His grandfather, Tony Calvisi, told Ten News about his devastation at the accident, and the fear of what could have happened.

'Anything can go wrong when the bullet is that close,' he said.

Cameron's grandfather was at the property at the time of the gun shot and said he was devastated something like this could have happened on his property

Cameron (pictured left and right) is expected to 'heal like a saint', his father says. The youngster is expected to be released from hospital this week but will have to wear a large metal brace

Tony Calvisi was present on the property at the time, and was the only person Robert told before he began the mad dash to the hospital.

'I was devastated, i was shocked to even hear he'd been shot,' the grandfather told Channel Ten.

'Nobody would want to go through it - to have a little boy, just hanging on.'

Despite initial concerns Cameron would not make it through the ordeal, Robert believes his son will be discharged from hospital this week.

The youngster will need to wear a big metal brace, known as a 'halo', but his father says his son will 'heal like a saint'.

Though police say the gunshot was likely an accident, they may still lay gun storage charges.

The child was hit by a bullet fired from a .22 rifle at a Cottonvale property, near the Queensland-NSW border, early this month (pictured)
A suspected jihadi bride who returned to the UK having given birth to a child under Islamic State rule in Syria has been bailed after she was arrested at Heathrow.

The woman, 27, whose identity has not been revealed arrived on a flight from Addis Ababa and was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5 of the Terrorist Act 2006.

It is thought this is the first case of its kind involving a mother and a child born into the ISIS regime.

MI5 has previously said around 850 extremists from Britain travelled to the Middle East as ISIS took control of pockets of Syria and Iraq.

And as the terror group is flushed out of its former strongholds, many of its militants with British passports are returning home with their families.

The mother is the latest in a string of arrests made by British counter-terror police bracing itself for an influx of jihadi brides.

Among the blacklisted British citizens still thought to be living within ISIS territory are Omar Hussain, a former Morrisons supermarket security guard-turned jihadi recruiter from High Wycombe, Aqsa Mahmood (pictured), a Glaswegian who went to Syria to marry an ISIS fighter aged 20, and London-born Muslim convert Grace Dare, whose ISIS husband Abu Bakr has since been killed

The child, who is younger than two-year-old, has been taken into care, according to the Sunday Times.

It is understood the woman flew from Ethiopia in an attempt to cover her tracks, but counter-terror officers were waiting at the airport for her when she landed.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'She was detained under PACE and taken to a south London police station, where she currently remains in police custody.'

While the inquiry continues, the boy has been taken into care as counter-terror police continue to crack down on Britain-bound terrorists.

Sally Jones (pictured) was killed in an airstrike in June but the future of her son Jojo, who appeared in ISIS' sick propaganda videos, is unclear

White Widow Sally Jones, a 49-year-old mother-of-two from Kent, was another regular visitor

Last year, ministers stripped more than 150 jihadists of their citizenship and banned them from Britain, as intelligence chiefs warned they may return from war-torn Syria and unleash a new wave of attacks.

Many of those returning were trained in the use of explosives and firearms as they took part in ISIS's bloody rampage.

Time is running out for the government to act before ISIS falls, as it can only strip citizenship of those who will not be left stateless.

In May, security sources said around 350 ISIS fighters had already come back to the UK from Syria and estimate another 300 could yet return.

Among the blacklisted British citizens still thought to be living within ISIS territory are Omar Hussain, a former Morrisons supermarket security guard-turned jihadi recruiter from High Wycombe, Aqsa Mahmood, a Glaswegian who went to Syria to marry an ISIS fighter aged 20, and London-born Muslim convert Grace Dare, whose ISIS husband Abu Bakr has since been killed.

Former British punk rocker Sally Jones, 49, left her home with her son to join ISIS in Syria and is on the Pentagon's kill list.

She was killed in an airstrike in June but the future of her son Jojo, who appeared in ISIS' sick propaganda videos, is unclear.

Tania Joya (pictured) the British ex-wife of a top US ISIS member has said she still loves her former husband - but now believes the Koran is a 'terrible book'

In a tense interview this morning, Tania Joya (left) said she still loved her former husband John Georgelas (right), an American-born convert to Islam with whom she has four children

The British ex-wife of a top US ISIS member stunned Piers Morgan during a tense TV interview this week by admitting she still loves the jihadist and insisting he 'has a good side'.

Tania Joya became radicalised while growing up in Harrow, London, but now lives in Dallas, Texas after fleeing from the terror group and rejecting extremism.

But during a grilling on ITV's Good Morning Britain today, presenter Piers Morgan said he was 'struggling to understand' why she should not be considered a 'potentially dangerous person'.

The interview came to an abrupt end with the DailyMail.com US Editor-in-Chief and co-presenter Susanna Reid shaking their heads as the former jihadi bride admitted still loving ex-husband John Georgelas - an American-born convert to Islam with whom she has four children.

Joya said she was 'pretty sure' Georgelas was still fighting for ISIS in Syria but that he had given her 'four beautiful, lovely children' and insisted 'everybody has a good side, everybody has a bad side'.

The woman arrived on a flight from Addis Ababa to Heathrow Airport (pictured) and was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5 of the Terrorist Act 2006.

British anti-terror police have stepped up arrests in the wake of three terror attacks in the UK last year.

On March 22, Khalid Masood killed five people when he ploughed a hire car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before launching a knife attack in the capital.

Just over two months later on June 3, a copycat attack on London Bridge claimed the lives of eight victims when Khuram Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba used a van and knives to slaughter people in Borough Market.

It came days after Salman Abedi blew himself at Manchester Arena using a homemade bomb killing 22 Ariana Grande fans who were piling out of the venue on May 22.

A series of other terror plots, whose perpetrators travelled to the ISIS warzone have been thwarted, including that of so-called 'Surgeon' Tarik Hassane, who wanted to attack police.

ISIS is currently facing multiple offensives in both Iraq and Syria, with US-led airstrikes, Russian and Syrian forces as well as Kurdish and other groups pushing them back.
A peaceful Sunday out on the water quickly turned to panic when a ski boat burst into flames.

Three people were rushed to hospital after their boat caught fire and sunk near on the Murray River near Blanchetown this afternoon, 7 News reported.

The fire was contained thanks to the quick thinking of nearby jet ski riders who splashed water onto the flames.

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A peaceful Sunday out on the water quickly turned to panic when a ski boat burst into flames

Three people were rushed to hospital after their boat caught fire and sunk near on the Murray River near Blanchetown this afternoon

Witness Barry Purcell said the flames were vicious.

'I'm talking flames ten feet high they were vicious,' he said.

'There could have been fatalities.'

Police and emergency crews rushed to Griffens Marina, Paisley, about 5.50pm after reports of a fire.

A woman suffered minor burns to her leg in the incident. All three passengers managed to escape but were taken to hospital.

An investigation is underway into what caused the near-fatal fire.
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Taliban gunmen who stormed a Kabul hotel killed 14 foreigners and four Afghans during a 12-hour rampage which left desperate guests tying bedsheets together in an attempt to flee.

Terrorists stormed the luxury Intercontinental Hotel yesterday evening, with fire and smoke seen engulfing the building perched on a hilltop overlooking the Afghan capital.

Dramatic footage showed people climbing down from balconies on the six-storey block as black smoke billowed out of rooms.

A guest fleeing the Taliban gunmen desperately tries to escape by using bedsheets to lower himself off his balcony at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan

Black smoke billows out of a room at the Intercontinetal as a man lowers himself off a balcony by using a rope made out of bedsheets

Black smoke billows out of a window as two guests watch other a man climbing down a bedsheet rope in the hotel, nestled on a hilltop on the Afghan capital

Explosions could be heard throughout the standoff. Live TV video showed people trying to escape through windows and from the upper stories as thick, black smoke poured from the building.

Six Taliban gunmen, armed with light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, burst into the hotel and opened fire on guests and staff, killing 14 foreigners and four Afghans, before taking dozens of people hostage.

The overnight siege, which began around 9pm, was eventually stopped after special forces were lowered by helicopters onto the roof during the night.

The militants, who wore suicide vests, pinned security forces down for more than 13 hours after the attack began.

Gunmen roamed the hallways and targeted foreigners and Afghan officials inside the luxury hilltop hotel.

Afghan security forces killed the attackers during a long assault and rescued 150 people, including 41 foreigners, Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish confirmed. Of those, 10 people were injured including six from the security forces.

Eleven of the 14 foreigners killed were employees of KamAir, a private Afghan airline. KamAir put out a statement saying some of its flights were disrupted because of the attack.

Six of those killed were Ukrainians, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said, who added that his office was working with Afghan law enforcement agencies 'to clarify the circumstances of this terrorist act.'

A citizen from Kazakhstan was also among the dead at the hotel, according to Anuar Zhainakov, a spokesman for the Kazakh Foreign Ministry.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the latest assault in the war-torn capital via an email from spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. The interior ministry had earlier blamed the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network.

Smoke was seen rising from the Intercontinental Hotel during the attack, and explosions could be heard throughout the standoff

AnAfghan solder uses a laser sight on his rifle as security forces storm the Intercontinental on Saturday night

Six Taliban gunmen stormed the building last night, opening fire on guests and taking people hostage. Afghan Security forces (pictured) were later lowered onto the Intercontinental's roof to recapture the hotel

It followed security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners. Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians, with the Taliban and the Islamic State group both stepping up attacks.

Some of the 150 guests fled the gunbattle and fire sparked by the assault by shimmying down bedsheets from the upper floors.

During the siege, a guest hiding in a room said he could hear gunfire inside the building, where dozens of people attending an information technology conference on Sunday were staying, including 34 provincial officials.

'I don't know if the attackers are inside the hotel but I can hear gunfire from somewhere near the first floor,' the man, who did not want to be named, told AFP by telephone.

'We are hiding in our rooms. I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us.'

His phone has been switched off since then.

Afghan officials said that also among the dead was a telecommunications official from Farah province in western Afghanistan, Waheed Poyan, who was the newly appointed consul general to Karachi, Pakistan.

Ahmad Farzan, an employee of the High Peace Council, a commission created to facilitate peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban and other opposition groups, was also killed.

All four of the Taliban attackers were killed by Afghan security forces (pictured) who stormed the hotel last night

An armed official is pictured by an ambulance outside the Intercontinental hotel complex in Kabul yesterday night

The hotel (pictured), one of two main luxury resorts in the city, was previously attacked by Taliban fighters in 2011

Afghan Telecom regional director Aziz Tayeb, who was attending the IT conference, saw the attackers enter the hotel.

He said: 'Everything became chaotic in a moment. I hid behind a pillar and I saw people who were enjoying themselves a second ago screaming and fleeing like crazy, and some of them falling down, hit by bullets.'

Local resident Abdul Sattar said he had spoken by phone to friends who are hotel staff and had been trapped inside.

'Suddenly [militants] attacked the dinner gathering... they broke into the rooms, took some people hostage and they opened fire on some of them', he added.

The Interior Ministry said it is investigating how the attackers managed to enter the building. It said a private company had taken over security about three weeks ago at the hotel.

A person or persons inside the hotel might have helped the attackers gain entrance, Mr Danish said, adding that the probe is continuing.

Security in Kabul has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb killed some 150 people and wounded around 400 - mostly civilians.

But ISIS and the resurgent Taliban are both scaling up their assaults on the city, with multiple devastating attacks in recent weeks.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents initially planned to strike the hotel Thursday night but postponed it because a wedding was underway there and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties.

Neighboring Pakistan condemned the 'brutal terrorist attack' and called for greater cooperation against militants.

Afghanistan and Pakistan routinely accuse each other of failing to combat extremists on their long and porous border.

Afghan forces have struggled to fight the Taliban since the U.S. and NATO formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014.

They have also had to contend with a growing Islamic State affiliate that has carried out a number of big attacks in recent years.

The attack on the Intercontinental, which is not part of the global InterContinental chain, was just one of several bloody assaults this weekend.

In a village in the northern province of Balkh, Taliban militants went from house to house in the middle of the night, pulling police from their homes and shooting them dead.

The Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan was under siege by the gunmen for 12 hours, with six people killed (pictured, Afghan security forces at the scene)

There were foreign visitors among the hotel guests, but it is not clear whether they included any UK residents (pictured, Afghan security forces form a cordon on the roads around the building

The five-star Intercontinental Hotel in the Afghan capital of Kabul, which is often used for conferences

At least 18 officers were killed, deputy police chief Abdul Raziq Qaderi confirmed.

In Herat in the west at least eight civilians were killed when a car hit a Taliban-planted roadside mine, officials there said.

The last major attack on a high-end hotel in Kabul was in March 2014 when four teenage gunmen raided the Serena, killing nine people including AFP journalist Sardar Ahmad.

The overnight siege is not the first time the Intercontinental has been targeted: in 2011 a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people there, including 10 civilians.

Even before the attack was over Sunday, authorities were questioning how the attackers got past the hotel's security, which was taken over by a private company three weeks ago, said Najib Danish, another interior ministry spokesman.

'We will investigate it,' he said.

A hotel employee said that as he fled the staff living quarters in a building next to the hotel he saw the new security guards running for their lives.

'They didn't do anything, they didn't attack. They had no experience.'
An idiot who purposely stuck his own head in a microwave and a Nazi saluting dog are part of a wave of YouTube pranksters.

Other incidents included teenagers driving against traffic on the M4 and comedians pretending to slice off their own arms.

Emergency services were called out to 2,794 of these 'YouTube-related' offences last year a freedom of information (FoI) request has revealed.

The amount of callouts by the police, ambulance and fire services has risen more than two-thirds in five years.

Jay Swingler, from Wolverhampton, was the thrill-seeker who decided to Pollyfilla his own head into a microwave and became a national laughingstock.

Jay Swingler, from Wolverhampton, the thrill-seeker who decided to Pollyfilla his own head into a microwave was slammed by the fire officer who rescued him saying that the time could have been used for someone who genuinely needed their help

Jay's friends had managed to feed an air tube into the man's head to help him breathe before he was rescued by police

Rikke Brewer, 18, from Aldershot caught the police's attention when he he was filmed riding on top of a London Docklands Light Railway before jumping off it as he crossed the dock.

At the time police said that they condemned his actions because he risked his life for the sake of a YouTube video.

Mark Meechan, 30, from Coatbridge, near Glasgow, trained his girlfriend's dog to respond to his calls of 'gas the Jews'. He said the vile phrase 23 times in a short video clip uploaded onto YouTube.

Following complaints about the content, police were called and he was arrested for allegedly committing a hate crime by uploading the footage onto YouTube in April 2016.

Mark Meechan, 29, recorded his girlfriend's pug Buddha responding to statements such as 'gas the Jews' and 'Sieg Heil' and put it on the popular video sharing website

However these prank videos are bringing in the big bucks for YouTube as it has been reported that the social media website takes around 40% of advertising revenue from each user.

The most common area for YouTube-related incidents was Merseyside which had a total of 457 callouts in 2017.

West Yorkshire was second with 393 out of the 39 police forces that answered the FoI request.

Forces covering some of the country's most fun-loving counties, including Essex, did not respond.

Rikke Brewer, left, and an unnamed friend clambered on top of the DLR train in London

This is the moment two daredevils prepared themselves to jump from a train into a dock

The pair jumped into the quay in quick succession as the train passed over the bridge

However the British Transport Police did respond and stated that the rail network had 41 incidents last year relating to YouTube rogues, reports the Sunday Times.

Police and other responders have slammed the epidemic that landed Brewer with a suspended prison sentence and an 18-month rehabilitation activity requirement.

Meechan is on trial for hate crime, which he denies, saying the videos were created to amuse his girlfriend.

Shaun Dakin criticised by the fire officer who led the crew that freed him who said: 'This was clearly a call-out that might have prevented us from helping someone in genuine need.'

YouTube prank artists have even been jailed in the past including four members of channel Trollstation who staged a fake robbery at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

YouTube said yesterday that its guidelines 'prohibit content that's intended to encourage dangerous activities that have an inherent risk of physical harm', insisting that it worked 'quickly' to 'remove flagged videos that violate our policies'.
Former presidential candidate and leftist figure Hamdeen Sabahi has signed an election endorsement in favour of lawyer and labour activist Khaled Ali, supporting his bid to run in Egypt's upcoming presidential elections, Ali's campaign said in a brief statement on Sunday.

Ali declared his intention to run for the presidency at a Cairo press conference earlier this month, calling on his supporters to collect the minimum required 25,000 citizen endorsements to support his bid.

Article 142 of Egypts 2014 constitution states that a hopeful presidential candidate must secure the recommendation of at least 20 MPs or 25,000 citizens from 15 governorates, with a minimum of 1,000 from each governorate.

Endorsements must be submitted to the National Elections Authority (NEA) by 29 January.

Until now, only current President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has managed to fulfill the requirements for running in the upcoming elections, having secured the endorsement of over 500 sitting MPs and exceded the required citizens' endorsements from many Egyptian governorates.

El-Sisi announced his candidacy for a second term during a national conference on Friday.

Khaled Ali is currently awaiting a final verdict on a three-month jail sentence handed down for offending public decency after making an "obscene hand gesture" during a demonstration outside the State Council headquarters in January 2017.

The final verdict in the case is set to be issued on 7 March.

If the guilty verdict is upheld, Ali will be disqualified from the presidential race in accordance with Article 1 of the 2017 elections law, which prevents anyone convicted of a felony or a crime involving an "immoral act" from running for the presidency.

Both Ali and Sabahi have run in previous presidential elections.

Ali ran for president in the first round of the 2012 elections but received only 134,056 votes.

Sabahi came third with 4.8 millions votes, or 20.7 percent, behind former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, who came in second place, and Islamist candidate Mohamed Morsi, who won the presidency in 2012.

President El-Sisi, whose first term ends in June, won the 2014 elections in a landslide victory, receiving nearly 97 percent of the vote over sole competitor Hamdeen Sabahi.

The NEA will publish the preliminary list of candidates on 31 January in the Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar newspapers.

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THE millionaire boss of Carillion is under fire, after it was revealed he is still working as a business advisor to the government.



Keith Cochrane, CEO of the collapsed construction giant, remains a central figure in an elite network of business leaders, who advise Scottish Secretary David Mundell.

It follows on from news earlier this week that Philip Green, who became chairman of Carillion in May 2014, served as an advisor to Number 10 on corporate responsibility under David Cameron's coalition government.

Carillion CEO Keith Cochrane is still employed as a business advisor to the government, despite the collapse of company into liquidation and the threat to tens of thousands of jobs

SNP MP Tommy Sheppard stormed: 'It is utterly disgraceful that at a time when thousands of Carillion employees don't even know whether they will have a job to go to each morning, the Scotland Office and David Mundell keep in place Keith Cochrane as an adviser, despite his role in the shoddy and shambolic running of Carillion.'

Cochrane, who was on 750,000-a-year when Carillion went under, is the lead non-executive director at the Scotland Office.

The part-time role pays 300 a meeting and the chartered accountant, who lives in a 1.2m mansion in Perthshire, was appointed to the position in 2015 on a three-year deal.

Cochrane, the former boss of engineering firm Weir Group, took on a 61,000-a-year non-executive directorship at Carillion in 2015, but last July became chief executive of what was the UK's second-biggest construction firm on an interim basis.

Just weeks before he was due to step down from the role, Carillion was forced into liquidation, owing 1.3billion to the banks and threatening tens of thousands of jobs.

At the point of going into liquidation, the firm is said to have owed 1.3billion to the banks

Sheppard said: 'Whilst contractors and workers face increased uncertainty, interim chief executive Cochrane - as well as others at the very top of the company - will continue to pocket his 750,000 salary until July.

'His role as an adviser to the Scotland Office is untenable, and a failure by David Mundell to remove him from his post would be a glaring insult to workers and taxpayers.'

Cochrane was appointed to the Scotland Office role in December 2015 after an open recruitment round.

All non-executive directors are entitled to claim 300 per meeting and Mr Cochrane attended nine meetings in 2016/17.

When he was appointed to the role, Cochrane said: 'It's important for big companies to put something back into their community and this is a way I can do that.'

Cochrane is a member of the Scotland Office's joint management board, which includes three other non-executive directors, the Scottish Secretary David Mundell and Advocate General Richard Keen QC.

Along with the other directors, Cochrane monitors the Scotland Office's performance and advises Mundell on a string of issues, including Brexit, devolution of more powers and regeneration projects known as City Deals.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell is advised by a network of business leaders that include Carillion CEO Keith Cochrane

Much of the blame for Carillion's woes have been put on former chief executive Richard Howson, who worked his way up the firm to the top job over 20 years.

Howson, who headed the company from 2012 until July 2017, pocketed 1.5m in 2016.

Amid growing concerns about Carillion's future, Cochrane spent the days leading up to its liquidation trying to find a way for the firm to keep trading, including asking for a Government bailout.

A UK Government spokesperson said: 'All departments have external NEDs to provide strategic advice to their management boards in accordance with the Government's corporate governance code.

'The Scotland Office has no contracts with Carillion and has had no role in any decision-making in relation to other public sector contracts.

'Mr Cochrane continues in his role with the Scotland Office.'

Attempts for further comment from Cochrane through the Scotland Office were declined.

The debate over Cochrane's role comes just days after it emerged that Philip Green, who became chairman of Carillion in May 2014, advised David Cameron on corporate responsibility under the Coalition Government.

He was appointed in 2011 - the same year he joined the board at Carillion - but axed by Theresa May when she carried out a review of Mr Cameron's appointments in December 2016.

The businessman, who should not be confused with BHS owner Philip Green, was educated at the University of Swansea before completing an MBA at the London Business School.

Carillion chairman Philip Green formerly advised David Cameron on corporate responsibility

He was CEO of United Utilities Group plc from 2006 to 2011. His earlier corporate experience includes serving as CEO of Royal P&O Nedlloyd, a Director and Chief Operating Officer at Reuters Group PLC and Chief Operating Officer at DHL for Europe and Africa.

Mr Green is also a Non-Executive Chairman of Logicor, a European logistics real estate business owned by a New York-based investment management firm.

Carillion, which was Britains second biggest construction firm, went into liquidation last Monday after running up losses on contracts and huge debts.

Its business is in the hands of the Official Receiver, which is reviewing all of its contracts.

Earlier this week, the sites of major multi-million-pound developments in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Sunderland were deserted, while it appears that work on the Royal Liverpool Hospital could also be delayed.

Scores of multi-million pound developments have been delayed following the Carillion crisis

Carillion employed 43,000 people worldwide, including almost 20,000 in the UK, and had 450 contracts with the Government.

Ministers said staff and contractors working on public sector service contracts would continue to be paid.

But there was no such guarantee for firms tied into private work. The Pension Protection Fund is expected to take on Carillions pensions deficit.

The firm spent 952million with small firms in 2016 and ministers said companies working on the firms private contracts would be paid for another 48 hours.

But some are already losing out  and laying off staff. Mr Cherry said unpaid bills could go back several months, with some suppliers saying they waited 120 days to be paid.
An Iraqi court said on Sunday that it had condemned a German woman to death finding her guilty of belonging to the jihadist group ISIS.

The unknown woman, of Moroccan origin, was sentenced to death by hanging.

She was sentenced for providing 'logistical support and helping the terrorist group to carry out crimes,' said Abdel Settar Bayraqdar, a spokesman for the court.

The woman was caught by Iraqi forces during the battle of Mosul last year, the spokesman said, declining to identify her by name.

An Iraqi court said on Sunday that it had condemned a German woman to death finding her guilty of belonging to the jihadist group ISIS (file photo, woman not pictured)

She is the first foreign woman to be sentenced to death in Iraq for joining the militant group.

She confessed that she traveled with her two daughters from Germany to Syria and then joined Daesh in Iraq,' he said, referring to Islamic State by an Arabic acronym.

She can appeal the sentence, the spokesman said.



In September 2017, an Iraqi court sentenced to death by hanging a Russian man after finding him guilty of fighting for ISIS.

It comes after a different German girl, Linda Wenzel, was arrested last year after running away to join the jihadists.

The 16-year-old Wenzel was dragged from the rubble of Mosul when Iraqi forces liberated the city from ISIS last year.
Emmanuel Macron has admitted that France would probably have voted to leave the European Union if it had held a referendum.

The French President said frustration at Brussels across the Channel could have boiled over to a Leave vote if they were offered a choice.

He said he opposes offered the public an 'in / out' choice on their relationship with the bloc.

Mr Macron also admitted that he is trying to use Brexit to lure businesses away from the City of London and to Paris.

The French President (pictured on BBC' Andrew Marr show)said frustration at Brussels across the Channel could have boiled over to a Leave vote if they were offered a choice

Mr Macron said he opposes offered the public an 'in / out' choice on their relationship with the bloc.

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC Andrew's Marr Show he was asked directly if his country would have backed 'Frexit' if offered the choice.

He said: 'Probably, in a similar context. But our context was very different.

'I definitely would have fought very hard to wind - but I think it is a mistake if you just ask '"yes or no".

But Mr Macron added that he would not want to place 'a bet' on the outcome of an EU referendum vote in France.

The French president was speaking to the broadcaster earlier this week when he visited Sandhurst to hold a summit on defence with Theresa May.

He also made it plain that France is trying to swoop in on the lucrative business in the City of London and lure them across the Channel because of Brexit.

Theresa May (pictured today heading to church in Maidenhead with her husband Philip)has said she wants Britain to get a bespoke trade deal with the European Union.

He said: 'Sure we want to attract maximum activity, why? Because this decision has an impact for a lot of players.

'As a result of the EU referendum they will have to choose between the different cities, so there is a competition between the different cities.'

Rival financial centres like Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam are desperately trying to attract some of the City of London's booming businesses.

It comes after Mr Macron made an audacious pitch for them to move to Paris to the world's press in Downing Street while still a candidate last year.

In the interview, he also said that Britain's financial services sector cannot get full access to the single market without paying into the EU's budget.

Theresa May has said she wants Britain to get a bespoke trade deal with the European Union.

And she received a boost when Mr Macron have his support for a unique deal to be thrashed out.

But he warned the Prime Minister that there can be no 'cherry picking' of the single market and that staying in it would mean signing up to free movement. big payments into the EU's Budget and abiding by the EU's rules.
A two-year-old boy has been left terrified of his once favourite animal - the kangaroo - after he was brutally bashed by one in the play area of his local zoo.

Archie Dixon was enjoying a day at Wellington zoo with his mother Catherine when the pair came across some kangaroos - grazing together near the children's play equipment.

Kangaroos have long been Archie's favourite animal - his mother filmed him as he went from one animal to the next joyfully patting them - but then he was attacked.

Kangaroos have long been Archie's favourite animal - his mother filmed him as he went from one animal to the next joyfully patting them - but then he was attacked

The kangaroo is shown here holding the young boy before kicking him

Video footage before the incident shows the young boy tread on one kangaroo's tail on his way to pat another in the mob - then there is a scream and his mother dropped the camera.

'There is no handbook for this, I just went quickly to protect Archer and pick him up. Thankfully that was enough to scare the kangaroo otherwise I have no idea what I would have done,' the mother told Daily Mail Australia.

Mrs Dixon said the kangaroo grabbed her son before kicking him in the face twice.

The kangaroos have ruined the young New Zealander's love of the species.

'He cried for about 30 minutes and said ''no roos, naughty roos'',' his mother said.

The two-year-old is no longer obsessed with kangaroos - but terrified of them

His mother said there was no warning the animals could be dangerous

And left him with huge scratches on his face and back - one narrowly missing his eye.

'He has the claw scratch on his eye which he now has conjunctivitis, and scratches on his back and hands.'

The mother is speaking out to warn other parents about the danger of the placid-looking Australian animals.

'There were no staff or signs that I saw warning me about them,' she said.

The little boy had been patting them seconds before the attack

'I had to walk out of the area to find someone for first aid.'

Mrs Dixon believes her son will be fine - but isn't sure if he will ever like kangaroos again.

Wellington Zoo chief executive Karen Fifield told Stuff the eastern grey kangaroos in the area were young - and that this was the first incident of its kind in the area.

They described the young marsupials as 'relaxed and very calm'.

The family have been given a free zoo pass - and said they will use it but 'avoid the kangaroos in the future'.
Germany's Social Democrats have voted to team up with Angela Merkel in a bid to form a new government.

Six hundred delegates met in Bonn to discuss whether they should enter into a possible coalition with Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.

Delegates voted 362 to 279 this afernoon in favour of opening the coalition talks.

Once a coalition agreement is reached, the Social Democrats' membership still would have to approve it before an administration can be formed.

Germany's divided Social Democrats will hold a crunch vote today on whether to team up with Angela Merkel or plunge the country into political turmoil

Ahead of the vote, SPD leader Martin Schulz told delegates he would push for more concessions from the conservatives on labour, health and migration policies.

The stakes could have scarcely been higher for Merkel as a 'no' vote would have left her with the option of leading an unstable minority government - a prospect she has balked at - or face snap polls.

The vote was being watched in Germany as well as other European states, with French President Emmanuel Macron needing Berlin's backing to push through ambitious EU reforms.

If he fails to secure backing for another coalition, pundits predict SPD chief Martin Schulz (pictured) may have to step down

Germany has been stuck in political limbo since September's inconclusive general election saw mainstream parties bleed support to the far-right AfD, which tapped into anger over Merkel's open-door refugee policy.

Bruised by his party's worst result in decades, Schulz initially vowed to go into opposition but then caved to pressure to reconsider after Merkel's attempt at a novel tie-up with two smaller parties collapsed in November.

The U-turn angered many grassroots SPD'ers, who believed some time on the opposition benches would help the 150-year-old party regain its fighting spirit.

Germany has been stuck in political limbo since September's inconclusive general election ( Pictured, Angela Merkel)

Merkel, often dubbed the world's most powerful woman, has been hamstrung on the global stage as the domestic drama has played out, and she is increasingly described by commentators as entering the twilight of her rule after more than 12 years in power.

With her hopes for a fourth term now in the hands of the SPD, she has urged party delegates to make 'a responsible decision' for Germany and for Europe.

'The world won't wait for us,' she warned.

The 28-page preliminary coalition agreement that lays the basis for future government policies promises more spending on childcare, education and pensions as well as joining France in a push to overhaul the EU.

But critics within the SPD have bemoaned the party's failure to secure a tax hike for the rich or a restructuring of the country's two-tier health care system.

They have also voiced dismay at the document's mention of limiting asylum seeker arrivals to around 200,000 a year.

Schulz has since insisted that many details still need to be ironed out and proposed that any future coalition government be put under review after two years.

A Forsa survey this week found that 61 percent of SPD voters were in favour of moving on to formal coalition talks.

The same poll found that the SPD would score just 18 percent if elections were held now, below the 20.5 percent garnered in September.

Even if SPD delegates endorse formal coalition talks, another make-or-break hurdle looms.

Schulz has pledged that any final coalition agreement will be put to a vote by more than 400,000 rank-and-file party members - leaving Merkel's fate once again in the hands of the SPD.
A psychologist at the Gender Identity Development Service has warned that medical treatments for children who want to change sex could leave them infertile.

Bernadette Wren said clinicians needed to consider 'grave choices' such as fertility and delayed puberty before giving treatment to transgender children.

The clinical psychologist also said schools were rushing to treat children as a member of the opposite sex from the moment they heard a 'whisper' that they might be questioning their identity.

It comes as children as young as 11 are receiving hormone treatment to suppress puberty, according to The Sunday Times.

A psychologist at the Gender Identity Development Service has warned that medical treatments for children who want to change sex could leave them infertile

Figures revealed in October last year showed that children as young as four were among the 50 children a week being referred to gender reassignment specialists.

Dr Wren, a consultant psychologist at GIDS, part of the Tavistock and Portland Trust in London, said there were 'difficult treatment choices' to be made.

She said: 'You could be the most transgender friendly service in the world and you would still have to consider some very, very grave issues.

'They can consider the loss of their ability to have genetic children. This is becoming a big issue for us. For natal males  their capacity to produce sperm is more fragile in the face of these treatments.'

Dr Bernadette Wren, a consultant psychologist at GIDS, part of the Tavistock and Portland Trust in London (pictured), said there were 'difficult treatment choices' to be made

It was also revealed that one in ten of the children referred to their clinics have ended up changing their minds and dropping out of the programme.

Dr Wren said that schools were rushing to change pupils' uniforms, names and toilets as soon as pupils started questioning their identity.

At least 150 schools across the country have already adopted gender neutral uniform policies, with top private school Highgate School in North London among those to allow boys to wear skirts.

Priory School in Lewes, East Sussex, banned girls from wearing skirts in order to accommodate the growing number of transgender pupils.

The GIDS was founded in 1989 and offers counselling to children as young as three.


New refugees are being turned away from a city in Germany, amid fears over rising violence between migrants and right-wing extremists.

Officials in Cottbus, which lies 120km southeast of Berlin, issued the temporary ban after two male Syrian teenagers were arrested on suspicion of injuring a German teenager in the face with a knife.

Just days earlier, a 15-year-old Syrian asylum seeker and his father were ordered to leave the city, after he was allegedly involved in an assault, alongside two other Syrian youths aged 14 and 17.

Cottbus, which has taken in 3,000 migrants since 2015, has imposed a ban on new arrivals amid fears over rising violence and right-wing extremists (file pic of migrants arriving in Berlin)

A 51-year-old man and his wife were said to have been attacked outside a shopping centre.

Meanwhile, Cottbus, which has hosted around 3,000 migrants since 2015, is home to 145 right-wing extremists.

Last weekend, around 100 masked neo-Nazis took part in an illegal demonstration through the city centre.

According to Brandenburgs state interior minister Karl-Heinz Schroeter, the ban on new refugees would be in effect 'for the next few months'.

Other measures in effect include increased CCTV surveillance and increased numbers of police officers.

More than a million migrants have arrived in Germany since Chancellor Angela Merkel threw open her country's borders in 2015

The ban comes just weeks after a study in Germany revealed the recent influx of mostly young, male migrants had led to an increase in violent crime.

The study, by criminologist Christian Pfeiffer and funded by the German government, uses figures from the northern state of Lower Saxony to examine the impact of refugee arrivals on crime in 2015 and 2016.

It attributes a 10.4 percent rise in violent crimes in the state during those two years almost exclusively to refugees.

But it also found that migrants are most likely to be the victims of crime committed by migrants.

In 90 per cent of homicide cases where a migrant was the suspect, the victim was also a foreigner.

His team found that living conditions in detention centres, where dozens of young men of different ethnicities and religions are held together in cramped conditions, contributed to the problem.

More than a million migrants have arrived in Germany after Merkel threw open the borders in 2015 with the pledge: 'We can do it.'

Cottbus is not however the first city to impose a migrant ban.

It follows Salzgitter, Delmenhorst and Wilhelmshaven in the northern state of Lower Saxony, which last year cited a lack of resources to properly handle the numbers arriving.

Cottbus is said to have a large presence of right-wing extremists (pictured at a rally in Cologne, Germany in 2016), who illegally marched through the city last weekend




Humphrey the miniature pet pig has gone missing from a property in Canning Vale

A 15-year-old boy has made an emotional plea for the safe return of his beloved pet pig who was taken from the family's home on Sunday.

Humphrey went missing from the Thompson family's Canning Vale home after a man admitted to picking him up and dropping him into the bush under the impression that he was a wild pig.

'We all love him and just want him home,' owner Curtis Thompson told 7NEWS, adding that Humphrey was given to him as a present on his 13th birthday.

The family were converting Curtis and his sister's cubby house into a five-star pigsty featuring a day bed and mud bath for the 50kg miniature pig when he escaped.

'Normally whenever he's out of his pen we keep the gate shut,' Curtis' mother Tania explained.

'I didn't know he was out, and I opened the gate and was gone for 20 minutes.'

A miniature pig named Humphrey belonging to Curtis Thompson, 15, has gone missing in Perth

Humphrey was given to Curtis as a present on his 13th birthday, and is a member of the family

While she was gone, Humphrey slipped out the front of the property, and two neighbours saw three men chase him, bundle him up and into a car.

'They tried to catch him but Humphrey's not used to being chased, he normally just follows us around,' she told WA Today.

A man later admitted to dropping Humphrey on Acourt Road near Jandacot National Park, not believing that he was a domesticated pet.

'My son isn't the type to show his feelings, but he loved Humphrey,' Ms Swan said.

'He does everything for him every day - he hoses him down, feeds him, lets him out of his pen, puts him away, and tucks him in and gives him a belly rub before bed.

Humphrey was last seen on the corner of Acourt Road near Jandacot National Park on Sunday

Humphrey lives in a five-stay pig sty made from Curtis and his sister's old wooden cubby house

'He was just living in hope Humphrey was going to roll up outside the door. He loves him the most.'

'When we first got him and he was in the laundry every night we'd get a mattress and sleep in there with him,' Curtis' sister added.

'We miss him so much. He is part of the family.'

Anyone with information on Humphrey's whereabouts is asked to call the Canning Vale police station or the Gosnells rangers.
John McDonnell today refused to apologise to for repeating a joke that Tory minister Esther McVey should be 'lynched'.

The remark was branded 'truly evil' by Commons leader Andrea Leadsom and Mr McDonnell has faced repeated calls to say sorry for it.

But the firebrand shadow chancellor stubbornly refused - insisting that he was only repeating a comment made by others and condemns all abuse of politician.

The row comes as left-wing activists are plotting a fresh campaign of intimidation against Ms McVey after she was promoted to become Work and Pension Secretary in last week's Cabinet reshuffle.

Mr McDonnell, Jeremy Corbyn's closest ally in Parliament, was confronted about his role in chipping in on the abuse in a television interview.

Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell today refused to apologise to for joking that Tory minister Esther McVey should be 'lynched' when he was confronted about the offensive remark on TV today

But he told the Andrew Marr Show he will not apologise, adding: 'I'm surprised at Andrea. I like her, she's a good woman.'

Mr McDonnell said he had not been quoting the comments approvingly, saying: 'It was a stand up thing and I was saying, look, this is how rough politics is up there.'

Mr McDonnell said he had previously 'refuted completely' when MPs 'misinterpreted it' and insisted he did 'not wish harm to anybody'.

Mr Marr asked the shadow chancellor if he wanted him to play the audio of the comments.

The row comes as left-wing activists are plotting a fresh campaign of intimidation against Esther McVey (pictured heading to No 10 last week) after she was promoted to become Work and Pension Secretary in last week's Cabinet reshuffle

'You don't need to, I know exactly what was on it,' he replied.

Asked if he would apologise to Ms McVey, he replied: 'I said then I did not support what was happening, of course I didn't support that.

'It is for those people who made that statement if they wish to make that apology.'

Meanwhile, it has emerged that union firebrands and Labour councillors are plotting a fresh campaign of abuse against the Cabinet minster.

The former television presenter, 50, faced a campaign of abuse during the 2015 General Election and left-wingers mobilised to oust her from the Wirral West seat.

Now it has emerged that the organisers of the 2015 operation are looking to replicate their hateful tactics in her new seat of Tatton.

Three years ago, they held marches in her local community and released a protest song that included the lyrics: 'The wicked witch of the Wirral's had her day.'

According to a Facebook page, titled 'Fester McVile Out', the movement's steering committee also includes two Labour councillors from Salford, Kate Lewis and Barbara Bentham.

Details posted on the website reveal: 'There are plans for protests in Tatton, a new song and loads of campaign materials.'

The campaign will begin with a demonstration in Miss McVey's Tatton constituency on April 1 with the theme 'April Fool Theresa May for appointing Esther McVey'.
A man who received his first face transplant seven years ago has been given a second donor face after living for two months without one.

The face graft proved that re-transplantation is possible according to Olivier Bastien from France's biomedicine agency.

This is the first time that doctors have replaced one donor face with another after the unnamed 40-year-old's body rejected his first transplant.

The man who has now received his second face graft after went under the knife for an entire day at a Paris hospital on Monday.

French professor Laurent Lantieri specialises in hand and face transplants he is the Head of Plastic Surgery at the Paris hospital

His original graft was removed in an operation in November and he was kept on life support in an induced coma until the follow-up procedure could be completed.

It will take weeks for doctors to be able to tell whether the second transplant has taken to his body.

The procedure is still referred to as high-risk despite the first graft being completed in 1994.

The man underwent surgery at Georges Pompidou Hospital, Paris (pictured)

THE WORLD'S FIRST FACE TRANSPLANT The world's first partial face transplant on a living human was carried out in France in 2005. The recipient of the transplant, Isabelle Dinoire, died of cancer in April 2016, 11 years after her groundbreaking operation. Doctors said her body had rejected the transplant, and she had lost partial use of her lips by the time she died. Advertisement

The rare procedure has only been completed 40 times to date and at least six patients have died from the surgery.

Victims of accidents, violence or genetic disorders often need transplants to be able to breathe, eat and speak.

The transplant also aims to help the recipient with non-verbal communication such as smiling and frowning.

However the receiver of the transplant will have to rely on immunosuppressant medicines which stop the body rejecting the new organ but can leave people vulnerable to infections and cancers.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has rejected a call by Egypt for World Bank arbitration in a dispute over a hydroelectric dam Addis Ababa is building along its share of the Nile.

The two countries are at odds over the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, with Cairo fearing the project would restrict waters flowing down from Ethiopia's highlands and through the deserts of Sudan to its fields and reservoirs.

The Horn of Africa country, which aims to become the continent's biggest power exporter, says the $4 billion-dam will have no such impact.

With discussions deadlocked for months over the wording of a study on its environmental impact, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry proposed late last month that the World Bank be allowed to help settle the dispute.

"Seeking professional support is one thing, transferring (arbitration) to an institution is another thing. So we told them that this is not acceptable with our side," the state-run Ethiopian News Agency quoted Hailemariam as saying.

The agency, which spoke to Hailemariam upon his return from Cairo on Friday, said he rejected the proposal and said: "It is possible to reach agreement ... through cooperation and with the spirit of trust".

After his meeting with the Ethiopian leader, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi pledged not to let differences over a construction of the dam ruin relations with Addis Ababa.

Countries that share the river have argued over the use of its waters for decades - and analysts have repeatedly warned that the disputes could eventually boil over into conflict.

Among the questions Ethiopia and Egypt disagree about is the speed at which the dam's reservoir would be filled.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - now 60 percent complete - will churn out 6,000 MW upon completion.

It is among an array of projects being built. Under a new 2015-2020 development plan, Addis Ababa wants to raise power generation to 17,346 MW from a current capacity of just over 4,300 MW from hydropower, wind and geothermal sources.

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Monster mothers Tracey Connelly and Vanessa George show no remorse in letters from jail which reveal they have their minds set on freedom.

Connelly watched porn movies in a drunken haze as her 17-month-old son Peter was tortured to death in 2007 by her lover Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen.

The defenceless tot, known as Baby P, suffered more than 50 injuries including a broken back and fractured ribs in Haringey, North London.

Connelly (left) watched porn movies in a drunken haze as her 17-month-old son Peter was tortured to death in 2007 by her lover Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen. Nursery worker George (right) sent pictures of her sexually abusing children under two to her lover Colin Blanchard with whom she exchanged thousands of messages online

Nursery worker George sent pictures of her sexually abusing children under two at the Little Ted nursery in Plymouth to her lover Colin Blanchard, with whom she exchanged thousands of messages online.

Barker was refused parole last August and Blanchard is not eligible for parole until at least 2020.

The defenceless tot, known as Baby P, suffered more than 50 injuries including a broken back and fractured ribs in Haringey, North London

Justice secretary David Gauke revealed on Friday that the Government will not challenge the decision to release black cab rapist John Worboys.

He is thought to be Britain's worst sex offender after being accused of raping more than 100 women in his taxi.

Now both women, who try to pass blame for their horrific crimes, are hoping to win parole like Worboys, who could be released within weeks after serving less than 10 years behind bars.

Connelly, 35, was jailed for a minimum of five years in 2009 then freed on license in 2013.

But she was recalled to HMP Styal in Cheshire 18 months later for selling indecent images of herself to perverts obsessed with her notoriety.

However, she is now preparing for a third try for freedom after the Parole Board ruled she was still a risk to public safety in 2015.

Baby P's monster mother talks jovially about baking cake from jail 'I trusted Barker so much we got together (he is five years older than me) then bang, him and Owen did what they did and now I'm here!! I'm a good person who got stuck in a f***d up situation.' 'I don't hear from the c***s (Barker and Owen). I hate them so much. I hope they never contact me again. They can rot in hell.' 'I've been single since I came to prison. I'm still married by law but my solicitor told me the other week that my husband has asked for a divorce. I was so happy I baked a cake. I'm in no need to have another relationship because I think I need to find out who I am. 'It is good that my friends have stood by me. These people choose to be at my side in my darkest of hours. After all that has been said about me yet they're still there. With their support, I hope to come out of this situation a lot stronger.' 'Me and Rose live on the same wing, she is teaching me how to cook (better food instead of junk) and we play Scrabble. People said we were in a relationship but where they got the idea I'm a lesbian is beyond me! It's a shame people believe that rubbish.' 'I'm not sure I will get married again. I can't see me trusting anyone enough for a long while. It would be nice to put my past behind me and have a fresh start.' Advertisement

In astonishing letters written from jail, she dismisses her involvement in her son's death and speaks about her friendship with mass murderer Rose West.

Abuser George dreams of a house by the sea 'How did I get into this mess? Basically I fell 'head over heels' with a co-defendant and he said, 'Jump', and I said, 'How high', instead of, 'f*** off'.' 'I've got a new job and my divorce has finally happened. I'm not upset about the 19 years of marriage over, but it seems more of a final thing that I've got no contact with my daughters. The sad state is that he's divorced me and I've got to pay for it. LMAO!' 'The girl in the cell opposite me has an amazing singing voice. She sings Motown songs etc. When she sings Proud Mary (Tina Turner) we all join in.' 'I'm going to be honest with you, I don't have any hopes or dreams for the future at the moment. I've got five years until parole. If I had a choice in the future, I would like to live on the coast somewhere, I'm not fussed where.' Advertisement

She says West, who killed at least 10 girls with husband Fred and buried them in their 'House of Horrors', has been helping her to lose weight.

Connelly also reveals that she thinks she is innocent, even though she hid Barker and Owen's torture of her son from social workers.

The convict also discusses baking a cake to celebrate her impending divorce.

George, 45, who was jailed in 2009 for a minimum of seven years, is hoping to move to an open jail which allows prisoners more freedom.

Her first attempt to get parole was refused and she remains at high-security Bronzefield women's prison in Ashford, Surrey.

In a letter, the mum-of-two complained that she can never see her own daughters again and criticised a documentary about her crimes as being 'one-sided'.

She also brags about having a 'privileged job' in the prison laundry room and chats about her divorce from Andrew George, her husband of 19 years.
Two YouTuber pranksters have broken into the Celebrity Big Brother house and filmed contestants just metres away in the biggest security breach in the show's history.

Ryan Taylor and Ally Law, who are known for stunts where they break into buildings, managed to get into the house, located in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, and record the show's stars through glass doors.

The prankster pair, who caused a stir when they broke into London's National Theatre and began swinging on the stage ropes, uploaded snippets of the footage to their Snapchat but promise to release the full video on YouTube.

Ryan Taylor and Ally Law, who are known for stunts where they break into buildings, managed to get into the Big brother house, which is located in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, and record the show's stars

The YouTubers may have posed as maintenance or construction workers as Ally (pictured) can be seen wearing a bright orange fluorescent jacket and wearing a head camera

They filmed housemates including Jonny Mitchell, Ginuwine, Dapper Laughs, Ashley James and Ann Widdecombe chatting in the living area - but the pranksters appeared to go unnoticed.

The YouTubers may have posed as maintenance or construction workers as Ally can be seen wearing a bright orange fluorescent jacket and wearing a head camera.

On Ryan's Snapchat, he seems to be filming through a hole at the top of the stairs and sees Jonny, Dapper Laughs and John Barnes talking in a circle with their backs to the camera.

In the footage Ashley James and Ann Widdecombe can be seen chatting in the living area (left). And in a Seperate post on Snapchat, Jonny Mitchell and musician Ginuwine can be seen standing up having a conversation

Following the stunt, Ally tweeted: 'Tonight was a madness!! There will be no video but I promise it will make sense soon, stay tuned.

But after teasing fans he later wrote: 'Guuuuys, there should be a video tomorrow night! Bear with me, I've been stupidly busy.'

Their latest prank might just top all of their previous stunts, which include breaking into London's National Theatre, Scaling The Big One in Blackpool, breaking into Bracknells Coral Reef waterpark overnight, riding a BMX off a diving board at the Olympic pool and breaking into the O2 Arena after hours.

Ally Law, who has over half a million YouTube subscribers, is notorious for breaking into buildings and climbing them during extreme stunts and pranks

Ryan Taylor, who boasts 674,000 subscribers, poses with police officers after building a ramp on a penthouse balcony in one of his stuns

A statement from Big Brother revealed the pair were eventually stopped by guards.

'Last night, two intruders were apprehended by security at Elstree Studios. The safety of housemates, production and audience members is of paramount importance and Big Brother has appropriate security measures in place at all times,' bosses told The Sun Online.
The Government still does not know how much Carillion's collapse will cost but the price for taxpayers is expected to be 'significant' a Treasury Minister today said.

The building and outsourcing went bust last week owing billions of pounds and raising questions about the future of the thousands of jobs and pensions it provides.

The Government has promised to continue to deliver the public services the failed firm delivered - like providing cleaning, repairs and dinners to schools and hospitals.

But major building sites up and down the country ground to a halt as builders were told not to bother to turn up to work after its collapse.

And today Treasury Minister Liz Truss said the Government still does not have a 'full estimate' of how much the bankruptcy will cost.

It comes as experts warn that the bill is likely to run into the hundreds of millions of pounds - with one source reportedly putting the figure at around 1billion.

And today Treasury Minister Liz Truss said the Government still does not have a 'full estimate' of how much the bankruptcy will cost

Mr Truss told ITV's Peston on Sunday it would be 'completely wrong' to speculate on the cost, but said it would be a 'significant amount of money'.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury said: 'At the moment we don't have a full estimate - we heard about the collapse last week, we've been working to make sure public services keep going, that's of course our most important priority.

'There's a lot of investigatory work to do in terms of what the directors knew and when they knew it, but also making sure that we can move those contracts on, either to organisations within the public sector or to other private sector organisations.

'It's right that that's our priority - making sure things work - but of course we will be doing a sort of post review of understanding what the total costs are.'

Ms Truss was later challenged on whether she was being 'economical with the truth'by refusing to say how big the bill for taxpayers will be.

She said: 'There's a difference between the cost that the administrator finds and what the impact will be on public spending and public services.

'What I'm talking about is the cost to the taxpayer which there will be but we don't know until we find out exactly which bits will be run by other parts of the private sector, which bits will be run by the individual Government department where we can find savings and efficiencies which I am constantly looking for.'

Theresa May (pictured going to church today with her husband Philip) today warned that irresponsible bossed who 'line their own pockets' while their companies collapse will face huge fines.

Meanwhile, Theresa May today warned that irresponsible bossed who 'line their own pockets' while their companies collapse will face huge fines.

Proposals include giving the pensions regulator specific powers to issue punitive fines on company directors in cases of clear wrongdoing.

The Prime Minister is ordering the fresh crackdown in the wake of huge public anger that bosses at Carillion doled out bumper bonuses to themselves as the firm slid into bankruptcy.

Its former chief executive Richard Howson is still being paid his 660,000 salary and 28,000 in benefits until October as part of his departure deal.

Former finance chief Zafar Khan, who left Carillion in September, was due to receive 425,000 in base salary for 12 months

Interim chief executive Keith Cochrane was due to be paid his 750,000 salary until July, despite being due to leave next month.

Ministers have fast tracked an investigation into company bosses past and present at the firm to see if the cash can be clawed back.
The federal government shutdown only partially curbs operations. But the longer the shutdown continues, the more likely its impact will be felt.

U.S. troops will stay at their posts and mail will get delivered, but almost half of the 2 million civilian federal workers will be barred from doing their jobs if the shutdown extends into Monday.

How key parts of the federal government would be affected by a shutdown:

A general view of The United States Capitol is seen in Washington Friday as the shutdown begins

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

A shutdown plan posted on the Treasury Department's website shows that nearly 44 percent of the IRS' 80,565 employees will be exempt from being furloughed during a shutdown. That would mean nearly 45,500 IRS employees will be sent home just as the agency is preparing for the start of the tax filing season and ingesting the sweeping changes made by the new GOP tax law.

The Republican architects of the tax law have promised that millions of working Americans will see heftier paychecks next month, with less money withheld by employers in anticipation of lower income taxes. The IRS recently issued new withholding tables for employers.

But Marcus Owens, who for 10 years headed the IRS division dealing with charities and political organizations, said it's a 'virtual certainty' that the larger paychecks will be delayed if there's a lengthy government shutdown.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Half of the more than 80,000 employees will be sent home. Key programs will continue to function because their funding has ongoing authorization and doesn't depend on annual approval by Congress. But critical disruptions could occur across the vast jurisdiction of HHS programs  including the seasonal flu program.

Medicare, which insures nearly 59 million seniors and disabled people, will keep going. And so will Medicaid, which covers more than 74 million low-income and disabled people, including most nursing home residents.

States will continue to receive payments for the Children's Health Insurance Program, which covers about 9 million kids. However, long-term funding for the program will run out soon unless Congress acts to renew it.

Deep into a tough flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be unable to support the government's annual seasonal flu program. And CDC's ability to respond to disease outbreaks will be significantly reduced.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Many of the nearly 115,000 Justice Department employees have national security and public safety responsibilities that allow them to keep working during a shutdown. Special counsel Robert Mueller's team investigating Russian meddling in the presidential election will also continue working. His office is paid for indefinitely.

The more than 95,000 employees who are 'exempted' include most of the members of the national security division, U.S. attorneys, and most of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service and federal prison employees. Criminal cases will continue, but civil cases will be postponed as long as doing so doesn't compromise public safety. Most law enforcement training will be canceled, per the department's contingency plan.

A United States Capitol Police Officer sets up police tape and gates on the plaza of the The United States Capitol Building Friday

STATE DEPARTMENT

Many State Department operations will continue in a shutdown. Passport and visa processing, which are largely self-funded by consumer fees, will not shut down. The agency's main headquarters in Washington, in consultation with the nearly 300 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions around the world, will draw up lists of nonessential employees who will be furloughed.

Department operations will continue through the weekend and staffers will be instructed to report for work as usual on Monday to find out whether they have been furloughed.

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

The U.S. military will continue to fight wars and conduct missions around the world, including in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. And members of the military will report to work, though they won't get paid until Congress approves funding.

But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned Friday that a shutdown will have far-reaching effects.

'Our maintenance activities will probably pretty much shut down,' he said during remarks at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. 'We do a lot of intelligence operations around the world, and they cost money. Those, obviously, would stop. And I would just tell you that training for almost our entire reserve force will stop.'

And, while ships will remain at sea and airstrikes against enemy fighters will continue, any National Guard forces heading out to do weekend training duty around the country will arrive at armories and be told to go home.

US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES

The workforce at the 17 U.S. intelligence agencies will be pared down significantly, according to a person familiar with contingency procedures.

The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity, said employees who are considered essential and have to work will do so with no expectation of a regular paycheck.

While they can be kept on the job, federal workers can't be paid for days worked during a shutdown. In the past, however, they have been paid retroactively even if they were ordered to stay home.

HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT

A department spokesman said nearly 90 percent of Homeland Security employees are considered essential and will continue to perform their duties during a government shutdown.

That means most Customs and Border Protection and Transportation Security Administration workers will stay on the job, according to the department's shutdown plan, dated Friday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be staffed at about 78 percent, meaning more than 15,000 of the agency's employees will keep working. The Secret Service, also part of Homeland Security, will retain more than 5,700 employees during the shutdown.

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT

The Interior Department says national parks and other public lands will remain as accessible as possible. That position is a change from previous shutdowns, when most parks were closed and became high-profile symbols of dysfunction.

Spokeswoman Heather Swift said the American public  especially veterans who come to the nation's capital  should find war memorials and open-air parks available to visitors. Swift said many national parks and wildlife refuges nationwide will also be open with limited access when possible.

She said public roads that already are open are likely to remain open, though services that require staffing and maintenance such as campgrounds, full-service restrooms and concessions won't be operating. Backcountry lands and culturally sensitive sites are likely to be restricted or closed, she said.

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

More than half  34,600  of the Department of Transportation's 55,100 employees will continue working during a shutdown. The bulk of those staying on the job work for the Federal Aviation Administration, which operates the nation's air traffic control system.

Controllers and aviation, pipeline and railroad safety inspectors are among those who would continue to work.

But certification of new aircraft will be limited, and processing of airport construction grants, training of new controllers, registration of planes, air traffic control modernization research and development, and issuance of new pilot licenses and medical certificates will stop.

At the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, investigations on auto safety defects will be suspended, incoming information on possible defects from manufacturers and consumers won't be reviewed and compliance testing of vehicles and equipment will be delayed.

The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, whose operations are mostly paid for out of the Federal Highway Trust Fund, will continue most of their functions. The fund's revenue comes from federal gas and diesel taxes, which will continue to be collected. But work on issuing new regulations will stop throughout the department and its nine agencies.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the agency's infectious disease chief, said a government shutdown will be disruptive to research and morale at the National Institutes of Health but will not adversely affect patients already in medical studies.

'We still take care of them,' he said of current NIH patients. But other types of research would be seriously harmed, Fauci said.

A shutdown could mean interrupting research that's been going on for years, Fauci said. The NIH is the government's primary agency responsible for biomedical and public health research across 27 institutes and centers. Its research ranges from cancer studies to the testing and creation of vaccines.

'You can't push the pause button on an experiment,' he said.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has instructed workers there to come to work next week even with a shutdown. Pruitt said in an email to all EPA employees on Friday that the agency had 'sufficient resources to remain open for a limited amount of time.' He said further instructions would come if the shutdown lasts for more than a week.

The instructions from Pruitt are different from how the agency has operated during prior shutdowns and the contingency plan posted on EPA's website. A spokesman for the agency said earlier on Friday that the December 2017 plan was no longer valid.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NPS closes most national parks during government shutdowns. The agency controls 417 different 'units' from American Samoa to Maine. Of these 417 'units', 59 are national parks.

State parks and trails in certain national parks still remain open during government shutdowns.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that he would use state funds to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island - together comprising the Statue of Liberty National Monument - open. The National Park Service announced that both New York sites would be closed Saturday 'due to a lapse in appropriations'.

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said Grand Canyon National Park would continue full operations despite the shutdown.

'If Washington, D.C., wont function, Arizona will,' Ducey said in a statement.
Two more Nando's were fined in the previous year (2016) for the same problems

Stores were accused of having 'filthy cooking areas, poor cleaning and hygiene'

Each restaurant was fined $20,000 plus costs and told to rectify the violations

Two Nando's outlets have been fined for non-compliance with health standards

Two Nando's restaurants in Western Australia were fined $20,000 each for hygiene failures and rat activity by the Department of Health

Two Nando's outlets in Perth have been described as 'critically non-compliant with health standards' after failing inspections in the last two years.

Nando's restaurants in Belmont and Northbridge have been fined for hygiene failures by the Department of Health, with an inspector noticing 'rat activity and extremely high rodent activity'.

The restaurants were accused of having 'filthy cooking areas, poor cleaning and hygiene' as well as high instances of pests, according to The West.

A photo from the Northbridge store (below) recently released under Freedom of Information laws reveals dirty floors, solidified grease and fat down the sides of cooking equipment.

This photo from the Northbridge store shows dirty floors, solidified grease and filthy furniture

Rodent droppings can also be seen on floors and stainless steel benches, as well as mould growing on floor tiles and exhaust vents covered in grease.

After the inspections, Nando's Australia was fined $20,000 and an additional $1745.50 in costs for 'failing to maintain cleanliness standards', using unclean equipment and not eradicating pests.

The fine comes after another Nando's store in Cloverdale was discovered to have fallen 'below required standards for cleanliness in 2016.

A photo of the Belmont store (below) taken by a health inspector shows the areas around ovens, grills, fryers and sinks covered in grease and grime, and the inspector's report said the 'overall standard of cleaning, including floors, walls and fixtures, must improve'.

Nando's Australia was fined $20,000 plus $1745.50 costs in February 2017 for the state of their Belmont store.

This photo of the Belmont store shows ovens, grills, pipes and sinks coated in grease & grime

Toms Fresh Meat Market at Belmont Forum Shopping Centre (pictured) was also fined $3000 and a further $1340.50 in costs over lack of cleanliness and the presences of rats and pests

Two Western Australian more outlets - Spearwood and Nedlands - have been convicted of health code breaches on previous occasions.



A Nando's spokesperson said the food chain was 'obviously very disappointed with these convictions' and said the food safety issues were 'immediately rectified'.

'In the last 16 months we have implemented and maintained a number of measures to ensure ongoing compliance,' she said.

This has included the retraining of management and staff so they fully understand our food safety practices and follow the approved Nando's cleaning and maintenance guidelines and requirements.'

'We have also increased this focus across our other restaurants to remove likelihood of re-occurrence.'

The spokeswoman said the Northbridge and Belmont Forum restaurants 'have had a number of subsequent inspections from relevant local council authorities which have all been compliant'.

Four other businesses were fined a combined $43,835 for Food Act convictions including storing potentially hazardous food under temperature control and food labelling offences.
The Environment Secretary Michael Gove (pictured heading into Cabinet on Thursday) is said to have 'ranted' about mandarins who are punching out as soon as they can during the weekly meeting of Theresa May's senior minsters

Clock-watching civil servants are thwarting plans for domestic reform by knocking off as soon as they have carried out their allotted hours, Michael Gove reportedly said.

The Environment Secretary is said to have 'ranted' in Cabinet earlier this week about mandarins who are punching out as soon as they can.

He suggested that ministers' hops to work up a radical domestic agenda is being stalled by civil servants who are not bringing the energy needed to bring about major change.

It comes as Theresa May told her minsters they need to focus on domestic policies like social care, housing and the NHS.

The Prime Minister wants to make her legacy more than just delivering Brexit, and has told how she wants to tackle the 'burning injustices' afflicting Britain.

But she faced stinging criticism from with her own ranks for failing to show 'the courage of her convictions' and allow ministers to draw up genuinely radical plans.

A Cabinet source told The Sunday Times that Mr Gove laid come of the blame for the lack of real domestic reform at they feet of lazy civil servants.

The source said: 'Michael said they work their 37 hours a week and then they go home, even if that is Wednesday afternoon. No 10 has been captured by the civil service.'

Another insider said: 'Gove went on a rant and said something along the lines of: 'Do the civil service still work for 12 hours and get two days off?'

The Prime Minster is said to have replied: 'It's called flexible working Michael, and we as a government support it.''

A cabinet minister present told the newspaper: 'There was a discussion about implementation targets, where nothing is happening.'

Mrs May has faced a blistering attack from Tory MP and former minister Nick Boles for failing to drive through a domestic agenda during her 18 months in No10.

Theresa My, pictured heading to church with her husband Philip today in Maidenhead, has faced stinging criticism from with her own ranks for failing to show 'the courage of her convictions' and allow ministers to draw up genuinely radical plans.

And in a fresh onslaught last night, he accused the PM of appointing 'wet ministers' and failing to support others, such as the housing secretary, Sajid Javid, who wants to launch radical reforms to build more homes.

He told the paper: 'I've just had it.

'Either she has wet ministers who won't do anything or in the case of Sajid, she has a would be radical who is desperate to get on and do something major and proper and she just blunts everything.

'There's a wonderful George Orwell essay about Englishness. He talks about the boiled rabbits of the left. We have a government full of boiled rabbits.

'She needs to give her ministers their head and she needs to tell them to be brave. She needs to tell them to follow their convictions and ideally she needs to have a few convictions herself.'

It comes after Mr Boles told the Mail Online on Friday that Mrs May was presiding over a 'mealy-mouthed half measures government'.
A gang of teenage thugs have been caught on video launching fireworks at a wheelchair-bound pensioner and his carer in Central London yesterday.

The horrifying ordeal - on Norfolk Place in Paddington at around 5pm- was captured on camera from an apartment across the road and the masked boys even filmed the attack on their own phones.

As the pyrotechnics come hurtling towards him, the elderly man cowers as his carer attempts to block the fusillade, captured in a video exclusive to MailOnline.

When the sparks stop flying, the man pushing the wheelchair checks the disabled man over before running after the gang.

The elderly man cowers from the pyrotechnic attack as does his carer as they make their way down Norfolk Place in Paddington

The horrifying ordeal - on Norfolk Place in Paddington at around 5pm- was captured on camera from an apartment across the road and the masked boys even filmed the attack on their own phones

As the pyrotechnics come hurtling towards him, the elderly man cowers as his carer attempts to block the fusillade, captured in a video exclusive to MailOnline. When the sparks stop flying, the man pushing the wheelchair checks the disabled man over before running after the gang

At least five thugs were involved in the attack with some menacingly covering their faces.

The hooded gang spread panic in Norfolk Square by setting off a number of other fireworks before the callous attack on the old man.

They hid behind buses and passers-by before creeping up on the elderly man before lighting the fuse.

It happened right outside a cafe and an Indian restaurant and those inside rushed out to help the pair after hearing the explosions.

The onlookers had tried to stop the youths from targeting the pensioner, but their protests fell of deaf ears.

It is not thought the pensioner was seriously injured despite being hit with the fireworks, which lit up green as they exploded.

MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police, but nobody was immediately available to comment.
The IRA plotted to murder Princes Margaret for calling the Irish 'pigs' a new biography has revealed.

The Queen's sister became a target for the terrorist group after she made the derogatory comment during an official visit to the US in October 1979.

Princess Margaret, who died in 2002 at the age of 71, was at a reception in Chicago discussing the recent IRA assassination of her cousin Lord Mountbatten with the city's mayor Jane Byrne.

It was reported in the press at the time that during a conversation between the pair Margaret said: 'The Irish, they're pigs.'

Princess Margaret as she leaves the WAIF Ball in Hollywood during her earlier 1965 tour of the US

The IRA remotely detonated a bomb on a fishing boat causing the deaths of Lord Mountbattern and three others who were also on the trip out of Mullaghmore in County Sligo.

The reports of Princess Margaret's remark sparked angry protests from Irish-Americans throughout the remainder her 1965 tour of America.

At the time her spokesman, Lord Nigel Napier, completely denied that she had made the comment.

Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon at a ranch in Washington, America

Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon on a ranch in Tucson years before the comment was allegedly made

He said: 'There is no truth in the allegation whatsoever.'

The protests followed her to Los Angeles where she visited a week after the allegations came out.

The number of secret service agents were doubled, police snipers and bulletproof armour was added to her limousine.

In the biography, written by Christopher Warwick, it is revealed that an FBI pursuit to find a suspected IRA assassin, nicknamed The Jackal, after the remarks were made.

During her 1965 tour of the US Princess Margaret visited The White House: Pictured with President Lyndon B Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson and Lord Snowdon

The Princess and her husband Lord Snowdon pictured in New York as part of their 1965 tour of the US

A room where the IRA gunman was believed to be staying was raided on October 24 1979 but it was found to be empty.

The book discloses that Princess Margaret was unfazed by the ongoing protests including a group called Action for Irish Rights taking a pig's head to a fashion show she was at.

The revelation comes after it was last week revealed that a New Zealand teenager tried to assassinate the Queen during a 1981 visit to the South Island.

Princess Margaret was pictured leaving an airport in London to board her plane to America for a US tour with Lord Snowdon (left) and also leaving the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles during her visit

Mr Warwick said: 'Despite alarming repercussions, the tour continued.'

Despite the threat coming to light no attempt on Margaret's life ever materialised and she arrived back in the UK a few days later.

However two years later she did cancel a trip to Washing DC on the advice of the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher amid fears for her safety.
Private Sean Benton was found with five bullet wounds to his chest in June 1995 while undergoing training at Deepcut barracks in Surrey.

A fresh inquest into the death of a young soldier at army barracks 23 years ago will go ahead this week as a former private claimed 'dark s***' happened there.

Private Sean Benton, from Hastings, East Sussex, was found with five bullet wounds to his chest in June 1995 while undergoing training at Deepcut barracks in Surrey.

Proceedings were originally conducted months after his death, with a hearing finding that he took his own life.

However, the ruling was quashed after campaigning by Pte Benton's family, who believe he was the victim of severe bullying.

A new hearing will take place at Surrey Coroner's Court this week.

The original inquest, which was told Pte Benton was being discharged from the army after a series of disciplinary problems, took place in just a couple of hours.

But this week's hearing is expected to last for months, with 150 witnesses being called.

Former comrade of Pte Benton, John Paul Stone, announced he would be giving evidence on Facebook.

He said: ' I was there 94-95 with Sean, and myself and other friends will be going to give evidence. I really hope the truth comes out.

'It's changed radically since I was in because of the modern-day PC brigade.

'Even though it was tougher back in the 90s that's no excuse for the dark s*** that happened at Deepcut.'

Pte Benton was the first of four young soldiers to die at the barracks between 1995 and 2002

Pte Benton was the first of four young soldiers to die at the barracks between 1995 and 2002.

Private Cheryl James, 18, from Llangollen, North Wales, shot herself in November 1995, according to a second inquest into her death that concluded in June.

Private Geoff Gray, 17, from Hackney, east London, was found dead with two gunshot wounds to his head on September 17 2001, and Private James Collinson, 17, from Perth, was found dead with a single gunshot wound through his chin on March 23 2002.

Pte Benton's twin, Tony Benton, and sister, Tracy Lewis, went to London's High Court after they were given permission to apply for a new hearing.

Private Cheryl James, Private Geoff Gray and Private James Collinson were later found dead

They were granted the fresh inquest in October 2016 and speaking after the ruling, Mr Benton and Mrs Lewis wept and said: 'We are just happy and relieved. It's been too long.'

The original inquest recorded a verdict of suicide, and a criminal investigation seven years later found no evidence of third party involvement.

But Pte Benton's medical and mental health records were not obtained and no evidence was sought or given about his experiences at Deepcut.

Mr Justice Collins said that a considerable amount of fresh evidence had come to light which cast 'some doubt' on the correctness of the original finding and there was also material which concerned the care which was afforded to Private Benton by the Army at the relevant time.

Pte Benton's twin, Tony Benton, and sister, Tracy Lewis, campaigned to get a fresh inquest into their brother's death

A former comrade of Pte Benton, John Paul Stone said 'dark s***' took place at Deepcut barracks (file photo, soldiers on exercise at the base)

The new hearing was made possible by Private Benton's mother Linda who, before her death last year, used the Human Rights Act to access evidence held by Surrey Police.

Speaking in 2016, Mrs Lewis said: 'Our family had just 20 years with Sean.

'It has taken us another 21 to secure the thorough, independent inquiry we should have seen immediately after his death. For that reason, our parents are not here with us to see this day.

'For two decades, our family has been tormented by questions about what Sean went through at Deepcut. If his death had been properly investigated in 1995, we would have been spared years of uncertainty and pain.
A school is facing a backlash from parents after removing the front wall of a girls' toilet block.

Parents of children at the mixed St Mary's Catholic College in Wallasey, Merseyside, have criticised the redesign, with many concerned about their daughters' privacy.

The wall of one of the school's female toilet blocks has been removed to make the toilets open-plan with the only doors now being those on individual cubicles.

A video shows the toilets, which are set back off a corridor, facing whatare believed to be two classrooms and a CCTV camera.

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The wall of one of the school's female toilet blocks has been removed to make the toilets open-plan with the only doors now being those on individual cubicles

Parents have claimed their children have been told the wall had been removed to stop smoking, bullying and pupils skipping class and hiding in the toilets.

The high school is a voluntary aided academy for 11 to 17-year-olds, meaning it is not run by the local authority and is self-governed.

One parent said she thought the removal of the toilet wall was 'absolutely disgusting'.

She added: 'They clearly haven't considered what girls past puberty have to deal with, so to have only one door for privacy without the added security of a room is terrible.

'There are classrooms opposite the toilets, there is even a camera facing them - for girls between the ages of 11-16 it's unacceptable.'

Another parent, whose daughter is in year 10, said the school did not notify her about the change to the toilet block and she is worried for her child.

Parents of pupils at the mixed St Mary's Catholic College in Wallasey, Merseyside, have criticised the redesign, with many concerned about their daughters' privacy

She said: 'My daughter told me all the girls feel as though they have no privacy and don't feel comfortable to use the toilet during school any more.

'I didn't know anything about the new toilets until she came home yesterday - she said she won't use them so if needs be I will say that she needs to go home at lunchtime to go to the toilet.'

The mum said she understands that the boys' toilets are yet to be altered but soon will be.

One pupil posted a video on social media to criticise the removal of the wall, saying: 'Why does this school think this is okay'

She added: 'I just know I wouldn't like to use those toilets knowing people can see and judge you from their classroom or corridor.

'But I was unaware of the issue with bullying - fortunately my daughter has not been involved.'

A picture of the toilet block has been posted on Facebook page Wallasey Gossip and has garnered more than 200 comments.

Another mum said the open-plan toilet would only add to her daughter's anxiety issues.

She said: 'She doesn't need to be looked at when heading to the toilet.

'Her and a few of her friends have now decided to not use that set of toilets, as there are other sets, at the moment, that are still enclosed for now.

'I feel that the girls are at risk of the boys looking in and over the top of the cubicle.'

'My daughter has been told that the reason going round school for the change is to stop bullying, smoking and bunking in the toilets.'

The school has not made any public comment.
Jordan's King Abdullah told U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday he looked to Washington to rebuild "trust and confidence" in moving toward a two-state solution in Israel after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the country's capital.

With Pence sitting across from him in the royal palace, King Abdullah said Jordan viewed the Israel-Palestinian conflict as a "potential major source of instability".

He said he had raised his concerns for some time that such a decision on Jerusalem "does not come as a result of a comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict". He also reiterated that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

"We hope that the U.S. will reach out and find the right way to move forward in these challenging circumstances," he said.

Pence said in Egypt on Saturday and again in Jordan that the United States would support a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians if they both agreed to it.

Trump's endorsement in December of Israels claim to Jerusalem as its capital drew universal condemnation from Arab leaders and criticism around the world. It also broke with decades of U.S. policy that the citys status must be decided in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Jordan lost East Jerusalem and the West Bank to Israel during the Arab-Israeli war in 1967.

Pence told the king that Washington was committed to preserving the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem.

King Abdullahs Hashemite dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in the city, making Amman particularly sensitive to any changes of status there.

"For us, Jerusalem is key to Muslims and Christians, as it is to Jews. It is key to peace in the region and key to enabling Muslims to effectively fight some of our root causes of radicalization," he said.

Jordanian officials fear Trump's move has wrecked chances of a resumption of Arab-Israeli peace talks, which King Abdullah had sought to revive.

They also worry the move could trigger violence in the Palestinian territories which could spill over into Jordan, where many people are descendants of Palestinian refugees whose families left after Israel was created in 1948.

"We take no position on boundaries and final status. Those are subject to negotiation," Pence said.

After the meeting, Pence flew to a military facility near the Syrian border to meet with U.S. troops. He will finish his three-nation Middle East trip in Israel.

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A Gold Coast man reportedly 'continued drinking' after he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a car carrying children.

It is alleged about 1.30pm on Friday afternoon a blue Holden Commodore was travelling southbound on Gold Coast Highway, swerving over the road at high speed.

The car then allegedly went through a red light at the intersection of Chairlift Avenue and Gold Coast Highway before slamming into a small green vehicle, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

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A Gold Coast man reportedly 'continued drinking' after he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a car carrying children

It is alleged about 1.30pm on Friday afternoon a blue Holden Commodore was travelling southbound on Gold Coast Highway, swerving over the road at high speed

The car continued its rampage crashing into a white Mitsubishi and then head-on with a Nissan Pathfinder.

A police spokeswoman earlier said reports suggested the 31-year-old Upper Caboolture man exited his car after the crash with a drink in his hand before becoming violent with emergency services.

The man was taken Gold Coast University Hospital for blood and alcohol testing.

Two female passengers were taken in a stable condition to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Police have asked witnesses to come forward to assist the investigation.

The man was taken Gold Coast University Hospital for blood and alcohol testing
A Cabinet showdown over NHS funding looms as Boris Johnson is reportedly set to demand Theresa May commits to handing over an extra 100million a week to hospitals after Brexit.

The Foreign Secretary is said to have enlisted the support of other key ministers in the Cabinet for his plan - including Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove.

Mr Johnson famously travelled across in a bus that told voters the NHS could get an extra 350m when we quit the Brussels club.

And he has been pressing to see the pledge honoured, and last week made headlines for saying the figures had been an 'underestimate'.

But it is understood Mr Johnson has faced opposition from figures inside No10 who say there is no point the Tories trying to win over voters by championing the NHS - which is usually safe Labour territory.

Boris Johnson (pictured in front of the famous Vote Leave 350m NHS bus) has been pressing to see the pledge honoured and extra cash injected into the NHS when we quit Brussels

Theresa May (pictured heading to church today with her husband Philip) is bracing herself for a Cabinet showdown this week as she will face a demand for a major cash injection into the NHS amid opposition from key figures in No10

One of Mr Johnson's allies told The Sunday Times: 'Boris knows that if the Tories are going to beat Corbyn at the next election it is vital that the government commits to more NHS funding.

'He is concerned the Tories are surrendering the No 1 issue to Labour instead of proving that it is only the Conservatives that can deliver a properly funded NHS.'

The PM's chief of staff Gavin Barwell is said to be among those who has voiced opposition to injecting the cash after Brexit.

But the Foreign Secretary has reportedly won over a string of ministers to his pitch for more cash, including Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, and and Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary.

It comes amid growing alarm and disquiet within Tory ranks that the PM is not doing enough to push through domestic reform.

Tory MP an former minister Nick Boles launched an extraordinary attack on Mrs May on Friday night, telling Mail Online she was presiding over a 'mealy-mouthed half measures government'.

The Foreign Secretary is said to have enlisted the support of other key ministers in the Cabinet for his plan - including Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured left) and Environment Secretary Michael Gove (pictured right, on his way to Cabinet last week)

Many in the party fear that Brexit is gobbling up all of the Goverment's time and resources - and ceding the domestic agenda to Jeremy Corbyn's hard-left Labour Party.

While some believe that stripped of her closest advisers after the Tory election disaster, Mrs May does not have the confidence or vision to come up with a plan for key services like school,s hospitals and transport.

A former cabinet minister told the newspaper: 'The real Theresa is staring at us now. She's always been cautious. She's very unsure of herself.

'It's a problem because a weakened government needs someone who can be decisive. It's frustrating. That's perfect terrain for the cabinet secretary to just rule.'

Mr Johnson said earlier this week that Brexiteers should have pledged more money to the NHS than the 350m emblazoned on the side of the bus.

He said: 'There was an error on the side of the bus. We grossly underestimated the sum over which we would be able to take back control.'
Frustrated with the government shutdown, President Trump again floated the idea of changing the Senate rules so that legislation can pass with only a majority vote.

'Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked,' Trump wrote Sunday. 'If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.s!'

The president has long urged Senate leadership to scratch the 60-vote legislative filibuster, which would allow bills to flow through with only a simple majority, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell nixed the idea.

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President Trump is seen working through the weekend at the White House Saturday, amid the government shutdown. Trump floated the idea Sunday of the Senate going nuclear, but there's not interest among Republican Senate leadership

President Trump started his Sunday by, again, assigning blame for the government shutdown to the Democratic Party and floating the idea of removing the legislative filibuster, which is called the 'nuclear option.' The appetite, even among Republicans, isn't there

In May, when the president was last loudly grumbling about the filibuster, McConnell said there simply weren't enough senators to vote to go 'nuclear.'

'There are not the votes in the Senate, as I've said repeatedly to the president and to all of you, to change the rules of the Senate,' McConnell told reporters at the time. 'The votes are simply not there. But the good news is the top two priorities of the president don't require anything more than an simple majority.'

A spokesman for McConnell, David Popp, reiterated this point Sunday to USA Today.

'The Republican Conference opposes changing the rules on legislation,' Popp told the newspaper.

In the past, Republicans used the process of 'reconciliation' to push legislation through without 60 votes. That's how the GOP was able to get the president's tax bill passed in December, garnering zero Democratic votes.

The tax package was Trump's single large legislative victory in 2017.

This weekend, the president was expected to travel to Mar-a-Lago for a fundraiser that would have marked his first year in office, but was instead waylaid in Washington due to the government shutdown that started at midnight Friday.

Trump has aggressively blamed Democrats for the shutdown this weekend.

'Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border,' Trump tweeted Saturday. 'They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead.'

'#WeNeedMoreRepublicansin18 in order to power through mess!' the president wrote.

Trump's presidential campaign also put out a video that called Democrats 'complicit in all murders' committed by undocumented immigrants.

'President Trump will fix our border and keep our families safe,' the video said.

Friday's Senate vote to keep the government open, which failed, wasn't a straight party line vote, with a handful of Democrats voting in favor of the Senate legislation and a number of Republicans voting against it.

On Sunday morning, Mick Mulvaney, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, defended Trump's call for the Senate to invoke the 'nuclear option' pointing out this has long been the president's position.

'What the president did this morning is try and shed some light on the fact that if ordinary rules prevailed ... the government would be open as of today,' Mulvaney said on CNN's State of the Union. 'It also responds to the constant criticism we hear, "Oh you Republicans control the White House, the House and the Senate, why can't you just run the government?"'

'But the answer is, as you've just laid out, it takes 60 votes in the Senate,' Mulvaney stated. 'We cannot open the government without Senate Democrat support, we don't have Senate Democrat support, which is why we are where we are.'
Gwen Byrom, 47,said it's her mission to get women to positions of power - but she wants them to know the difficulties of juggling professional and personal commitments

Women are held back by outdated ideas about what they should be able to achieve in their professional and personal life, according to the new head of the Girls' School Association.

In her first interview since taking up the post, Gwen Byrom, 47, headmistress of Loughborough High School, said the idea that schools must teach a more nuanced version of feminism.

She said that encouraging young women to aspire to positions of power is one of her top priorities in the role but she wants them to realise they will need to balance careers and family.

'One message is that you can't be a successful leader if you have children. The other message has been in the past that you can have it all, you can have everything and do everything,' she told The Sunday Telegraph.

'I think we are now getting to a more nuanced position [where] you can talk about the challenges that face families  How do women step up into leadership roles and balance those challenges?

'Rather than promising girls that they should expect to enjoy a high-powered careers at the same time as raising a family, it is more important to teach them about the challenges of balancing priorities.'

'I think it is a conversation for students generally about their lives, how they will manage themselves and how they are going to manage their commitments over their life.'

'I am a working mother, I took my last period of maternity leave while I was a head. That was obviously fairly visible.

The headteacher tells girls they can't 'have it all' as suggested by 'outdated' feminist views

'This is a very busy job, it is a very full-on job, but I am still a mum and I can do both things. If the girls ask me how things are, if they ask me about particular situations, I will talk to them about how I manage things generally.'

Mrs Byrom has five children aged between two and 19 years old.

She said: 'I wouldn't necessarily set myself up as a role model for the girls in my school - but they may look at me and say if the head can do it, if the head can have a family and a busy job, then maybe I can as well.'
A young Iraqi family who fled their home country after being the targets of a car bomb have been told they're being deported back.

The Al-Aloosi family escaped the war-torn country in 2006 after being targeted by the ruling militia.

They received death threats and were handed arrest warrants, and their family car was blown up in a failed assassination attempt.

The Al-Aloosi family escaped the war-torn country in 2006 after receiving death threats, arrest warrants and failed assassination attempts. From left, 18-year-old daughter Yam, father Yasir, 50, and his wife Fanan, 44

Now the Home Office has rejected their claim for asylum and has notified them that in March they will be detained and deported back to the warzone, where the family say they will be killed instantly.

For 18-year-old daughter Yam, who has spent many of her formative teenager years in Liverpool, the prospect of leaving her friends and life here to go back to a terrifying war zone is unbearable.

She said: 'One of the memories I can remember vividly was when we were driving to a birthday party, so it was quite a happy occasion and I was dressed up nicely.

'And then suddenly the car was caught between two groups fighting and the car was getting shot at - I remember my mum pushed my head under the seat and I didn't know what was happening, that is just one of the things I remember.'

The bright teenager has recently been treated for post-traumatic stress disorder because of her experiences in Iraq.

She said she feels like a Scouser now, adding: 'I really like Liverpool, the people are really nice and all the friends I have made have been really helpful.

'I have made my own family here and it would be really horrible to just leave them.

The bright teenager suffers from PTSD after being caught up in a shootout in Iraq

'The idea of going back makes me feel awful. If the situation was getting better then maybe, but its not - every day we hear something has happened, like another suicide bomb just the other day.

'We also heard about a shopping mall being blown up recently - as a teenager I would want to be out and going to places but I just won't be able to.'

Electrical engineer Yasir said his family were a target of the Shia militia in Iraq because they belong to the different Sunni denomination of Islam.

He said: 'After 2003, it was all chaos - in 2006 I got threatened and the militia bombed my car. This came after lots of death threats.

'They did this for sectarian reasons, we come from Muslim background, we are sunny Muslim and the militia belong to Shia - they only want their own people, they don't want anyone else.'

The family includes Yasir, 50, his wife Fanan, 44 and their three children 20-year-old Jean, Yam and one-year-old Wed.

They initially fled to Jordan before Yasir was granted a work visa in the United Arab Emirates.

When Yam was completing a study exchange programme in 2013 in Bath, Somerset, her family came to visit her but were unable to return to UAE because her father's work contract was cancelled.

He said: 'So we could not go back there and we definitely could not go back to Iraq, so we were stuck here and that's when we applied for asylum.'

The family were placed in Kensington, Liverpool, where they have lived for the past five years while their asylum claim was processed.

The family were placed in Kensington, Liverpool, where they have lived for the past five years while their asylum claim was processed

Under UK law the Al-Aloosi parents have not been allowed to work, so they've enrolled in college courses to keep busy.

Jean was awarded a place at Cambridge University to study Maths, but was unable to take it up when the claim was rejected - the same happened to Yam with an engineering course at Sheffield.

If there had been any doubt that the militia in Iraq had forgotten about the family, it was dispelled when a threatening note was put on the front door of Yasir's elderly parent's house in Baghdad two years ago - which stated that if they did not give him up, they would be taken and killed instead.

The terrified couple - both in their eighties - have now also fled to nearby Jordan.

But it appears that none of these factors have been able to convince the Home Office that the Al-Aloosi family should not be forced to return to their war-ridden home.

Yam said: 'They are saying they would put us in a detention centre and then deport us - my little sister cried for an entire night when she heard about that.'

A spokesman for the Home Office said: 'Where someone is found not to need our protection we expect them to leave the country voluntarily. Where they do not, we will seek to enforce their removal.'

The family and their friends in Liverpool have now launched a petition calling on the Home Office to reverse its decision to send them back to Iraq.
Gold Logie winner Craig McLachlan is expected to launch legal action against Fairfax and the ABC after the media outlets published allegations of sexual misconduct against him which he claims 'annihilated' his career.

The actor told The Daily Telegraph that he was innocent and would fight claims he inappropriately touched or exposed himself to colleagues in 2014.

The allegations came from Christie Whelan Browne, Angela Scundi and Erika Heynatz who worked alongside him in the Rocky Horror stage show.

Gold Logie winner Craig McLachlan is expected to launch legal action against Fairfax and the ABC

The veteran media personality told The Daily Telegraph he was innocent and would fight claims he inappropriately touched or exposed himself to colleagues in 2014

The actor admitted the culture behind the scenes of the show could be vulgar but said he would fight the allegations of sexual misconduct, claiming they were untrue.

McLachlan, who was the star of the popular production, left the show in mid-January after the allegations became public.

Production of his popular television series The Doctor Blake Mysteries has been halted following the claims.

A man and woman who worked on set as part of the crew in the stage productions have also made allegations to Victoria police who are investigating.
Jacob Rees-Mogg today suggested Britain sends France a fragment of the union jack which flew aboard Nelson's HMS Victory in return for the Bayeux Tapestry.

The Tory darling said the gesture would be a gentle reminder to our friends across the Channel that 'we usually win the battles'.

He made the jovial remark after being asked for his thoughts about the decision to loan the Medieval tapestry - which depicts the Norman conquest of Britain - to the UK.

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics, Mr Rees-Mogg suggested that a scrap of the flag which flew upon Nelson's famous ship in the Battle of Trafalgar should be sent in return.

Jacob Rees-Mogg today suggested Britain sends France a fragment of the union jack which flew aboard Nelson's HMS Victory in return for the Bayeux Tapestry (file pic)

He told the show the exchange would serve as 'a reminder that by and large we win the battles'.

The scrap of the historic flag sold for 297,000 at the Sotheby's auction house earlier this week.

The flag is believed to have flown aboard the ship during the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, when Admiral Lord Nelson's defeated Napoleon's French and Spanish ships.

The spectacular victory confirmed Britain's world as the world's supreme naval force and dealt the French leader a hammer blow as he tried to conquer much of Europe.

It was announced earlier this week that the Bayeux Tapestry (pictured) will travel to Britain as part of a swap of cultural goods between the UK and France. The piece, which dates from around 1077, depicts the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and is displayed in Bayeux, Normandy

The scrap of the historic union jack flag, which is believed to have flown aboard Nelson's HMS Victory, sold for 297,000 at the Sotheby's auction house earlier this week.

It was announced earlier this week that the Bayeux Tapestry will travel to Britain as part of a swap of cultural goods between the UK and France.

The piece, which dates from around 1077, depicts the story of William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and is displayed in Bayeux, Normandy.

French President Emmanuel Macron gave his approval for the tapestry to be lent to the UK for the first time in 950 years.

Previous bids by the British to have the tapestry loaned to us have been thwarted amid fears it is too fragile to travel.

This revelation sparked reports that the skeleton of Napoleon's favourite horse Marengo could be sent across the Channel in return.
Two army captains exchanged vows at West Point in what is believed to be the first active-duty, same-sex marriage at the esteemed United States Military Academy.

Daniel Hall, 30, and Vincent Franchino, 26, are both Apache helicopter pilots and were married at the New York school's Cadet Chapel on Saturday, January 13, the New York Times reports.

The captains, who are now stationed together at Fort Bliss in Texas, were married in front of 150 family members and friends, 34 of whom were military officers.

Daniel Hall (left) and Vincent Franchino (right) kiss while receiving a saber-arch salute as they exit the United States Military Academy's Cadet Chapel, at which they were married on January 13

Hall, 30, and Franchino, 26, met in 2009 while the former was a senior, or 'firstie' and the latter was a freshman, or 'plebe'

Their bond grew when both participated in a mentorship program but they were not able to publicly express their feelings due to 'don't ask, don't tell,' a Bill Clinton-effected policy that was repealed under Barack Obama in 2011

The couple sported their blue army uniforms and received a saber-arch salute as they left the chapel. Their reception was held at Skylands Manor in New Jersey.

Franchino and Hall met in August 2009, back when the former was a freshman (or 'plebe' in the school's parlance) and the latter was a senior (or 'firstie').

As part of a school tradition in which the plebes seek to hold up departing seniors, Franchino hid under Hall's bed and popped out to scare him.

'Dan was so startled, he jumped over his desk,' Franchino told the New York Times.

Later in 2010, they chose each other for a mentorship program - Franchino as mentee and Hall as mentor. It was at this point that their feelings for each other developed.

But because of the Bill Clinton-effected 1993 policy of 'don't ask, don't tell,' which barred homosexual servicemen and servicewomen from being 'out' in the military, they could not show their feelings.

'We were serving under a policy that was telling all of us  perfectly capable soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines  to lie about ourselves,' Hall told the New York Times.

They are pictured getting engaged. Their bond has withstood multiple challenges - - being called f****ts while on dates, being deployed to different locations overseas - to get to the point where they could walk down the aisle together

They broke up briefly when Hall was deployed to South Korea but later got back together

The couple will now go by the last name Franchino-Hall. They are pictured together enjoying a lazy river

But when 'don't ask, don't tell' was repealed under Barack Obama in 2011, they came out in public with their relationship.

They weathered multiple challenges - being called f****ts while on dates, being deployed to different locations overseas - to get to the point where they could walk down the aisle together.

At one point, when Hall was deployed along with his Boeing AH-64 Apache to South Korea, they called their relationship off temporarily.

But they got back together and may now hope to live happily ever after.

The couple, which will now go by the last name Franchino-Hall, enjoyed their first dance as married men to 'La Vie En Rose' by Edith Piaf.
A potential breakthrough has been made in identifying the source of the Alabama Rot disease which has killed hundreds of dogs across the UK.

Vet Fiona Macdonald says that her research may be the key to unlocking the mystery of the flesh-eating disease that causes kidney failure and horrific lesions in pets.

Alabama Rot also known as CRGV, an abbreviation of Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy is a deadly disease which has attacked many canine companions.

The crippling disease causes the dog to vomit and develop skin lesions and in 80 per cent of cases death.

A potential breakthrough has been made in identifying the source of the Alabama Rot disease which has plagued the UK - killing hundreds of dogs across the country. Erin (pictured) contracted an illness - thought to be Alabama Rot - near Christchurch, Dorset, in 2014

Erin (right) with her mother Holly (left) - in 2014 Erin, a flat coated retriever, became the 14th dog to be killed Alabama rot

Tracy Graham in the area of the New Forest where she used to walk her dog (right) Erin. Flat-coated retriever Erin (left) contracted the illness at St Catherine's Hill near Christchurch, Dorset

Dubbed by vets as the 'dog's black death', once Alabama Rot strikes it is often already too late.

What is Alabama rot and what do the experts say? Alabama rot, or cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy, originated in America among Greyhounds in the 1980s but UK cases have only been reported since the end of 2012. The disease does not seem to target any specific breed, age, sex or weight of dog and cases have been reported in locations across the UK. Analysis of the numbers indicates dogs are most prone to the disease between October and June. If caught early then treatment can be applied to the dog's kidneys but in four out of five cases help arrives too late. Concerned dog owners are advised to look out for skin sores or swelling on the dog's legs, which could be signs of Alabama rot. Animal Health Trust spokeswoman Farrah Owens said: 'The best thing dog owners can do is be aware of the symptoms and access their vets as soon as they see signs of sickness, diarrhoea and lethargy. Dogs that visit their vet quickly tend to recover.' A Forestry Commission spokesman said: 'Owners should always keep their dogs under close control and be aware of anything they may pick up, chew or eat in a woodland area.' Advertisement

Now research by Dr Macdonald might bring to light the source of the disease as she suggests there may be a link between CRGV and a bacteria found in fish that causes similar symptoms.

Dr Macdonald, who runs a fish treatment centre which develops and supplies professional medicines for fish, said she stumbled across a paper written in 1995 which mentions the bacteria she thinks might be the cause.

She said: 'A friend of mine's dog was one of the first cases to contract Alabama Rot and a neighbour of mine is a microbiologist so he and I decided to put out heads together and we thought it could not be a poison.

'We realised it didn't affect other animals and so we thought it might be a disease that specifically targets dogs.

'So I went onto google and found a paper written in 1995 linking an organism which causes kidney failure in dogs.

'The organism was Aeromonas hydrophila, which is a bacteria I know very well because it also affects fish and we have known about it for a long time.

'It infects the animal and causes toxins to enter the body which can kill.'

This particular organism can be found in fresh or brackish water, common bodies of water found near popular dog paths.

Dr Macdonald, from Ringwood in Hampshire's New Forest, where many of the deaths have occurred, added: 'My theory is that the organism infects the dog's skin and then the toxins travel to the dog's kidneys, causing failure.

'It is a very toxigenic organism, and the toxin, Aerolysin, has been well documented and so the kidney failure is likely to be a result of the toxins rather than from direct infection by the organism itself.

Dubbed by vets as the 'dog's black death', once Alabama Rot strikes it is often already too late, with 70 to 80 percent of all cases being fatal and no known effective treatment

Sarah Thairs at her home in North Baddesley, Southampton, with her two dogs Billy and Mr G, her other dog Tegan fell ill and died due to the Albama rot when it spread through the New Forest

WARNING SIGNS OF ALABAMA ROT Pet owners should check their dogs for lesions and ulcers

The lesions may appear on the dogs' skin and paws which can be a sign of the killer disease

The dogs may also develop sore, open wounds

Over the next two to ten days dogs will develop clinical signs of kidney failure

Dogs may begin to vomit, have a reduced appetite and tiredness

Pet owners who see these symptoms in their pets should contact a vet immediately

There is currently no known way of preventing a dog from catching the disease Advertisement

'This could explain why the organism has never been isolated so far in affected dog kidneys and why it has remained a mystery all this time.'

Dr Macdonald, with funding from New Forest Dog Owners' Group, has tested 27 dogs suffering from symptoms of the bacteria but has said many more tests need to be done.

She added: 'Looking forward, this project now needs many more samples in order to be able to draw firm conclusions, although these early indications are very promising.'

The next step in her theory is to have it peer-reviewed by other scientists to check her findings are correct.

For that, she needs more data and has appealed to owners whose dogs may have suffered from Alabama Rot to get in touch to take part in tests.
Russian police officers may have received more than they bargained for during a weapons raid - after discovering a massive crocodile living in the basement.

Detectives in St Petersburg had been on the hunt for undeclared guns and explosives in the home of a man involved in reconstructions of historic military battles with period uniforms and antique weaponry.

They were stunned however to find a 6ft-long Nile crocodile resting in a small pool of water dug into the concrete basement, during the raid on Thursday.

Russian police were stunned to discover this 6ft-long Nile crocodile living in a basement

The 40-year-old homeowner explained he bought the crocodile years ago, while neighbors told police he has at least four other reptiles.

Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement that 'no incidents related to the reptile occurred.'

The crocodile was reported to veterinary services and it is unknown yet what authorities plan to do with the reptile.

Police are looking into whether the owner has complied with local laws.

The unfazed creature was living in a small pool of water dug into the concrete of a basement

The Nile crocodile is Africa's largest freshwater predator and considered the second largest living reptile in the world.

Considered to be aggressive, the average adult male Nile crocodile is between 11ft 6in to more than 16ft in length and weighs anywhere from 500lb to 1,650lb.

Nile crocodiles are estimated to kill hundreds of humans every year.
The United States called Sunday for Turkey to "exercise restraint" and avoid civilian casualties in its cross-border operation targeting Syrian Kurdish forces.

"We urge Turkey to exercise restraint and ensure that its military operations remain limited in scope and duration and scrupulous to avoid civilian casualties," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

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A 79-year-old believes he has found the 'holy grail' of collectors items after discovering what is believed to be Britain's oldest bicycle, dating back nearly 200 years.

Glynn Stockdale from Knutsford has been a bike enthusiast for more than 40 years and says he is 'so lucky' to own the 199-year-old bike.

The collector said he 'couldn't believe his luck' when he received a call about a long-forgotten bike in a disused barn.

Glynn Stockdale from Knutsford has been a bike enthusiast for more than 40 years and says he is 'so lucky' to own the 199-year-old bike

Mr Stockdale said he knew the bicycle was a hobby horse 'immediately' and has now displayed the antique in his penny farthing museum in Cheshire, which he set up in 1989.

'I have been a bike enthusiast for 40 years and so to come across this really is the holy grail for me, it's what you always dream of finding, let alone owning.

'This bike is a real survivor and it feels just fantastic to have come across this bike after all my years of collecting' Mr Stockdale told the Telegraph.

It is not known how long the bike has been hidden, but it was discovered during a building demolition in Beaconsfield.

The bike, which dates back to 1819, was originally made by Denis Johnson.

Mr Johnson made 320 bikes in 1819, after registering to patent them in 1818, but it is thought there are only 12 in existence today.

This bike is believed to be the oldest as the bikes were numbered chronologically.

'The bike was just found in a barn in Oxford, but I got a call to see if I was interested in it, and I knew from the description it was a Hobby Horse,' saidthe former interior designer.

'This bike is a real find and I can't believe I own it. I feel so lucky to have been given the chance to have this bike and it is now being displayed in the museum.'
Senator Tammy Duckworth blasted President Donald Trump on the floor of the Senate on Saturday, calling him a 'five-deferment draft dodger'.

Her comments came after the president tweeted on Saturday that Democrats were to blame for the government shutdown, claiming the party was 'holding our military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration'.

The Democrat lawmaker from Illinois tore into Trump, saying it was him who truly doesn't care about service members and that his persistence in pushing his short-term spending plans harm the military.

Duckworth is an Iraq war veteran who lost both legs when the helicopter she was piloting was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2004.

Senator Tammy Duckworth (pictured, Saturday) blasted President Donald Trump on the floor of the Senate on Saturday, calling him a 'five-deferment draft dodger'.

The Democrat lawmaker from Illinois (pictured, Saturday) tore into Trump, saying it was him who truly doesn't care about service members and that his persistence in pushing his short-term spending plans harm the military

Her comments came after the president tweeted on Saturday that Democrats were to blame for the government shutdown, claiming the party was 'holding our military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration'

She called it 'the latest in a recent string of recent comments where he accuses Democrats like me for not caring about our military'.

'I spent my entire adult life looking out for the well-being, the training, the equipping of the troops for whom I was responsible,' she said.

'Sadly, this is something the current occupant of the Oval Office does not seem to care to do. And I will not be lectured about what our military needs by a five-deferment draft dodger.'

Trump's Selective Service record shows four 2-S classifications, which are his student deferments.

The first two were during his time at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, and the second two allowed him to stay in school when he transferred to study business at the University of Pennsylvania.

She called it 'the latest in a recent string of recent comments where he accuses Democrats like me for not caring about our military'

She also referred to Trump as 'Cadet Bone Spurs' - the medical reason he received a deferment from the military draft during the Vietnam War and it's not the first time

Trump (pictured, Thursday) has blamed the Democrats for the shutdown, tweeting on Saturday that they decided to 'play shutdown politics'. The White House also accused Democrats of putting 'unlawful immigrants' ahead of the military and other funding needs

When he graduated in 1968, Trump's classification shifted to 1-A, or 'available for service'.

A physical exam in September 1968 did not disqualify him for service. But a second one in October followed with a new classification: 1-Y, which means he would be drafted in the case of a national emergency. Trump said it had to do with bone spurs in his heels.

Duckworth went after this point as she continued to tear into the commander-in-chief.

'And I have a message for Cadet Bone Spurs: If you cared about our military, you'd stop baiting Kim Jong-un into a war that could put 85,000 American troops, and millions of innocent civilians, in danger.'

Duckworth (pictured, is an Iraq war veteran who lost both legs when the helicopter she was piloting was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2004.

Duckworth (pictured, March 2005) called for Republicans and Democrats to come to an agreement and end the shutdown, saying: 'Let's stop blaming each other, and let's get to work'

She called for Republicans and Democrats to come to an agreement and end the shutdown, saying: 'Let's stop blaming each other, and let's get to work.'

The shutdown came on Saturday at midnight when most Democrats and some Republicans voted to block a stopgap spending measure that would have funded the federal government through mid-February.

Trump has blamed the Democrats for the shutdown, tweeting on Saturday that they decided to 'play shutdown politics'.

The White House also accused Democrats of putting 'unlawful immigrants' ahead of the military and other funding needs.

However, Democrats have argued that Trump's demands on an immigration compromise was what led to the shutdown.
Scarlett Johansson has been called a hypocrite over her speech on Saturday

Accusations of hypocrisy have emerged against Scarlett Johansson, who blasted James Franco in a speech despite previously defending Woody Allen and saying that child abuse allegations against the director were 'all guesswork'.

'I want my pin back, by the way,' Johansson said on Saturday, referencing the Time's Up pin Franco wore at the Golden Globe Awards on January 7, inspiring five accusers to come forward charging him as a hypocrite.

Yet the accusation of hypocrisy was quickly flipped against Johansson, who was considered something of a muse to Allen, starring in his 2005 film Match Point, 2006's Scoop, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2014.

She has lavished praise on the director, saying of him in 2007: 'I'd sew the hems of his pants if he asked me to'.

A month after Allen's estranged daughter Dylan Farrow penned an open letter accusing him of sexual abuse in 2014, Johansson told the Guardian: 'It's not like this is somebody that's been prosecuted and found guilty of something, and you can then go, "I don't support this lifestyle or whatever." I mean, it's all guesswork.'

Johansson parties with Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn at a film premiere afterparty in 2008. 'I'd sew the hems of his pants if he asked me to,' said Johansson of Allen in 2007

Penelope Cruz (left), Scarlett Johansson, Woody Allen and Rebecca Hall appear at The Los Angeles Premiere of Vicky Cristina Barcelona in 2008

Johansson shares a warm moment with convicted child rapist Roman Polanski at the 2014 Cesar Film Awards in Paris

James Franco wore a Time's Up pin at the Golden Globe Awards on January 7, an act of expression which inspired five women to come forward accusing him of sexual misconduct

'I don't know anything about it. It would be ridiculous for me to make any kind of assumption one way or the other,' Johansson said of Farrow's allegations against Allen.

She even lashed out at Farrow for pointing a finger at actresses, including Johansson, who have appeared in Allen's films.

'I think it's irresponsible to take a bunch of actors that will have a Google alert on and to suddenly throw their name into a situation that none of us could possibly knowingly comment on. That just feels irresponsible to me,' Johansson said in the 2014 interview.

Allen has strongly denied the allegations from his adopted daughter Farrow, 32, who publicly claimed he sexually abused when she was seven years old.

Farrow's brother Ronan Farrow has supported her, and his reporting for the New Yorker on allegations against Harvey Weinstein helped launch the current 'Me Too' and 'Time's Up' wave in Hollywood.

Johansson appeared in three of Allen's films and was considered something of a muse to him. She is seen with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in a scene from Allen's 2005 film Match Point

Johansson and Woody Allen are seen in a scene from his 2006 film Scoop

Johnasson also appeared in this 2014 Allen film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Johansson has never appeared in a film with Franco, who has denied all of the allegations against him.

Her apparent double standard drew heavy fan backlash following her speech on Saturday.

'Funny how Scarlett Johansson called out James Franco (accused by adult women). Yet Scarlett herself was called out by CHILD molestation victim Dylan Farrow for working with Woody Allen time after time. Then she ATTACKED the VICTIM,' wrote one Twitter user.

'Scarlett Johansson is a disgrace calling James Franco out like that. Innocent until proven guilty. Wonder how you felt when you starred in all that Woody Allen film all those years ago?' another said.

'I don't understand how Scarlett Johansson can condemn James Franco yet, in the past, sand up for Woody Allen. What a hypocrite,' wrote another.

Woody Allen and Scarlett Johnasson are seen together in 2005 promoting Match Point. She has drawn backlash for defending him yet attacking James Franco

Scarlett Johansson delivered a powerful speech on Saturday at the Women's March in Los Angeles, calling out James Franco for claiming to support the Time's Up Movement

Scarlett Johansson spoke out on Saturday, calling out James Franco for claiming to support the Time's Up Movement

Johansson didn't refer to Franco by name in the speech on Saturday, but one of her representatives later confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that she was talking directly to the Disaster Artist actor, who has been publicly accused of sexual misconduct by five women. Franco has denied all of the allegations against him.

Franco has denied all of the allegations lodged against him, and says he supports the women's rights to tell their stories

'My mind baffles. How could a person publicly stand by an organization that helps to provide support for victims of sexual assault while privately preying on people who have no power?' Johansson said in the speech.

She went on to describe her 'rage' at recalling her own experiences as a young woman in Hollywood, after landing her first role at age 12.

'And suddenly I was 19 again, and I started to remember all the men I'd known who'd taken advantage of the fact that I was a young woman who didn't yet have the tools to say no, or to understand the value of my own self worth,' said Johansson, now 33.

'I'd had many relationships both personal and professional where the power dynamic was so off that I had to create a narrative that I was the cool girl who could hang in and hang out, and that sometimes meant compromising what felt right for me,' she continued.

She concluded by praising the 'brightness of this movement, the strength and the unity that this movement has provided.'

'It gives me hope that we are moving towards a place where our sense of equality can truly come from within ourselves,' she said.
A chilling photo has surfaced showing the alleged white supremacist suspected of killing a Jewish Ivy League student, pretending to 'curb stomp' a friend's skull in a reenactment of a brutal scene from a film about California neo-Nazis.

In the picture, which was originally posted on the social media app iFunny and believed to have been taken in 2015, Samuel Woodward, 20, of Newport Beach, California, can be seen smiling, standing above a friend who is on the ground with his face pressed against a yellow parking barrier.

Woodward's right foot is raised and hovering just inches above the friend's head, as if about to execute a 'curb stomp' - a violent act that results in severe facial injuries and even death in victims - which entered pop culture after being depicted in the movie American History X, which starred Edward Norton as a neo-Nazi.

Woodward is said to have posted this picture of himself pretending to 'curb stomp' a friend, reenacting a violent scene out of the movie American History X, which centered on neo-Nazis

In the 1998 film, American History X, Edward Norton portrays a neo-Nazi skinhead who, at one point, curb stomps a black character during a brutal fight

According to the New York Post, the photo was among those posted under Woodward's since-deleted iFunny account, 'Saboteur,' which he is said to have used to further his white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideology.

Authorities said that Woodward allegedly murdered his one-time high school classmate, Blaze Bernstein, in early January. At the time of his death, Bernstein was home in California for winter break.

Bernstein, a Jewish, 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania pre-med student, was discovered dead in a shallow grave at Borrego Park in Orange County, California, on January 9. He had been stabbed 20 times.

Woodward and Bernstein were one-time classmates at a performing arts high school in Santa Ana, California.

Police said Woodward attacked Bernstein on January 2, while the pair were in Woodward's parked car at Borrego Park in Orange County. Woodward was said to be the last person to see Bernstein alive, having picked him up from home that night.

Police have charged Woodward (left) with the murder of Blaze Bernstein, 19, his one-time classmate at a performing arts school in Santa Ana, California

Authorities said that Woodward was the last person to see Bernstein alive, after picking him up in his car. In court documents, Woodward claimed that Bernstein had given him an unwanted kissed in the car and that he had wanted to call Bernstein a 'f****' after the incident

Bernstein was last seen alive on January 2. His body was found in a shallow grave in Borrego Park. He had been stabbed 20 times, according to authorities

Authorities had previously revealed that Woodward had told them Bernstein kissed him in the car and that it had been an unwanted advance.

In a police affidavit, Woodward allegedly claimed that he wanted to call Bernstein a 'f****t' after being kissed.

An iFunny user who claimed to know Woodward told the NY Post that 'Anti-Semitism and homophobia were certainly aspects of his ideology.'

The same user also noted that Woodward was 'one of the smartest and most sane [white] nationalists on the app.'

Another iFunny app user, identified as Daniel W, told the NY Post that Saboteur - aka Woodward - 'was one hundred percent a White Nationalist from his comments that I personally saw.'

Among the photos and videos that Woodward is said to have posted over the year, is a picture of himself at graduation, standing next to a young female teacher who appeared to have been of either Indian or Middle Eastern descent.

In the photo's caption, Woodward is said to have written that he wanted to have sex with the teacher and that he didn't 'care if it's miscegenation.'

'That babe would be pregnant as f**k year after year, around the clock, acting as a hub of genetic imperialism and giving life to half arab Saboteur-offspring to further my conquest and aims,' Woodward is said to have written in the photo caption.

People who claimed to know Woodward said that he espoused white nationalist beliefs and that 'Anti-Semitism and homophobia were certainly aspects of his ideology'

Woodward previously boasted about his strict Catholicism on AskFM. Above is one of his posts

Woodward had previously revealed that he disagree with the idea of same sex marriage

It has previously been reported that Woodward is a devout Catholic and that, while posting on social networking site AskFM, he had condemned the Macklemore song Same Love, which supported same sex marriage, railed against President Obama and defended the Confederate flag as being a symbol of 'Southern pride, NOT racism.'

On January 4, Woodward was questioned by police about the disappearance of Bernstein, whose parents had reported him missing the day before. According to reports, Woodward was questioned because he and Bernstein had snapchatted prior to Bernstein's disappearance.

Court documents reportedly stated that Woodward seemed nervous during the questioning and that investigators saw that his hands were scratched and there was dirt underneath his fingernails, which Woodward said were the result of a 'fight club.' Police later saw Woodward clean his car and return to the park where Bernstein's body was found.

Woodward was arrested and charged with Bernstein's murder on January 12.

Police have not ruled out Bernstein's murder as being a hate crime.

Bernstein's parents told The Mercury News that they 'are in solidarity with our son and the LGBTQ community,' adding that if the murder 'was a hate crime, we will cry not only for our son, but for LGBTQ people everywhere that live in fear or who have been victims.'
An Afghan asylum seeker in Germany has fled to Sweden and registered under a new identity after being accused of sexually abusing the four-year-old daughter of the family caring for him.

The case of Ahmed M., who claimed to be just 12 when he entered Germany in 2016, is another sorry tale of abused trust and bureaucratic blunders that have left him free and the girl he allegedly abused in therapy.

He was taken in by a Catholic family in Berlin, along with several other Afghan minors, shortly after he arrived.

In July last year he was left alone for the afternoon with the family's toddler daughter Emily.

Ahmen A, an Afghan asylum seeker in Germany is accused of sexually abusing the four-year-old daughter of the family that had taken him in

The next day the child told her mother she had spent the time playing 'doctor and nurse' with Ahmed.

She was taken to see a specialist doctor at the clinic for Children's and Juvenile Medicine in nearby Buch.

The clinic stated in a report: 'Urgent suspicion of sexual abuse.' And the victim indicated it was not the first time she had been abused by the refugee who claimed to authorities he was born on January 1 2004 in Kabul.

Other Afghan refugees in the home of the family reported they had seen him abuse her in the past and a police probe was opened.

Officers noted how tall he was, the fact that he had the beginnings of a moustache and seriously doubted his claim to be just 13 at the time of the alleged abuse of the girl.

Ahmed is believed to have fled to Malmo in Sweden where he has registered as a refugee using the name Ahmed M. - and claimed he was born in 2005

At 13 he was under the age of legal responsibility but prosecutor Corinna Gogge rejected a plea from Emily's father to force him to undergo a test to determine his age. Later, because he denied the allegations, the enquiry was dropped.

In December last year Germany issued him with new temporary residency papers stating was born six months later than he originally stated.

Soon after he fled to Malmo in Sweden where he has registered as a refugee using the name Ahmed M. - and claiming he was born in 2005.

The family in Germany who took him in have asked Sweden to investigate him. So far there has been no response from Swedish authorities.
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A California couple traveled far and wide in their Studebaker sedan in the early 1900s and, in the process, took nearly 3,000 photographs documenting their adventures.

Between 1905 and 1938, William and Grace McCarthy took 2,998 photos of their travels, including iconic California landmarks such Yosemite National Park, which is remaining open despite the government's shutdown at 12.01am on Saturday.

Photos show their car underneath a hollowed-out Giant Sequoia and the freedom of the park before railings and nets were installed - an effort to keep people safe that nonetheless is a man-made addition to a pristine natural environment.

Such sights would, of course, be unheard of today.

Grace and William McCarthy (standing at the right of the car) and an unidentified woman pose with their car underneath the arched rock on what in 1917 was called Merced River Drive. The space is now the Arched Rock Entrance to Yosemite Valley

The couple squeezed their vehicle into the tunnel carved through California Tree, a giant sequoia in the Mariposa Grove of Yosemite National Park that was cut through in 1895 to help facilitate travel. The photo dates from 1917

This photo from 1917, captioned 'Driveway Through the Dead Giant' shows Grave (next to automobile) and William (far right) along with an unidentified woman at the tunnel of The Dead Giant, the remains of a giant sequoia in Tuolumne Grove

The couple took 2,998 photos of their travels between 1905 and 1938. They lived in San Francisco and traveled extensively around North America. Pictured is a photo from their 1917 trip to Yosemite. The couple also traveled there in 1935

This photograph from the 1935 trip to Yosemite shows the Valley with El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Falls on the right and Half Dome in the distance. The valley is framed by the Wawona highway tunnel

Several horseback riders holding long poles skirmish in what appears to be a game similar to polo that is played with a potato. The rock cliff walls of Yosemite Valley tower in the background. The photo is from 1917

Their photography collection, previously donated to the California State Archives in 1996, has now been made available online. The photos were donated by the couple's great niece.

William (1876-1956), an armaments expert who worked during World War I, and Grace (1878-1957) had no children and spent much of their married life together in San Francisco.

Instead, they spent their free time traveling all around North America - from a 10,000-mile road trip across the US to a trip to Mexico.

'[They] really took advantage of the travel opportunities that an automobile provides,' archivist Jessica Herrick told SFGATE.

Photos show the couple hiking - for example, on Yosemite National Park's iconic Half Dome - and interacting with animals.

The couple made multiple trips to Yosemite, including in 1917 and in 1935.

Grace and two unidentified people pose next to their mode of transportation on a dirt road in the park, which spans around 1,150 square miles. The photo dates from 1917

This 1917 photo of Yosemite Falls shows both the Upper and Lower falls and is taken from the valley floor. Collectively, the falls' cascades total 2,425 feet

This photo from 1917 shows a view of the valley from its floor. The couple's photography collection, previously donated to the California State Archives in 1996, has now been made available online. The photos were donated by the couple's great niece

Nevada Fall, pictured in 1917, cascades nearly 600 feet and is upstream of Vernal Fall on the Merced River in Little Yosemite Valley

The San Luis Obispo Tribune reports that they often put a tarp over their car and brought along a mattress to camp out during their travels.

In 1890, Yosemite became the nation's third national park. The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1894.

The park posted a statement from Congressman Tom McClintock on its website regarding the government shutdown's effect on it.

It reads: 'Entrances to the parks will remain open and businesses within the parks may continue to operate under contingency plans now being finalized with the Park Service.

'The medical clinic at Yosemite Valley will remain open and public safety personnel will remain on duty.

'Reservations will continue to be honored at concession venues and the parks will be administered with the objective of causing the least inconvenience and discomfort to park visitors.'

William is pictured feeding a bear in 1935. William (1876-1956), an armaments expert who worked during World War I, and Grace (1878-1957) had no children and spent much of their married life together in San Francisco

The couple poses in front of their tent at what was then called Camp Curry, and then later Curry Village, in 1917. The camp was established in 1899 by David and Jennie Curry as a means to provide cheaper accommodations for tourists

This 1935 photo shows the McCarthys standing at the entrance to a Native American abode covered in tree bark and is titled 'Indian Wigwam, Yosemite National Park'

Grace is pictured posing next to a toboggan run at Camp Curry in 1935. The couple spent their free time traveling all around North America - from a 10,000-mile road trip across the US to a trip to Mexico

William is pictured on the steep trail to the summit of the iconic Half Dome. The cables used to assist hikers follow a route laid down by George Anderson, who reached the summit in 1875

This 1935 photo shows William standing at the doorway of a snowed-in cabin in Yosemite National Park. Photos show the freedom of the park before railings and nets were installed - an effort to keep people safe that nonetheless is a man-made addition to a pristine natural environment

A sled dog team pulls unidentified people at the park in 1935. '[They] really took advantage of the travel opportunities that an automobile provides,' archivist Jessica Herrick told SFGATE in reference to the couple

This 1917 photo, called 'The Village', depicts Yosemite Village, the most developed part of the valley. Development began at the site in 1865, but most of the buildings were constructed after 1918

William stands in front of the Ahwahnee Hotel in 1935. The resort hotel was opened in 1927 and was designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood. Its name was changed to the Majestic Yosemite Hotel in 2016

This 1917 photo, titled 'Mountains in Yosemite,' shows a view of rock cliffs and domes in the mountains surrounding Yosemite Valley

This photo titled 'Yosemite Driveways' was taken in 1917 and shows William (right) and Grace (left, near vehicle) along with an unidentified woman

This up-close photo shows Nevada Fall, which cascades 594 feet. The 1917 photo was taken at a point next to the fall's path of descent and shows its upper portion

This photo shows Yosemite Falls as viewed from Glacier Point in 1917. The San Luis Obispo Tribune reports that the couple often put a tarp over their car and brought along a mattress to camp out during their travels

This photo taken from the Ledge Trail in 1917 shows Yosemite Falls in the distance and the Half Dome Village below

This photo shows Vernal Fall in 1935. In 1890, Yosemite became the nation's third national park. The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1894

This 1917 photo shows an up-close view of the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. The Upper Fall alone is 1,430 feet high

Pictured is a bird's-eye view of the granite mountains of Yosemite National Park. The park posted a statement from Congressman Tom McClintock on its website regarding the government shutdown's effect on it

Grace and two unidentified friends pose for a photograph on the trail to Yosemite Falls in 1917. The statement reads in part: 'Entrances to the parks will remain open and businesses within the parks may continue to operate under contingency plans now being finalized with the Park Service'

Lucy Parker Telles, a Mono Lake Paiute who lived at Yosemite and Mono Lake, worked as Yosemite's master basket weaver. Telles was one of a group of Mono-Paiute women renowned for the artistry of their stunning baskets, many of which they sold to visitors. She is pictured posing with her 36-inch basket, which took her four years to complete and captured first prize at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. The photo dates from 1935

Vernall Fall is pictured in a romantic and postcard-worthy view in 1935. The statement regarding the government shutdown continues: 'The medical clinic at Yosemite Valley will remain open and public safety personnel will remain on duty'

The couple stands on a rock near a waterfall in 1935. The statement concludes: 'Reservations will continue to be honored at concession venues and the parks will be administered with the objective of causing the least inconvenience and discomfort to park visitors'

This 1935 photo shows a Mirror Lake. Yosemite National Park is one of 59 national parks in the United States

William is pictured feeding a deer in 1935. If appears the deer might want a taste of his shirt as well

A deer looks away as Grace offers the animal food in this photo from the couple's 1935 trip to Yosemite Valley

Yosemite National Park's iconic Half Dome is pictured covered in snow in this photograph from the collection

Visitors to the park enjoy ice skating in the park as its granite mountains loom in the distance

An unidentified California Indian woman wearing a long skirt and shawl and carrying a small pail is pictured in 1935
Susan Kilpatrick, 51, reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest at North Manchester General hospital after having breathing problems caused by Aussie flu

A mother-of-two and teaching assistant, who suffered with asthma, has died after flu left her struggling to breathe.

Susan Kilpatrick, 51, became ill over the weekend but her condition worsened suddenly on Monday night.

The teaching assistant from Prestwich, Manchester, who worked at Philips High School in Whitefield, was taken to North Manchester General Hospital where she is thought to have suffered a cardiac arrest.

The tragedy has stunned staff and pupils at the school where Mrs Kilpatrick was highly regarded.

The UK is currently in the grip of its worst flu season for seven years - since the Swine flu.

This winter's virulent strain H3N2 has been named Aussie Flu after causing a tough bout of flu there.

Mrs Kilpatrick's husband Gordon, 49, to whom she had been married for 18 years, said Susan had been to the doctors earlier on Monday and had been prescribed antibiotics and steroids as the flu had made her asthma worse.

He told the MEN: 'She had flu last Friday, Saturday and Sunday and took paracetamol and ibuprofen.

'She went to her GP on Monday when she was prescribed steroids and antibiotics.

'On Monday night she was struggling to breathe and was taken to North Manchester Hospital.'

Her family said: 'Susan was a loving and caring mum and wife who was always there for us.

'She helped everyone out.'

Mrs Kilpatrick, who was originally from Bolton and attended St James School, in Farnworth, had a son, Andrew, 17, and daughter, Amber, 16.

One of the cards of condolence sent to the family read: 'Sue was an amazing lady who I looked up to. I will miss her so much.'

In a statement Phillips High School said: 'Susan worked at Philips High School for over nine years. She was a hardworking and dedicated support assistant, working with pupils with special needs.

Mrs Kilpatrick was a teaching assistant at Philips High School in Whitefield, Greater Manchester

'Susan was greatly respected by the pupils who she supported and was highly valued by the staff. Susan was a fantastic member of the team and she will be greatly missed.'

In a letter to parents, headteacher Tina Owens wrote: 'It is with deep regret that I am writing to inform you about a recent loss to our school community.

'On Monday, 15th January, one of our colleagues, Mrs Susan Kilpatrick sadly passed away unexpecectedly.

'Staff have spoken to the pupils she worked closely with, some of whom will need extra support and guidance.

'The school will be providing counselling and support where necessary and if we have any concerns about any students we will contact home.

'A book of condolences will be provided in school for staff and pupils to write in any thoughts and messages.

'We are all deeply saddened by this loss and will make every effort to support staff and students through this most difficult time.'

Experts say that this is the worst bout of flu to have hit the UK since 2011.

Hospitals are also reportedly seeing 'very high' rates of admissions.

It is the second tragedy in less than a year to hit the school.

In May, Arlind Koka, 15, a student at the school, passed away.
Former Coronation Street actress Melissa Johns has hit back at hackers who leaked naked images of her performing a sex act online - saying it shows disabled bodies are beautiful.

The 27-year-old, who was born without her right arm or forearm, says she feels 'disrespected' the 'intimate exchange' between her and her boyfriend Mat Swain, 26, was exposed.

But remaining defiant, the Manchester-based star says the images show disabled people 'send photos, have sex lives and engage in intimate exchanges' like everyone else.

The 27-year-old (pictured on Coronation Street), who was born without her right arm or forearm, says she feels 'disrespected' the 'intimate exchange' between her and her boyfriend was exposed

She said: 'As a vocal champion of women being totally at one with their bodies and not being ashamed of them, I am not about to turn around now and go back on my own principals.

'I am proud of my body. It is beautiful. And I am entitled to enjoy it and to have a personal and a romantic life just as all women - of all different body shapes and sizes - are entitled to do.

'If any good has come out of this, it is to show that women with all different types of body shapes and sizes send photos, have sex lives, engage in intimate exchanges in the same way as everybody else.

'My body is unique, beautiful, and representative of what is still a very under-represented demographic of people in our society today.

Pictured: Melissa Johns and her boyfriend Mat Swain have been together for four years

The pictures of the star appear to show her posing naked and performing a sex act, but she says the images show 'disabled people can be beautiful and have sex lives' like everyone else

'So if this goes some way to dismantling discrimination, and showing that disabled bodies can be beautiful and even sexual, then that is a positive thing.'

Miss Johns, who played Imogen Pascoe in the ITV soap's lesbian love triangle with Kate Conor and Rana Nazir, is an active disabled rights and body confidence campaigner.

She and Mr Swain have been together for four years.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline she said she was 'shocked' when she discovered the pictures had come out.

She said: 'I was shocked. The first thing I thought was 'Oh my god, what about my family, what about my nan.'

'But now I've realised it's given me a voice. This kind of thing doesn't happen often and that voice is so empowering.

She told MailOnline: 'My body is unique, beautiful, and representative of what is still a very under-represented demographic of people in our society today'

'We live in a world where people are trying to rip us down as women and make us victims.

'Yes I am disgusted that somebody has violated my privacy, but I'm not 'in hell' or 'devastated'.

'These are words I'd use for something really horrific happening, not the female body appearing on the internet in it's natural form.

'They've really messed with the wrong girl.'

Today Miss Johns posted a defiant snap on Instagram of her jumping in the air with two fingers raised.

Posting a defiant snap on Instagram yesterday, Miss Johns says the hackers 'messed with the wrong girl' and her leaked pictures have 'given her a voice'

Miss Johns' leak has come two days after she was admitted to hospital for a colposcopy examining abnormal cells in her cervix. She is now waiting for the results of a biopsy

Her sex tape leak comes two days after she was admitted to hospital for a colposcopy examining abnormal cells in her cervix. She is now waiting for the results of a biopsy.

Her statement added: 'I've always felt that I have been given this body for a reason.

'Because someone, somewhere, knew that I had the strength to deal with it.

'Ever since school, when I have been bullied or inappropriate comments have been made about my arm, I have learned to deal with things in a calm and positive way.

'Women get these types of photos leaked all the time, but what is more unusual is to see a woman with a disability depicted in this way.

'It will take a lot more than a few leaked photos to to stop me fighting for equality and the mainstream representation of women of all different shapes and sizes.'

The actress (pictured), who starred in Doctors and The Interceptor before her stint on Corrie last year, is not involving police in the matter as the website that leaked her images is based in the US and not the UK

Miss Johns (pictured) is an active disabled rights and body confidence campaigner

The actress, who starred in Doctors and The Interceptor before her stint on Corrie last year, is not involving police in the matter as the website that leaked her images is based in the US and not the UK.

She is not the first Coronation Street actress to fall victim of hackers.

Faye Brookes, 30, who plays her on-screen love interest Kate Conor, was reported to have called the police when an explicit clip of her and unidentified man were leaked this month. It has since been viewed over 100,000 times.

Other stars to have their intimate shots exposed recently include fellow ITV soap actress Kim Marsh, 41, and Harry Potter star Emma Watson, 27.

The disabled actress (pictured centre) was born without her right hand and forearm and played Imogen Pascoe in Coronation Street's lesbian love triangle with Kate Conor (left, played by Faye Brookes) and Rana Nazir (right)
Labour have unveiled plans to launch a middle class tax raid on high earners if they seize power and move into Downing Street.

John McDonnell said he would impose an emergency Budget within days if his party manages to oust the Tories from power.

And he warned those with private health insurance will also be told they have to cough up more under a Jeremy Corbyn government.

The revelation comes after a think tank, the Centre for Policy Studies, estimated that Labour plans to renationalise large swathes of industry would cost some 176bn - slapping every household with a 6,500 bill.

John McDonnell said he would impose an emergency Budget within days if his party manages to oust the Tories from power (file pic)

In an interview published today, Mr McDonnell said Labour would hike taxes for some Brits in order to bankroll the NHS.

He said: 'Families are in distress and NHS staff working longer hours are at their wits' end.

'The cause is lack of funding. People realise we need to pay more for our NHS but it has to be done in a fair way.

'We would ask those who earn the most to give a little more.'

Mr McDonnell - who if Labour is elected would become Britain's first Marxist Chancellor - said he would raise tax to pump another 5.1billion into Britain's crisis-hit NHS.

The Labour frontbencher said this NHS emergency Budget would impose a series of tax hikes on Britons.

He said those earning more than 123,000 a year paying 10 per cent more income tax  50p in the pound.

While those earning more than 80,000 would be asked to pay up 45p in income tax.

He told The Sunday Mirror that these tax hikes would raise 4.7billion a year.

Mr McDonnell also said a Labour Government will increase premium tax on private healthcare insurance to 20 per cent - in line with the VAT rate.

The shadow chancellor also said a Government led by Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at a rally last week) will increase premium tax on private healthcare insurance to 20 per cent - in line with the VAT rate

Labour estimates that this will bring in another 406million and bring the total up to the 5.1billion needed for the emergency NHS Budget.

Mr McDonnell said: 'Things are so bad the Chancellor must do something immediately.

'The NHS has never gone through anything like this before. And the flu epidemic has not really hit yet.'

The remarks emerged amid reports that Boris Johnson is set to press Theresa May to agree to pump another 100million a week into the NHS after Brexit.

Many leading Brexiteers have urged the Government to make good on the Leave referendum pledge to invest the cash Britain will save by quitting the EU into hospitals and care services.
A woman on board a Carnival Cruise Line ship died after she fell from her cabin's balcony.

The woman, who has not yet been identified, died early Friday morning on the Carnival Elation, which was traveling from Jacksonville, Florida to The Bahamas, the Miami Herald reports.

She fell onto a deck 'several' stories below, Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said.

'There was blood everywhere,' a woman on board texted her mother, who then told the Herald.

A woman aboard the Carnival Elation fell from her cabin's balcony to a deck 'several' stories below and died on Friday morning (File photo of the Elation)

'There was blood everywhere,' a woman on board texted her mother, who then told the Miami Herald. Pictured are scenes from the incident. Photos courtesy of Cruise Law News

'The ships medical team responded immediately, but, unfortunately, she passed away,' Gulliksen said in his statement.

'The incident was reported to all proper authorities and CARE Team support was offered to fellow travelers and her family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased and her family.'

The Elation was on a four-day journey to Freeport when the fall occurred.

The passenger who texted her mother said the ship was held in Freeport while authorities investigated the incident.

In the past calendar year, Carnival has seen three death-by-falling incidents.

In October 2017, 8-year-old Zion Smith, of The Bahamas, died after she fell from the Carnival Glory while it was docked in Miami

Kevin Wellons (right) fell overboard from the Elation into the sea in February 2017

Zion Smith, 8, fell off the fifth-story deck of Glory while the ship was docked at a Miami port in October 2017. She fell to the third story and died.

Zion, who is from Nassau, The Bahamas, was traveling with her brother, mother and her mother's boyfriend when she tragically died.

Her uncle, Damien Fox, told ABC Local 10 at the time that some family members on the ship believed several people were pushing in an attempt to get out of an elevator may have accidentally caused the girl to fall.

And in February 2017, Kevin Wellons of Georgia fell from the 11th-floor deck of the Elation into the water while the ship was near the Bahamas.

His wife reported the 24-year-old missing the morning after his fall, and a 1,300-square-mile Coast Guard search for his body proved futile.

The cruise ship line was also hit with controversy in December, when a family from Florida found a secret video camera had been hidden in their cabin while they were traveling aboard the Fantasy.

And in May 2016, the Adonia's inaugural trip to Cuba was not without scandal as it emerged that some of the 700 passengers might have caught the dreaded novovirus.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Carnival for comment.
Afghan Special Forces ended an overnight siege at Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday, killing the last surviving attacker, said Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish.

Two other gunmen, who stormed the hotel and took hostages, were killed the previous night.

Danish said at least five other people had been killed and six wounded, a lower casualty total than earlier feared, while 153 people, including 41 foreigners had been evacuated.

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The Turkish border town of Reyhanli was struck by six rockets fired from Syria as tensions between the two countries continued following a military operation that saw Turkish ground forces attack US-backed Kurdish militia in the Afrin province.

Reyhanli is the second Turkish border town hit by missiles after several rockets hit the town of Kilis without causing fatalities.

However, the mayor of Reyhanli said the missiles that hit them killed one Syrian refugee and wounded 32 people.

Smoke can be seen billowing after rockets fired from Syria hit the Turkish border town of Reyhanli, a small town in Hatay province

Reyhanli is the second Turkish border town hit by missiles after several rockets also hit the town of Kilis earlier on Sunday, although there were no casualties

One of the rockets hit a house on Bahadirli Street in Reyhanli and the other one hit a workplace on Cumhuriyet Street, according to initial reports.

Pictures showed damage to cars, house and roads.

According to the governor of the other town hit, Kilis, four rockets struck the town, hitting two houses and one office, injuring one person.

One of the rockets hit a house on Bahadirli Street in Reyhanli and the other one hit a workplace on Cumhuriyet Street, leading to damaged houses and cars

The mayor of Reyhanli said the six missiles that hit them killed one Syrian refugee and wounded 32 people, they are believed to have been fired from over the border

Turkish troops and Syrian opposition forces earlier attacked a Kurdish enclave in the Afrin province of Northern Syria in a bid to drive US-allied Kurdish militia from the region.

The operation used artillery and air strikes as part of their attack and reportedly killed a number of Syrian citizens in the area.

A spokesman for the Kurdish fighters said the attack was repelled.

Residents of Reyhanil could be seen walking around the heavily damaged city, with destroyed cars and rubble strewn about the roads

According to the governor of the other town hit, Kilis, four rockets struck the town, hitting two houses and one office, injuring one person

A Kurdish news agency and an opposition Syrian war monitor said that at least seven civilians were killed by airstrikes that were part of the Turkish military operation.

The Kurdish Hawar News agency said that at least seven civilians were killed in the airstrikes on the village of Jilbra in southeastern Afrin.

The Syrian Observatory for Human rights said the airstrikes killed eight, including a child in the village.

A man cleans up glass after a rocket was fired on a the Turkish border town of Kilis from inside Syria, the first rocket attack on a Turkish border on town on Sunday

The missile attacks on the Turkish border towns seem to have been a retaliation to a Turkish military operation into Northern Syria

The Observatory also said the airstrikes bring the total number of civilians killed so far since the launch of the Turkish military offensive on Afrin to 18.

The Turkish offensive on Afrin, codenamed Operation Olive Branch, started on Saturday and has heightened tensions in the already complicated Syrian conflict, threatening to further strain ties between Nato allies Turkey and the United States.

It prompted condemnations from the Syrian government, Iran and Egypt.

France called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the developments there and urged Turkish authorities 'to act with restraint in a context where the humanitarian situation is deteriorating in several regions of Syria'.

The Turkish military operation, codenamed Operation Olive Branch, saw Turkish and Syrian opposition forces launch an offensive on US-backed Kurdish militia in Afrin

Operation Olive Branch, started on Saturday and has heightened tensions in the already complicated Syrian conflict. including threatening a further breakdown of US-Turkish relations

Turkish officials said the troops entered Afrin a day after dozens of Turkish jets and artillery units at the border pounded Syrian Kurdish targets.

Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militia, known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), a terror organisation and a security threat because of its affiliation with Kurdish rebels fighting in south-eastern Turkey.

The group controls Afrin, in Syria's north-western Aleppo province, as well as a swathe of territory to the east along Turkey's border.

The YPG also forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main US ally against the Islamic State group in Syria.

The Turkish army launched artillery fire and air strikes as part of their offensive into Northern Syria in an attempt to wipe out the People's Protection Units (YPG)

The Syrian Observatory for Human rights said the airstrikes killed eight, including a child in the village with the operation drawing condemnation from the US

US support for the Kurdish militia has been a cause of perpetual conflict between Ankara and Washington, which has backed the Kurdish militia in the fight against IS militants in eastern Syria.

A statement by State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Sunday asked Turkey to be 'scrupulous to avoid civilian casualties.'

Nauert also said Washington wanted all parties to 'remain focused on the central goal of defeating' the Islamic State group.

Nauert said the United States continues to support Turkey's security concerns.

Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militia, known as the People's Protection Units (YPG), a terror organisation and a security threat because of its affiliation with Kurdish rebels

She added, however: 'The United States is very concerned about the situation in northwest Syria, especially the plight of innocent civilians who are now faced with an escalation in fighting.'

Operation Olive Branch, for which Turkey has rallied nearly 10,000 Syrian opposition fighters, could spill into a wider Turkish-Kurdish confrontation inside Turkey.

There are an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Kurdish fighters in the Afrin district, the Turkish prime minister said.

The operation also includes air strikes on the district, threatening to create another humanitarian disaster in the region.

A statement by US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert on Sunday urged Turkey to be 'scrupulous to avoid civilian casualties'

The Afrin district houses 800,000 civilians, including displaced people from earlier years of the Syrian war.

Russia pulled back troops that had been deployed near Afrin after it was briefed on the operation by Turkey.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a group of journalists that Turkey aims to create a 30-kilometre (20-mile) deep 'secure zone' in Afrin.

She also said: 'The United States is very concerned about the situation in northwest Syria, especially the plight of innocent civilians

On Sunday, the state-run Anadolu Agency said the Turkish-backed fighters had penetrated five kilometres (three miles) into Afrin as part of the offensive.

In a statement, the Syrian opposition fighters battling alongside the Turkish troops said the combined force seized Shankal, a village on the north-western edge of Afrin district.

A Syrian rebel commander said the clashes with the YPG fighters were intense, but that the Turkey-backed forces would fight to 'eliminate terrorism' from the area.

Around 25,000 Free Syrian Army rebels are taking part in the operation with the goal of recapturing Arab towns and villages seized by the YPG almost two years ago, a rebel commander said.

Major Yasser Abdul Rahim said the rebels did not seek to enter the mainly Kurdish city of Afrin but encircle it and expel the YPG, which controls it.

A main goal of the military operation was to recapture Tel Rifaat, a town southeast of Afrin, and a string of Arab villages the YPG captured from rebels in February 2016, driving out tens of thousands of inhabitants, Abdul Rahim told Reuters.

On Sunday, the state-run Anadolu Agency said the Turkish-backed fighters had penetrated five kilometres into Afrin as part of the military operation

SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali denied that Turkish troops had entered Afrin, saying Kurdish forces have been repelling attacks since Saturday.

Mr Bali said the SDF sent reinforcements to Afrin. The YPG said meanwhile that it had destroyed two Turkish tanks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to expand the offensive to Manbij, a town to the east that Kurdish forces seized from IS in a costly battle with the aid of the US-led coalition. The town has since emerged as a model for US-backed Kurdish rule of largely Arab areas.

A Syrian rebel commander, who are working with the Turkish military, said the clashes with the YPG fighters were intense, but that they would fight to 'eliminate terrorism' from the area

An advance on Manbij by Nato member Turkey would strain relations with Washington, which has troops operating in the Manbij area.

Turkish troops first crossed into Syria after the Kurds captured Manbij in 2016, in part to prevent them from expanding westward and linking territory to Afrin. At least 70 Turkish soldiers were killed, most in battles with IS, which has since been driven from nearly all the territory it once held in Syria.

Syria's government had vowed to shoot down any Turkish fighter jets over Afrin, calling it an 'aggressive act'.

Syria's government had earlier vowed to shoot down any Turkish fighter jets over Afrin, calling it an 'aggressive act' but that has yet to happen

On Sunday, President Bashar Assad condemned the 'brutal aggression' on Afrin but did not repeat the threat. He said Turkey has always supported 'terrorists' in Syria.

Iran, a close ally of Assad, also condemned the Turkish assault and called on Turkey to end it.

'The continuing crisis in Afrin may boost terrorist groups again in the northern parts of Syria,' Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

Egypt, which maintains security co-ordination with Syria and is at odds with Turkey, also condemned the military offensive and said it threatened political negotiations.

Turkish residents can be seen looking over the border into Syria, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope the 'operation will be finished in a very short time' and vowed 'we will not take a step back'

Turkey has prepared around 10,000 Syrian fighters to storm Afrin, according to Rami Abdurrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.

A Syrian commander said there were thousands of fighters positioned in Azaz, at the frontier with the Kurdish enclave, awaiting orders. Another commander said hundreds more were stationed in Atmeh, south of Afrin.

In his first comments on the offensive since it began, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope the 'operation will be finished in a very short time' and vowed 'we will not take a step back'.

Erdogan said some of Turkey's allies had provided the YPG with 2,000 plane shipments and 5,000 truckloads of ammunition, comments that appeared to be aimed at the United States.

He also said: 'Our jets took off and started bombing. And now the ground operation is underway. Now we see how the YPG are fleeing in Afrin,'

Following calls from some Turkish pro-Kurdish politicians for people to take to the streets, he warned that anyone protesting in Turkey against the operation would pay 'a heavy price'.

Police stopped demonstrations against the campaign taking place in the mainly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir and in Istanbul, making arrests, AFP correspondents said.

Following calls from some Turkish pro-Kurdish politicians for people to take to the streets in protest against the military operation, President Erdogan warned that anyone protesting would pay 'a heavy price'

Media reports say police in Turkey have also broken up demonstrations in Ankara hours after Erdogan had warned Kurds in Turkey not to take to the streets to protest.

The Dogan news agency said police detained 12 demonstrators in Istanbul who were protesting the offensive.

It said police used tear gas to disperse a separate protest in the capital Ankara.
Guests have complained about Mar-a-Lago Club's sad presentation of caviar, which came served with plastic spoons Saturday night at President Donald Trump's ritzy private club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Despite rumors to the contrary, the dismal-looking caviar was not from the president's $100,000-a-head fundraiser in the ballroom on Saturday, but rather from the club's restaurant.

'The presentation of the caviar blew me away, with the tiny plastic spoons and the sad looking crackers,' one of the diners present told DailyMail.com, asking not to be named in fear of getting her host for the meal kicked out of the exclusive members-only club, which costs $200,000 in initiation fees alone.

'We asked, "Where's the rest of it?"' she said. The disconcerted diner said the Ossetra caviar cost $125 and the foursome's entire meal ran about $1,200.

Though Trump had planned to be in Mar-a-Lago all weekend, the government shutdown crisis forced him to remain in Washington DC.

The caviar disappointment comes three months after Mar-a-Lago's kitchen was dinged with 15 health code violations, as DailyMail.com reported exclusively last week.

'The presentation of the caviar blew me away, with the tiny plastic spoons,' one of the diners present told DailyMail.com of the Saturday dinner at Mar-a-Lago club

The crackers and sides served with the caviar left something to be desired, a disgruntled diner said. The entire meal for four ran about $1,200

Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, was hit with several violations and cited for poor maintenance in November. Pictured: Trump at his office at Mar-a-Lago on Thanksgiving

The dining room at the Mar-a-Lago club is seen. Guests have complained about the club's sad presentation of caviar, which came served with plastic spoons

Caviar is not usually served with metal spoons, to avoid ruining the taste, but traditional utensils for the delicacy are often made of mother of pearl.

Other than the caviar, the diner who took the photos had no complaints about the meal.

'The main entree was really, really good, the service was ok... it was just the presentation,' said the diner.

Club General Manager Bernd Lembcke did not immediately return a call for comment left on his answering machine at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday.

The delicacy disappointment comes just days after DailMail.com revealed that Mar-a-Lago was cited by inspectors for poor maintenance.

State records show the bed-and-breakfast wing of Trump's 'Winter White House' needed emergency repairs in order to pass the latest inspection a few months ago and had several violations in the club's kitchens.

A November inspections of the club's two main kitchens yielded a total 15 violations.

Trump used to be involved in the day-to-day operations at Mar-a-Lago, but as he jumped into presidential politics he was forced to scale back. Pictured: Trump with kitchen staff in 2006

The club's two main kitchens had 15 violations in November, including that staff failed to track the freshness of potentially hazardous foods. Pictured: Chefs at the club in 2005

Among the no-nos were the staff's failure to track the freshness of potentially hazardous foods, including curry sauce with a use by date of October 21 pulled from freezer and improperly marked, milk stored at 49 degrees Fahrenheit instead of the safe temperature of 41 degrees, and cases of hot dogs that were stored on the ground of the walk-in freezer.

However, the kitchens passed the inspections on the first try.

That wasn't the case when Trump's club was cited on November 8 for two safety violations deemed high-priority: the lack of smoke detectors capable of alerting the hearing impaired through flashing bright lights; and slabs of concrete missing from a staircase, exposing steel a reinforcing bar that could cause a fall.

'High priority lodging violations are those which could pose a direct or significant threat to the public health, safety, or welfare,' the inspection code reads.

The club was re-checked on November 17, a week before Trump's return for his Thanksgiving vacation, and this time 'met inspection standards,' according to the state inspection report.

Pictured: Inspection report on Mar-a-Lago's kitchens, where the inspector cited the club for having out-of-date curry
Experts have called for the controversial #MeToo movement to be incorporated into the school curriculum.

With celebrities such as Nicole Kidman supporting the movement at the Golden Globes, MeToo has become a popular topic among teens.

The movement, which spread as a hashtag in October 2017, aims to draw attention to the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment faced by women.

New South Wales Education Minister Rob Stokes said significant societal issues should be the subject of discussions between teachers and students.

With celebrities such as Nicole Kidman (pictured) supporting the movement at the Golden Globes, MeToo has become a popular topic among teens

Experts have called for the controversial #MeToo movement to be incorporated into the school curriculum

New South Wales Education Minister Rob Stokes (pictured, right) said significant societal issues should be the subject of discussions between teachers and students

'As the cornerstone of our communities, schools are not isolated from current events,' said Mr Stokes, The Daily Telegraph reported.

'Consequently, when issues of societal importance arise it is to be expected that, when appropriate, teachers discuss with students what these issues mean openly, frankly and objectively.'

Mr Stokes' call to discuss the movement when school goes back on January 29 has been backed up by experts such as parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson.

Dr Coulson believes the movement should be incorporated into the curriculum, suggesting it be discussed in pastoral care or a dialogue about society and culture.

Nicole Kidman (pictured) is among the celebrities who have spoken out during the MeToo movement in recent months, making an emotional speech at the Golden Globes

The founder of teen confidence education program Beautiful Minds, Marina Passalaris, said conversations on the topic should start as early as Year 7.

Former school principal and Opposition spokesman for Education Jihad Dib said as long as it was done in the right context schools should allow the conversation.

NSW Secondary Principals' Council president Chris Presland said it was impossible for schools to incorporate every issue that comes along.

'Every time something happens in the school community we want to add it to the school curriculum. I'm not sure how much more we can keep adding,' he said.

Mr Stokes' call to discuss the movement when school goes back on January 29 has been backed up by experts such as parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson (pictured are people taking part in a Women's March rally in Sydney on Sunday)

A spokesperson for the NSW Education Standards Authority said the issue is already addressed in the syllabus.

Nicole Kidman is among the celebrities who have spoken out during the MeToo movement in recent months, making an emotional speech at the Golden Globes.

MeToo spread as a hashtag on social media in late 2017 after sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The hashtag intends to show that sexual harassment and assault is widespread, but critics have called it a witch-hunt and said it treats men unfairly.
Murdered Ivy League student Blaze Bernstein's parents sat down for a candid interview to talk about their son's legacy following the arrest of Blaze's alleged murderer - his former high school classmate.

The 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania sophomore was was home for Winter break and was reported missing on January 3. He was found dead, stabbed at least 20 times, in a shallow grave in an Orange County, California, park on January 9.

Authorities arrested and charged his ex-schoolmate, Samuel Woodward, 20, an alleged white supremacist, with Blaze's murder on January 17.

In the interview with FOX11, Blaze's father, Gideon Bernstein, said that his son's murder 'is a tragedy for humanity.'

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Blaze Bernstein's parents, Gideon and Jeanne Bernstein, sat down for an interview with FOX11 to discuss their son's legacy and the impact his short life could have on future generations

Blaze, 19, was murdered in early January, after meeting up with a former high school classmate. His body was found, stabbed 20 times and buried in a shallow grave

The family - which includes Blaze's two siblings, ages 14 and 17 - 'hasn't really had time to grieve,' mom Jeanne Bernstein said.

But, rather than dwelling on the gruesome details surrounding his death, the Bernsteins opted to talk about Blaze's legacy, keeping his memory alive and the positive impact that his short life could have on future generations.

Gideon and Jeanne said that they they first thought of starting a memorial fund in Blaze's name. The idea then morphed into the idea of inspiring people to do good deeds for others, spawning the hashtag, #DoGoodforBlaze.

'We're really trying to hone in on how we can help other families that could go through this experience,' Gideon said. 'We have to help them understand social media.'

Samuel Woodward, 20, an alleged white supremacist, was arrested and charged with Blaze's murder. Woodward is said to have claimed that Blaze kissed him in an unwelcome move

When asked about what made Blaze such a unique child, Jeanne said it was 'the way his mind worked,' specifically his ability to mix his scientific side with his creative side.

Gideon, meanwhile, noted Blaze's 'tremendous amount of compassion.'

Police said Woodward attacked Bernstein on January 2, while the pair were in Woodward's parked car at Borrego Park in Orange County. Woodward was said to be the last person to see Bernstein alive, having picked him up from home that night.

Authorities had previously revealed that Woodward had told them Bernstein kissed him in the car and that it had been an unwanted advance. In a police affidavit, Woodward allegedly claimed that he wanted to call Bernstein a 'f****t' after being kissed.

Police have not ruled out Bernstein's murder as being a hate crime.

Bernstein's parents told The Mercury News that they 'are in solidarity with our son and the LGBTQ community,' adding that if the murder 'was a hate crime, we will cry not only for our son, but for LGBTQ people everywhere that live in fear or who have been victims.'

The New York Post recently revealed that Woodward used the iFunny app to spread his white nationalist and neo-Nazi ideology.

An iFunny user who claimed to know Woodward told the NY Post that 'Anti-Semitism and homophobia were certainly aspects of his ideology.'

The same user also noted that Woodward was 'one of the smartest and most sane [white] nationalists on the app.'

Another iFunny app user, identified as Daniel W, said that 'Saboteur' - the username Woodward adopted - 'was one hundred percent a White Nationalist from his comments that I personally saw.'
King Abdullah of Jordan was joined by his wife Queen Rania as he appealed to US Vice President Mike Pence to 'rebuild trust and confidence' in the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Jordan's royals made the request in the wake of the fallout from the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

In response, Pence tried to reassure the monarch that the US was committed to a two-state solution, if both sides agree - the condition a marked contrast to the long-standing US belief that the approach is the only possible outcome of any peace deal.

Jordan's King Abdullah (pictured) was joined by his wife Queen Rania (pictured) as they met with US Vice President Mike Pence

Trump's announcement on Jerusalem last month infuriated the Palestinians, who seek the Israeli-annexed eastern sector of the city as a future capital.

They accused the US of siding with Israel and said Washington can no longer serve as a mediator.

Jerusalem is the emotional centerpiece of the long-running conflict, and Trump's policy shift set off protests and condemnation across Arab and Muslim countries.

The Jordanian royals urged Pence, who was joined by his wife Karen, to help rebuild trust and confidence in the US and the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

It posed a dilemma for King Abdullah, a staunch US ally, who gets much of his political influence from the Hashemite dynasty's role as guardian of a key Muslim site in Jerusalem.

Any perceived threat to Muslim claims in the city is seen as a challenge to Jordan, where a large segment of the population is of Palestinian origin.

Pence told the king that the US has committed 'to continue to respect Jordan's role as the custodian of holy sites, that we take no position on boundaries and final status.'

Pence (pictured with is wife) later said that he and King Abdullah are friends and they had 'a very frank discussion'

It was a message Pence also relayed on Saturday in talks with Egypt's president.

Later, after meeting US troops near the Syrian border, Pence said he and Abdullah had 'a very frank discussion.'

He said: 'Look, friends occasionally have disagreements and we agreed to disagree on the decision by the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. But what we agreed on was the need for all parties to come back to the table.

'The Palestinian Authority has been absent from direct negotiations since 2014. And I hope I impressed upon King Abdullah our earnest desire to restart the peace process.'

The meeting came in the wake of the fallout from the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital

Mike Pence and his wife Karen are welcomed by officials at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv

Abdullah expressed concerns about the regional fallout from the Jerusalem decision.

He said: 'Today we have a major challenge to overcome, especially with some of the rising frustrations.'

He described the Pence visit as a mission 'to rebuild trust and confidence' in getting to a two-state solution, in which a state of Palestine would be established in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967.

Pence later added: 'I hope I impressed upon King Abdullah our earnest desire to restart the peace process'

Another cause of concern for Jordan is the Trump administration's decision to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Jordan opposes the move if it is taken ahead of any potential Israeli-Palestinian partition deal.

On the other hand, Israel views Jerusalem as its unified capital.

An international consensus has long held that the city's final status should be decided through negotiations, which was also US policy for decades before the current administration.

Abdullah (pictured) expressed his concerns about the regional fallout from the Jerusalem decision by the Trump administration

Palestinians view Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as a blatantly one-sided move.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would not meet with Trump administration officials and called off a meeting with Pence that had been scheduled for mid-December.

In a new expression of that snub, Abbas overlapped with Pence in Jordan from Saturday evening to midday Sunday, when the Palestinian leader flew to Brussels for a meeting with European Union foreign ministers Monday.

There, Abbas is expected to urge EU member states to recognize a state of Palestine in the pre-1967 lines, and to step up involvement in mediation.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, an Abbas adviser, reiterated that 'the US is no longer acceptable as a mediator.'

Pence was scheduled to hold meetings on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, deliver an address to the Knesset and visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had earlier said he would not meet with Trump administration officials and cancelled a planned visit from Pence in December

Netanyahu called Pence 'a great friend of Israel' and said there was 'no alternative for American leadership' in the peace process.

He said at a meeting of ambassadors in Jerusalem: 'Whoever is not ready to talk with the Americans about peace - does not want peace.'

Palestinians in the West Bank protested Pence's arrival by burning posters with his image on them.
More than 50,000 demonstrators took to the streets in the Greek province of Macedonia to continue a quarter-century-long campaign against the former Yugoslav nation they say is taking their name.

Flag-waving crowds in the northern city of Thessaloniki - the capital of the Greek province of Macedonia - gathered today to demand the Republic of Macedonia change its name.

Greece and the Republic of Macedonia, which share a border, have been locked in the name dispute since Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Greeks feel deeply the use of the name Macedonia is a usurpation of their heritage and implies territorial claims on their province.

More than 50,000 demonstrators in the Greek province of Macedonia continued a 25-year-long campaign against the former Yugoslav nation they say is taking their name

Greece and the Republic of Macedonia, which share a border, have been locked in the name dispute since Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991

Macedonia is represented in international organisations as The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and is seated in the United Nations under the letter T, right after Thailand.

Greece successfully vetoed Macedonia's application to join NATO in 2008.

Hardline clerics, far-right leaders and Greek diaspora groups had called for today's rallies, with the turnout exceeding media estimates of 30,000.

Gathered around the statue of Alexander the Great in Thessaloniki were members of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party and local clergy.

Representatives from the main opposition party, New Democracy, were also present despite a tacit order from its liberal-minded leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis to boycott the protests.

A TALE OF TWO MACEDONIAS Macedonia is a region of Greece in the southern Balkans and the second largest and most populous in the country. The mountainous region incorporates parts of ancient Macedon, a kingdom ruled by Alexander the Great (336323 BC) whose campaigns through Asia created the vast Argead dynasty. The Republic of Macedonia is an entirely separate entity - a country in the Balkan peninsula in south east Europe. It declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and became and member of the United Nations in 1993. But as a result of the ongoing dispute with Greece over use of the name, it was admitted provisionally as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Advertisement

Cretans in traditional costumes who travelled from the southern island with their horses, as well as people from northern Greece wearing costumes from the Macedonian wars era a century ago, crowded at the White Tower on the Thessaloniki waterfront from early in the morning.

Greece and Macedonia returned to the United Nations last week hoping to reach a compromise that could end the 27-year dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name.

No public official was among the five keynote speakers.

The best-known speaker was Fragoulis Frangos, a retired general and former chief of the Greek Army Staff, who is said to harbour political ambitions.

Athens argues that the name Macedonia suggests that Skopje has territorial claims to the northern Greek region of the same name, of which Thessaloniki is the capital

Greece's objections to the use of the name Macedonia have hampered the tiny nation's bid to join the European Union and NATO

'Today, the message is aimed primarily at Greek politicians,' said Giorgos Tatsios, president of the Greek Federation of Macedonian Cultural Associations.

'Those who use the name of Macedonia and give it away with no scruples.

'We call on the government and, especially, the foreign ministry and (foreign minister Nikos) Kotzias to become the hero of Greek Macedonians and not hand over the name.

REGIONS WITH COMPLICATED HISTORIES The Republic of Macedonia's history is complex and dates back to the sixth century BC. It has been conquered by the Persian Achaemenid Empire, the Romans and the Ottomans. In the aftermath of WW1 it was incorporated into the Serb-dominated Kingdom of Yugoslavia which became the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963. The modern Greek state of Macedonia, on the other hand, was established in 1830. Even before that, however, the area was identified as a Greek province albeit without clearly defined borders. Advertisement

'If he does, he should know he is a traitor to the nation.'

Several local lawmakers attended, as did the local bishop, Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessalonica, whom many people consider the real leader of the nationalist hardliners opposing an accommodation between the countries.

Anthimos, in speaking about the citizens of Macedonia, used the term Skopje, the name of its capital, which is how most Greeks refer to them.

'Demonstrate, my brothers for Macedonia ... Skopje will never be accepted with the name Macedonia by the people's conscience,' Anthimos thundered from the pulpit during his sermon.

'If we only shut [access] to the port [of Thessaloniki], they're dead the following week.'

The march didn't reach the magnitude of one in 1992, when more than one million people - 10 percent of the population - joined a rally in Thessaloniki to proclaim that 'Macedonia is Greek'.

According to a survey conducted for Greek radio station 24/7 by the Alco polling group, 63 percent of respondents said they thought it was in Greece's best interests to seek a mutually acceptable solution at the UN talks.

And the Greek Orthodox Church, which is traditionally opposed to the use of the term Macedonia from Skopje and led the 1992 rally, appears to have distanced itself from Sunday's events.

Its leader Archbishop Ieronymos on Thursday reportedly told Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that 'national unity is needed... (not) protests and shouts'.

Demonstrators gathered along the sea front of the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea

An estimate turn out of 30,000 was smashed with more than 50,000 ultimately attending

It was prompted by recent efforts on both sides of the border to find an acceptable compromise.

The defeat last year of Macedonia's nationalist conservatives by the social democrats has improved the climate, and Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev accepted the invitation by Thessaloniki mayor Yannis Boutaris, an outspoken anti-nationalist, to spend New Year's in the city.

Naturally, there were dissenters, but they didn't show up, except for a few hundred anarchists, who had their own banner: 'Against nationalism; the whole earth is our homeland.'

Some of them clashed with passers-by, prompting police to intervene.

People presumed to be right-wing extremists set fire to a building occupied by some of the anarchist counter-demonstrators in the center of the city. The building suffered extensive damage, but none of its occupants was present when masked men set fire to it.

Leftist prime minister Alexis Tsipras has said, most recently in an interview published Sunday in newspaper Ethnos, that he wouldn't mind a composite name that includes the word Macedonia.

Right-wing activists clashed with anarchists who opposed the nationalism driving the debate

Macedonia is known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at the United Nations

But his coalition partner, defense minister Panos Kammenos, leader of the Independent Greeks party, has taken a hardline stance, saying he wouldn't accept the inclusion of the name Macedonia, suggesting the neighboring country call itself Vardarska.

Tsipras, who is expected to meet with his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev in Davos next week, said in an interview published on Sunday: 'If there is an opportunity for a solution, it would be a national stupidity not to make good use of it.'

However, he told Ethnos newspaper that he could understand 'the concerns and sensitivities' of the Greeks of the north.

Macedonia is known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at the United Nations, although the Security Council acknowledged this was a provisional name when it agreed to membership.

If a deal is reached at the UN talks, it will be put before Greek parliament for approval, with the government expecting the compromise name to be approved despite opposition within some parties.

According to Macedonian media, Nimetz has proposed five alternatives all containing the name.
Former Wikileaks whistleblower, and now US Senate candidate Chelsea Manning made a surprise appearance at Saturday night's 'A Night for Freedom' gala in New York City.

The party celebrated the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Manning tweeted early Saturday morning: '[C]rashed the fascist/white supremacist hate brigade party. [A]ll selfies were denied #CrashtheFash #WeGotThis #NightForFreedom.'

However, several who attended the gala told BuzzFeed News all indications were that interactions inside the event were not only respectful and polite, but that she was there to try to 'build a bridge' between the left and the right.

Former Wikileaks whistleblower, and now US Senate candidate Chelsea Manning made a surprise appearance at Saturday night's 'A Night for Freedom' gala in New York City and claimed she was 'gatecrashing' the party (tweet above)

The gala celebrated the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration (Pictured, an attendee poses with pro-Trump social media personality Mike Cernovich, left, while holding his book 'Gorilla Mindset' at the 'A Night for Freedom' gala on Saturday)

However, several attendees said interactions were not only respectful but that she was there to try to 'build a bridge' between the left and the right (Pictured, Vice magazine co-founder Gavin McInnes speaks on stage with members of the Proud Boys organization at the 'A Night For Freedom' gala on Saturday)

Manning was apparently seen socializing with attendees such as far-right media personalities James O'Keefe, Mike Cernovich (tweet above) and Cassandra Fairbanks

In the early hours of the party, Manning was apparently seen socializing with attendees such as far-right media personalities James O'Keefe, Mike Cernovich and Cassandra Fairbanks.

Fairbanks, who reports for Gateway Pundit, has been a vocal supporter of Wikileaks and has exchanged messages with Manning on Twitter.

Manning is a transgender former Army private who was convicted of leaking thousands of sensitive government documents to WikiLeaks and is now running for US Senate from Maryland as an anti-Trump Democrat.

'A source who attended and who knows Manning told BuzzFeed News that "while she was not there protesting, she was there in a effort to bridge gaps between left and right",' BuzzFeed reported.

Cernovich, who founded the website 'Danger & Play', tweeted: 'Yes I literally shook hands with Chelsea Manning tonigut [sic], the left is freaking out, it was not a big deal. It was a huge and amazing party. Glad she stopped by. All are welcome to party with me.'

Fairbanks, who reports for Gateway Pundit, has been a vocal supporter of Wikileaks and has exchanged messages with Manning on Twitter (above)

One pro-Trump Twitter personality told BuzzFeed: 'Honestly, her being here shows what this movement is really about (Pictured, people dance at the 'A Night For Freedom' gala on Saturday)

Outside of the venue, about one hundred protesters showed up and harassed some party-goers (Pictured, an attendee poses with podcaster Stefan Molyneux, left, at the 'A Night For Freedom' gala on Saturday)

One pro-Trump Twitter personality told BuzzFeed: 'Honestly, her being here shows what this movement is really about.

'We're not ideological, we're tribal. We don't care about the politics as much as we care about pissing people off and trolling and shaking things up. She's about liberty, we're about liberty, it's all good. No bad blood at all.'

However, outside of the venue, about one hundred protesters showed up and harassed some party-goers, whichprompted Cernovich to accuse the protesters of being terrorists.

One protester allegedly punched a 56-year-old Trump supporter, who was rushed to Bellevue Hospital and is currently listed in stable condition, the New York Post reported.

David Campbell, 30, was arrested and charged with strangulation, assault, resisting arrest, loitering, criminal possession of a weapon and obstruction of government administration, police said.
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For years now, thanks to the home rental website Airbnb, millions of us have been happily renting other people's homes, sleeping in their beds, sitting on their sofas, watching their TVs  and even, in some cases, feeding their guinea pigs.

We could rent snazzy houses in London's Mayfair, bothies in the wilds of Scotland, a converted church in Shropshire  or a sofabed a stone's throw from our office Christmas party.

Lately, it seems, competition has raised the stakes, and the options have become a little more eclectic. Fancy hunkering down in a hobbit house, or a night in private jet? Or maybe a day or two in a train carriage, a tree house or your very own pub?

Here, JANE FRYER runs the rule over Airbn-bizarre . . .

WE'RE LIVING ON A JET PLANE

The Jet Star private plane (above) has no wings, no engine, no tail and appears to have crash landed on a campsite in Wales

Inside the Jet Star, there is one bedroom, one bed, a loo and basin on board  plus a nearby utilities block with hot showers, fridges and other kitchen facilities

The Jet Star, Redberth, South Pembrokeshire

UNIQUE SELLING POINT: Perfect for those of us who will never fly in a private plane. Admittedly, the Jet Star private plane has no wings, no engine, no tail and appears to have crash landed (albeit neatly) on a campsite in Wales. It is the real deal  a Jetstream, built in the Seventies, used in Senegal by gun smugglers and still boasting original fittings including a lit-up bar area, an on-board loo and a cockpit that now houses an Xbox complete with flying games.

It all started a year and a half ago when, in a bid to make his campsite 'stand out a bit from the yurt site down the road', owner Toby spent 30,000 buying the jet from a reclamation yard and doing it up.

SLEEPS: Four guests  in a double bed in the cabin attached to the end of the fuselage, plus one small single and a sofa bed.

WHAT YOU GET: One bedroom, one bed, a loo and basin on board  plus a nearby utilities block with hot showers, fridges and other kitchen facilities.

DON'T FORGET: A pilot's cap and your own towels.

PERFECT FOR: Romantic couples, families, air traffic controllers, pilots and plane enthusiasts.

COST: 125 per night.

PERFECT FOR MILLING ABOUT

Old Smock Mill in Kent is calm, quiet, and awash with vast wooden beams, crisp white sheets and hostess Clares amazing home-made bread

Old Smock Mill, Benenden, Kent

USP: Calm, quiet, and awash with vast wooden beams, crisp white sheets, fluffy towels and hostess Clares amazing home-made bread.

SLEEPS: Two guests in one French king-size bed.

WHAT YOU GET: Three storeys of windmill  happily, without the miller  complete with original sack hoist, plus a wet room, wood-burning stove, copper sinks, and views across the Kent countryside.

DONT FORGET: To leave your dog and children at home.

PERFECT FOR: A couples romantic weekend.

COST: 175 a night.

WANT TO LOITER WITHIN TENT?

If a nomad fresh from the steppes of Central Asia popped by, they would be pleasantly surprised by the seaside-themed bathroom with underfloor heating at this Mongolian Yurt in the Peak District

Mongolian Yurt, Peak District

USP: A Mongolian yurt by a pub in the heart of the Peak District. But not any old Mongolian yurt. If a nomad fresh from the steppes of Central Asia popped by, they would be pleasantly surprised by the seaside-themed bathroom with underfloor heating, kitchenette, gas hob, fridge and jaunty fairy lights.

SLEEPS: Five guests in one room. You need to be friends.

WHAT YOU GET: A double futon bed, three single mattresses, stove, unlimited firewood, barbecues and fire pits, and access to the Peak District. Plus a chatty and helpful owner.

DONT FORGET: Sleeping bags and pillows.

PERFECT FOR: Anyone who wants to sample the life of a nomad  without the hassle.

COST: 70-100 a night.

A HOME IS YOUR CASTLE

Augill Castle (above) is a rambling Victorian folly awash with turrets, tudor panelling, gothic windows, four-posters, battlements, stained glass and secret doorways

Augill Castle, Cumbria

USP: Britains favourite castle is a rambling Victorian folly awash with turrets, tudor panelling, gothic windows, four-posters, battlements, stained glass and secret doorways. Its life as a B&B started when owners Simon and Wendy bought it as a wreck in 1997 and painstakingly did it up. They have been hosting guests ever since.

SLEEPS: One to 30 B&B guests. No self-catering.

WHAT YOU GET: A night in one of 15 grand bedrooms, suites or family rooms, a vast breakfast, plus the run of the castle and its 15 acres.

DONT FORGET: To bring your kids  theyll love it and are well catered for. And maps for exploring.

PERFECT FOR: Anyone who fancies playing lord and lady for a day, but cant be bothered to pay the heating bills or make their own breakfast.

COST: 107 a night.

LIVE LIKE A HOBBIT: GO UNDERGROUND

Glamping underground with a fantastic view' is what the unusually named owner Tin calls this teeny, toasty, cosy little Hobbit house in Wales

The Hobbit house, Pengenffordd, Powys, Wales

USP: Glamping underground with a fantastic view is what the unusually named owner Tin calls this teeny, toasty, cosy little Hobbit house.

The idea came when Tins wife was pregnant and he made a nice spot for her to sit while on maternity leave. He built a shed with a fridge and some furniture  then decided to bury it in the hill. Soon it was so nice his wife didnt fancy returning to work, so they made it hobbitable and turned it into a business.

SLEEPS: Two guests. Just.

WHAT YOU GET: It is really small, says Tin. But there is room for a double sofa bed, wood-fired cooker, and theres a private shower room in the main house.

DONT FORGET: Your walking boots, your dog and your laptop  this Hobbit House has wi-fi.

PERFECT FOR: Small people  with hairy toes.

COST: 50 a night.

A LOCK-IN AT AN OLD PUB

Guests staying at Conroy's Old Bar (above) get the whole pub  mahogany bar, snug, beer pumps, gleaming optics, open fire, darts board, skittles  but no booze

Conroys's Old Bar, North Tipperary

USP: The listing says: Aglish may not be the first place you would choose to go on holiday, but it does happen to be where the worlds first self-catering pub is located  and its in the centre of Ireland, near many major cities.

SLEEPS: Four guests in two bedrooms (one in the old beer cellar), plus there is a cot for a baby.

WHAT YOU GET: The whole pub  mahogany bar, snug, beer pumps, gleaming optics, open fire, darts board, skittles  but no booze. Yes, it no longer has an alcohol licence. However, the village pub is nearby, luckily.

DONT FORGET: To take some drink (the nearest shop is four miles away).

PERFECT FOR: Fans of old-fashioned pubs.

COST: 82 a night.

SWING BY FOR A TREETOP TREAT

Tree Sparrow House in Cornwall (pictured) consists of one large room with a mezzanine double bed and seating/kitchen area, double glazing, wooden access ladder

Guests at Tree Sparrow House (above) get their very own treehouse perched high in an ash tree with sweeping views of Falmouth Bay

Tree Sparrow House, Cornwall

USP: Your very own treehouse perched high in an ash tree with sweeping views of Falmouth Bay.

SLEEPS: Two guests in one bedroom.

WHAT YOU GET: One large room with a mezzanine double bed and seating/kitchen area, double glazing, wooden access ladder, hob, grill, cold box, 240v electricity, composting loo, outdoor seating area and only the sound of rustling leaves to keep you awake at night.

DONT FORGET: A torch and dressing gown. The shower is a few yards away and is shared.

PERFECT FOR: Night owls and nature lovers who want to get away from it.

COST: 110 a night.

SHED HEAVEN IN A HULL OF A BOAT

Boatel (pictured) is a boat-cum-shed and is set in an acre of wild flowers up a mountain, and winner of 'Shed of the Year'

Boatel, near Snowdonia

USP: This boat-cum-shed is set in an acre of wild flowers up a mountain, and as the winner of Shed of the Year in 2013, you may have seen it on Channel 4.

Owner Alex, who built it in 2012 from recycled materials, doesnt sugar-coat things and is keen to point out that his establishment is old, dusty and home to more than a few spiders.

SLEEPS: Two guests in one bed in an old boat, which sits on the grass a few feet away from the cleverly named Boatel shed.

WHAT YOU GET: As well as the bed in a boat, guests get access to the Boatel  complete with kitchen and sitting area  a break from wifi and views across Cader Idris, which is part of the Cambrian Mountains of Snowdonia.

DONT FORGET: This is not for luxury lovers, as it has a compost loo.

PERFECT FOR: Those in need of some genuine peace and quiet.

COST: 45 a night.

BOOKWORMS' PARADISE

The Open Book in Wigtown, Scotland, is the first holiday where you can stay in a bookshop and play at being a bookseller, too

The Open Book, Wigtown, Scotland

USP: The Open Book in Wigtown, in Dumfries and Galloway, is the first holiday home where you can stay in a bookshop and play at being a bookseller.

SLEEPS: Two guests in one double bed.

WHAT YOU GET: Your own bookshop, with one-bedroom flat above, a couple of bicycles and  depending on how you look at it  35 hours of unpaid work a week, or a chance to run a bookshop for a few days.

DONT FORGET: You wont get paid. But you will leave far richer in terms of friends, books and community spirit.

PERFECT FOR: Bookworms, community minded people and anyone who likes a chat, a coffee and a biscuit. Guests come from all round the world.

COST: 35 a night.
Photos have emerged of a raucous fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, believed to be one of the biggest events ever held at the exclusive club.

The $300-a-head party, hosted by the wealthy socialites who call themselves the Trumpettes, saw an estimated 800 people descend on the Palm Beach, Florida club on Thursday night.

Fox News host Jeanine Pirro gave a fiery keynote speech at the event with Eric and Lara Trump in attendance, as the government shutdown loomed, the Palm Beach Post reported.

'Welcome to Mar-a-Lago. A magnificent place. It sure ain't no s***hole!,' Pirro opened her speech, referencing President Donald Trump's notorious alleged remarks about Haiti, El Salvadore and African countries.

The 'Red White and Blue Celebration' - reasonably priced by Palm Beach standards - sold out quickly, with a waiting list of 700 people, the organizers said.

The event came two days before a much pricier $100,000-a-head fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, which Trump was scheduled to attend but missed due to the government shutdown crisis.

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Trumpettes USA founder Toni Holt Kramer co-hosted the A Red, White and Blue Celebration honoring the first anniversary of Donald Trump's inauguration at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday

The Trumpmobile was a favorite spot to pose for pictures, along with a cardboard Trump inside

Partygoers, many decked out in star-spangled attire in the spirit of the evening, sipped cocktails under palm trees by the pool. Outdoor heaters warmed the nippy (for Florida) air

Eric Trump poses with wife Lara and Fox News host Jenine Pirro at the fundraiser

Things kicked off around 6.30pm, with a Dixieland band clad in stars-and-stripes blazers playing classic American tunes as revelers filtered in.

For a photo opportunity, a cardboard cutout of Trump and First Lady Melania Trump sat propped against one wall.

Partygoers, many decked out in star-spangled attire in the spirit of the evening, sipped cocktails under palm trees by the pool.

As the evening air dropped to a nippy (for Florida) 57 degrees, workers brought out heat lamps to keep the guests warm.

French fries and cheeseburger sliders made for hearty hors d'oeuvres.

'I'm excited about the event. There are so many friends here who care about our country,' said a glad-handing Eric Trump in an interview with the Post.

Trump wine was served at dinner, complementing sliced beef brisket, berry salad, and 'American apple pie'

The exterior of the Mar-a-Lago Club is seen. The club hosted several fundraising events over the weekend in celebration of one year since Donald Trump's inauguration

The event sold out within days of tickets going on sale in March, and had a waiting list of 700

Satisfied partygoer Valerie Marion (center) poses with Eric Trump and his wife Lara. "Yes, I am wearing high heels!' she said in the caption, remarking on the first family's height

Pirro (second from left) poses with Lara and Eric Trump, along with Anthony Cuccolo, Anthony Vecchione and Scott Cohen

Pirro got the crowd fired up with a passionate speech.

'I love Donald Trump,' she said, according to Buzzfeed. 'He's the least racist man I've ever met, but I must tell you, race has always been an issue for Donald.

'Donald is always in a race  in a race against time, in a race against competitors, in a race against corruption, in a race against crime, and a race against terrorism.'

Pirro decried illegal immigrants and rallied Trump supporters to 'cling to guns, God and the United States of America and stand up and swear allegiance to 2018.'

Eric Trump stayed on for the weekend at Mar-a-Lago with wife Lara and their young son.

The family was spotted jetting out of Florida on Trump Force One on Sunday afternoon.
Activists have launched another female-driven campaign, called Power to the Polls, on the one year anniversary of the inaugural Women's March.

Sunday's Power to the Polls rallies, which took place in select cities around the country, followed Saturday's nationwide Women's March protests held exactly one year after President Trump was sworn into office.

After wrapping up the second Women's March activities, activists headed Las Vegas to kick off the Power to the Polls rally on Sunday morning.

Thousands of activists flocked to Las Vegas for the first Power to the Polls rally on Sunday, the one year anniversary of the inaugural Women's March

Power to the Polls will target swing states and aims to recruit candidates to push back against the Trump administration and promote issues important to women and progressives

More than 4,000 people were expected to attend the Las Vegas Power to the Polls rally

Speakers at the Las Vegas rally included Women's March 2017 co-chair Linda Sarsour and Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards

Organizers of the Power to the Polls movement have targeted swing states, including Nevada, aiming to recruit candidates to push back against the Trump administration and promote issues important to women, progressives and those feeling marginalized by the president's policies.

Over 4,000 people were expected to flock to University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium to participate in the Las Vegas rally, with speakers including Women's March 2017 co-chair Linda Sarsour and Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, according to Huffington Post.

Las Vegas was picked to be host of the first Power to the Polls rally because it will see a high-profile Senate race in the near future, with incumbent Republican Dean Heller being deemed particularly vulnerable by analysts in the 2018 elections. There are also some House seats that could be flipped, as well.

'Last year, we dared to hope for a better, brighter, more inclusive world,' Richards said. 'And this year, we're going to go out and build it.'

Going forward, the Women's March founders will take the Power to the Polls rally to 10 swing states, hoping to encourage political action in those state

Power to the Polls will aim to register new voters, advocate for policies and candidates that reflect the movement's core values and look to help land more women and progressive candidates into political office during the 2018 midterm elections

Going forward, the Women's March founders will take the Power to the Polls rally to 10 swing states, hoping to encourage political action in those states.

They will aim to register new voters, advocate for policies and candidates that reflect the movement's core values and look to help land more women and progressive candidates into political office.

'Power to the Polls' followed hundreds of sister marches on Saturday, which brought thousands of protesters to cities nationwide, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Demonstrations continued on Sunday in several U.S. cities and over a dozen other countries.

Power to the Polls rallies also took place in Florida's Miami and St. Petersburg, as well as internationally in Paris, London and Melbourne, Australia.

In Miami, Local10 reported that many rally goers carried signs supporting DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Disagreement over the continuation of DACA is largely held responsible for the government shutdown.
A new exhibition in Brussels showcases the stories of student rape victims by recreating the outfits they wore during their assault, inspired by a project created by students at the University of Kansas.

Delphine Goossens, a worker in prevention services in the Belgian capital, took the original testimonies of the Kansas students, translated them into Dutch and French, and gathered pieces of her and her co-workers own clothing to represent the outfits described in the exhibition, What Were You Wearing?.

Goossens reached out to the original creators for permission to recreate the Kansas exhibition after reading about it last September. She housed the exhibition at the Molenbeek Maritime Community Centre, where she works.

Goossens hopes the exhibition continues to spread around Europe.

I think a school can make it, or a university, she said. Its easy.

Hanging on panels around the room were several outfits, including a pair of pyjamas, a bathing suit, a childs school uniform and police attire. There was also a wall dedicated to three outfits from the three times one woman was raped. Another displayed a single outfit representing the clothes a woman wore the three times she was assaulted.

Liesbet Verboven, one woman touring the exhibit, said her experience was an emotional one. A friend of hers was assaulted and had a poor experience with the police, who blamed her decisions and location for the incident.

It leaves a big impact to see all these clothes, that it can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere, Verboven said. I hope it can change the mindset of people that blame the victims of violence and rapes.

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A student is thought to have taken his own life in the eighth reported case of suicide at a Bristol university in 18 months.

Justin Cheng was a third-year student at the University of Bristol's Law School and was found on the evening of Friday, January 12.

Mr Cheng is the eighth student from Bristol's universities - seven in Bristol, one in UWE - who are thought to have taken their own lives in the last 18 months.

In the 12 months between October 2016 and in October 2017, five other undergraduate students committed suicide.

Justin Cheng was a student at University of Bristol's Law School. He is suspected of taking his own life, in what would be the eighth suicide of a Bristol student in 18 months

Mark Ames, director of student services at the university, confirmed the news on Sunday night.

In a statement, he said: 'I am very sorry to confirm that Justin Cheng, a third year Law student from Canada, has died.

'The police have told us they believe he took his own life. There were no suspicious circumstances and the coroner will hold an inquest in due course. Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family and friends.

'It is immensely distressing for members of our university community to learn that one of our students has died.

'We know that this will be especially difficult for those who knew and studied with Justin.

'If students or staff are affected by this tragic news, we would encourage them to contact university support services as well as seek support from friends or family.

'Information about where to get help can be found on our website under staff and student pages.

'We will continue to work with our students, staff and with partners across the city including colleagues from public health and the NHS to enhance our services in response to the unprecedented rise in mental health difficulties amongst young people.

Eight suspected suicides in 18 months Justin Cheng's death means eight Bristol students are suspected of having committed suicide in the last 18 months. Among them are five students at the University of Bristol and one from UWE. Not pictured below is history student Daniel Green, 18, who died during his first year of university. Sam Symons (left), 19, was a law student at UWE who died over the Bank Holiday weekend in May, while Miranda Williams (right), died during her first year at Bristol Kim Long (left), 18, died while in his first term studying law at Bristol, while Lara Nosiru (right), 23, was found dead during her last year studying neuroscience Elsa Scaburri, 21, died at her home in Salisbury, Wiltshire, halfway through a year of study abroad Advertisement

'Justin's family has requested privacy at this very difficult time.'

Mr Cheng is the eighth student from Bristol's universities - seven in Bristol, one in UWE - who are thought to have taken their own lives in the last 18 months.

In the 12 months between October 2016 and in October 2017, five other undergraduate students took their own lives.

First year student Daniel Green, 18, 'took his life' and was found hanging in his room at Goldney Hall on October 21, 2016.

In her narrative conclusion, a coroner said: 'Daniel James Green took his own life but the question of intent is inconclusive.'

Philosophy student Miranda Williams, 19, suffered paracetamol poisoning on October 10, and died three days later in hospital.

Kim Long, an 18-year-old law student died of asphyxiation at his halls of residence on November 10, and an inquest concluded he committed suicide.

James Thomson, 20, a second-year Maths student at Bristol University, also took his own life. Mr Thomson was found in October last year

Lara Nosiru, 23, a final-year neuroscience student was found dead in the Avon Gorge on January 30, 2017.

A coroner concluded 'she took her own life whilst under the influence of drugs'.

Third year Elsa Scaburri, 21, was found hanged at a farm near her home near Salisbury on March 3 2017, after committing suicide, an inquest heard.

First-year student Sam Symons, 19, was studying law at the University of the West of England (UWE), also in Bristol, and was found in his room at a halls of residence.

He died during the night of Sunday, April 30, or in the early hours of Monday, May 1, and an inquest concluded suicide.

James Thomson, 20, a second-year maths student, took his own life on October 25, 2017. He hanged himself at the home he shared with uni friends.

Inquests into the deaths of the seven students before Justin none of them were linked.

Bristol University has been undergoing a review of its health services, putting some 1million into its mental health and wellbeing provision. New advisers have also been appointed.

Justin's family has not released a picture at this time.

For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see samaritans.org for details
Britain must take action now so that the Armed Forces can tackle the threat from Russia, the head of the Army warned today.

General Sir Nick Carter tonight said Britain needs to 'keep up' with Vladimir Putin's growing military strength or see our ability to take action 'massively constrained'.

His stark words will be seen as a plea for the Ministry of Defence to be given more money ahead of a security review's findings in the coming weeks.

Britain must take action now so that the Armed Forces can tackle the threat from Russia, General Sir Nick Carter (pictured at RUSI tonight), the head of the Army warns

Last night a defence source said the chiefs would no longer 'shy away' from outlining the threats we face, adding: 'We need to get our act together if we are to be a serious player on the world stage.'

It follows fears that the British military is already short of funding.

At the Royal United Services Institute think-tank today, Sir Nick  the Chief of the General Staff  said: 'The time to address these threats is now, we cannot afford to sit back.

'Our ability to pre-empt or respond to threats will be eroded if we don't keep up with our adversaries.

'We must take notice of what is going on around us or our ability to take action will be massively constrained.

'Speed of decision-making, speed of deployment and modern capability are essential if we wish to provide realistic deterrence.'

Just last week RAF jets were scrambled to see off Russian bombers heading for UK airspace, while the number of Russian submarines close to British waters is at its highest since the Cold War.

A stark comparison between British and Russian power highlights how Moscow spends more than twice as much of its GDP on defence

The military has raised the prospect of Moscow cutting vital undersea web cables to create chaos in the UK. And, as Russia's military is increasingly aggressive, Theresa May has also warned of a 'campaign of cyber espionage and disruption' from the Kremlin.

Intelligence agencies have accused Russian agents of trying to hack into the energy grid.

Sir Nick said: 'State-based competition is now being employed in more novel and increasingly integrated ways and we must be ready to deal with them.

'The threats we face are not thousands of miles away but are now on Europe's doorstep  we have seen how cyber warfare can be both waged on the battlefield and to disrupt normal people's lives. We in the UK are not immune from that.'

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and Chancellor Philip Hammond are said to have had heated exchanges over MoD funding

Sir Nick also highlighted Moscow's hi-tech weaponry, pointing to the 26 Russian Kalibr missiles that hit Syrian targets after being fired from the Caspian Sea, 930 miles away.

The Army chief said the threat of traditional warfare still remains, with Russia simulating attacks across northern Europe.

The defence source said the UK chiefs agreed with US analysis that 'the threat of our time' would be state-based rather than from terrorists.

It comes ahead of the publication of a mini-defence review, which will conclude that more work is required to assess Britain's military needs.

Insiders said defence chiefs will spend the next few months setting out a 'stark' assessment of what cash is needed to face down threats ahead of the autumn Budget, calling for billions more to ensure the security of the nation.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and Chancellor Philip Hammond are said to have had heated exchanges over MoD funding.
Google Pixel Buds

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When I was at school, it seemed an intolerable burden to have to learn our times tables  after all, wed all carry calculators in the glorious, high-tech future.

But future generations of annoying know-it-all children may say exactly the same thing about French classes  as Google has brought out headphones that are alarmingly close to the language-translating Babel Fish from The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.

The weirdest part is that they actually work.

Rob Waugh reviews Google's new Pixel Buds, their language-translating headphones that cost 159

Youll need Googles Pixel phone (plus its Translate app) and then you tap the headphone and speak.

Seconds later, a good translation (in French, at least) comes out of the phones speaker.

To hear translations, tap the app before someone talks to get a translated version direct into your ear.

Its slow, but far less humiliating than the British holiday staple of miming with exaggerated motions while talking slowly and loudly in English.

Its just a shame that the rest of the Pixel Buds are so flawed.

Theyre packed with cool-sounding but pointless technology such as touch controls (that turn on constantly when you dont want them to), which makes them worse at their basic job of playing music into your ears.

Theyre ungainly  it feels like youre popping wine corks into your ears  fall out constantly, and are prone to running out of batteries without warning. A clever idea, just dont buy them.
She welcomed the couple's second child, daughter Rosie May Dee, last September.

But Megan Gale and her AFL star fiance Shaun Hampson - who are set to open their own Melbourne cafe - won't be rushing down the aisle anytime soon.

'I've never been that girl who wants her big day and dream wedding and dress,' the 42-year-old supermodel told The Sunday Telegraph.

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'I've never wanted the dream wedding': Megan Gale and her AFL star fiance Shaun Hampson - who are set to open their own Melbourne cafe - won't be rushing down the aisle anytime soon

Megan added that she considers parenthood to be the biggest commitment.

'If anything I think, "Geez, that's a lot of work" and I think us creating human life is the biggest commitment you can make to someone because that's forever,' Megan said.

The high-profile couple certainly have their hands full, having gone into partnership with Dave Stewart at a local cafe in Melbourne.

'Creating human life is the biggest commitment you can make to someone': The supermodel, 42, explained that having children with Shaun is a greater commitment than marriage

Megan made the announcement on Instagram last month, sharing a photo of herself and Shaun alongside chef Dave at their new joint business, Ascot Food Store.

She captioned the image: '(Shaun) and I are super excited to announce that we have gone into partnership with our good mate (Dave) and are now proud owners of Ascot Food Store.

'It's been a long held dream for both of us to one day own a cafe and we couldn't think of a better person to share the journey with than Dave. We have LOTS of exciting plans for the cafe which we are working on now for 2018.

Business venture: Meanwhile, Megan and Shaun have gone into partnership with chef Dave Stewart (centre) to launch a new cafe, the Ascot Food Store in Melbourne

'Can't wait to share it all with you! Watch this space,' Megan concluded.

Megan and Shaun began dating in 2011 and they welcomed their first child, son River Alan Thomas, in May 2014.

They are also proud parents to daughter Rosie May Dee, born last September.
He missed out on the first round of Britain's Got Talent auditions after he was diagnosed with laryngitis.

And now BGT host Stephen Mulhern, 40, has raised fears he may not be able to return as scheduled after tweeting out to fans that he's 'still trying to get better'.

The veteran TV presenter was put on bed rest by doctors and told fans he would be 'on mute' until the London auditions on Saturday.

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'I'm still trying to get better': Britain's Got Talent host Stephen Mulhern cast doubt over his return to the show as he continued his battle with laryngitis after missing the first auditions

However, Stephen cast doubt over that start date after sending out a health update to his followers on Twitter - thanking them for their well-wishes.

Taking to the micro-blogging site, he wrote: 'Thank you so much for all your get well messages. Am still trying to get better and fingers crossed will see lots of you at the BGMT auditions in London a week today. Have a good evening all.'

Stephen missed the first auditions in Blackpool on Tuesday due to the nasty illness, skipping out on the glamorous evening with his fellow BGT personalities.

MailOnline has contacted Stephen's representatives for comment. Taking to Twitter earlier in the week, he wrote that it was the first time he had been off sick in 11 years.

'Fingers crossed: Stephen cast doubt over that start date after sending out a health update to his followers on Twitter - thanking them for their well-wishes

'It's my first day off in 11 years': Britain's Got Talent host Stephen Mulhern set to miss first week of the show on doctor's orders after being diagnosed with laryngitis

New season: Stephen missed the first auditions in Blackpool on Tuesday due to the nasty illness, skipping out on the glamorous evening with his fellow BGT personalities

He wrote: 'Morning! Absolutely gutted to be missing the first round of @BGT auditions this week in Blackpool!

'I am on doctors strict orders to rest my voice, after suffering a nasty bout of Laryngitis - first day off from the show in 11 years. Unbelievable!'

Adding: 'I will be on mute until London auditions on the 27th Jan, look forward to seeing you all then!'

He wrote: 'Morning! Absolutely gutted to be missing the first round of @BGT auditions this week in Blackpool!'

Also hosting the show is Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - but there could be trouble behind the scenes of the show.

Ant is rumoured to be facing an awkward reunion with his estranged wife Lisa Armstrong on the show.

Sources told The Sun that the couple will come face-to-face when the series kicks off in Blackpool, as Ant reunites with co-host Declan.

Business as usual: Meanwhile, the show will go on, with (L-R) Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Declan Donnelly, Alesha Dixon and Ant McPartlin all in Blackpool

Double trouble: Ant and Dec shared this rather fetching picture of themselves on social media

Top judge: Alesha also shared this stunning fashion snap on her Instagram profile

Lisa returns to her duties as a makeup artist for the show and also worked on this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing.

The insider added that Lisa is determined to return to work as she 'needs the money,'

However, there are claims their divorce could be the most expensive in Britain's history with a 31million price tag.
She has stayed relatively out of the spotlight since retiring several years ago.

But on Saturday, Cathy Freeman made a rare red carpet appearance at Sam Smith's Optus, KIIS and iHeartRadio Melbourne concert.

The former Olympian cut a casually chic figure in a pastel blue smock top with cut-out detailing, teamed with tailored navy trousers.

Olympic legend: On Saturday, Cathy Freeman made a rare red carpet appearance at Sam Smith's Optus, KIIS and iHeartRadio Melbourne concert

Cathy, 44, happily posed for photos with anthropologist Gregory Phillips.

She accessorised with black strappy heels, a two-toned shoulder bag, a statement watch and silver hoop earrings.

Sweeping her brunette locks into an elegant up-do, the Olympic gold medallist kept to a minimal makeup palette.

Looking good: The sportswoman, who posed for photos with anthropologist Gregory Phillips, sported a pastel blue smock top, tailored trousers and black strappy heels

Cathy has kept a rather low profile in recent years, and is married to businessman James Murch.

The pair, who tied the knot in April 2009, share a daughter called Ruby Anne Susie.

Before settling down with her man, she had a relationship with actor Joel Edgerton, 43, before the pair split in 2005.

Joel, who met Cathy at the 2002 Logie Awards, spoke to SBS last year about interracial dating and whether he experienced any stigma.

Former flame: Cathy met actor Joel Edgerton at the 2002 Logie Awards and they began dating. The couple split in 2005

'Every now and then I felt judgment, a silent judgment. It was a subtle between-the-lines, outside of the law judgment from people.

'I was talking about that with Freeman recently and we were saying how it was an interesting time - but it wasn't too bad. We were both public figures and sometimes that can kind of obscure race.

'She didn't like the public figure stuff and preferred not to be thrust into the spotlight,' Joel continued.
The 41-year-old former Miss Universe Australia celebrated her daughter's first birthday a few months ago.

And on Sunday, Laura Csortan looked remarkably youthful while flaunting her slender figure in a plunging zip-up swimsuit at the beach.

The pageant queen-turned-television presenter radiated beauty in a photo posted to her Instagram account.

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Hot mama! On Sunday, Laura Csortan looked remarkably youthful while flaunting her slender figure in a plunging zip-up swimsuit at the beach

Laura wrote in the caption, 'Hard at it', perhaps hinting she was at the beach for a photo shoot.

In the picture, Laura sits on a striped towel while showcasing her toned physique in a stylish one-piece.

The swimsuit was left unzipped, offering a glimpse of her decolletage as she leaned forward with a smile.

'Mornin!' Her daughter Layla Rose was likely nearby, as Laura shared a photo of her child in a pram that same morning

Her daughter Layla Rose was likely nearby, as Laura shared a photo of her child in a pram that same morning.

The glamazon recently enjoyed a well-deserved break in Byron Bay.

Taking to Instagram while on holiday, she shared a photo of herself in a slinky, cleavage-baring white dress.

Family: Laura gave birth to her daughter Layla in November 2016

The former Great Outdoors host looked elegant with her blonde hair cascading down her shoulders.

Laura is raising her daughter Layla Rose, one, as a single mother.

She has not confirmed the identity of her child's father.
She finalized her divorce from Romain Zago in August, after four years of marriage.

And it looks like Joanna Krupa is ready to start anew as she was caught kissing a mystery man in Los Angeles on Saturday, despite being recently linked to American restaurateur Nico Santucci, 50.

It comes just days after she was pictured shopping for eye-catching diamond rings in Warsaw, Poland.

Pooches and smooches: Joanna Krupa, 38, was caught kissing a mystery man in Los Angeles on Saturday

Dressing down, the hostess of Poland's Next Top Model looked cosy in a heather pea coat.

Her light brown star leggings were slightly loose and belied the statuesque legs underneath.

She swept her trademark golden tresses up in a messy bun as brown tortoise retro shades framed her youthful face.

Her hiking companion cut a casual figure in a black knit sweater and faded denim as he walked a cute white pooch on a leash.

Modern chic: Daring to impress, the hostess of Poland's Next Top Model looked sophisticated chic in a heather pea coat

After splitting with Romain, Joanna was first spotted with businessman Nico at Los Angeles favorite Mr. Chow in May, according to US Weekly.

Although they were last seen publicly together on August 8, Joanna appeared in high spirits as she playfully tried on the head-turning sparklers on her wedding finger on Monday, posing with her ring-clad hand held to her face.

MailOnline has contacted Joanna Krupa's reps for comment.

According to the publication at the time, the couple looked cute and casual at the Chinese eatery, as sources claim the duo are 'inseparable' but are taking things slow right now and still 'feeling [things] out.'

A source revealed: 'Joanna and Nico are feeling it out and like each other,' but told US the duo isn't getting serious about commitment yet.

Accessorize: She swept her trademark golden tresses up in a messy bun as brown tortoise retro shades framed her youthful face

But another source said the pair are close-as-can-be, explaining they have 'been inseparable' and that they even 'spent Mother's Day together.'

However in October, she hinted that she was single when she spoke to US Weekly and admitted she was focusing on her work.

Honestly, right now Im trying to focus on work. I just feel like men in Hollywood are looking for a trophy wife, she told Us. Its really hard to get to know somebody. If prince charming comes along, great, but I just feel like its really tough in LA.

In the past: She finalised her divorce from Romain Zago in August, after four years of marriage (Pictured together in 2015)

After her divorce was official, Joanna proved there was no ill will between herself and Romain, telling DailyMail.com: 'Its been an interesting day but its all good.

'Were on great terms and Im very grateful Romain is supporting me right now. We are on great terms, we talk more than ever.

Adding: 'Were best friends and not much has changed. Im very grateful to have Romains support and we respect our ten years together.'
She had it for just over a year.

But Kris Jenner has already sold off the white 1956 Ford Thunderbird her children gave her for Christmas in 2016, TMZ reported.

The 62-year-old reality TV matriarch offloaded the convertible in well-heeled Scottsdale, Arizona, snagging $57,000 for it at the Barrett-Jackson Auction.

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Gone for $57,000: Kris Jenner has already sold at auction the white 1956 Ford Thunderbird her children gave her for Christmas in 2016, TMZ reported

On the Christmas when Kris got her white Thunderbird, her mother Mary Jo Campbell was gifted a bright red version of the same model.

That December 25, Kris had posted an Instagram photo of her newly gifted vintage car parked beside her mother's, effusing in the caption: 'So surprised I seriously have no words for this spectacular gift from my kids......thank you family'.

Held at WestWorld Of Scottsdale - this year as last year - this edition of the Barrett-Jackson Auction began last Sunday and will end this Sunday.

According to azcentral.com, other cars being sold there included a 1979 Volkswagon Super Beetle convertible owned by Jodie Foster, as well as a 1931 Ford Model A Woody wagon that belonged to the late Mary Tyler Moore.

Details: The 62-year-old reality TV matriarch offloaded the convertible in well-heeled Scottsdale, Arizona, snagging $57,000 at the Barrett-Jackson Auction

Kris' family is expanding, with new grandchildren arriving on multiple fronts.

This Monday, her second daughter Kim Kardashian and the latter's third husband Kanye West welcomed via surrogacy a baby girl they have named Chicago.

The couple affectionately dubbed 'Kimye' are no strangers to idiosyncratic baby names - Chicago has a sister called North, four, and a brother called Saint, two.

Meanwhile, Kim and Kourtney's younger sister Khloe Kardashian is pregnant by her Cleveland Cavalier beau Tristan Thompson - who last year saw the birth of his first child, a son called Prince, by his ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig.

All in the family: On the Christmas when Kris got her white Thunderbird, her mother Mary Jo Campbell was gifted a bright red version of the same model

Kim and Khloe's big sister Kourtney has three children by on-off beau Scott Disick, Mason's 2009 birth having been immortalized on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

The co-parents welcomed their now five-year-old daughter Penelope into the world in 2012, and Kourtney gave birth to her youngest child, a son called Reign, in 2014.

Kourtney and Scott, who had been introduced in 2006 by Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis in Mexico, last ended their romantic relationship in July of 2015.

Each half of the erstwhile couple is now with someone more than a decade younger - Kourtney's beau is 24-year-old model Younes Bendjima, whereas Scott at the age of 34 is dating Lionel Richie's 19-year-old daughter Sofia.

'thank you family': That December 25, Kris had posted an Instagram photo of her newly gifted vintage car parked beside her mother's

The Kardashian sisters' rotund younger brother Rob has a one-year-old daughter named Dream by his ex-fiancee Blac Chyna.

There is also a swirl of speculation that the Kardashian siblings' half-sister Kylie Jenner is pregnant at 20 by her 25-year-old rapper boyfriend Travis Scott.

Before she was with Travis, Kylie used to date a now 28-year-old rapper called Tyga, who in a bizarre twist has a five-year-old son called King Cairo by Chyna.
Model Erin McNaught's latest Instagram photo sparked a discussion among her fans over the weekend.

The mother-of-two shared an innocent photo of herself alongside baby Ennio's stroller, which was covered with a white blanket.

Before long, a social media follower suggested the way she had decked out her pram was inappropriate.

'Literally no need to explain yourself': Fans defend Erin McNaught's (pictured) decision to cover her baby's stroller with a blanket after somebody suggested it could be dangerous

'Please don't cover your baby's pushchair with a blanket... it can be so dangerous,' they commented.

Erin, 35, was quick to respond, clarifying that it was in fact perfectly safe.

'It's only the top of the hood that is covered, the front is completely open and it also has open mesh at the back (under the handle) to allow full air flow,' she explained.

'The muslin is there because it's white so it reflects the sun when I'm outside.'

'Please don't cover your baby's pushchair with a blanket': A follower suggested the way Erin had decked out her pram was inappropriate

Clarification: Erin, 35, was quick to respond, clarifying that it was in fact perfectly safe. Later, a supportive fan said that the model did not have to explain herself to strangers on Instagram

Erin's polite reply was deemed unnecessary by another fan, who stated that she knows what is best for her baby and does not need to explain herself to strangers.

'Literally no need to explain yourself,' they wrote.

'You know how to care for a baby, end of. Although I'm sure you'll just carry on living your life regardless.'

Gym bunny: It comes after Erin showed her followers how she maintains her post-baby body

It comes after Erin showed her followers how she maintains her post-baby body.

On Friday, she shared a series of gym photos, which showed her in the middle of a gruelling workout.

'Will be posting a new workout (video) later today,' Erin wrote in the caption, adding: 'Proper burner.'
The relocation of the colossal statue of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II from Ramses Square in downtown Cairo to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) overlooking the Giza Plateau received worldwide media coverage in 2006.

The red granite statue is to move again at the end of this month, when it starts its last journey to the permanent display area on the Grand Staircase at the entrance to the GEM. The move will be carried out by the Arab Contractors Company that was responsible for the previous move in 2006.

According to Tarek Tawfik, supervisor-general of the GEM, over the past three weeks the statue has been intensively studied to assess its condition before transportation. Safeguarding procedures have been put in place, and the foam rubber covering the statue has been replaced with stronger material and weak points consolidated.

The road on which the statue will be transported has been paved with special material to bear the weight of the 13m colossus.

The statue is to be transported in its cage, but it has also been hung on a steel bridge like a pendulum to allow it to move freely during the 400m journey, Tawfik told Al-Ahram Weekly.

He said the Arab Contractors would use the same iron cage and vehicle used in the statues 2006 transportation. This was specially created to support the weight of the 83-ton colossus. A trial to check the weight of the statue on the vehicle and the road has been implemented. The whole procedure has cost the GEM an amount of LE14 million while in 2006 it cost only LE6 million.

After making its last journey, the statue of Ramses II will be the first major artefact to enter the permanent collection area of the GEM, the biggest museum in the world, Tawfik asserted.

This is also the fourth time this statue has been moved. The first was 3,000 years ago, shortly after it was carved in an Aswan quarry, when it was ferried down the Nile to Mit Rahina 30km from the Giza Plateau and installed at the Great Temple of Ptah.

In 1882, the statue was discovered broken into six pieces. Attempts to restore and re-erect it in situ failed, and it remained as it was found until former president Gamal Abdel-Nasser decided to erect the statue in front of Cairos main railway station as a symbol of the countrys authentic roots.

In February 1954, minister of governmental affairs Abdel-Latif Al-Boghdadi undertook to move the statue to Bab Al-Hadid (now Ramses Square) in Cairo, where the sculpture of Egypts Renaissance by artist Mahmoud Mokhtar then stood.

The statue was transported to Bab Al-Hadid Square on a tank by the military engineering department to celebrate the second anniversary of the 1952 Revolution and Mokhtars masterpiece was re-erected in front of Cairo University.

The statue was restored and reassembled in the square, now renamed Ramses Square, by the insertion of iron bars inside the body. A fountain was built in front of it, and it soon became one of Cairos most famous landmarks, providing a backdrop for several famous film scenes and songs.

However, in subsequent years the square was redeveloped and the statue was largely hidden under a maze of cement structures and flyovers. Former culture minister Farouk Hosni then suggested removing the statue from its location in Ramses Square to protect it from pollution. Several possible new locations were suggested.

It was thought the statue might be returned to its original home at Mit Rahina, but the small local bridge could not have supported the weight of the statue. It was then suggested that it be placed in Gizas Rimaya Square, or at the entrance to the Cairo Opera House, but it was feared that in time these sites would also be affected by traffic fumes and congestion.

In 2002, the GEM was chosen as the permanent home of this magnificent colossus, and the statue made its third journey in 2006 from Ramses Square to the GEM grounds. Its fourth journey, when it will be installed in a place of honour inside the GEM, will take place at the end of this month.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper

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She's known for attending the hottest events on Sydney's social scene.

So it was no surprise to see Imogen Anthony front and centre at the official launch of Flamingo Lounge in Sydney's Kings Cross on Saturday night.

The 26-year-old model made a splash in a loud and colourful ensemble that perfectly complemented her outspoken personality.

Making a splash! Imogen Anthony wore a typically outlandish outfit on Saturday night, turning heads at the official launch of Flamingo Lounge in Sydney's Kings Cross

Posing for the cameras, the girlfriend of shock jock Kyle Sandilands opted for a funky tie dye crop top featuring the words 'I'm his'.

She also rocked glittering hot pants beneath a pair of very ripped jeans, and finished off her look with sparkling silver high heels.

The brash beauty finished off her eye-catching outfit with a fluffy coat and a hot pink handbag.

Fit and flashy! Posing for the cameras, the long-term girlfriend of shock jock Kyle Sandilands opted for a multicoloured crop top that showed off her toned torso

'70s-inspired! Imogen looked like she had just stepped out of New York's Studio 54 as opposed to a newly-opened venue in Kings Cross

The '70s-inspired ensemble made Imogen look like she was in New York's Studio 54 as opposed to a newly-opened venue in Kings Cross.

Coincidentally, Flamingo Lounge is located just a stone's throw away from The Piano Room, the club where Imogen first met Kyle as he celebrated his 40th birthday in 2011.

However, Imogen left her boyfriend at home on Saturday, instead spending the night with a group of female friends.

Girls just wanna have fun! Imogen left her boyfriend at home on Saturday, opting to spend the night with a group of female friends

It appeared to be a wild time for the group, with Imogen documenting the eventful evening on social media.

Various clips shared to her Instagram Story showed Imogen and her friends dancing up a storm inside the nightclub.

She's no doubt enjoying a taste of city life again, after recently purchasing a $2.98million property in the sleepy Southern Highlands.

Gal pals! Various clips shared to her Instagram Story showed Imogen and her friends dancing up a storm inside the nightclub
His impressive career spans over three decades, making him one of the most sought-after British actors.

And Hugh Grant, 57, has more than a few stories to share, as he spoke candidly about his extensive back-catalogue, including his heavy improvisation in Bridget Jones' Diary, and how fears over the performance of Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Chatting to the BAFTA: A Life In Pictures podcast, Hugh relayed his somewhat frightening experience of trying to film Four Weddings after the director 'hurled teacups at the wall' while only filming the smash-hit in 36 days.

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'Everyone was suicidal': Hugh Grant, 57, reveals 'blind panic' on Four Weddings set amid flop fears... as he claims to have written his ENTIRE part in Bridget Jones sequel

Hugh made a name for himself as Charles on the 1994 comedy Four Weddings And A Funeral, after which he became one of Hollywood's go-to hearthrobs.

Despite becoming the highest-grossing British film in cinema history at the time, no one working on Four Weddings believed it would be a success, according to Hugh.

He said: 'Four Weddings was shot in 36 days in a blind panic with the director (Mike Newell) hurling tea cups at the walk, saying 'I can't f****ing do it!'

'Everyone was suicidal, we thought it didn't work and we were going to have to emigrate to Peru as it was so embarrassing.'

Rising star: Hugh made a name for himself as Charles on the 1994 comedy Four Weddings, and despite becoming the highest-grossing British film in cinema history at the time, no one working on the film believed it would be a success (pictured in the film with Andie MacDowell)

Following the turbulent creation of the film, Hugh remarked that the film went down a treat at an LA screening, something that was a 'total surprise'.

10 years after Four Weddings, Hugh's turn in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, the sequel to the wildly popular Bridget Jones' Diary, further cemented his star status.

Hugh proved he was not one to be held down by a script, confessing that the sequel to the 2001 rom-com featured a lot of improvisation - particularly in one of the most iconic moments when his character Daniel Cleaver spots Bridget's vast knickers.

He continued: 'That last bit with the pants and 'Hello Mummy', all that was just me messing around. And Bridget Jones 2, massively, I think I wrote my whole part.'

'Greed is the main reason I do sequals': 10 years after Four Weddings, Hugh's star turn in Bridget Jones' Diary 2 further cemented his star status

'Greed is the main reason I do sequels,, you just have to keep greed under wraps, but I couldn't make the character work in the most recent film.

Hugh wasn't featured in the most recent sequel, Bridget Jones' Baby, after he had conflict trying to figure out what to do with his character.

'We went back and forth and in the end I said 'I don't see how it fits in' and they quite rightly rejigged it and it was much better'.

When he's not jet-setting across the globe for promotional tours for Paddington 2, he's playing dad a son John, born in 2012, and a second child, born in December 2015, along with a daughter, Tabitha, aged six, and son Felix, four.

The actor, who is expecting his fifth child, recently opened up about being dad to his four children during a Jess Cagle Interview.

Proud dad: The Love Actually star, 57, said his favourite trick to entertain his children is to put his underpants on his head and flash his 'a**e' to them

The Love Actually star said his favourite trick to entertain his four children is to put his underpants on his head and flash his 'a**e' to them.

Giving a rare insight into his family life, he added that his five-year-old son John performs his entire nativity play to him naked every morning.

Talking about the birth of Tabitha, he admitted: 'We were all surprised. It's the nicest thing that's ever happened to me, it sounds cliched but it happens to be true.'

He said: 'You cant help it. It's lovely to have all that love around. Suddenly you love someone more than yourself - it's unheard of in my case - and they love you. It's enchanting.'

Asked about his relationship with the mothers of his children, he remained tight-lipped, replying simply: 'Good. It's all nice.'


She's the former glamour model who left Richie Strahan feeling hot under the collar on The Bachelor in 2016.

And Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris highlighted her most famous assets on Sunday, as she enjoyed coconut cocktails on Sydney Harbour.

In a clip shared to her Instagram Story, the 30-year-old highlighted her slim waist and ample cleavage in a skimpy bikini top.

Nice coconuts! The Bachelor's Kirralee 'Kiki' Morris highlighted her most famous assets on Sunday, as she enjoyed coconut cocktails on Sydney Harbour

Taking to social media, Kiki appeared in high spirits while on board The Island with her female friends.

With a coconut drink in hand, the busty Instagram model put on a leggy display in a matching patterned skirt.

Her makeup palette consisted of a matte complexion, bold brows, kohl-rimmed eyes and a pink lip.

Daring display: With a drink in hand, the busty Instagram model put on a leggy display in a matching patterned skirt

Weekend vibes: Other photos from the trip saw plump-lipped Kiki indulging in a glass of rose

Other photos from the weekend trip saw plump-lipped Kiki indulging in a glass of rose.

On Saturday, the former reality TV star was pictured relaxing by the pool in a particularly daring swimsuit.

She shared a photo of herself in a very high cut one-piece, as she proudly showed off the results of her gym workouts.

Dare to bare! On Saturday, the former reality TV star was pictured relaxing by the pool in a particularly daring swimsuit

'Post gym swims are magic,' she wrote in the caption.

Kiki has previously admitted to undergoing cosmetic surgery to achieve her Barbie doll looks.

Speaking to OK Magazine in 2016, she confessed to having a breast enlargement after being teased at school.
She started activewear brand Jaggad alongside her husband Chris Judd more than three years ago.

And Rebecca Judd proved she was her own best advertisement on Sunday, sharing an Instagram photo of herself in skintight leggings and a crop top.

The mother-of-four, 34, looked incredibly fit and toned with her flat tummy on full display in the stylish sportswear.

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Not an inch to pinch! Footy WAG Rebecca Judd showed off her VERY toned tummy and slim legs while posing in skintight activewear on Sunday

Meanwhile, one of her youngest songs was pictured on the floor beside his mother.

On Saturday, Bec wore a similar outfit while posing for another Instagram selfie, once again showing off her trim frame.

The Postcards host made sure to promote her activewear line in the caption, writing: 'Get it while it's hawt'.

Her own best advertisement: The Channel Nine presenter started activewear brand Jaggad alongside her husband Chris Judd more than three years ago

Bec, a former runway model, balances her media career with being a mother to four young children.

She recently returned to work on Channel Nine travel show Postcards following a family holiday in Canada.

The Judds spent the Christmas season at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

Hectic lifestyle: Bec, a former runway model, balances her media career with being a mother to four young children

The five-star luxury ski resort features six restaurants, a health club, pools, a spa and personal fireplaces in each lavish suite.

It's believed Bec and Chris stayed in a Fairmont Gold Two Bedroom Premier Suite, which offers spectacular views of Rainbow Mountain.

The resort's website describes the accommodation option as 'elegance and luxury wrapped in a distinctive flair' and perfect for families.
Allison Williams had a bone-chilling performance with her role in Get Out.

And the Girls alum, 29, continued to captivate this Saturday while donning a smoldering leather look to the Producers Guild Of Americda Awards in Beverly Hills.

The daughter of legendary news anchor Brian Williams looked ultra-chic in the structured design from couturier Ulyana Sergeenko at the event hosted at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

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Hell for leather: Allison Williams captivated crowds wearing a black leather jumpsuit by Ulyana Sergeenko at Saturday's Producers Guild Awards in Beverly Hills

The Yale alum dazzled in a cap sleeved one-piece embroidered with delicate golden flowers and with a slinky zipper running from top to bottom.

Glittering Jemma Wynne earrings hugged her lobes while stylish Paul Andrew heels covered her feet.

Allison's dark tresses were styled into a side-swept updo while she accentuated her beautiful blue eyes by lining them in dark kohl.

In stitches: The daughter of legendary news anchor Brian Williams looked chic in the structured jumpsuit that featured golden embroidery up and down the body

Baby blues: Allison's dark tresses were styled into a side-swept updo while she accentuated her beautiful blue eyes by lining them in dark kohl

Alison was there to support her psychological horror hit, Get Out, at the event.

The Jordan Peele writer/directed picture was nominated for The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures.

Get Out also received the Stanley Kramer Award, which is given to 'films that illuminate provocative social issues.'

Social studies: Get Out also received the Stanley Kramer Award, which is given to 'films that illuminate provocative social issues,' at Saturday's Producer Guild Awards

Get Out is up for two awards at Sunday's Screen Actor's Guild Awards.

Lead Daniel Kaluuya is up for Best Actor In A Motion Picture while the whole acting team is competing for the Best Cast In A Motion Picture award against The Big Sick, Lady Bird, Mudbound, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.'

The SAG Awards air tomorrow, January 21 2018, at 5pm PST on TNT.

Awards season: Get Out, which was written and directed by Jordan Peele (above), was nominated for The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer award and is up for two trophies at tomorrow's SAG Awards
Keira Knightley appeared at the Sundance Film Festival after revealing she had been sexually assaulted four times during evenings out.

The 32-year-old actress rocked a tuxedo to the premiere to the premiere of her latest flick Colette on Saturday as she made her first public appearance since the claims.

The actress told Variety last week: 'In my personal life, when I've been in bars, I can count four times when I've been assaulted in a minor way.'

Stepping out: Keira Knightley rocked a tuxedo to the premiere to the Sundance Film Festival premiere of her latest flick, Colette, on Saturday night

Wearing a traditional dinner jacket, wing collar shirt and bow tie, she paired them with wide-legged trousers and cute black heels.

Her long brunette locks were rigidly tied back behind her had.

She was joined on the red carpet by the film's director John Cooper, as well as her co-star and on-screen husband Dominic West.

Suits her! Wearing a traditional dinner jacket, wing collar shirt and bow tie, she paired them with wide-legged trousers and cute black heels

In the movie, she plays French novelist Gabrielle Colette, while West plays Henry Gauthier-Villars, who convinces her to write novels to be published under his name.

Lack of recognition for her work frustrates her, until she has an affair with the gender-defying Marquise de Belbeu.

Keira's appearance comes days after she hit out at the 'culture' of 'silencing and bullying women' in Hollywood.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 32, spoke out in praise of the #MeToo movement and said the film industry tolerated the idea that men 'are allowed to behave in different ways than women'.

In her comments to Variety, she continued: 'I think everyone has battled their fair share of monsters. It's not just actresses. It's teachers; it's lawyers.

'I'm not talking about rape, but I'm talking about the people who had been grabbed in pubs or their breasts had been fondled by somebody they didn't know or they'd had someone shove a hand up their skirt.'

Keira also revealed she shuns roles in modern-day films because she notes that the female characters are often raped or treated disrespectfully, which is why she chooses to star in more history-based movies.

I dont really do films set in the modern-day because the female characters nearly always get raped, she said.

Dapper : Kiera Knightley posed on the red carpet at the Cafe Artois sponsored by Stella Artois

Yesterday, Stella Artois hosted multiple events during the day including a live Q&A featuring with Aubrey Plaza, Jemaine Clement and Craig Robinson on An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn, a private party with notable cast members of Colette, including Dominic West and Keira Knightley, as well as a packed to capacity gathering for Dan Reynolds Believer with notable friendlies Shailene Woodley, the Foster sisters Erin and Sara.

I always find something distasteful in the way women are portrayed, whereas Ive always found very inspiring characters offered to me in historical pieces.
She's the Australian actress who plays down-to-earth nurse Kim Ackerholt on the hit Network Ten dramedy Offspring.

And Alicia Gardiner has revealed that if a biopic were ever to be made of her life, she would like to see legendary US funnyman Bill Murray play her.

Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Alicia revealed the unlikely casting choice was due to her unyielding admiration for the legendary jokester.

Eclectic casting: Offspring and Mamma Mia! star Alicia Gardiner has revealed that if a biopic were ever to be made of her life, she would like to see legendary US funnyman Bill Murray step into her shoes

'I'd cast Bill Murray to play me in a film about my life because...Bill Murray,' she told the publication.

Alicia, who is currently starring in a new production of the hit ABBA-inspired musical Mamma Mia!, also revealed to the publication that there were three items that any self-respecting woman should have in her possession.

'Three items every woman should own are...a cordless drill, a pair of Spanx and her own bank account,' Alicia surmised.

Jokester: 'I'd cast Bill Murray to play me in a film about my life because...Bill Murray,' she told the Sunday telegraph

Bare essentials: Alicia also revealed that there were three things every woman should have in her possession - a cordless drill, a pair of Spanx and a bank account . Alicia (c) is pictured in a scene from Offspring with Lawrence Leung (l) and Deborah Mailman (r)

Going further however, there was another item that Alicia said she couldn't do without, especially during Mamma Mia! rehersals

'The hardest working item in my wardrobe is my black Converse runners,'she revealed. 'I spent months dancing with them in rehearsals and wear them to our warm-up every day.'

Speaking to Kidspot in 2017, the mum of two revealed that it was important not to feel 'on top of everything' all of the time when it comes to parenting.

Shoe-in: Going further however, there was another item that Alicia (r) said she couldn't do without, especially during Mamma Mia! rehersals - her Converse trainers

'I dont try to be on top of everything all the time, I think thats just unrealistic,'she said.'

She added that one of her secrets to successful parenting was a reliance on lists.

'I write everything down that needs to be done, who needs to be where, what they're having for dinner,'she said. 'I feel like if i have a good list I'm a bit more in control with my parenting and then the next night I do the next list,'she said.'
She's known for flaunting her eye-popping hourglass figure on Instagram.

And Demi Rose Mawby pulled out all the stops when she stepped out in London on Saturday night.

The 22-year-old looked to be in bright spirits as she left the rooftop bar ME Hotel, with a male friend in tow.

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Busty Demi Rose Mawby flaunted her stunning hourglass figure in deep-plunging gold dress as she stepped out for party in London with a male friend

Dressed head-to-toe in gold, Demi sparkled as she walked down the London streets, her bright colour theme highlighting her stunning figure.

The gold dress hugged her curves perfectly, and the outfit also had a deep plunging neckline that showed off her ample assets.

Her dress featured chain detailing, and it cut off high enough that she could also put on quite the leggy display.

Going for gold: Dressed head-to-toe in gold, Demi sparkled as she walked down the London streets, her bright colour theme highlighting her stunning figure

Demi completed the look with strappy heels and a simple gold necklace, as a purse which matched the theme sat loosely on one shoulder.

Her long raven tresses were sleek as they tumbled down her shoulder, framing her face beautifully.

And the buxom beauty opted for her signature full glam makeup for the night out - enhancing her standout appearance.

Stunning beauty: The dress hugged her curves perfectly, and the outfit also had a deep plunging neckline that showed off her ample assets

Looking good: Her long raven tresses were sleek as they tumbled down her shoulder, and the buxom beauty opted for her signature full glam makeup for the night out

The brunette beauty, who shot to fame after being linked to Kylie Jenner's rapper ex Tyga, was seen with her friend Harry Mateen who also dressed up for the occasion.

Stepping out in a monochrome look that contrasted well to Demi's bright outfit, he wore a dark shirt over 3/4 length plaid trousers, and stepped out in a pair of black loafers.

Demi's well-groomed companion also wore two silver rings on his fingers, and had a gold watch on one wrist.

Out with a friend: The brunette beauty, who shot to fame after being linked to Kylie Jenner's rapper ex Tyga, was seen with her friend Harry Mateen who also dressed up for the occasion

Proud of her beau: Millionaire star Martinez is usually seen performing alongside his brother Stevie as part of the house DJ'ing duo

Demi confirmed her new relationship with beau Chris Martinez before Christmas.

They were seen packing on the PDA while preparing to jet out of Madrid airport and didn't hold back as they enjoyed a smooch in front of onlookers.

Millionaire star Martinez is usually seen performing alongside his brother Stevie as part of the house DJ'ing duo.

She also recently revealed to The Sun her highly sought after body secrets.

Working hard: Demi has credited health and fitness for her curvy form and is trained by Dean Delandro, who is the owner of HD Personal Development and Reset Yourself Ltd

Demi has credited health and fitness for her curvy form and is trained by Dean Delandro, who is the owner of HD Personal Development and Reset Yourself Ltd.

Dean has also spoken highly of the model's efforts: 'Demi's progress has really skyrocketed in the last two months with her new training programme.

'I currently train her 4-5 times per week depending on her workload and always squeeze a Saturday morning class together at Barry's boot camp or equivalent,' he continued.

Demi gruelling workout routine includes the likes of hip thrusts, partial squats and jumping lunges, while her meals focus on eggs, fish, vegetables and nuts.
It may have been the Sundance Film Festival, but the celebrities were battling snow to be a part of it on Saturday.

And for stars like Elle Fanning, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Elizabeth Gillies the freezing Utah weather was an opportunity to flaunt their very stylish winter wardrobe.

were all spotted carefully making their way along the frosty sidewalks.

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Freezing Fashion: Elle Fanning, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Elizabeth Gillies, and other celebrities make snow look chic as they brave the cold in glamorous outfits for Sundance Film Festival

Maggie looked cosy as she walked through the frosty Utah streets, banishing the cold with a wooly black hat, dark turtleneck top and long fluffy white coat.

The Donnie Darko star's brunette locks were tucked neatly under her hat, and she opted for just a slick of pink lipstick and black mascara.

She debuted her new film The Kindergarten Teacher on Friday night, and also made sure she came out to support her brother Jake's new film Wildlife on Saturday.

Chill: The rest of the celebs packed into Sundance for the festival bundled up on what was a snow day on Saturday. including Elle Fanning

Cold front: Elizabeth Gillies and Danny McBride weathered the weather

Dakota Fanning's sister Elle looked chic as she walked through the snow, covering up her high-waist velvet trousers and colourful top with an oversized black and red jacket.

She kept her ears warm with a black muffler, and shielded her eyes with a pair of tinted sunglasses.

Jane Fonda, ever the epitome of glamour, wore a black pleated Rudsak coat over a white and beige outfit, including knee-high boots and a wide-brimmed hat.

She held on to a male companion as she walked along the street, ensuring that she didn't fall on the slippery path as she did so.

Steady: Jane Fona needed a hand on the slippy path, but she had wrapped up warm against the cold in a quilted Rudsak coat

Brrrr: Aubrey Plaza and Chloe Sevigny both wrapped up warm

Aubrey Plaza and Chloe Sevigny were in bright spirits as they bundled up in large coats to keep warm, with Chloe's fur-like jacket almost swallowing her up.

Carey Mulligan walked out into the snow with her husband Marcus Mumford alongside her.

Luke Wilson, Danny McBride, Usher, Terry Crews were all spotted carefully making their way along the frosty sidewalks.

Luckily for Emma Roberts and Hilary Swank, boyfriends Evan Peters and Philip Schneider (respectively) were on hand for a little extra support.

Sundance, which began on Thursday, will run until next Sunday, showcasing the greatest new releases.

Into the snow: Actress Carey Mulligan wasn't about to let the weather keep her from the activities

Teamwork: Emma Roberts Used boyfriend Evan Peters to keep warm

Ready: Terry Crews, Luke Wilson and Usher all dressed sensibly
She's the exotic glamour girl, who failed to find love on Married at First Sight last year.

But Nadia Stamp has revealed she is officially off the market following a series of heartbreaks.

The 36-year-old told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday that she has met someone special but opted not to reveal his identity.

Taken! Former MAFS star Nadia Stamp has revealed she is officially off the market following a series of heartbreaks

'I have started seeing a guy but it's early days so not yet serious,' she said of her mystery man.

'I've enjoyed some much needed single time post MAFS but am very much enjoying spending time with him.'

On Instagram however, the former reality star sent mixed messages about her love life, while telling fans she 'doesn't need a man.'

Nadia showed off her trim pins in a statement T-shirt that was emblazoed with the message: 'Don't need a man! Need a tan!'

Matrimonial dis! Flight attendant Nadia was paired with racing commentator Anthony Manton, with the groom being called out for being too controlling and aggressive

The leggy flight attendant then added a cryptic message to the snap:

'Priorities 100 But if he comes along imma keep him,' she wrote, before adding a love heart emoji.

After her failed romance with TV groom Anthony Manton, the beauty hasn't had much luck with her high-profile male suitors.

Turned sour: The reality star was then linked to buff lifesaver Sam Robinson, despite the pair not confirming a relationship, they were snapped in a heated exchange at a Brisbane nightspot

In April of last year, the reality show was linked to hunky lifesaver Sam Robinson, before things seemingly fizzled out.

The pair were spotted in a heated exchange, arguing with each other at Brisbane's The Defiant Duck bar and restaurant.

The two got close at the bar, as Nadia grabbed Sam under the arm and stared into his eyes.

'I've enjoyed some much needed single time': the model said she enjoyed singledom after the show but has since met someone new

But the lifesaver pulled away, putting his arm between them as they talked.

This comes after the brunette beauty's disastrous on-screen romance with Anthony Manton, with viewers calling him out for being controlling and too aggressive.

Change of heart? Nadia and the hunky lifesaver appeared to be embroiled in a heated exchange
In the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, 19 January is a hallowed day, the feast of the Epiphany. I can still remember my grandmother Mounira telling her grandchildren memorable stories of the life of Coptic Christians in days bygone.

She was a natural and spontaneous storyteller, and the story of the Epiphany was one of the stories she used to tell. The Copts, according to Mounira, believe that Epiphany invariably falls on the coldest day of the year and it likewise is unfailingly drizzly.

At Epiphany many Copts used to flock to the Nile to immerse themselves in its cleansing waters at dawn. The freezing and shuddering peasants celebrated Epiphany in an arcane and mystical manner. The men revered the ceremony, and in a separate stretch of the river the women revelled in the venerable day.

Today, with the exception of remote rural enclaves this ancient ceremony has largely ceased. In urban settings, the spectacle would be unacceptable. Instead, the spiritual essence of Epiphany, the purification by the Holy Ghost and the submersion in the Spirit, predominates.

Epiphany is inextricably intertwined with water and with the baptism of Jesus Christ. All of us who desire the kingdom of God are, by the Lords decree, under an equal and rigorous necessity of seeking after the grace of baptism, declared St Basil. Epiphany among the Copts does not fall on the same day as for Christians in the West. The Western date of 6 January in the Julian calendar corresponds to 19 January in the Gregorian calendar.

Epiphany, however, is still associated with ritual bathing and cleansing. God sometimes takes us into troubled waters not to drown us but to cleanse us, one Coptic priest, Father Bishoi, told Al-Ahram Weekly.

Hence, Copts all over Egypt would once have headed for the waters of the River Nile in January, which roughly coincides with the traditional Coptic month of Kiahk. The name is derived from Ka Ha Ka, or Good of Good, a name of the ancient Egyptian sacred Apis Bull. Kiahk is the fourth month of the Coptic calendar and lies between 10 December and 8 January in the Gregorian calendar.

Epiphany is also the day on which the Christmas season ends and the Copts break their fast. Decorations are taken down from houses. Coptic Christians traditionally eat qolqass, or Egyptian potatoes, on Epiphany, a root crop eaten with a rich leafy soup. The meat broth is cooked with collard greens, and beef, mutton or lamb.

Al-Maghtas, baptism, or immersion in Arabic, is also the name of a place on the eastern bank of the River Jordan and the earliest place of worship in Christianity. Epiphany in the Eastern Churches commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ at this spot, with many seeking to emulate this each year during the feast.

The baptism of Jesus Christ took place by John the Baptist. Originally it was celebrated on Epiphany, which in the Western Churches typically commemorates the coming of the Magi.

The feast of the baptism of the Lord is one of the seven major feasts of the Coptic Orthodox Church, another Coptic priest, Father Antonios, told the Weekly. Even today, the Eastern Christian feast of the Theophany, celebrated on 6 January as a counterpart to the Western Christian feast of Epiphany, focuses primarily on the baptism of the Lord as the revelation of God to man.

In the Western churches, the nativity of Christ, or Christmas, falls on 25 December. The Coptic Orthodox Church, which belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of Churches, celebrates Christmas on 7 January, something which has been the case since the religious schism following the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE.

In Roman Catholicism, the baptism of Jesus is one of the Luminous Mysteries sometimes added to the Rosary. In Coptic Christianity, it is a Trinitarian feast, in reference to the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit of Christianity.

For mediaeval Christians, the baptism of Jesus Christ was a sacrament. His flesh blessed the water, and the descent of the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. The biblical gospels are not the only references to the baptisms performed by John, and in the Acts of the Apostles, the apostle Peter refers to how the ministry of Jesus followed the baptism which John preached.

Even if water is the symbolic manifestation of the Epiphany to Coptic Christians, the dove, too, is an emblem of the divine. Depictions of the baptismal scene thus typically portray the heavens opening and the Holy Spirit descending in the shape of a dove towards Jesus.

The gospel of Luke is explicit about the spirit of God, or the Holy Ghost, descending in the shape of a dove. The wording of Matthew is vague enough that it can be interpreted only to suggest that the descent was in the style of a dove. Although a variety of symbolisms were attached to doves at the time these passages were written, the dove imagery has become a symbol for the Holy Spirit in Christian art.

The Spirit descending like a dove is often interpreted as the moment when an individual feels that he or she fully understands spiritual principles, or has become conscious of something very important.

In the biblical gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke the depiction of baptism is presented in parallel passages. The accounts of Luke and Mark record a voice as addressing Jesus by saying You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, while in Matthew the voice addresses the crowd, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

St Johns Gospel is unique in that it is the only one which records that baptism was an important part of Jesuss public ministry. In John 3:22, the author records that Jesus baptised a large number of people, so much so that his ministry of baptism began to eclipse the ministry of John the Baptist.

Water and the Holy Spirit are the motifs or central themes of Epiphany in the New Testament and so are they too in Coptic Christianity.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper



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She gave birth to her first son Hayes just three weeks ago.

But that didn't stop Jessica Alba from treating herself to a shopping trip in West Hollywood on Friday.

The 36-year-old actress wrapped up warm for the occasion, banishing the chilly LA weather in a fluffy black beanie and matching coat.

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PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Jessica Alba wrapped up warm as she stepped out in the chilly LA weather after giving birth to her son Hayes just three weeks ago

Jessica went for a casual look as she braced the cold, walking out in a loose-fitting grey top and khaki trousers.

She returned from the Fred Segal shop wearing blue slip-on shoes, and she had a small red bag slung across one shoulder.

On Friday Jessica also shared an image where she was smiling as she breastfed her new son. She placed a large black heart over her chest for privacy.

Her caption read, 'Sitting at home - feeding baby boy having all the feels for @shanidarden thnx for pampering me - really loved my facial - feeling glowy and hydrated.'

Heart this: Jessica Alba seems to be enjoying being a mother again as she shared an image where she was smiling as she breastfed her new son on Friday

She did in fact look very glow as she posed makeup free with a jacket over a grey shirt and her lightened locks worn down.

Other stars who have posted breastfeeding shots include Gisele Bundchen and Jaime King.

This comes after the mogul had much-deserved spa day, which she documented on Instagram.

The Honest co-founder was her own best advert, as products from her own skincare line were used on her face.

When she was a baby: On Saturday, the biz wiz shared this image with her grandfather from 1981

Cutie: Hayes Warren, who she had with husband Cash Warren, is nearly three weeks old

'Postpartum facial': On Friday, Alba treated herself to a much-deserved spa day, which she documented on Instagram

In the clip, the Dear Eleanor star was seen resting on a massage bed, her glowing skin on full display.

'Guys, I'm gonna get a facial. Postpartum facial. I'm so excited. Getting pampered,' she told her followers.

Jessica also received a foot massage as well.

'Skin getting werked': In the clip, the Dear Eleanor star was seen resting on a massage bed, her glowing skin on full display

'Hooking me up': Jessica gave shout-outs to her pamper professionals - Nina (L) the foot massager and Shani Darden (R), her esthetician since 2008

On New Year's Day, the Pomona, California native announced that she welcomed her son on social media.

In the photo, the star's little one was seen sleeping soundly.

'Hayes Alba Warren 12/31/17 Best gift to ring in the New Year!! Cash and I feel so blessed. Haven and Honor are already obsessed with their new baby bro. #familyof5, she wrote.

Jessica is mom to daughters Honor, nine, and Haven, six.

The actress shares her three children with film producer husband, Warren, 39.

In May of this year, the two will celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary.
She has been dating her new beau since October and he has been a constant source of strength through her recent woes.

And it appears that Bella Thorne and rapper Mod Sun's relationship is going from strength-to-strength as he greeted her in Salt Lake City with a bouquet of red roses ahead of her appearance at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday.

The 20-year-old beauty - who is in Salt Lake City for her flick Assassination Nation -packed on the PDA with her other half moments after landing in Utah while clad in a burgundy velour onesie from Onepiece - a brand also loved by the Kardashians.

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Greetings: Bella Thorne and rapper Mod Sun's relationship is going from strength-to-strength as he greeted her in Salt Lake City with a bouquet of red roses ahead of her appearance at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday

Keeping her hood up, the Famous in Love actress work her flame-haired locks into a messy low bun while she donned a pair of oversized shades for her walk through the terminal.

The beauty layered her cosy-looking number over her white rollneck while stepping out in a pair of complementing trainers as she draped her Gucci travel bag over her shoulder.

Showcasing his eclectic style, 30-year-old Mod Sun was sure to command attention in a head-turning faux fur coat as he greeted his other half with a hug and kiss.

Mod - who's real name is Derek Smith - kept to his colourful fashion ways as he sported a pair of vibrant red loose-fitting trousers and complementing purple and green T-shirt.

Roses are red: The 20-year-old beauty packed on the PDA with her other half moments after landing in Utah while clad in a burgundy velour onesie from Onepiece

Low-key: Keeping her hood up, the Famous in Love actress work her flame-haired locks into a messy low bun while she donned a pair of oversized shades for her walk through the terminal

He covered his purple-hued hair with a yellow beanie which had a smiley face emblazoned across the front as he attempted to embrace Bella while going through the airport.

Currently on tour, Mod shared his excitement with being reunited with his other half and took to Insta Story to convey it.

He wrote: 'When u really find love it's not a feeling anymore. It takes a while to get to know how that s**t works but once u do, love becomes ur best personality trait + ur best quality. Trust will never arrive uninvited.

'Welcome that s**t into ur life with opens arms my hippy. Trust me I'm so happy + truly where I've longed to be. Thanks for this movie (sic).'

Ready: The beauty layered her cosy-looking number over her white rollneck while stepping out in a pair of complementing trainers as she draped her Gucci travel bag over her shoulder

Warming up: Showcasing his eclectic style, 30-year-old Mod Sun was sure to command attention in a head-turning faux fur coat

Sparks flew when Bella and Mod started dating in October 2017, with the couple going from strength to strength ever since.

Prior to the rapper, Bella has been romantically linked to Keeping Up With The Kardashians' Scott Disick and Mod's pal Blackbear.

Recently, Mod Sun defended Bella after her tweet about the deadly California mudslides - which led to her being publicly criticized by Rob Lowe.

Accusing actor Lowe of 'bullying', the rapper said Rob Lowe was 'being whack' and told him: 'Just be nice to one another man.'

Fresh faced: The star appeared fresh-faced as she arrived in the city

Affection: He greeted his other half with a hug and kiss

Signature style: He covered his purple-hued hair with a yellow beanie which had a smiley face emblazoned across the front as he attempted to embrace Bella while going through the airport

His comments, taken from a video posted on social media, came after Lowe roasted Bella on Instagram Thursday for complaining of her traffic troubles amid the mudslides that have left 17 dead, 43 missing and hundreds trapped inside their homes.

The My Own Worst Enemy actress took to her Twitter page Wednesday writing: 'F**k u 101 Barbara. I'm missing my boyfriend's first date on his tour.'

Shortly after Thorne's tone-deaf post, 53-year-old actor Lowe responded to the message saying: 'This attitude is why people hate celebrities/Hollywood. Bella, I'm sorry you were inconvenienced. We will try to move out our dead quicker.'

Rather quickly, comments flowed in about Thorne's message. One wrote: 'Her attitude of inconvenience over humanity is disgraceful.'

Love: Currently on tour, Mod shared his excitement with being reunited with his other half on Insta Story

New boo: The actress started dating rapper Mod Sun in late October

Bella has since deleted the post and apologised, tweeting: 'F*** just caught up on some news had no idea why the 101 was shut down...get home to your family safe.'

That didn't appease Lowe, who said sadly that some of his friends were among the victims, while writing on Instagram: 'More terrible stories of loss today. Friends missing, some gone forever. Pray for Montecito and know: EVERY day could be your last. Embrace that.'

Her low-key appearance comes after Bella thanked her fans for their support after she revealed that she was molested throughout her childhood.

The former Disney star posted a tearful video to Instagram last week, in which she encouraged fans sharing their own stories, telling them: 'I'm so proud of you guys.'

Under fire: Bella has since deleted the post and apologised, tweeting: 'F*** just caught up on some news had no idea why the 101 was shut down...get home to your family safe'

It came after she earlier posted a heartbreaking message on Instagram , revealing that being sexually abused was one of her earliest childhood memories.

After an outpouring of support, Bella told her fans: 'On Twitter I'm reading about all the people sharing their sexual abuse stories with me, from mine, and I just wanna say, I'm really proud of all you guys. It's such a... I'm really proud. Stay strong. Peace, I love you guys.'

In her initial declaration, Bella had described how the abuse began when she was a young child.

Trauma: Bella encouraged those fans sharing their own stories, telling them: 'I'm so proud of you guys'

Brave: Bella took to Instagram last week to further detail how she was molested as a child

'I was sexually abused and physically growing up from the day I can remember till I was 14,' she wrote, saying that at that age: 'I finally had the courage to lock my door at night and sit by it.'

She said she sat by the door: 'All damn night. Waiting for someone to take advantage of my life again. Over and over I waited for it to stop and finally it did.'

The actress shared her experience in support of the Time's Up campaign, following the outpouring of support for abused women at Sunday night's Golden Globes.

Said Bella: 'Some of us aren't as lucky to get out alive. Please today stand up for every soul Mistreated. #timesup.'
She admitted she piled on the pounds, gorging on McDonald's in the wake of her split with ex-boyfriend Stephen Bear.

But Charlotte Crosby showed off her newly-slim physique in a skin-tight red mini dress as she posed for a Valentine's Day themed photo shoot on Friday.

The 27-year-old former Geordie Shore star oozed confidence in the skimpy ensemble, proudly showcasing the results of her 5lb weight loss after overhauling her lifestyle earlier this month.

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Racy: Charlotte Crosby showed off her newly-slim physique in a skin-tight red mini dress as she posed for a Valentine's Day themed photo shoot on Friday

Charlotte opted to shun the cardinal legs-or-cleavage rule in favour of full on sex appeal as she posed up a storm for the camera.

Featuring a bandeau style tops and a criss-cross design at the bottom, the reality starlet left little to the imaginations in the perilously short dress.

She styled her dark brunette tresses in a sleek straight look and accentuated her deep golden tan with dramatic false eyelashes, bronzed cheeks and a muted brown lip.

The former Celebrity Big Brother winner added a boost to her height with a pair of slinky gold sandals.

Toned: The 27-year-old former Geordie Shore star oozed confidence in the skimpy ensemble, proudly showcasing the results of her 5lb weight loss

Killer curves: Charlotte opted to shun the cardinal legs-or-cleavage rule in favour of full on sex appeal as she posed up a storm for the camera

Skimpy:Featuring a bandeau style tops and a criss-cross design at the bottom, the reality starlet left little to the imaginations in the perilously short dress

The photo shoot comes after she unveiled the results of her early weight loss on Instagram, telling fans she lost five pounds in 12 days.

And fans rushed to compliment the star on her incredible new look, after she posted a snap of her new figure in the tight red mini dress.

Charlotte captioned the post: 'Shooting a very exciting valentines campaign with @inthestyle But being single ive decided to give you girls an early galentines gift from me!!'

Leggy: The former Celebrity Big Brother winner added a boost to her height with a pair of slinky gold sandals as she worked all angles with the photographer

Glam: She styled her dark brunette tresses in a sleek straight look and accentuated her deep golden tan with dramatic false eyelashes, bronzed cheeks and a muted brown lip

Lifestyle overhaul: It comes after the reality starlet unveiled the results of her early weight loss on Instagram, telling fans she lost five pounds in 12 days

Fans could not hold back their compliments for the stunning Geordie Shore star, with one saying she looked 'better than ever' in her new darker tresses.

Another wrote: 'Well looking beautiful' while a third commented: 'Red hot beauty.

While another gushed: 'Wow Char you look incredible.'

Jaw-dropping: Charlotte posted a snap from the sultry shoot on Friday

Gushing: Fans rushed to comment on Charlotte's snap on how amazing she looks, with one saying she looked 'better than ever'

The former Geordie Shore star recently admitted she wanted to 'shape up' following her split from Bear, speaking on This Morning about her plans for the future.

She said: 'You have to turn it into a positive, to look the best you can look to get back at them, so they are looking at you going "How did I let them go?'"

The TV personality also revealed she had undergone a secret boob job in November after online trolls cruelly labelled her breasts 'deformed'.

Charlotte is also no stranger to weight loss struggles, after unflattering bikini snaps in 2014 spurred the star to lose two-and-a-half stone and four dress sizes.

The beauty unveiled her new look in 2015 during an appearance on This Morning, after she admitted to drinking pints of Irish cream Baileys.

She said: 'I've changed my lifestyle to be healthier. I still drink but I've cut it down, I used to have pints of Baileys, I loved it.

'Before I didn't do any exercise. I did not want to go to gym, I felt intimidated as I didn't know what I was doing and I felt like people were staring at me.'
They were returning to the UK following an idyllic winter break in Iceland.

But at least Kelly Brook was excited about her company on Saturday, when she was seen staring intensely at boyfriend Jeremy Parisi with glee.

The former model was snapped as they waited for their transfers to a Long Stay Car Park at London's Gatwick airport, and Kelly couldn't have looked more gleeful.

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Excitable: Kelly Brook stared at her boyfriend Jeremy Parisi with great delight on Saturday, when they were seen arriving back in the UK following a winter break

Luckily, Kelly was dressed for the British chill in her snow boots and thick, padded jacket.

She wore a roll neck underneath her coat, and tied her hair back to display her pretty features.

Jeremy matched her casual vibe in jeans and a fur-lined jacket that kept him warm from the late night flight.

Ready and waiting: The duo were waiting for a transfer to the car park

Looking lovingly: The pair seemed to be in the midst of a cosy conversation

Cute duo: They have been happily loved up for more than two years now

All snowed out: Kelly was kitted out in snow boots and a padded jacket

Hopping on board; The duo hopped board with their baggage, ready to go home

Kelly was seen enjoying her scenic getaway in pictures she shared to Instagram on Friday.

Taking great delight in the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, the stunning brunette posted an array of envy-inducing snaps of her breathtakingly beautiful holiday, which featured a busty image of the star taking a steamy dip in a grand pool.

Pictured with her luscious locks in a slick bun, Kelly commanded attention with her garment's plunging necklace, which could be seen floating on the clear blue water.

Heading home: They didn't seem to bothered about heading home, because they were together

Relaxed: They looked completely at ease in one another's company

Late night: Their long stay came to an end after a late night flight

She opted for a fresh-faced appearance as she captioned the image: 'Washing all our Sins Away (sic).'

The Kent native went on to post a gushing snap with her partner, as the pair bundled up against Iceland's extremely chilly climes.

The model partially covered her glossy locks under a light pink beanie, while keeping warm in a black puffer coat.

Busty: Kelly Brook, 39, has lived up to her word to travel more as she is currently enjoying a scenic getaway in Iceland with her boyfriend as shared to Instagram on Friday

Cosy: The Kent native went on to post a gushing snap with her partner, as the pair bundled up against Iceland's extremely chilly climes

Still chic! The model partially covered her glossy locks under a light pink beanie, while keeping warm in a black puffer coat

Kelly - who has a fashion collection with her SimplyBe - also took to Instagram to share some cosy pictures of the pair relishing in mud masks.

The couple have been blissfully happy together since sparks flew when they first started dating in April 2015, and in November, the beauty divulged she would love to get married at the Savoy - despite the pair not being engaged.

When asked on Loose Women if she is now betrothed, Kelly responded: 'I'm not engaged, no. But I would love to marry my boyfriend. I'm waiting for him to ask me.'

As well as jetting off to France, the pair often spend time together at Kelly's 1million country pile in Kent which boasts of a 600-year-old apple farm where she grows her own vegetables.

Animated display: Kelly - who has a fashion collection with her SimplyBe - also took to Instagram to share some cosy pictures of the pair relishing in mud masks

Loved-up: The couple have been blissfully happy together since sparks flew when they first started dating in April 2015, and in November, the beauty divulged she would love to get married at the Savoy - despite the pair not being engaged

Earlier this week, Kelly showcased her curves in a simple black swimsuit for a social media snap, where she looked delighted while cuddling up to her hunky Italian beau as she revealed they were planning more romantic getaways for the following year.

'Sitting here planning Trips with my Bestie!! Cant wait to explore the world with you in 2018 @jeremyparisi,' a besotted Kelly captioned the snap.

The striking brunette couldn't have looked more happier in the loved-up image as she showcased her trim pins while leaning forward to nab a hug from Jeremy.

Her boyfriend looked every inch the hunk in a pair of dangerously short swim-shorts as he smiled the camera with his lady love in his arms.
She may have cut her teeth on BBC drama Darling Buds of May.

But Catherine Zeta-Jones, 48, is anything but darling now in her latest Hollywood role as her character indulges in hedonistic drug taking, a raunchy lesbian romp and murder in Lifetime movie Cocaine Godmother.

The Welsh actress stars as Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco - who ruled the Miami cocaine drug trade during the 1970s and early 1980s - in the sizzling TV movie.

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Like never before: Catherine Zeta Jones, 48, is anything but darling now in her latest Hollywood role as her character indulges in hedonistic drug taking, a raunchy lesbian romp and murder in Lifetime movie Cocaine Godmother

Setting pulses-racing in the biopic, the actress got hot and heavy several times with Blanco's female lover Carolina - who is played by Norwegian Jenny Pellicer - while clad in next to nothing.

In explosive stills from the flick - which was released on Saturday - Catherine can be seen passionately locking lips with her co-star while clad in a silk chemise as they lay in bed.

The steamy sex scene continued to up the ante as Catherine's love interest finds herself completely naked with a little fabric covering her modesty.

The film follows Griselda and Carolina's love affair which began after they met in a club while the drug boss was married and a mother of four young sons.

Racy: Setting pulses-racing in the biopic, the actress gets hot and heavy several times with Blanco's female lover Carolina - who is played by Norwegian Jenny Pellicer - while clad in next to nothing

Upping the ante: Catherine's new role takes a racy turn

Despite her being married, she fell in love with Carolina and the the couple continued their affair for several years, with Carolina even living with the family, until she died of a drugs overdose.

In another scene, Catherine's character is seen dousing a white substance over her cleavage as she seduces her first husband Alberto Bravo - played by Juan Pablo Espinosa.

Following her life, the biopic also showed how Blanco earned the nickname Cocaine Godmother as she shipped drugs from Medellin to the US through Miami.

The film also revealed how the ruthless businesswoman had her two husbands murdered while she showed her sons the ropes of her crime empire.

Little to imagination: The scene continues to up the ante as Catherine's love interest finds herself completely naked with a little fabric covering her modesty

Story: The film follows Griselda and Carolina's love affair which began after they met in a club while the drug boss was married and a mother of four young sons

Romance: The film follows Griselda and Carolina's love affair which began after they met in a club while the drug boss was married and a mother of four young sons

Love: Despite her being married, she fell in love with Carolina and the the couple continued their affair for several years, with Carolina even living with the family, until she died of a drugs overdose

Catherine transformed into Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco - who ruled the Miami cocaine drug trade during the 1970s and early 1980s - for the flick.

Griselda was a part of the popular HBO docu-series Cocaine Cowboys that documented the rise of the drug in Florida in the 1970s.

She was depicted as a violent, vain drug lord who killed anyone who stood in her way. It is believed she ordered the murders of 200 people in her lifetime.

She first dipped her toe into drug dealing when she was living in Queens, New York and then moved to Miami and staffed up.

Upping the ante: In another scene, Catherine's character is seen dousing a white substance over her cleavage as she seduces her first husband Alberto Bravo - played by Juan Pablo Espinosa

Going for it: Her character was clad in a pattern mini dress as the flick turned a sizzling corner

Getting hot: Catherine's character opened a bag and doused a white substance all over her

Life story: Following her life, the biopic also showed how Blanco earned the nickname Cocaine Godmother as she shipped drugs from Medellin to the US through Miami

She served ten years in an American prison before being deported back to Columbia - where she was gunned down outside a butcher's shop during a drive-by motorbike assassin in 2012.

Speaking about the role, Catherine told Deadline: 'I gained weight, I was hunched over. If I had balls, Id have grabbed them from time to time. I wanted to let it all hang out.

The Oscar winner added: 'She thought she was beautiful. She was the movie star starring in her own movie. She didnt give a s***.'

And the Chicago actress said she was happy to play someone who was so tough.

Taking no prisoners: The film also revealed how the ruthless businesswoman had her two husbands murdered while she showed her sons the ropes of her crime empire

Tough: Griselda was a part of the popular HBO docu-series Cocaine Cowboys that documented the rise of the drug in Florida in the 1970s

Violent: She was depicted as a violent, vain drug lord who killed anyone who stood in her way

Mercy: It is believed she ordered the murders of 200 people in her lifetime

She said: 'As women we get knocked down for being ambitious. I often wish we could take a little bit of that true ambition and be proud of it. I wouldnt be talking to you today if I didnt have an inherent ambition.

Adding: 'You make your own luck. Yes, there are people who help along the way, but weird enough, the harder I work, the luckier I get Take credit for yourself. The humble crap is good, but it gets boring.'

Catherine did not want to 'homogenize her or find a sympathetic quality' for the criminal.

'I dont think she had one. I applaud Lifetime and A+E. It would have been easy to rose-tint this story,' said Zeta-Jones.

Assassination: She served ten years in an American prison before being deported back to Columbia - where she was gunned down outside a butcher's shop during a drive-by motorbike assassin
Their reality star romance has been rocked by explosive exchanges, an ex-boyfriend and messy nights out.

But Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes looked stronger than ever when they touched down in London Gatwick on Friday as they are pictured for the first time in six weeks.

The feisty couple, who became known for their sizzling passion and heated rows on Love Island, celebrated their six-month anniversary with an Amsterdam getaway.

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Must be Love (Island): Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes celebrate their anniversary with party Amsterdam getaway as they are pictured together for the first time in SIX weeks on Friday

They were the picture of lovers in the early throes of love as Chris affectionately hand-fed his stunning lady love.

Glamorous Olivia ditched her sky-scraper heels for a pair of comfortable trainers as she made the journey home in the charming company of her man.

The reality star bundled up in a vibrant hoodie and a khaki print coat with a faux fur collar as she embraced the chilly conditions of the British capital after their getaway.

Brrrr-illiant time: The reality star bundled up in a vibrant hoodie and a khaki print coat with a faux fur collar as she embraced the chilly conditions of the British capital after their getaway

Food for thought: They were the picture of lovers in the early throes of love as Chris affectionately hand-fed his stunning lady love

While the ITV beauty tossed her golden locks into a messy bun, she did enhance her striking features with heavy strokes of make-up.

Hungry Chris indulged in a few sweets himself as he headed through the airport terminal alongside his beautiful girlfriend.

The Love Island hunk kept warm in his latest purchase, a grey hoodie from the party hotspot Amsterdam.

Keeping it casual: Glamorous Olivia ditched her sky-scraper heels for a pair of comfortable trainers as she made the journey home in the charming company of her man

Where is the Love (Island)? Despite falling in love on the reality series Love Island in front of hundreds of viewers, the couple have been lying low in recent weeks

Despite falling in love on the reality series Love Island in front of hundreds of viewers, the couple have been lying low in recent weeks.

And it was back to reality for the pair who had enjoyed some time away from their home just outside London.

It has been six weeks since they were pictured together putting on a united front at the Pia Mia X In The Style launch party at Tape, in London.

Can't get enough: The lovebirds enjoyed a romantic getaway to Amsterdam to celebrate their six months anniversary together

Glamorous as ever: While the ITV beauty tossed her golden locks into a messy bun, she did enhance her striking features with heavy strokes of make-up

Since then, the lovebirds enjoyed a romantic getaway to Amsterdam to celebrate their six months anniversary together.

Although Olivia and Chris shared a single Instagram shot of themselves on their own social media accounts, they didn't post any couple pictures.

Fresh from their romantic getaway, Olivia penned an affectionate note to her dashing suitor in her regular column with new! magazine.

Swamped! The glamorous reality star proved she was hands on as she toted their two carry-on suitcases as well as her handbag

Long time no see: It has been six weeks since they were pictured together putting on a united front at the Pia Mia X In The Style launch party at Tape, in London

The outspoken star discussed their relationship candidly as she admitted their relationship had been a 'wild ride'.

She penned: 'Chris and I have officially been together for six months this week and it's honestly been the fastest six months of my entire life.

'In some ways, I think it's been ages because of the amount that has happened in such a short space of time but at the same time I feel like I've blinked and here we are. But yeah, happy half-a-year anniversary - it's been a wild ride!'

He's a sweet-ie: Hungry Chris indulged in a few sweets himself as he headed through the airport terminal alongside his beautiful girlfriend

Flying by! Fresh from her holiday, Olivia assured her fans she had the time of her life the past six months with Chris in her latest column

In recent weeks, the Surrey born beauty confessed she did briefly 'take a break' from her beau after he was seen cuddling a mystery woman in a video.

Taking to her magazine column, Olivia addressed the incident that saw Chris with his arms wrapped around another party-goer during a night out.

Standing by her man, she wrote: 'He said he didn't kiss anyone so... I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt - this is his last shot.'

Shop until you drop: The Love Island hunk kept warm in his latest purchase, a grey hoodie from the party hotspot Amsterdam

Home time! It was back to reality for the pair who had enjoyed a few days abroad together away from their home

She's got a fabulous figure: The Love Island runner-up posed up a storm as she showcased her incredible physique in her form-fitting leggings

Proving inseparable: They were in high spirits as they shared a few jokes on the way home from their romantic getaway

Chris had publicly apologised to his co-star love on Twitter and admitted he 'couldn't remember' what happened after the video, obtained by The Sun, emerged online.

He said: 'I put my arms around a stranger which I should never have done, and I still dont know why but its a lesson learnt not to be a drunk t**t.

'All of us do things we shouldnt one time of another and do stupid s**t, but nothing escalated as it never would. Sometimes takes an incident to sharpen up in life. Just being a drunk d**k.'

Closer than ever: They proved they had gone from strength to strength despite the rocky side of their relationship in recent weeks

Look of Love (Island): The couple, who became known for their sizzling passion and heated rows on Love Island, celebrated their six-month anniversary with an Amsterdam getaway

It's fierce Love (Island): Their reality star romance has been rocked by explosive exchanges, an ex-boyfriend and messy nights out
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They were first romantically linked when they were spotted locking lips at their mutual friend Aaron Chalmers MMA fight in late December.

And now Charlotte Crosby, 27, and Joshua Ritchie, 23, packed on the PDA as they enjoyed a fun-filled evening together at Bijoux nightclub in Newcastle on Saturday.

The former Geordie Shore star - who split from ex Stephen Bear in October - looked care-free as she locked lips with the reality hunk while filming her new TV series.

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Tashing on: Charlotte Crosby, 27, and Joshua Ritchie, 23, packed on the PDA as they enjoyed a fun-filled evening together at Bijoux nightclub in Newcastle on Saturday

Unable to keep their hands off one another, Charlotte leaned in for a steamy smooch in her figure-flaunting mini dress as they relaxed on the venue's couches.

The MTV beauty held onto Joshua's neck and forearm as she kissed the hunky star, putting all her energy into commanding attention from him.

Leaving the venue later in the evening, she coyly held onto his Joshua's hand while showcasing her curves in her skintight stone-coloured suede thigh-grazer.

Her choice of ensemble managed to display her slender pins and amble cleavage as she left the nightclub barefoot.

Barefoot: Leaving the venue later in the evening, she coyly held onto his Joshua's hand while showcasing her curves in her skintight stone-coloured suede thigh-grazer

Locking lips: The former Geordie Shore star - who split from ex Stephen Bear in October - looked care-free as she locked lips with the reality hunk while filming her new TV series

World of their own: Unable to keep their hands off one another, Charlotte leaned in for a steamy smooch in her figure-flaunting mini dress as they relaxed on the venue's couches

Holding onto her YSL clutch bag, she accessorised her attire with a number of layered necklace and left her brunette locks in a soft curl while sporting her usual glamorous beauty look.

Welcoming her advances earlier in the evening, Joshua complemented her flesh-flashing look as he sported a khaki-coloured T-shirt and ripped skinny jeans. MailOnline have contacted Charlotte Crosby's rep for comment.

Earlier this month it appeared that Charlotte and Joshua were ready to go public with their new relationship as she shared a cosy snap of the couple on Instagram.

The reality star strongly hinted at their romance as she posted a steamy picture of her new squeeze shirtless to best show off his muscles and she emblazoned a neon love heart across the sexy snap.

Back in December, the hottest new couple were both first seen together when they attended the MMA fight to support their mutual friend.

Holding on: The MTV beauty held onto Joshua's neck and forearm as she kissed the hunky star, putting all her energy into commanding attention from him

Sealed with a kiss: The pair also enjoyed a passionate smooch in their party bus

Not wasting time: The pair couldn't keep away from each other as they kissed

On the Toon: They continued to passionately kiss as they made their exit for the night

Barefoot: Her choice of ensemble managed to display her slender pins and amble cleavage as she left the nightclub barefoot

Josh joined Aaron on the sixth series of Ex On The Beach, where viewers saw him vying for the affections of his former flame and TOWIE star Nicole Bass.

Meanwhile, Charlotte had starred alongside the hunk on Geordie Shore, before she quit the show before the summer of 2016 following her bitter break-up from on/off beau and Aaron's BFF Gary Beadle.

The Just The Tattoo Of Us star has been mending her heartache from her latest split from her turbulent on/off lover Stephen Bear.

Charlotte had brushed off her former flame's desperate attempt to ensnare her heart once again as she ignored his public declaration of love on Instagram.

The couple's 11-month romance came to a dramatic end in October, plagued by 'cheating' claims and Charlotte even feuding with Bear's family on Twitter.

Despite briefly rekindling their fiery romance, she vowed they had gone their separate ways for good when she appeared on television in early January.

The brunette bombshell claimed she has been spurred on to 'look her best' to 'get him back' with an envy-inducing revenge body following their split.

All in the details: Holding onto her YSL clutch bag, she accessorised her attire with a number of layered necklace

Mane attraction: She left her brunette locks in a soft curl while sporting her usual glamorous beauty look

It's in his jeans: Welcoming her advances earlier in the evening, Joshua complemented her flesh-flashing look as he sported a khaki-coloured T-shirt and ripped skinny jeans

Speaking on This Morning, she said: 'So we have broken up, unfortunately. Things weren't really working out. But I wish him the best of luck. I'm on the path of 2018 and who knows where that's gonna take us.

'I think you've got to turn it on its head to look the best that you can to get them back! Then they can look at you and say, "How could I let her go?".'

Her outing comes after she unveiled the results of her early weight loss on Instagram, telling fans she lost five pounds in 12 days.

And fans rushed to compliment the star on her incredible new look, after she posted a snap of her new figure in the tight red mini dress.

Charlotte captioned the post: 'Shooting a very exciting valentines campaign with @inthestyle But being single ive decided to give you girls an early galentines gift from me!!'

Fans could not hold back their compliments for the stunning Geordie Shore star, with one saying she looked 'better than ever' in her new darker tresses.

Ready? Earlier this month it appeared that Charlotte and Joshua were ready to go public with their new relationship as she shared a cosy snap of the couple on Instagram

Work it: The reality star strongly hinted at their romance as she posted a steamy picture of her new squeeze shirtless to best show off his muscles and she emblazoned a neon love heart across the sexy snap

Possibilities: Back in December, the hottest new couple were both first seen together when they attended the MMA fight to support their mutual friend

Ending: The Just The Tattoo Of Us star has been mending her heartache from her latest split from her turbulent on/off lover Stephen Bear

Another wrote: 'Well looking beautiful' while a third commented: 'Red hot beauty. While another gushed: 'Wow Char you look incredible.'

The former Geordie Shore star recently admitted she wanted to 'shape up' following her split from Bear, speaking on This Morning about her plans for the future.

She said: 'You have to turn it into a positive, to look the best you can look to get back at them, so they are looking at you going "How did I let them go?'"

The TV personality also revealed she had undergone a secret boob job in November after online trolls cruelly labelled her breasts 'deformed'.

Affections: Josh joined Aaron on the sixth series of Ex On The Beach, where viewers saw him vying for the affections of his former flame and TOWIE star Nicole Bass

In the past: Charlotte had brushed off her former flame's desperate attempt to ensnare her heart once again as she ignored his public declaration of love on Instagram

Charlotte is also no stranger to weight loss struggles, after unflattering bikini snaps in 2014 spurred the star to lose two-and-a-half stone and four dress sizes.

The beauty unveiled her new look in 2015 during an appearance on This Morning, after she admitted to drinking pints of Irish cream Baileys.

She said: 'I've changed my lifestyle to be healthier. I still drink but I've cut it down, I used to have pints of Baileys, I loved it.

'Before I didn't do any exercise. I did not want to go to gym, I felt intimidated as I didn't know what I was doing and I felt like people were staring at me.'
They have been bonding over their love of fashion during their romantic Paris break.

And fashion mogul Chloe Green and model Jeremy Meeks looked in the throes of love as they arrived hand-in-hand to a hair exhibition in the French capital on Sunday.

Their outing comes after the Topshop heiress, 26, and her Hot Felon beau, 33, have been blazing a trail around the most prolific designers' collections during Men's Fashion Week.

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Loved-up: Chloe Green and Jeremy Meeks looked in the throes of love as they arrived hand-in-hand to a hair exhibition in the French capital on Sunday

Chloe showed off her sartorial flair in a quilted black jacket and white knitted polo neck, which featured a blue and black design.

She paired the look with skinny grey jeans, military-style boots and a black cross-body bag, which she toted in her hand.

The former Made In Chelsea star styled her long brunette tresses in elegant waves and pinned half her hair up in a quiff.

She complemented her low-key look with deftly touches of make-up and large pearl earrings.

Passion for fashion: Their outing comes after the Topshop heiress, 26, and her Hot Felon beau, 33, have been blazing a trail around the most prolific designers' collections during Men's Fashion Week

Meanwhile, Jeremy cut a casual figure in a grey cardigan, black t-shirt and skinny jeans.

Clutching a large blue umbrella in one hand and Chloe in the other, the world famous model appeared to be eager to get out of the rain.

The pair have been enjoying a whirlwind tour of the city, heading to Cerruti's show on Friday before watching Balmain Homme Menswear Fall/Winter show on Saturday.

Revisiting his past: It is no surprise the lovebirds have flocked to Paris during Men's Fashion Week as Jeremy first official modelling appearance at New York Fashion Week in 2017

It is no surprise the lovebirds have flocked to Paris during Men's Fashion Week as Jeremy first official modelling appearance at New York Fashion Week in 2017.

They are caught up in a passionate whirlwind romance after they went public with their romance.

Chloe and Jeremy are said to have first set their eyes on each other at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2017, where the Hot Felon was modelling for Phillip Plein.

Romantic break: The pair have been enjoying a whirlwind tour of the city, heading to Cerruti's show on Friday before watching Balmain Homme Menswear Fall/Winter show on Saturday

While the couple enjoyed their first romantic Christmas together, they rang in the New Year with his eight-year-old son Jeremy Meeks Jr.

As he enjoys his romance with Chloe, Jeremy is also embroiled in ongoing divorce proceedings with estranged wife Melissa Meeks.

Meeks shot to fame in 2014 when his mug shot was posted by the Stockton Police Department after he was arrested on weapons charges amid a gang sweep.

The model was handed a prison sentence of 27 months in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, Chloe is a billionaire heiress and the daughter of the famous British tycoon Sir Phillip Green.
She previously denied that there was any romantic feelings between them after they were pictured kissing earlier this month.

And now on/off flame James 'Arg' Argent, 30, was pictured leaving Gemma Collins', 36, Essex abode early Friday morning on his moped.

The TOWIE star sported a low-key look for the outing, wrapping up in a green North Face jacket and donning a pair of navy joggers.

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Going somewhere? On/off flame James 'Arg' Argent, 30, was pictured leaving Gemma Collins', 36, Essex abode early Friday morning on his moped

Tackling the chilly temperatures, he slipped on a pair of thick black gloves as he whizzed around on his small light blue motorcycle.

The ITVBe star - who has starred on the much-loved reality show since 2010 - made sure to place his helmet on as began driving his moped from Gemma's home.

Although James made appearance, Gemma was nowhere to be seen as he sped away and continued with the rest of his day.

MailOnline have contacted Gemma Collins and James 'Arg' Argent's reps for comment.

No show: Gemma was nowhere to be seen during the early morning visit

Wrapped up: The TOWIE star sported a low-key look for the outing, wrapping up in a green North Face jacket and donning a pair of navy joggers

Learning: Tackling the chilly temperatures, he slipped on a pair of thick black gloves as he whizzed around on his small light blue motorcycle

Safety: The ITVBe star - who has starred on the much-loved reality show since 2010 - made sure to place his helmet on as began driving his moped from Gemma's home

Gemma has recently denied any speculation that the two are seeing each other as she films the upcoming series of Celebs Go Dating in Essex.

In November, Gemma was announced as one of the famous faces set to appear on the hit E4 reality favourite, but has since sent the rumour mill swirling after she was spotted kissing on/off again boyfriend James during a romantic getaway in Marbella.

Looking positively smitten, the TV pairing did not seem to care who was watching as they stopped in the street in a steamy clinch.

Bag it up: Arg left Gemma's home with what appeared to be a wash bag

Ready: Holding his keys in his hand, he made his way back to his moped

A representative for Gemma quickly shut down any relationship gossip with Arg, telling MailOnline: 'They are good friends, but nothing more.

'Arg is relocating to Spain and Gemma agreed to help him find a home as she knows the area well.'

Gemma and Arg have enjoyed an on/off relationship since they first started dating in 2012.

Yet Arg delighted TOWIE viewers by finally confessing his feelings for Gemma in the show's Christmas special.

Deny: Gemma has recently denied any speculation that the two are seeing each other as she films the upcoming series of Celebs Go Dating in Essex

Speculation: In November, Gemma was announced as one of the famous faces set to appear on the hit E4 reality favourite, but has since sent the rumour mill swirling after she was spotted kissing on/off again boyfriend James during a romantic getaway in Marbella

Smitten? Looking positively smitten, the TV pairing did not seem to care who was watching as they stopped in the street in a steamy clinch

With the potential romancing brewing, it could jeopardise the starlet's turn on Celebs Go Dating, as the whole premise of the show revolves around the famous names being single.

If the whispers of romance turn out to be true, the plus-size clothing pioneer could find herself booted off the show.

And it wouldn't be the first time - Just Tattoo of Us co-host Stephan Bear found himself uninvited to a single's mixer during the last week of the show and was unceremoniously sent packing after his secret relationship with Geordie Shore beauty Charlotte Crosby came to light in March.
She has always spoke publicly about her experience as a former member of the Church of Scientology.

And Leah Remini oozed confidence as she stepped out on the red carpet in a red floral gown at the Producers Guild Awards, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on Saturday.

The 47-year-old actress' appearance comes just days after sharing an open letter claiming her old religion was responsible for Oscar-winning screenwriter and producer Paul Haggis' sexual misconduct and assault allegations.

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Red hot! Leah Remini oozed confidence as she stepped out on the red carpet in a red floral gown at the Producers Guild Awards, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on Saturday

On Monday, Leah wrote a public letter with Mike Rinder stating: 'Those who accuse without going to law enforcement, those who seek hush money to keep their stories secret, those who make accusations to the media anonymously  they are suspect.'

The letter continued: 'And when the target of these tactics is someone who is a prominent critic of scientology, it is very suspect.'

Haggis has denied the claims, and all four women have denied being involved with the Church of Scientology.

But Remini and Rinder believe this lawsuit has been funded by their old religion.

Speaking out: The 47-year-old actress' appearance comes just days after sharing an open letter claiming her old religion was responsible for Oscar-winning screenwriter and producer Paul Haggis' sexual misconduct and assault allegations

Leah Remini (left) and Mike Rinder (right) say the Church of Scientology is behind the claims lodged against Haggis; The two are seen here in Beverly Hills on August 5

'We expect the next "revelations" about Paul Haggis in this campaign to destroy him to be based on information culled from his Scientology files in the form of more "anonymous" accusers, hiding behind a lawyer who will never have to disclose who is paying their bill,' the two wrote.

Haggis has denied all rape claims.

Remini, Rinder and Haggis are all prominent defectors from the Church of Scientology, who have gone on to speak their minds about the practices of the group.

Haggis left the group in 2009, after being a members for 35 years, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Remini left in 2013, and Rinder left in 2007.

Back in the day: Haggis has denied the claims, and all four women have denied being involved with the Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology Building is shown here at 4810 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles

Meanwhile, on the red carpet was pregnant Eva Longoria Baston glammed up bumping alongside Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.

The expecting 42-year-old - whose son with third husband Jose 'Pepe' Baston is due in May - donned a bell-sleeved LBD and stilettos selected by stylist Charlene E. Roxborough Konsker.

The glowing Golden Globe nominee rocked dramatic lashes, peach blush, and accessorized with a David Webb 18K gold 'Buckle' cuff and 'X' diamond bracelets.

Lovely ladies: Eva Longoria Baston (L) glammed up her burgeoning baby bump alongside Reese Witherspoon (M) and Kerry Washington (R) at the Producers Guild Awards in Beverly Hills on Saturday night

Eva - who boasts 17.3M social media followers - shared an Insta-story of her hairdresser pal Ken Paves coiffing her sleek ponytail extension for the red carpet.

Longoria also posted Insta-stories of herself mingling at the Beverly Hilton Hotel bash with famous gal pals Mary J. Blige, Tracee Ellis Ross, Reese, and Kerry.

It was hours after the Time's Up fundraiser spoke at the second annual Women's March in LA's Pershing Square.

'This march and this movement is far more ambitious in scope and scale and it extends beyond one political actor or even one political party,' the 'Texican' stunner said from the podium - according to CNN.

Baby on board! The expecting 42-year-old - whose son with third husband Jose 'Pepe' Baston is due in May - donned a bell-sleeved LBD and stilettos selected by stylist Charlene E. Roxborough Konsker

She's got that glow! The Golden Globe nominee rocked dramatic lashes, peach blush, and accessorized with a David Webb 18K gold 'Buckle' cuff and 'X' diamond bracelets

Glam squad: Eva - who boasts 17.3M social media followers - shared an Insta-story of her hairdresser pal Ken Paves (R) coiffing her sleek ponytail extension for the red carpet

Hey girl! Longoria also posted Insta-stories of herself mingling at the Beverly Hilton Hotel bash with famous gal pals Mary J. Blige (L), Tracee Ellis Ross (3-R), Reese (2-R), and Kerry (R)

'What we're calling for is sustainable and systematic change to the experience of women and girls in America. A change from fear and intimidation to respect. From pain and humiliation to safety and dignity. From marginalization to equal pay and representation.'

On Friday, Eva did her part stepping behind the camera and wrapping her second episode of ABC sitcom Black-ish - titled 'North Star' - which airs later this year.

Acting-wise, Longoria will next play Theresa in Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg's 2018 remake of the 1987 amnesia comedy Overboard, which hits US theaters on April 20.

'#DirectorMode': On Friday, the 'Texican' stunner did her part stepping behind the camera and wrapping her second episode of ABC sitcom Black-ish - titled 'North Star' - which airs later this year

With castmate Anna Faris (L): Acting-wise, Longoria will next play Theresa in Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg's 2018 remake of the 1987 amnesia comedy Overboard, which hits US theaters on April 20

Oscar-winning Witherspoon, 41; sparkled in a sheer nude short-sleeved creation and a pair of ornate red velvet Chloe Gosselin heels selected by her stylist Leslie Fremar.

Golden Globe-nominated Washington - turning 41 this month - also went sheer in a floral Paolo Sebastian dress and gold Louboutin heels selected by Joseph Cassell Falconer.

Grammy-winning Mary, 47; flaunted her cleavage in a mustard belted Elie Saab gown selected by 'image architect' Law Roach.

The 45-year-old daughter of Diana Ross opted for an orange Tory Burch frock, Twilight alum Nikki Reed suited up in coral, and Scientology and the Aftermath's Leah Remini wore a red-lacy floral gown.

Fancy feet: Oscar-winning Witherspoon, 41; sparkled in a sheer nude short-sleeved creation and a pair of ornate red velvet Chloe Gosselin heels selected by her stylist Leslie Fremar

Werk! Grammy-winning Mary, 47; flaunted her cleavage in a mustard belted Elie Saab gown selected by 'image architect' Law Roach

Bold shades: The 45-year-old daughter of Diana Ross (L) opted for an orange Tory Burch frock, Twilight alum Nikki Reed (M) suited up in coral

Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig looked gorgeous in an emerald-green shrug Monse gown, Nikos Koulis jewels, and Roger Vivier stilettos selected by stylist Cristina Ehrlich.

While getting glam, the 34-year-old Golden Globe winner's make-up artist Jenn Streicher shared a behind-the-scenes snap of her squad.

Visionary Award winner Ava DuVernay, I Tonya's Margot Robbie, and Get Out's Allison Williams all wore not-so-basic black ensembles for the red carpet ceremony.

Also in matching black gowns were Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins and her superstar muse Gal Gadot wearing sparkly Giorgio Armani with Gianvito Rossi stilettos.

Slinky: Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig looked gorgeous in an emerald-green shrug Monse gown, Nikos Koulis jewels, and Roger Vivier stilettos selected by stylist Cristina Ehrlich

Ebony: Visionary Award winner Ava DuVernay (L), I Tonya's Margot Robbie (M), and Get Out's Allison Williams (R) all wore not-so-basic black ensembles for the red carpet ceremony.

Twinning: Also in matching black gowns were Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins (L) and her superstar muse Gal Gadot (R) wearing sparkly Giorgio Armani with Gianvito Rossi stilettos

Get Out's Bradley Whitford and Daniel Kaluuya looked dapper in their tuxedos alongside their filmmaker Jordan Peele.

The 38-year-old comedian gave the legendary producer Norman Lear a big bear hug after being presented with the Stanley Kramer Award for his impressive directorial debut.

The Big Sick's Holly Hunter easily defied her 59 years in a bicep-flashing full-skirted cocktail dress and gave her 5ft2in stature a boost in peep-toe platforms.

Blindspot beauty Jaimie Alexander won the award for most dramatic ball gown - a black-and-navy Christian Siriano creation - selected by stylist Kemal Harris.

Gents: Get Out's Bradley Whitford (L) and Daniel Kaluuya (M) looked dapper in their tuxedos alongside their filmmaker Jordan Peele (R)

Icon: The 38-year-old comedian (L) gave the legendary producer Norman Lear (R) a big bear hug after being presented with the Stanley Kramer Award for his impressive directorial debut

Oscar winner: The Big Sick's Holly Hunter easily defied her 59 years in a bicep-flashing full-skirted cocktail dress and gave her 5ft2in stature a boost in peep-toe platforms

Making an entrance! Blindspot beauty Jaimie Alexander won the award for most dramatic ball gown - a black-and-navy Christian Siriano creation - selected by stylist Kemal Harris

'#chic': The South Carolina-born 33-year-old's epic frock was so voluminous it took up the entire car on the way to the venue

The South Carolina-born 33-year-old's epic frock was so voluminous it took up the entire car on the way to the venue.

Other gentlemen suited up for the ceremony were The Expanse's Thomas Jane, Golden Globe nominee Timothee Chalamet, and Stranger Things' David Harbour.

The 22-year-old presenter managed to star in two of the biggest hits of last year - Lady Bird and Call Me by Your Name.

Coupled off at the PGAs were producer Judd Apatow with wife Leslie Mann as well as The Big Sick's Kumail Nanjiani and wife Emily V. Gordon.

Dapper dudes: Other gentlemen suited up for the ceremony were The Expanse's Thomas Jane (L), Golden Globe nominee Timothee Chalamet (M), and Stranger Things' David Harbour (R)

It Boy: The 22-year-old presenter managed to star in two of the biggest hits of last year - Lady Bird and Call Me by Your Name

Two pairs: Coupled off at the PGAs were producer Judd Apatow (2-L) with wife Leslie Mann (L) as well as The Big Sick's Kumail Nanjiani (2-R) and wife Emily V. Gordon (R)

Lady in red: The 45-year-old Oscar winner - who's engaged to Murphy's producing partner Brad Falchuk - bared her arms in a crimson gown selected by stylist Elizabeth Saltzman

Spider-Man: Homecoming's Gwyneth Paltrow turned up to present her Glee creator Ryan Murphy with the Norman Lear Achievement Award in TV.

The 45-year-old Oscar winner - who's engaged to Murphy's producing partner Brad Falchuk - bared her arms in a red gown selected by stylist Elizabeth Saltzman.

Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks was on hand to introduce a clip from The Post, which marked his fifth collaboration with director Steven Spielberg.

Talented trio: Other attendees included Fantastic Beasts' Alison Sudol (L) in white, SMILF creator Frankie Shaw (M) wearing sneakers, and Three Billboards' Abbie Cornish (R) in black

Bye Felicia! Noticeably missing from the festivities was disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, whom the guild 'banned for life' on October 30 after over 100 women accused him of sexual misconduct (M, pictured in 2012)

Other attendees included Fantastic Beasts' Alison Sudol in white, SMILF creator Frankie Shaw wearing sneakers, and Three Billboards' Abbie Cornish in black.

Noticeably missing from the festivities was disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, whom the guild 'banned for life' on October 30 after over 100 women accused him of sexual misconduct.

The 65-year-old producer is now the subject of around 14 sexual assault investigations in four different cities and both his career and marriage have ended.

Statement of the Church of Scientology

The Church has never met the women in this case nor their attorneys and knows nothing about the accusations against Haggis other than what has appeared in press reports and public court documents. Remini and Rinder fail to mention that plaintiff Haleigh Breests court papers definitively state that Ms. Breest has nothing to do with Scientology. Furthermore, the three additional women making allegations against Haggis are all on record to the Associated Press as stating that they are not Scientologists  as if an alleged rape victims religion should matter  and that these allegations have nothing to do with the Church.
Egypt condemned the deadly terrorist attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in the Afghan capital of Kabul which killed at least 18 people on Saturday.

A statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry affirmed that "the Egyptian government and people stand in solidarity with their counterparts in Afghanistan in the face of terrorism."

The Afghan interior ministry said on Sunday that at least 18 people were killed, including 14 foreign nationals, when at least five suicide bombers stormed the six-storey luxury hotel overlooking the city.



However, a senior Afghan security official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the death toll was over 30 and might climb higher. The dead included hotel staff and guests as well as members of the security forces who fought the attackers.

All five attackers were also killed, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said.

The raid was the latest in a series of attacks that have underlined the city's vulnerability and the ability of militants to mount high-profile operations aimed at undermining confidence in the Western-backed government.

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She was outspoken on her attitude towards the allegations lodged against James Franco in Hollywood this month.

But Sharon Osbourne wasn't blending into the shadows on Saturday, when she showed off her bold new flame-red hair in Hollywood.

Seen enjoying lunch with her husband Ozzy, 69, the TV personality faced the controversy head on.

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Smitten Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne headed out for lunch together in West Hollywood after she publicly defended James Franco

Sharon aired her views publicly last week, in the midst of allegations of sexual misconduct, and insisted that he should be allowed to go to the Oscars.

'F*ck off, he's the best. Are you kidding? So what?' she said. 'What has he done? He's done nothing,' she told The Blast.

But the wife of Ozzy was not convinced: 'So what if he got his d*ck out in a car? Big deal.'

As for the Academy Awards on March 4, she even suggested: 'He should go with his d*ck out.

A total of five women have now accused him of sexual misconduct or abuse of power, including four student-actors he worked with at Studio 4 and Playhouse West, who claim the Oscar-nominee pressured women both on set and in class to perform topless or even completely nude.

Red alert: It was Sharon who stole the show though, as her bright cherry-red hair was certainly the highlight of both their ensembles

Misconduct? A total of five women have now accused James Franco of sexual misconduct or abuse of power, including four student-actors he worked with at Studio 4 and Playhouse West, who claim the Oscar-nominee pressured women both on set and in class to perform topless or even completely nude

Contoversy-wise, the heat seemed to be off Sharon and Ozzy, who have recently renewed their marriage vows after he won her love back despite having six affairs.

And things seem to be going strong for the duo as they were seen out on a lunch date on Saturday.

The pair were dressed casually for the occasion, with Sharon opting for a loose unbuttoned khaki green shirt over a black top and suit trousers.

Ozzy, meanwhile, went for a deep blue theme as he wore a long navy plaid jacket over blue jeans and a dark top.

It was Sharon who stole the show though with her bright cherry-red hair which was certainly the highlight of both their ensembles.

Her fiery red locks stood out even as she stood next to a red backdrop, while Ozzy wore his signature brown locks down past his shoulders.

During a new episode of the show 'Ozzy and Jack's World Detour', Sharon appears besotted with her husband as they join their son, 32 and his wife Lisa, along with their grandchildren Pearl and Andy Rose, on the idyllic getaway in Hawaii.



The X Factor judge returned to the tropical island with her husband during the episode - which marks the picturesque setting where they first tied the knot in July 1982.

Love is in the air: During a new episode of the show 'Ozzy and Jack's World Detour', Sharon appears besotted with her husband

Fond memories: The X Factor judge returned to the tropical island with her husband during the episode - which marks the picturesque setting where they first tied the knot in July 1982

With romance clearly still in the air, the pair are seen cuddling and kissing each other multiple times for the camera - proving to be more united than ever.

The family decided to go on holiday to mark the end of the father and son's cross-country trip from Florida to Alaska for the show.

Packing on the PDA during the episode, Ozzy and Sharon proved to be very close again and back on track - following their brief split in May 2016.

Ozzy moved out the family home when the news of his affair with celebrity stylist Michelle Pugh, 46, broke.

Holiday away: They joined their son, 32 and his wife Lisa, along with their grandchildren Pearl and Andy Rose, on the idyllic getaway in Hawaii

In September, Sharon then revealed her husband had cheated on her six times, with 'some Russian teenager', a masseuse in England, their own masseuse in the States, and their cook.

Despite their turbulent past, the pair clearly still had a lot of love for one another as they went on to renew their wedding vows last May.

Sharon told the US chat show The Talk at the time: 'Ozzy has asked me to renew our wedding vows and Id like to. Im happy, and to be honest thats all I want for Christmas this year.'

Break up: Ozzy moved out the family home when news of his affair with celebrity stylist Michelle Pugh, 46, broke, and in September Sharon revealed he had cheated on her six times

She added: 'I fell out of love with my husband and then fell back in again. I did (fall out of love) somewhere along the way, because thirty five years with someone is a hell of a long time.'

When asked what made her fall in love with her husband again, she responded: 'Probably really just months ago, because he was trying so hard to be a better person.'

She continues: 'His effort was way more important to me than the results.'

It was reported that Ozzy also showered her with gifts in a bid to win back her affection, including a new dazzling diamond wedding ring.
She may be the daughter of original Nineties supermodel Cindy Crawford, but Kaia Gerber has been busy carving out her own career in the fashion industry.

The 16-year-old catwalk star cemented her sartorial credentials in a chic crocodile-skin trench-coat dress on Sunday, as she stepped out during Men's Paris Fashion Week.

The trendy teenager was flanked by her age-defying mum Cindy, 51, who flaunted her lithe limbs in a stylish pleated dress as they arrived at the Azzedine Alaia: Je Suis Couturier exhibition.

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Genetically blessed: Cindy Crawford, 51, joined daughter Kaia Gerber, 16, at the Alaia exhibition during Paris Fashion Week on Sunday evening

Like mother, like daughter: Kaia (left) flaunted her lithe limbs in a chic trench coat as she accompanied her supermodel mother Cindy (right)

Kaia, who has been cultivating a grungy Nineties-inspired sense of style, proved she can dress up too as she rocked the chic monochrome look.

Boosting her already statuesque frame, the rising model rocked a pair of vertiginous black patent ankle boots.

Styling her glossy raven tresses in polished waves, Kaia showcased her striking bone structure with minimal make-up.

Cindy, meanwhile, took centre-stage in a stretch-knit Alaia dress featuring a drop-hem skirt boasting the late designer's signature pleats.

Looking good: The 16-year-old catwalk star cemented her sartorial credentials in a chic crocodile-skin trench-coat dress on Sunday

Killer footwear: Boosting her already statuesque frame, the rising model rocked a pair of vertiginous black patent ankle boots

Mane attraction: Styling her glossy raven tresses in polished waves, Kaia showcased her striking bone structure with minimal make-up

She injected a dose of sex appeal to the statement dress with caged lattice heels and wrapped up in an opulent leopard-print coat.

The pair, who touched down in Paris with Kaia's older model brother Presley, seemed in relaxed spirits as they headed to the Alaia showroom for the exhibition.

The collection will include approximately 38 pieces of Alaia from the 1980s to today, all in black and white.

Sartorial chameleon: Kaia, who has been cultivating a grungy Nineties-inspired look (pictured right, on Saturday), proved she can dress up too as she rocked the chic monochrome ensemble

Tell me about it stud: The brunette beauty accessorised with a chic studded bag and matching boots

The mother and daughter duo are in town for Men's Fashion Week 2018, which kicked off on Wednesday and will wrap up on Sunday.

Kaia will no doubt be back in the city of love in February as Women's Paris Fashion Week 2018 runs from Tuesday February 27 to Tuesday March 6.

Descendant from fashion royalty, Kaia has began to carve her own path in the modelling world.

The rising star made her catwalk debut during New York Fashion Week in September 2017 after she rang in her 16th birthday.

Here she comes: Cindy, meanwhile, took centre-stage in a stretch-knit Alaia dress featuring a drop-hem skirt boasting the late designer's signature pleats

Stunning: She injected a dose of sex appeal to the statement dress with caged lattice heels and wrapped up in an opulent leopard-print coat

Having fun? The mother-of-two appeared to be in good spirits as she left her hotel with Kaia

Kaia has already walked down glamorous runways for Chanel, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent and Isabel Marant.

The model also landed her first solo edition of the French fashion bible at the tender age of 16 while her mother had secured her first Vogue cover aged 20 in 1986.

It is no surprise that the American beauty has picked up a number of style tips from her famous mother.

'I'm so happy for Kaia and tell her there are no beauty secrets but she needs to remember to take off her make-up before she goes to bed each night,' Cindy told People in December.

Family affair: The pair, who touched down in Paris with Kaia's older model brother Presley, seemed in relaxed spirits as they headed to the Alaia showroom for the exhibition

Tribute: The collection will include approximately 38 pieces of Alaia from the 1980s to today, all in black and white
Catherine Zeta-Jones is rejoicing in the success of her new movie Cocaine Godmother, which debuted Saturday evening on Lifetime.

And on Saturday the actress told E! online that it was a pleasure to play the drug lord who was a feared drug lord and mother of four kids.

The wife of Michael Douglas said she had to play the Colombian murdered because she got under her skin.' The Oscar winner also said that she had the 'best time' with the project.

Happy lady: Catherine Zeta-Jones is rejoicing in the success of her new movie Cocaine Godmother, which debuted Saturday evening on Lifetime

Upping the ante: And on Saturday the actress told E! online that it was a pleasure to play the drug lord who was a feared drug lord and mother of four kids

Her take: The wife of Michael Douglas said she had to play the Colombian murdered because she got under her skin.' The Oscar winner also said that she had the 'best time' with the project

'When you say we know the story, we don't really.

'For me, three and a half years ago, I saw a documentary called Cocaine Cowboys and there were many stop-starts, connotations, different projects with me playing Griselda.

'And this woman got under my skin. Got under my skin because I knew she would be so fantastic to play. I mean, morally, everything this woman did and stood for is so the polar opposite of what I believe in and who I am. And of course, this wouldn't necessarily have my name written all over it...and that's what made it so amazing.'

Little to imagination: 'When you say we know the story, we don't really. For me, three and a half years ago, I saw a documentary called Cocaine Cowboys and there were many stop-starts, connotations, different projects with me playing Griselda,' she said

The Welsh wonder also said: 'This woman was the kingpin. She was revered and feared by very dangerous men in a very, dangerous time in Miami in the '70s at the height of the drug trading...One would think...she would be on the tips of everyone's lips, like, Oh, remember that woman? And the fact that she was a woman makes it even more fascinating.

'So I couldn't let it go until I played her and I had the best time doing it.

'Of all the people, you'd think I'd want to let this one go now. I feel kind of sad that it's coming to the end and coming out now. It's like my baby. "Off you go, Griselda. See you never, I guess."

Memorable: The Welsh wonder also said: 'This woman was the kingpin. She was revered and feared by very dangerous men in a very, dangerous time in Miami in the '70s at the height of the drug trading...One would think...she would be on the tips of everyone's lips, like, Oh, remember that woman?

Hard to say bye: 'Of all the people, you'd think I'd want to let this one go now. I feel kind of sad that it's coming to the end and coming out now. It's like my baby. "Off you go, Griselda. See you never, I guess,"' she says

Proud: She added, 'Anyway, it was the four weeks of shooting that reminded me that I love acting and this is why I wanted to be an actor'

'Anyway, it was the four weeks of shooting that reminded me that I love acting and this is why I wanted to be an actor.'

She also said she's happy Lifetime agreed to it.

'What I do applaud them for is taking a woman like Griselda, who is not like you said, the quintessential what people who don't watch Lifetime have a preconception of, but making her as a woman, warts and all.

'She's a woman. You many not like her. You may not agree with what she did or what she does or how she approached things, but for sure, she's one hell of a woman. If anything, the one thing that I do admire in Griselda is that she kicked ass in a man's world. She really did.

Love: Despite her being married, she fell in love with Carolina and the the couple continued their affair for several years, with Carolina even living with the family, until she died of a drugs overdose

'Not everyone has to go out there and do drive-by shootings. Let's not take her as the classic role model, I would not suggest that. But you have to applaud the drive and determination. You have to.'

In the movie, she plays the Colombian drug lord Griselda - who ruled the Miami cocaine drug trade during the 1970s and early 1980s - with zeal, which surely will win her an Emmy nomination.

Setting pulses-racing in the biopic, the actress got hot and heavy several times with Blanco's female lover Carolina - who is played by Norwegian Jenny Pellicer - while clad in next to nothing.

Victory: She also said she's happy Lifetime agreed to it. 'What I do applaud them for is taking a woman like Griselda, who is not like you said, the quintessential what people who don't watch Lifetime have a preconception of, but making her as a woman, warts and all'; seen on Thursday

She had good looks: Griselda in her youth; her mother forced her into prostitution at age eight

Later in life: As a drug kingpin who beat up her first husband and killed the two others

In explosive stills from the flick Catherine can be seen passionately locking lips with her co-star while clad in a silk chemise as they lay in bed.

The steamy sex scene continued to up the ante as Catherine's love interest finds herself completely naked with a little fabric covering her modesty.

The film follows Griselda and Carolina's love affair which began after they met in a club while the drug boss was married and a mother of four young sons.

Despite her being married, she fell in love with Carolina and the the couple continued their affair for several years, with Carolina even living with the family, until she died of a drugs overdose.

In another scene, Catherine's character is seen dousing a white substance over her cleavage as she seduces her first husband Alberto Bravo - played by Juan Pablo Espinosa.

Like never before: She has sex with a drug dealer after they agreed to work together

Following her life, the biopic also showed Blanco beating up her first husband, killing her second husband and ordering the murder of her third husband.

She was the nickname Cocaine Godmother as she shipped drugs from Medellin to the US through Miami.

Griselda was a part of the popular HBO docu-series Cocaine Cowboys that documented the rise of the drug in Florida in the 1970s.

She was depicted as a violent, vain drug lord who killed anyone who stood in her way. It is believed she ordered the murders of 200 people in her lifetime.

The criminal - who was forced into prostitution at age eight by her mother - first dipped her toe into drug dealing when she was living in Queens, New York and then moved to Miami and staffed up.

Upping the ante: She tells the man she will hire models to carry cocaine in their bras

Going for it: Her character was clad in a pattern mini dress as the flick turned a sizzling corner

Getting hot: Catherine's character opened a bag and doused a white substance all over her

Life story: Following her life, the biopic also showed how Blanco earned the nickname Cocaine Godmother as she shipped drugs from Medellin to the US through Miami

She served 10 years in an American prison before being deported back to Colombia - where she was gunned down outside a butcher's shop during a drive-by motorbike assassin in 2012.

Speaking about the role, Catherine told Deadline: 'I gained weight, I was hunched over. If I had balls, Id have grabbed them from time to time. I wanted to let it all hang out.

The Oscar winner added: 'She thought she was beautiful. She was the movie star starring in her own movie. She didnt give a s***.'

And the Chicago actress said she was happy to play someone who was so tough.

Taking no prisoners: The film also revealed how the ruthless businesswoman had her two husbands murdered while she showed her sons the ropes of her crime empire

Tough: Griselda was a part of the popular HBO docu-series Cocaine Cowboys that documented the rise of the drug in Florida in the 1970s

Violent: She was depicted as a violent, vain drug lord who killed anyone who stood in her way

Mercy: It is believed she ordered the murders of 200 people in her lifetime

She said: 'As women we get knocked down for being ambitious. I often wish we could take a little bit of that true ambition and be proud of it. I wouldnt be talking to you today if I didnt have an inherent ambition.'

She added: 'You make your own luck. Yes, there are people who help along the way, but weird enough, the harder I work, the luckier I get Take credit for yourself. The humble crap is good, but it gets boring.'

Catherine did not want to 'homogenize her or find a sympathetic quality' for the criminal.

Assassination: She served ten years in an American prison before being deported back to Columbia - where she was gunned down outside a butcher's shop during a drive-by motorbike assassin
She announced her engagement to long-term beau Jonny Owen at the end of December.

And still on cloud nine from his romantic Christmas Day proposal, Vicky McClure was positively glowing as she took to the FROW at Paris Fashion Week Men's for the Paul Smith showcase on Sunday.

The Line of Duty star, 34, cut a chic figure as she took her seat by the runway, sporting a burgundy velvet two-piece suit, while rubbing shoulders with fellow actress Maxine Peake.

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Cloud nine: Newly engaged Vicky McClure was positively glowing as she took to the FROW at Paris Fashion Week Men's for the Paul Smith (pictured above) showcase on Sunday

Vicky looked nothing but stylish for the fashion event, as she channeled an androgynous look that paired together a matching tailored blazer jacket and high-waisted trousers.

The beauty teamed her suit with a grey roll-neck underneath and favoured for pristine white trainer-style shoes on her feet.

She accessorised her getup with a pair of gold hoop earrings and wore her cropped locks into a voluminous swept back style, while favouring a subtle yet flawless make-up look that accentuated her natural features.

While sipping on champagne at the show, as she mingled with a slew of other stars, Vicky was seen flaunting her new diamond engagement ring that sat pretty on her wedding finger.

Chic: The Line of Duty star, 34, cut a chic figure as she took her seat by the runway, sporting a burgundy velvet two-piece suit, while rubbing shoulders with fellow actress Maxine Peake

Set to wed: While sipping on champagne at the show, as she mingled with a slew of other stars, Vicky (pictured above with Fenn O'Meally) was seen flaunting her new diamond engagement ring that sat pretty on her wedding finger

She confirmed her engagement three weeks ago, revealing on Instagram that her boyfriend Jonny had popped the question over breakfast on Christmas Day - the duo had spent their first morning together on Christmas Day, with Jonny taking the moment to ask Vicky to marry him during a romantic stroll in Nottingham.

New accessory: She announced her engagement to long-term beau Jonny Owen at the end of December

Posing with her new fiance while sporting her ring and a beaming smile on her face, Vicky simply penned: ''YESSSSSSSSS!!!!'

She then opened up about the proposal to the Nottingham Post, telling the publication: 'We stayed at home for the first time together on Christmas Eve so had Christmas morning together.

'He popped the question over a cup of tea - we moved onto the bubbles by 8.30am.'

Vicky and actor and producer Jonny met while filming his film Svengali in 2012. The pair have appeared together on-screen when Jonny took on the role of Taff in This is England 90.

Stylish: No doubt still celebrating her happy news, Vicky appeared in high spirits as she joined actress Maxine, 43, at the Paul Smith & Malgosia Bela AW18 lunch in Paris

Vibrant: Maxine stunned in a striped floor-length dress that boasted a brightly-coloured design and nipped in at the waist to highlight her svelte frame

No doubt still celebrating her happy news, Vicky appeared in high spirits as she joined actress Maxine, 43, at the Paul Smith & Malgosia Bela AW18 lunch in Paris.

Maxine, meanwhile, stunned in a striped floor-length dress that boasted a brightly-coloured design and nipped in at the waist to highlight her svelte frame.

She teamed her frock, that billowed out around her legs thanks to its layered skirt, with a pair of contrasting boot heels and made sure to match her make-up look to her attire.

Maxine sported a striking green hue around her eyes and added a slick of red lipstick to her lips. She pinned her tightly-curled blonde locks back from her face into a tousled up-do, leaving a few tendrils loose to frame her face.

Star-studded: Joining Maxine and Vicky at Paris Fashion Week Men's had been designer Paul Smith (above) and One Direction star Niall Horan (R)

Dapper: Niall was suited and booted for the occasion in a checked suit, with a white shirt underneath

Award-winning actress Maxine has recently appeared in Netflix series Black Mirror and had starred in harrowing BBC drama Three Girls last year - based on the true story of those who were groomed and abused in Rochdale between 2005 and 2012.

The scandal led to the conviction of nine Asian men for sexually abusing white teenage girls. But the victims were initially ignored by local police and council staff for years.

Maxine had played Sara Rowbotham in the series; the social worker who courageously exposed the Rochdale scandal.

Pals: He was seen rubbing shoulders with Tinie Tempah at the menswear event

Suave: The One Direction star appeared in high spirits as he took his seat on the FROW

Retro: Tinie made sure to don a quirky pair of shades for the occasion

Stopping by: Downtown Abbey actress Laura Carmichael was also in attendance, along with her former co-star and British actor Michael Fox

Joining Maxine and Vicky at Paris Fashion Week Men's had been designer Paul Smith and One Direction star Niall Horan.

Niall was suited and booted for the occasion in a checked suit, with a white shirt underneath, and was seen posing alongside Tinie Tempah at the event.

Downtown Abbey actress Laura Carmichael was also in attendance, along with her former co-star and British actor Michael Fox.

Cool and collected: Rapper Tinie cut a cool figure in a checked blazer and pink roll-neck
She announced her decision to leave Coronation Street at the beginning of December, following seven years on the ITV soap.

But before she makes her onscreen exit, Catherine Tyldesley will join her co-stars at the National Television Awards and ensuring she looks her best for the night, she was seen paying a visit to dress designer Zeynep Kartal in Manchester on Sunday.

The actress, 34, was seen stepping out with her two-year-old son Alfie, but found herself slapped with a parking ticket as she got caught in the snow.

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Prepping for the big night: Catherine Tyldesley was seen paying a visit to dress designer Zeynep Kartal in Manchester on Sunday with her two-year-old son Alfie, ahead of the NTAs

Heading out in into the city centre in the less desirable weather, Catherine was seen clutching onto her tot in her arms, as he accompanied her to her dress fitting.

The blonde beauty cut a casual figure for her low-key outing and paired together dark jeans with a warm tailored coat and knitted scarf layered around her neck.

Catherine sported mink ankle boots on her feet and left her lightened locks to fall down past her shoulders in a poker-straight style. Despite having a two-year-old to contend with, she looked nothing but glamorous and sported a flawless make-up look.

Little Alfie, meanwhile, looked cute as a button while clad in yellow tracksuit trousers and a pastel blue rain mac. He appeared perfectly at ease while in his mum's arms, with his cheek and nose looking slightly reddened by the chillier climes.

Oops: The actress, 34, no doubt had her day dampened as she was slapped with a parking fine, as a traffic warden was seen ticketing her Mercedes

Chic: Heading out in the city in the less desirable weather, Catherine was seen clutching onto her tot in her arms while cutting a casual figure in dark jeans and a warm tailored coat

Catherine shares Alfie with her husband Tom Pitfield. The duo married in May 2016, nearly two years after announcing their engagement.

Catherine, meanwhile, was faced with a parking fine as she returned to her car, following her shopping trip, after a warden was seen issuing her Mercedes with a ticket.

MailOnline have contacted a representative for Catherine.

The soap star announced her exit from Coronation Street at the beginning of December, insisting walking away from the show had been a 'difficult decision' for her to make.

Moving on: The soap star announced her exit from Coronation Street at the beginning of December, insisting walking away from the show had been a 'difficult decision' for her to make

Speaking to The Sun, Catherine revealed: 'Coronation Street has been a dream job for me which is why this was such a difficult decision to leave.

'Eva has been such fun to play over the last seven years, and who knows, one day she might storm the cobbles of Weatherfield again.

'In the meantime Im excited about the future, new acting projects, and spending time with my family.'

Catherine has played the role of Eva for seven years, and announced her exit in the same week that her co-star Shayne Ward also announced his departure, with show bosses hinting at an 'explosive exit' for the duo, but not necessarily together.

She left the show for a brief stint in 2014/2015 - she took maternity leave whilst pregnant with her first child. She went back to work in July 2015 and Eva reappeared on-screen that September - when she began her tryst with Shaynes Aidan Conner.

End of the road: Catherine has played the role of Eva for seven years, and announced her exit in the same week that her co-star Shayne Ward also announced his departure, with show bosses hinting at an 'explosive exit' for the duo, but not necessarily together

A Coronation Street spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that Cath Tyldesley will leave Coronation Street at the end of her current contract next year after seven years in the show.

'Cath's portrayal of Eva Price has made her a firm favourite amongst fans and she will be missed.

'The producers and writers are currently working on her exit storyline which will be on screen in early summer.'

Show bosses have said of her exit: 'Nobody will see this coming. Viewers are going to be absolutely stunned.

'It's going to be a blow for the fans - but also a massive TV moment.'
Romee Strijd shot to fame four years ago when she became a Victoria's Secret favorite.

And it looks as if there is no slowing down the 22-year-old's celebrity as the blonde beauty revealed on Saturday she now has four million Instagram followers.

The cover girl from the Netherlands thanked her fans by showing off her chest and bottom.

Pert and pretty: Romee Strijd showed off her toned backside as she posed in a high rise while she was in Miami for Victoria's Secret

OK, RS we will get right on that: The stunner's caption read: 'Wake up. Kick a**. Repeat'

In one image she shows underboob while in an orange sweater.

In another shot, it's all about her backside in little bikini bottoms. She has been in Miami with Jasmine Tookes for a VS shoot.

The stunner's caption read: 'Wake up. Kick a**. Repeat.'

The mannequin also shared the quote: 'Thank YOU all, 4M people (wow, thats craaaazy).

Now 4M! There is no slowing down her celebrity as the blonde beauty revealed on Saturday she now has four million Instagram followers

Golden girl: In another image the siren wore a grey tank yop with two necklaces

'Love sharing my journey with you guys, and thats why we also started a youtube channel!

'Ill always try to share as much as I can.

'Im DEF wearing the smile you guys gave me today on this pic! Love love love.'

In another image the siren wore a grey tank yop with two necklaces.

Meanwhile, her pal Jasmine Tookes was seen in Jamaica at the bachelorette party for pal Shanina Shaik.
She's a working mother who shares co-parenting responsibilities of her three growing children with estranged husband Ben Affleck. who just flew to NYC to see girlfriend Lindsay Shookus.

But Jennifer Garner took some time out of her busy schedule to attend church services in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Sunday morning.

The 45-year-old actress looked supremely chic wearing a slouchy black sweater paired with grey trousers as she walked into the house of worship.

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Sunday best: Jennifer Garner took some time to herself to attend church services in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Sunday morning

Jennifer kept warm in the brisk morning air wearing a pair of light grey trousers hemmed above her ankles with a pleat running down each leg.

She showed off her slender waistline wearing a slouchy black ribbed sweater tucked into the top of her pants.

The Alias star added a bit of height to her statuesque 5ft8in frame with a chunky pair of black mules.

Nice: The 45-year-old actress looked supremely chic wearing a slouchy black sweater paired with grey trousers as she walked into the house of worship

Beauty: Jennifer kept warm in the brisk morning air wearing a pair of light grey trousers hemmed above her ankles with a pleat running down each leg

The mother-of-three seemed to be in a bit of a hurry as she tied back her long chocolate brown hair into a chic top bun.

Her clear framed sunglasses shielded her eyes from the bright morning sun as the Pearl Harbor star went nearly makeup-free.

Garner carried a small grey purse in one hand with a silver and gold watch glistening from her wrist.

Walk it out: She showed off her slender waistline wearing a slouchy black ribbed sweater tucked into the top of her pants

Cutie! Violet, 12, sported a sweet pink dress with an adorable pair of glittering silver Birkenstock sandals

Good times! Seraphina rocked an all-green outfit while little Samuel ran around wearing blue shorts and a light grey sweater with an emblem of a navy car on the front

She's enjoyed entertaining fans and followers on Instagram after finally joining the social media sight in October.

Jennifer's amassed nearly one million followers since creating a profile less than three months ago, and has found a niche in the kitchen sharing videos of her 'Pretend Kitchen Show'.

The 13 Going on 30 starlet first posted an episode of the tongue-in-cheek show back in December, when she walked viewers through a tasty recipe she was whipping up for her kids.

Fun! She's enjoyed entertaining fans and followers on Instagram after finally joining the social media sight in October

Chef: Jennifer's amassed nearly one million followers since creating a profile less than three months ago, and has found a niche in the kitchen sharing videos of her 'Pretend Kitchen Show'

Jennifer's ex has also previously gushed about the devoted mom's cooking skills, with Ben telling Us Weekly last year: 'Jen is a really great cook. She's probably the best cook I know.'

Jennifer and Ben shocked fans when they announced their split in 2015, a day after their 10th wedding anniversary.

The friendly exes have remained a joined force while co-parenting their children, Sam, five, Violet, 12, and Seraphina, nine.

Ben has since struck up a relationship with Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus late last year.
She has become known for flaunting her svelte frame in many a revealing post on social media.

And Sunday proved to be no exception for Made In Chelsea star Frankie Gaff, as she shared a slew of behind-the-scenes snaps from her latest swimwear shoot at London hotspot The Ned.

The blonde beauty sizzled as she slipped into a pastel yellow triangle bikini that teased a look at her killer abs and assets, with her posts surfacing just a day after Frankie was spotted hinting at a new romance on the Instagram.

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Sensational! Made In Chelsea star Frankie Gaff, sizzled as she shared a slew of behind-the-scenes snaps from her latest swimwear shoot at London hotspot The Ned on Sunday

Despite the less than desirable weather in the capital, Frankie made sure to take a dip in the five star hotel's rooftop pool. Posing in front of the London skyline, all eyes were on the starlet as she showcased her bronzed physique.

Sporting a golden glow following her trip to Australia with co-star Tiffany Watson, Frankie looked simply sensational in her skimpy two-piece.

It paired together a triangle bikini top that framed her bust, along with a pair of scanty briefs to match.

Accessorising her swimwear with a layered necklace, Frankie placed her hands on her back as she flaunted her lean frame and left her lightened tresses down to fall in front of her face in a tousled style.

Hot: The blonde beauty stunned as she slipped into a pastel yellow triangle bikini that teased a look at her killer abs and assets

Beauty: Posing in front of the London skyline, all eyes were on the starlet as she showcased her bronzed physique - with her snaps surfacing just a day after Frankie was spotted hinting at a new romance

Sporting a subtle make-up look, she accentuated her natural beauty, before drawing attention to her incredibly toned and slender pins, as she posed with a robe back inside the hotel.

Popping out a leg, Frankie left little to the imagination in the revealing snap, as she also showcased a slight hint of underboob in her beach attire.

Receiving plenty of likes from her loyal following, Frankie appeared to win herself a number of admirers, but it seems she has only eyes for one man of late.

The reality star hinted she has found love once again, following her split from Made In Chelsea regular Jamie Laing, as she shared a snap of herself and model Jon Hosking putting on a very cosy display in the back of a taxi.

Sweet: The reality star hinted she has found love once again, following her split from Jamie Laing, as she shared a snap of herself and model Jon Hosking putting on a very cosy display in the back of a taxi

'Bye Jamie': Her snap certainly didn't go unnoticed by Frankie's followers who were quick to question whether she and Jon are now dating

While he has his arms wrapped around her, Frankie is seen clutching onto her rumoured new flame's arm, while resting her head on his. Flashing a huge smile as she cuddled up to the model, Frankie teasingly captioned her snap: 'Boshking @jon_hosking.'

It certainly didn't go unnoticed by Frankie's followers who were quick to question whether she and Jon are now dating. While she appears to be keeping their romance relatively under wraps, her famous friends seemed to add further fuel to the fire.

Tiffany posted several love heart emojis underneath the photo, while model Lottie Moss penned: 'Cuties.'

Jon is signed with London modelling agency Milk Model Management, which also boasts a slew of celebrities on its books including Spencer Matthews, Vogue Williams, Adam Lambert, Ashley James and Frankie herself.

Private: While she appears to be keeping their romance relatively under wraps, her famous friends seemed to add further fuel to the fire

Telling tweets? Tiffany posted several love heart emojis underneath the photo, while model Lottie Moss penned: 'Cuties'

Frankie's rumoured romance with Jon comes several months after her split from Jamie. Fans had watched their on/off relationship play out on Made In Chelsea, with the duo dating for a year, before finally calling time on their romance for good.

During their turbulent romance, Frankie confessed to hooking up with someone else, while Jamie was seen to have been 'inappropriate' with another girl.

She had discussed the tumultuous nature of her relationship with Jamie last year, claiming: 'Things aren't great. Everything is up and down with us at the moment, but we're together for now.'

Model material: Jon is signed with London modelling agency Milk Model Management, which also boasts a slew of celebrities on its books including Spencer Matthews, Vogue Williams, Adam Lambert, Ashley James and Frankie herself

Moving on: Frankie's rumoured romance with Jon comes several months after her split from Jamie Laing

It was her flirty behaviour with club promoter Harry in the summer that seemed to fuel their split, with the pair unable to move on and put it behind them.

Tensions between the exes boiled over into Made In Chelsea's last series before Christmas, with Jamie being linked to co-star Daisy Robins and attempting to make Frankie jealous with a 'fake date'.

He confessed: 'Every single time I see her I get all those feelings back again. I just cant handle that shes drifting away.'
Kate Mara might be getting broody for kids of her own.

The House Of Cards star, 34, ran around the Farmers Market in Studio City, California having a blast while playing with two young kids on Sunday.

She was joined by the children's mother and her husband Jamie Bell, 31.

Day out in LA: Kate Mara and husband Jamie Bell were joined by a friend and her two kids for some shopping around the Farmers Market on Sunday

Mara wore a pair of black leggings, a white t-shirt and a plat jacket for the chilly day out in the valley. She accessorized her ensemble with an olive beanie, Etnia Barcelona sunglasses and a crossbody purse.

Bell also kept his look low-key wearing running pants, a black shirt and black and blue jacket.

He finished his look with a pair of white Adidas sneakers and sunglasses.

True love: The couple cuddled up close and were spotted wearing matching Adidas sneakers

Brooding? The House of Cards alum had fun running around with her friend's son

Jamie, who is father to four-year-old son with ex-wife Evan Rachel Wood, was recently nominated for a BAFTA for best actor in Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

The newlyweds celebrated by eating vegan donuts that spelled out Congrats Jamie from their favorite bakery Donut Friend.

In the bio-drama, Bell stars as Peter Turner, a young actor who falls in love with an older actress named Gloria Grahame. She's played by Annette Bening in the film.

Ready for baby? The petite brunette pushed the carriage for the busy mom

Kate and Jamie met while working on the Fantastic Four film in 2015. Bell says he knew very early on that she was the one.

'There was an instant connection, like wed known one another forever," Bell told Evening Standard Magazine in August.

'It was obvious very quickly that we were going to get married.'
She's known for her hilarious chronicles of being a crap housewife on Instagram.

But expect to see a whole lot less of Jessica Rowe on social media, with the Studio 10 host vowing to ditch her mobile phone obsession since becoming a Lilydale Free Range tribe Ambassador.

Writing on her blog Crap Housewife, Jessica, 47, said she made the decision to go 'free range' because her online obsession has begun affecting her role as a mother.

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'I'm going free range!' Studio 10 host Jessica Rowe vows to DRASTICALLY cut her mobile phone usage admitting her obsession was beginning to affect her role as a mother

The final straw came when her youngest daughter, Giselle, eight, asked her to come outside and watch her skip.

'Soon my darling,' the mother-of-two recalls telling her daughter.

But instead of spending time with her little girl, Jessica logged on to Instagram to check out her favourite 'cat and unicorn' accounts.

She went on to write that she 'had been saying that a lot recently'.

Cold turkey: The final straw came when her youngest daughter, Giselle, eight, asked her to come outside and watch her skip

Feeling guilty: But instead of spending time with her little girl, Jessica logged on to her Instagram to check out her favourite 'cat and unicorn' accounts

'Soon, I would watch my daughters play. Soon, I would reply to the emails of friends. Soon, I would organise a date night with my husband everything was on a collision course' she wrote.

The colourful presenter said she decided the best way to cope with the chaos was to limit her mobile phone usage to 'twice a day'.

'I'm going to be more disciplined about how I use my phone', she said adding that she will instead focus on getting outdoors and 'away from the blue light of her phone'.

Semi-social ban: The colourful presenter said she decided the best way to cope with the chaos was to limit her mobile phone usage to 'twice a day'

Happily married: Jessica shares two daughters with her husband Channel Nine newsreader Peter Overton

Jessica shares two daughters, Allegra, 10 and Giselle with her husband Channel Nine newsreader Peter Overton.

She's known for regularly oversharing anecdotes from her personal life on the Channel 10 morning show.

Say what? She's known for regularly oversharing anecdotes from her personal life on the Channel 10 morning show

Gutsy move! Peter explained that when they both worked at Nine, a mutual colleague suggested to him that he take Jessica out on a date

Last year it Peter revealed that it was wife who made the first move in their relationship.

Speaking to Nova's Fitzy and Wippa, Peter explained that when they both worked at Nine, a mutual colleague suggested to him that he take Jessica out on a date.

'I said, 'Righto, get her to ring me. If she calls in 10 minutes, I'll take her out.' So she did,' he said.

'I said, 'I love your style, you've got guts', we went out and we've been together ever since.'
Families of those killed in the Bourke Street Mall attack have gathered in Melbourne to commemorate the tragedy.

Saturday marked a year since a car mowed down dozens of pedestrians on the crowded street, claiming the lives of four adults, a child and a three-month-old baby.

Two plaques were unveiled at the private service, in East Melbourne, to remember those affected.

"On the worst of days and in the worst of circumstances we saw the very best of humanity," Premier Daniel Andrews said.

Melbourne's heart broke after the horrific attack, Acting Lord Mayor of Melbourne Arron Wood told those gathered.

"Today was about unveiling two plaques to show the families that although our hearts broke that we'll never stop remembering them and never stop supporting them," he said.

A public memorial service will be held on Tuesday and flags will be flown at half mast.
Stranded hikers and tourists have been rescued by boat from beaches south of Sydney as an out of control fire tore through bushland in the Royal National Park.

The NSW Rural Fire Service was battling three major fires across the state on Saturday night.

Scores of visitors to the Royal National Park were rescued by boat from beaches after becoming stranded, according to the RFS.

"There are a number of boats being utilised by surf lifesavers, NSW Police Force and some private citizens that are picking some people up from beaches in the area," RFS spokesman James Morris told AAP during the drama.

More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze on Saturday evening, supported by water bombers and aircraft.

As rescues were being affected, the RFS was also working to defend isolated rural properties from out of control fires.

A large blaze north of Tamworth, in the state's north, threatened properties close to Bundarra while firefighters brought a fire under control near Taralga that had also endangered homes.

NSW has endured hot, dry temperatures for several days, with Sunday expected to bring no relief.
Heatwave conditions persist in northern Victoria with 17 major centres expected to endure a high of at least 40 degrees on Sunday.

Mildura and Swan Hill in the Mallee will bear the brunt of a 44-degree day as will Yarrawonga and Cobram on the NSW border.

Wangaratta, Rutherglen, Shepparton and Echuca will fair scarcely better with forecast tops of 43.

In stark contrast, Melbourne, Geelong and much of the state's south can look forward to temperatures in the mid 20 to low 30s and isolated showers before the swelter returns next weekend.

A severe fire danger warning and total fire ban continues for the Mallee, according to the Bureau of Meteorology with high to very high warning levels in effect elsewhere in the north and reducing to moderate in the southwest.

The bureau expects extreme heatwave conditions to contract out of Victoria towards Monday but hang around in southern NSW.

"There's not really any relief during Sunday, however on Monday we do have southerly winds freshening a little," senior forecaster Michael Efron told AAP on Saturday.

The consistent heat across the state has had a wide-ranging impact for emergency authorities.

Fire crews have battled hard with two large, remote fires in the Big Desert area near the South Australian Border.

An 80-hectare fire at Smeaton, northwest of Melbourne, was brought under control on Saturday afternoon by crews manning 30 tankers and several aircraft.

Health authorities continue to urge people to stay hydrated, make sure children and pets are not left in cars, to check in on others and stay cool.
Members of the public have helped rescue a woman being held against her will in a car that crashed north of Brisbane on Saturday.

Queensland Police say the man forced his way into a vehicle around 6pm on Saturday and stopped the woman inside, who was known to him, from leaving.

He threatened to harm the woman and drove at high-speed Anzac Avenue at Redcliffe, Mango Hill and Northlakes before intentionally crashing into a guard rail at Narangba.

Members of the public then came to the woman's aid and helped her escape from the vehicle.

She was taken to Caboolture Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The 31-year-old Bellmere man was charged with a string of offences, including deprivation of liberty, threats and dangerous operation of a vehicle and will face Caboolture Magistrates Court on Monday.
* CENTENARY OF THE BATTLE OF HAMEL, FRANCE, JULY 4

Lieutenant General Sir John Monash was the first Australian to plan and command an attack in World War I after successfully leading the Allies to victory in the Battle of Hamel.

This year marks 100 years since Australian Infantry Brigades, supported by a smaller number of British and American soldiers, retook the village of Hamel in northern France from the Germans.

Lt Gen Monash's battle plan was so effectively co-ordinated with artillery, infantry tanks, and aircraft that it took only 93 minutes to defeat the enemy and capture about 1600 German troops.

A ceremony to commemorate 100 years since the Battle of Hamel will be held in France on July 4 at the memorial site located only 500 metres from the village.

* 250 YEARS SINCE CAPTAIN JAMES COOK SET SAIL FROM ENGLAND, AUGUST 26

This year marks 250 years since Captain James Cook set sail aboard the HMB Endeavour from Plymouth Harbour in England on August 26, 1768.

After two years sailing the high seas, Captain Cook spotted, claimed and named New South Wales as part of Australia for the British crown on April 19, 1770, following his circumnavigation of New Zealand via Tahiti.

Cook returned to England in 1771 but was killed by Hawaiian locals about nine years later, reportedly over the theft of a small boat.

A replica of James Cook's HMB Endeavour ship is on show at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney but is not slated to return to the water until 2019.

* 75 YEARS SINCE THE COMPLETION OF THE THAI-BURMA DEATH RAILWAY, OCT 16

The statue of Australian prisoner of war, surgeon Weary Dunlop, overlooks Hellfire Pass in Thailand where more than 2700 Australians died while constructing the Thai-Burma Railway under Japanese occupation in World War II.

October 16 marks the day the so-called Death Railway was completed using forced Allied labour from about 90,000 PoW and Asian workers after the Japanese conquered southeast Asia.

The Japanese built the railway to supply their forces in neighbouring Burma, thereby bypassing sea routes that had opened them to attack when their naval strength was reduced in the Battle of the Coral Sea.

A commemorative ceremony will be held at the Australian Prisoner of War Memorial in the Victorian town of Ballarat.

A Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum was built and is maintained in Thailand by the Australian government.

* CENTENARY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ARMISTICE, NOVEMBER 11

World War I ended after France, Britain and Germany signed the Armistice agreement at five o'clock in the morning of November 11, 1918.

Six hours later, at 11am, the guns of war fell silent.

Every year Australia, Britain, Belgium and France stops on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to commemorate the end of the war that cost at least 16 million civilian and military lives.

Commemorations at the Australian War Memorial will combine public activities, displays and events for the five-week period from October 5 to Remembrance Day.

They include the installation of 62,000 red knitted poppies on the grounds to represent each Australian life lost.

A formal wreath-laying and a parade by Australia's Federation Guard and the Band of the Royal Military College, Duntroon will take place on November 11.

Commemorative services will also be held in Belgium, France and across the UK.
Recreational fishers and beachgoers are set to benefit from initiatives announced by the South Australian opposition.

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall says if the Liberals win the March election his government will spend $1.2 million building three new artificial reefs along Adelaide's metropolitan coastline

It will also spend $4 million to improve the state's coastline and water quality.

"Our state has over 5000 kilometres of coastline and for many South Australians fishing is very much a part of their way of Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said on Sunday.

"There are 277,000 recreational fishers in South Australia who enjoy fishing from boats, jetties or even off our beaches with family and friends."

Mr Marshall said artificial reefs had been a success in other jurisdictions and South Australian anglers and their families should have the same opportunities as those in other states.

The Liberals would also increase sand replenishment and seagrass restoration measures, establish a new coast protection research and development fund, and take the first steps towards developing a series of wetlands to improve the quality of the water entering the sea.
More than a thousand women have held hands and lined Sydney's Hyde Park in support of women's rights, chanting "Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho - the patriarchy has to go".

Women of all ages, along with some men and children formed a human chain around the southern block of the CBD park instead of marching on Sunday as a show of "strength and solidarity".

Many women wore T-shirts saying "We can Do it" while others waved placards saying such slogans as "If you're not angry you're not paying attention" and banners with "Unbroken".

"Women bare most of the brunt of racism, discrimination and inequality and it's time to fight back and do it in solidarity," Greens NSW MP Mehreen Faruqi told AAP, who was in of the crowd.

Similar marches were also held Melbourne and Brisbane.

Senator Lee Rhiannon described the atmosphere of the Sydney march under warm blue skies as "delightful".

"Women are very upbeat and very inspired especially by what's going on at marches in New York and Texas," she said.

"It's a delightful feeling, and very exciting that we still have numbers coming together one year later.

"There's social and political action to bring about change," she told AAP.

Many groups including Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children, NSW and the Knitting Nannas Against Greed were present.

"We're proud and honoured to stand hand in hand with so many women here in Sydney and across the world," Amnesty NSW Women's Network tweeted on Sunday.

"Dismantling our culture of misogyny, harassment and violence against women one clasped hand at a time. Your stories, resilience and strength of will are humbling #WeAreUnbroken", Unbroken tweeted.
Big-serving Croat Marin Cilic is back in the Australian Open quarter-finals with a come-from-behind, four-set win over Spanish 10th seed Pablo Carreno Busta.

The sixth-seeded former US Open champion, who hasn't returned to the final eight at Melbourne Park since his semi-final run in 2010, lent on his monster serving and forehand to battle to a 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 7-6 (7-0) 7-6 (7-3) victory.

The 30-year-old is destined to meet world No.1 Rafael Nadal should the 16-time grand slam champion beat diminutive 24th-seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman later on Sunday.
The World War II sinking of the HMAS Patricia Cam off the coast of Arnhem Land will be remembered at a 75th-anniversary event in Darwin.

Defence officials and dignitaries will gather at the Larrakeyah Defence Precinct on Monday for the service at the HMAS Coonawarra naval base.

On the same day in 1943, a Japanese seaplane bombed and sank the Patricia Cam as she sailed from Milingimbi to Elcho Island on a supply run.

The vessel was carrying 19 crew, a missionary and five Yolngu men.

After returning to drop a second bomb and strafe survivors in the water with machine gun fire, the seaplane landed, captured the missionary at gunpoint and flew off.

He was held prisoner at Dobo, Indonesia until May that year when he was killed by his captors.

Two sailors and two Yolngu men died in the attack while two more sailors clinging to hatch covers floated away and were never seen again.

The remaining 18 men clambered onto a life raft and reached Gurraka Island that night but another sailor and a Yolngu man died from their injuries the following day.

A hunting party from the Wessel Islands arrived by canoe on January 25 and took the ship's commanding officer to get help.

He walked 56 kilometres in bare feet through rock and scrub with his rescuers before staggering into a coastwatch station at Jensen Bay on January 26.
Queensland's peak motoring body has urged motorists to remember to slow down when travelling in school zones from Monday.

State and independent school students start back on Monday, with Catholic school kids to go back on Tuesday, meaning 40km/h zones around schools will again come into effect between 7am and 9am and between 2pm and 4pm.

RACQ spokeswoman Lauren Ritchie said the motoring body's own research showed almost 79 per cent of drivers admitted they had sped through school zones because they were in a rush.

"This is very concerning so many people were willing to risk the lives of our most vulnerable, simply because they were behind schedule," Ms Ritchie said in a statement.

"There is no valid excuse for speeding through a school zone."

She said it can take children years to learn about how to properly interact with traffic so the onus was on drivers to be alert and prepared for anything.
Speculation is mounting about when the Tasmanian election will be called with politicians already making promises to woo voters.

Tasmanians are expected to go to the polls in March, but Premier Will Hodgman won't be drawn on when he plans to call the election, only saying it will happen "very soon".

Asked whether he would rather work with the Jacqui Lambie Network or the Greens under a minority government scenario, Mr Hodgman said that was "a bit like Sophie's Choice".

"l will spend all my time trying to stop such a thing happening," he told reporters on Sunday.

Mr Hodgman and Corrections Minister Elise Archer announced a $340 million plan to build new prison facilities.

This would including a 270-bed prison in Tasmania's north and a remand centre for up to 70 inmates at the site of the Risdon complex in the south.

The facilities will keep the community safe and boost the economy, with the creation of more than 4000 jobs, Mr Hodgman said.

Opposition Leader Rebecca White was also out on Sunday as she pledged a $106m housing affordability package at the launch of the Denison and Franklin candidates.

"Our priority is to put a roof over the vulnerable people of the Tasmanian community rather than housing more prisoners," she told reporters.

Labor's package, targeted at those aged over 55, 18 to 25, at-risk youths, people escaping domestic violence and those struggling to get into the market, would include 900 builds, with 433 to begin construction in the first two years.
More than 817,000 Queensland students will return to classrooms for the start of the school year - a week ahead of their interstate counterparts.

State schools and the majority of independent schools will begin lessons from Monday with Catholic schools expected to return on Tuesday, January 23.

More than 65,000 students will be starting prep year, 47,000 of them in the public system.

Meanwhile, high schools will start laying the groundwork for year 11 students in preparation for changes to the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and tertiary entrance system to start in 2019.

But Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Sunday acknowledged that the prevalence of bullying would mean many students would be feeling apprehensive about the start of the school year.

She has pledged to "rededicate" the government to working with children, parents, schools and the community to help stop bullying and to put the issue on the national agenda.

"We need to raise awareness around this issue and we must have a national conversation and action about how we tackle it as we have done on family and domestic violence," she said.

Queenslanders beat other states back to school by at least a week, with NSW, South Australian, NT and Victorian students to go back from January 29, while WA students to start back on the 31st.

ACT students will go back from February 2, while Tasmanian students will go back to school from February 7.
It has been 10 years since the world lost Australian star Heath Ledger.

On January 22, 2008, the actor was found dead in his Manhattan apartment after accidentally overdosing on a powerful mix of prescription drugs, including narcotic painkillers, anti-anxiety pills and sleep medication.

The 28-year-old father of then two-year-old Matilda had been battling chronic insomnia, pneumonia and exhaustion.

Since his death, his heartbroken family helped set up Scriptwise, a non-profit foundation in Australia designed to educate the public about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs.

Ledger famously despised Hollywood's manufactured roles and instead took established characters like Batman villain The Joker and made them his own.

A year after his death Ledger won the best supporting actor Oscar for his stellar performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

He played a drug addict in the Australian film Candy, Bob Dylan in I'm Not There and the New York Times compared him to a young Marlon Brando for his tortured performance as a gay ranch hand in Brokeback Mountain.

His family remember him as a generous soul with an Aussie larrikin spirit who had a deep love for his daughter Matilda.

Ten years after his death, his legacy of generosity lives on through the Heath Ledger Scholarship which was set up to reflect Ledger's love of helping out fellow Aussies.

The scholarship, organised by Los Angeles-based organisation Australians in Film and supported by Australia's biggest stars, is designed to give young talent a helping hand to make it in Hollywood.

Ledger will again be honoured at the G'Day USA gala in LA on January 27.

Irish actor Colin Farrell will present the honour to Ledger's family.
A large contingent of Australians led by Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman and Geoffrey Rush are up for Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

The star-studded ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium on Sunday (Monday noon AEDT) is the last major awards ceremony ahead of the March 4 Academy Awards.

The Time's Up and #MeToo campaigns will again be prominent at the SAG ceremony although nominees are not expected to wear all black as they did at the Golden Globes.

SAG, the main union representing more than 120,000 actors, has hired Kristen Bell to host the ceremony and every awards presenter will be female in a move to "put women in the spotlight".

Two actors accused by women of misbehaviour, Aziz Ansari and James Franco, are nominated for SAG Awards.

A SAG best actress win by Robbie for her acclaimed performance in I, Tonya will get her Oscar campaign on track after she missed out on a Golden Globe earlier this month.

The Queensland actress, however, is a long shot for the SAG with Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) the favourites in the category and Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul) and Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) the other nominees.

Robbie will have another nervous wait ahead of Tuesday's announcement of Oscar nominees.

Fellow Aussie Kidman is the red hot favourite to win a SAG and continue her domination of Hollywood awards season in the outstanding performance by a female actor in a TV movie or mini-series category for her performance in Big Little Lies.

Kidman, also a producer on the mini-series, has already collected an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Broadcast Film Critics Association award for the drama inspired by Australian author Liane Moriarty's novel.

Rush is nominated for playing Albert Einstein in the TV mini-series Genius and is an outside chance for the win.

Australia's Abbie Cornish, as a member of the cast of Three Billboards, and Jason Clarke, for Mudbound, are nominated in SAG's version of the best picture category - outstanding cast in a motion picture.

Australian Yvonne Strahovski and her cast from The Handmaid's Tale will compete with fellow Aussie Dacre Montgomery and his Stranger Things cast for outstanding TV drama series ensemble.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is to unveil a multi-million-dollar plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef against mass bleaching.

The plan, to cost about $60 million over the next 18 months, will include funding farmers to reduce sediment run-off and innovative research, The Courier-Mail says.

Mr Turnbull is expected to announce the plan in Townsville on Monday, supported by leading scientists.

Last week, the federal and Queensland governments issued an open call to the world's top scientific minds to help save the reef.

The governments have launched a $2 million challenge to find novel ways to restore reefs and lift coral abundance.

"This is an open invitation to our greatest scientific minds, industry and business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions which will protect corals and encourage the recovery of damaged reefs," said Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg.

"The reef is the planet's greatest living wonder. The scale of the problem is big and big thinking is needed, but it's important to remember that solutions can come from anywhere."

The Great Barrier Reef is still reeling from back-to-back coral bleaching events in 2016 and 2017, while authorities are also dealing with a crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak in southern parts of the reef.
Another day of negotiations has ended without result as NSW rail workers and Sydney Trains bosses continue to discuss pay and working conditions one week before a planned strike.

Talks are expected to continue into Monday night after the Rail, Tram and Bus Union and Sydney Trains management failed to reach an agreement by the close of business after meeting for more than six hours.

During the afternoon break, RTBU NSW secretary Alex Claassens told reporters they were still "miles away" from reaching a consensus.

More than 9000 Sydney train workers are set to strike on January 29 as they push for a six per cent pay rise and improved conditions.

The government has been holding firm on a 2.5 per cent wage increase.

The NSW premier was optimistic they were doing everything possible to stop the planned 24-hour rail strike.

"I know all parties are doing everything they can to prevent the action from going ahead next Monday," Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Monday.

Sydney Trains spent the weekend nutting out an offer that was expected to be put forward to the RTBU on Monday, according to the union.

Monday morning's meeting was delayed after a train ploughed into a barrier at Richmond Station, injuring more than a dozen people.

It was resumed later in the day and Sydney Trains chief executive officer Howard Collins was hopeful the meeting would result in an agreement.

"It's time now to engage with the trade unions and get on with the job of concluding this pay dispute," Mr Collins told reporters as he walked into Monday's meeting.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who last week described the strike as a "silly stunt", met with union officials on Friday in an attempt to come to an agreement.

The main issues that remain to be resolved include rostering, job security and working conditions.
Asylum seekers and refugees on Manus Island have expressed grave concerns for an Iranian man who they fear is becoming delusional.

Detainees say the 28-year-old has twice harmed himself in recent days and, while he has been treated in hospital for his physical injuries, there is no mental health support available on the island.

"We are extremely concerned for the Iranian man's welfare - he has a critical mental condition and is at serious risk," Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said on Monday.
A male pedestrian believed to be in his 60s who died after being struck by a car north of Newcastle at the weekend is yet to be identified.

The man died at the scene when a Toyota Camry driven by a 19-year-old woman fatally struck him on Nelson Bay Road at Fullerton Cove on Saturday night, police say.

The female driver wasn't hurt but was taken to hospital to undergo mandatory blood and urine testing.

Police on Monday appealed to the community in helping to identify the man who is balding, with some grey hair, and was wearing a dark blue jumper, black shorts, along with black socks, thongs and was carrying a shopping bag that contained a receipt from a nearby Stockton supermarket.
A public memorial marking the first anniversary of the Bourke Street Mall rampage will be a "difficult" day but Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews believes it will help people heal.

January 20 marked a year since six people were killed and dozens others injured when a car drove through crowds in the city's busy pedestrian mall.

A private ceremony with victims and their families was held on Saturday, but a larger public ceremony is planned at the Royal Exhibition Building on Tuesday.

"Tomorrow will be very difficult for a lot of people, but it's an important milestone, an important part of that journey towards healing," Mr Andrews told ABC radio on Monday.

"On the worst of days we saw the very best of the Victorian spirit.

"We saw that wonderful kindness of strangers, people running to the danger."

Bourke Street shop worker Vic Hook remembers a scene of mass confusion as people feared they were caught in a terror attack.

"It was just the noise, that's the main thing I remember ... it sounded like gun shots and it was very loud," she told AAP on the eve of the anniversary.

"Obviously after, we put it together that that was him hitting people across the street ... and then we heard the gun shots that stopped him."

Alleged driver Dimitrious Gargasoulas has pleaded not guilty to 39 offences, including six counts of murder and 38 of attempted murder, over the rampage.

Among those killed was 22-year-old Sydney insurance worker Jess Mudie, 33-year-old Bhavita Patel and 25-year-old Japanese man Yosuke Kanno.

Matthew Si, 33, also died, moments after having lunch with his wife.

The youngest victims were three-month-old Zachary Bryant and Thalia Hakin, aged 10.

The public memorial in Carlton will start at midday and finish at 1.30pm, with doors open from 10.30am.
Talks to modernize NAFTA were originally scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2017. But the US, Canada and Mexico have agreed to continue negotiating until March

Negotiators from Canada, Mexico and the United States on Tuesday will kick off the sixth round of talks aimed at revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Montreal.

The six days of talks come amid high trade tensions between Ottawa and Washington and as US President Donald Trump insists Mexico will pay for the construction of a controversial wall along the US's southern border.

Trump continues to blow hot and cold on the continental trade pact that he has threatened to repeal, and recently said in a Twitter message that "NAFTA is a bad joke."

Outraged by huge anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed on Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier as well as its primary softwood lumber and newsprint exporters, Ottawa recently filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization alleging widespread trade violations by its neighbor.

The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is aiming for a repeat of past adjudications that went Canada's way to turn the tide against rising US protectionism.

In line with his campaign commitment, Trump forced Canada and Mexico to the table to renegotiate the 1994 free trade pact, promising to bring back US manufacturing jobs and update NAFTA for the digital age.

Talks to modernize what Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called "the largest free trade area in the world" were originally scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2017. But the parties have agreed to continue negotiating until March.

Despite significant progress on so-called "bread and butter" issues, Freeland said Canada is bracing for "the worst," including a possible US withdrawal from NAFTA that would effectively mean the end of the tripartite trade pact.

While often railing against NAFTA, Trump has at times also seemed to soften his view, telling the Wall Street Journal he would be "a little bit flexible" on his threat to withdraw because of the upcoming Mexican presidential election on July 1.

Although he failed to mention the upcoming US midterm elections, these must also weigh on mind.

- No 'dance partner' -

In Montreal, trade envoys are due to tackle some 28 outstanding concerns, including thorny issues such as the proportion of US content in passenger vehicles and parts.

"I think the concern that a lot of people have is that so little progress have been made and so little effort is being made by the Americans that you worry that they are... just positioning for Trump to be able to say 'We are out,'" former Conservative leader Rona Ambrose told broadcaster CTV.

"When you don't have a dance partner on the other side, it becomes really difficult," said Ambrose, who was appointed by Trudeau to Canada's NAFTA advisory council.

A former Conservative industry minister, James Moore, however, struck a more optimistic tone after current Tory leader Andrew Scheer and several MPs returned this week from lobbying Washington decision makers on NAFTA.

He sees possible trade-offs on access to government procurement and rules of origin for the auto sector, which Trump wants to restrict to better favor the United States.

"I am optimistic," he said, "between the American position and the status quo there will be a way to split the difference to the benefit of all (NAFTA) members."

Some 14 million jobs in the United States depend on open trade with Canada and Mexico, and the repeal of NAFTA would result in an immediate loss of more 300,000 American jobs if "NAFTA is torn up," said Moore, citing the US Chamber of Commerce, which has been pushing Trump not to kill the pact.

"The big question is whether the Americans will continue to negotiate beyond the Montreal round or whether they will use a disappointing outcome of those talks as a pretext to initiate the process for withdrawing from the agreement," commented Louis Belanger, a politics professor at the University of Laval in Quebec.

A notice of withdrawal would trigger a six-month countdown to the US exit from the pact.

If in Trump's eyes substantive progress is made in this round of the negotiations, the American president could hold off making any decision on the fate of NAFTA until after the US midterm elections, he said.

Conversely, Ian Lee of Carleton University's Sprott School of Business in Ottawa told AFP Trump may walk away from a deal "so he can say he's standing up to those cheating Mexicans and Canadians before the midterm elections."
The UN said 111 people were arrested across the Democratic Republic of Congo after another day of violent protests

Six people were killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, the UN said, as the authorities cracked down on a banned protest against President Joseph Kabila.

Witnesses said security forces fired live rounds and tear gas in Kinshasa to disperse demonstrators who had gathered after Catholic church leaders called for a mass peaceful demonstration against Kabila's 17-year rule.

The UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO said six people were killed in Kinshasa and 57 injured nationwide in the rallies.

"The defence and security forces did not apply the principles of necessity, proportionality and legality in accordance with international standards," MONUSCO spokesperson Florence Marchal told AFP.

Pope Francis, who was in Peru on the final day of a South American tour, called on all parties in the country to "avoid all forms of violence and seek solutions for the common good."

MONUSCO said 111 people were arrested across the country, adding that some UN observers were "threatened and harassed" by security forces in the capital.

A spokesman for the national police told state television that "two people were killed" in the capital, while nine policemen were wounded, two of them seriously.

Of the two killed, according to the authorities' toll, one was shot at close range by a police officer, the presidency's spokesman Yvon Ramazani said in a call to AFP.

"The policeman is under arrest and must be brought to justice," he said.

Sunday's bloody crackdown comes three weeks after a similar march on New Year's Eve ended in deadly violence, during which the UN said at least five people were killed.

- 'Warning shots' -

Six people were killed in Kinshasa as security forces cracked down on a banned anti-Kabila demonstration, according to the UN

In the latest violence, a 16-year-old girl died after shots were fired from an armoured vehicle at the entrance to a church in the Kitambo area of the capital, Jean-Baptise Sondji, a former minister and government opponent, told AFP.

"An armoured car passed in front of the church. They began firing live bullets, I protected myself," Sondji, who is also a doctor, said by telephone.

"A girl who was at the left side door of the church was hit by a bullet," he said, adding that she was already dead when she was taken by taxi to hospital.

Government minister Felix Kabange Numbi told AFP that "hundreds of people recruited by the parish priest of Saint-Christophe tried to enter" his residence.

"My guard fired warning shots before the arrival of reinforcements who arrested 145 people," he said.

Tensions were also reported by AFP journalists in the major cities of Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Goma, Beni and Mbuji Mayi.

- Calls for peace -

The Catholic church called for rallies across DR Congo, although the government has banned all demonstrations since September 2016

Ahead of the march, internet, email and social media messaging networks had been cut in the capital in an attempt to prevent people from organising gatherings.

Security forces also installed roadblocks on major routes and armed officers conducted ID checks.

The country's powerful Catholic Church, one of the few institutions to enjoy broad credibility nationally, had called for the rallies despite a government ban on all demonstrations since September 2016, when anti-Kabila protests first turned violent.

The head of the Muslim community, Cheikh Ali Mwinyi M'Kuu, had urged the authorities on Saturday to allow the march to take place.

"If they decide to repress, there will be no peace. But if they let the march take place, they will respect the constitution and peace will prevail."

Kabila, 46, has been in power since 2001, at the helm of a regime widely criticised for corruption, repression and incompetence.

His constitutional term in office expired in December 2016 but he stayed on, stoking a bloody spiral of violence.

Under an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, he was allowed to stay in office provided new elections were held in 2017.

The authorities later blamed organisational problems for a new delay until December 23, 2018 -- a postponement that has angered Western nations, but one that they have reluctantly accepted.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the Trump administration deserves "respect and recognition"

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called for US President Donald Trump to be welcomed to the UK, warning Sunday that resisting a visit risked damaging his country's national interest.

A day ahead of Johnson welcoming his US counterpart Rex Tillerson to Britain for talks, Johnson said postponing any Trump trip would be acting against the UK's "single most extraordinary economic relationship".

"Donald Trump is the elected president of the world's greatest and most powerful democracy -- and a country that also happens to be our closest ally," Johnson wrote in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

He said critics of a Trump visit were ignorant of Britain's economic interests.

"In opposing the visit of the president of the United States to this country, they risk actually damaging the national interest."

Johnson rejected claims that Trump was presiding over an "isolationist America".

He said Trump's administration deserved "respect and recognition" rather than "infantile denigration".
The Egyptian stand drew plenty of attention during Madrid's Fitur international tourism fair with the country having seen visitor numbers soar last year amid strong interest in China and India, as well as Cairo's Middle Eastern neighbours

Chinese and Russian visitors boosted Middle Eastern tourism last year following a 2016 slump as Europeans gave the area a wide berth on security fears, according to the World Tourism Organization (WTO).

The Mideast region as a whole drew 58 million foreign tourists in 2017 -- a 4.8 percent rise on the previous year -- the Madrid-based WTO said in its latest figures released midweek.

Jihadist attacks on tourist sites in Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey in recent years particularly hit the industry.

But "over time, people forget and return," said Jalel Gasmi, head of Granada Travel Services, a tour operator attending the Fitur international tourism gathering in the Spanish capital.

Despite the annual rise, Marcus Lee, heading the Welcome China agency, said the sector could not rest on its laurels.

For Chinese visitors, security "is the first thing they ask about" beyond visa regulations and often poor flight connections in the Middle East, said Lee.

Security concerns aside, Lee said rising purchasing power means the Chinese tourist takes a different approach compared to 20 years ago when, "for example ... coming to Europe they wanted to see ten countries in ten days.

"That's no longer the case and we are concentrating on one country over ten days," said Lee.

- Egyptian turnaround -

In the case of Egypt, tourist numbers soared 55 percent last year, even as European numbers dipped, with Chinese and visitors from Egypt's neighbours taking their place.

Visitor profiles have changed since military man Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2014 and especially since the 2011 overthrow of longtime Hosni Mubarak.

Before then, "the European market, including Russia, accounted for almost 80 percent (of tourists) but now, 52 percent," said Hesham El Demeiry, head of the Egyptian tourist authority, adding Chinese and Indian visitors rose from 5 to 12 percent while tourists from Egypt's neighbours doubled their share from 15 to 30 percent.

Turkey, meanwhile, is back in business after the fallout from the July 2016 coup saw visitor numbers slide by a third, before a similar rise last year.

Ankara is out to keep on attracting more visitors from Russia -- whose tourists poured in during 2017 -- as well as neighbours including Iran and Ukraine.

The downside, according to Turkish tour operator Ahmet Okay, is that the newcomers are likely to spend fewer tourist dollars than their EU or US counterparts.

Tunisia is also on the way back thanks to a surge in Russian and Chinese visitors with a 23 percent rise in visitors last year over 2016.
This photo taken on January 9, 2018 shows the North Korean town of Sinuiju, seen from Dandong in China's northeast Liaoning province

Rows of sewing machines in one Chinese garment factory on the border with North Korea are now silent, unmanned after UN sanctions sent home their seamstresses from the secretive country.

Factory owners, merchants and shop owners in the border city of Dandong -- China's main trading hub with neighbouring North Korea -- are feeling the pinch from the United Nations resolutions.

Dandong bet its economy on trade with the North, seeing the benefits of economic growth and rapacious consumption of Chinese products across the border.

Envisioning a bright future, the city expanded, building the Dandong New District as a cooperation zone on the banks of the Yalu River, which marks the border.

A massive four-lane, $350-million bridge with a new customs area was built to link the zone to the North.

Construction of the bridge finished three years ago yet it has not opened. On the North Korean side, concrete runs into fields of snow as Pyongyang has not built roads to meet the bridge.

Now UN sanctions -- which Beijing has backed as it grows tired of its Cold War-era ally's nuclear and missile tests -- are buffeting Dandong's economy, which slowed in 2016.

In October last year, its port missed a bond payment.

"For Dandong's economy, and the livelihood of the average person in the city, there is an impact," said Lu Chao, director of the Border Studies Institute at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

"Trade with the North was a pillar of Dandong's economy."

- Empty factory -

The potential of the new bridge and cheap North Korean labour brought Lin and his garment factory to a Dandong factory zone where signs admonishing workers not to smoke or litter are in both Chinese and Korean.

"The North Koreans are disciplined and hard working," Lin said of the 100 North Korean women -- "all 18 to 32 years old" -- he recruited. He asked his full name not be used.

Last year, Lin negotiated a contract with a Dandong labour outsourcer and a North Korean company. On September 1, the women arrived, led by a North Korean manager.

A four-lane, $350 million bridge with a new customs zone is seen over the Yalu river between the North Korean town of Sinuiju and Dandong in China's northeast Liaoning province

The contract covered all the details -- a clean dorm for the workers, hot showers three times a week, and time twice a week to "study the policies and worship" the leader Kim Jong-un.

"They look at their leader like he's a god," Lin said, noting the salaries were to be paid directly to the North Korean manager.

As he spoke to AFP on his office sofa sipping tea, he rattled off the UN resolution numbers that have crippled his once thriving garment business.

UN Resolution 2371 turned Lin's plans upside down -- his workers arrived two days after China announced its implementation: no new contracts with North Korea.

For the past 10 years, Lin hauled material and cloth to factories across the river in Sinuiju and Pyongyang, where North Korean workers turned it into exportable jackets, coats, and other clothing.

As new sanctions came down, he saw the writing on the wall and began planning.

"We thought if we can't trade with North Korea, well we can get North Koreans to work for us in China."

Today, Lin's three-floor garment factory is mostly empty. There are no able and cheap Chinese workers in the city, he said. Garment imports from the North have also been sanctioned.

There were 30,000 North Koreans working in Dandong before the August sanctions but nearly 6,000 have gone home, he said.

- Dandong New District -

Many of the apartments, shopfronts and restaurant spaces in Dandong's New District are empty.

"There's nothing over here," said Yue Yue, a real estate agent at the New District's Singapore City development, where only one-third of the apartments have been sold.

"We've dropped the prices a bit for the apartments further from the river," she admitted, noting they had been lowered more than 30 percent.

"I'm hoping for the bridge to open."

Lu of the Border Institute says that is not likely with the current sanctions regime in place.

A statue of North Korean women dancing and playing drums in the market place in the border city of Dandong in China's northeast Liaoning province

North Korean-run businesses in the city have begun to close, with several restaurants forced to shut their doors.

Truck and train traffic on the older, narrow one-lane Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge that carries most of the trade is said to be down.

Roughly 90 percent of the North's past exports have been sanctioned and new measures now target goods travelling in the other direction.

Wang Xueliang, who runs the Dandong Balance Trade Company, said he is no longer allowed to send tractors, trucks and cars to the North.

Before he could sell one or two vehicles a month to North Korean clients who paid in yuan or dollars.

China cut off all vehicle sales to the North in early January, he said.

"For the moment we will keep operating," Wang said. "But it's having an effect."
Spain's Rafael Nadal hits a return against Argentina's Diego Schwartzman during their men's singles match on day seven of the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 21, 2018

Rafael Nadal battled through a huge test to make his 10th Australian Open quarter-final Sunday as Grigor Dimitrov ousted Nick Kyrgios to join him and Caroline Wozniacki kicked into full gear.

On an overcast and muggy day at Melbourne Park, the Spanish world number one was up against his most dangerous opponent yet in pocket-rocket Diego Schwartzman, one of the smallest men on tour.

The Argentine 24th seed endeared with his astonishingly powerful groundstrokes before Nadal prevailed 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-3 in almost four hours on Rod Laver Arena.

It kept alive his push for a 17th Grand Slam title and also ensured he will remain number one when the new rankings come out after the tournament.

"It was a great battle," said Nadal, who is chasing his second Melbourne title after beating Roger Federer in the 2009 final.

"Of course, I feel little bit tired, but I was able to keep fighting until the end."

He will play sixth seed Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals after the Croat beat Spanish 10th seed Pablo Correna Busta 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 7-6 (7/3).

The win was Cilic's 100th at a Grand Slam.

"I have played great tennis from the first round against tough opponents and now I am really looking to the next match, it will be definitely be a big challenge," he said of the Nadal clash.

Ordinarily Nadal, as the top seed, would have top billing on Rod Laver in the evening, but not with local star Kyrgios in action.

Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, a semi-finalist in 2011 who has never quite lived up to the hype in the majors, annihilated 19th-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-0

The maturing Australian 22-year-old pushed world number three Dimitrov close in a hugely entertaining four setter before succumbing 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4).

Playing Nick is always tricky," said the Bulgarian, as he targets bettering the semi-finals he made last year.

"It was one of those matches you had to take any opportunity that you got."

His reward is a showdown with Briton Kyle Edmund, who reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 win over Italy's Andreas Seppi.

- Play aggressive -

World number two Wozniacki turned on the style in her match to take another step towards a maiden Grand Slam title.

The assured Wozniacki, a semi-finalist in 2011 who has never quite lived up to the hype in the majors, annihilated 19th-seeded Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-0 in her most impressive performance to date.

"She really mixes up the pace, I just tried to calm down, get my returns in and wait for the opportunities to attack," she said after crushing the Slovak, who made the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year.

"I think you can tell my confidence is pretty good at the moment."

Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov celebrates beating Australia's Nick Kyrgios in their men's singles match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 21, 2018

Her easy passage sets up a last-eight clash with gritty Spaniard Suarez Navarro, who battled back from a set and 4-1 down to shatter the hopes of 32nd seed Anett Kontaviet.

The Estonian had been bubbling with confidence after despatching French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the third round, but nerves got the better of her.

The Spaniard, who has made the quarter-finals in Melbourne twice before, most recently in 2016, credited her fightback with a conscious decision to be more aggressive.

"My team all the time they say (to) me, play aggressive, play aggressive. That's I think what I did," said Suarez Navarro, one of the few who still uses a one-handed backhand.

Looking ahead to Wozniacki, she added: "I know how she plays. I know how tough she is. It will be a really interesting match."

The 37th-ranked Elise Mertens also made the last eight, becoming the first Belgian since Kim Clijsters in 2012 to get so far in Australia.

She posted a straight-sets win over Croat Petra Martic and will now play either fourth seed Elina Svitolina or Czech qualifier Denisa Allertova.
Afghan security personnel take position on the rooftop of the Intercontinental Hotel

Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul and killed at least 18 people, most of them foreigners, sparking a 12-hour battle with Afghan forces backed by Norwegian troops that left terrified guests scrambling to escape.

Six Ukrainians were among those killed in the Taliban-claimed assault on the six-storey Intercontinental Hotel in the Afghan capital, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said on Twitter.

Afghan interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said 14 foreigners were among the dead, but did not specify their nationalities, in comments to Afghanistan's Tolo News hours after the overnight attack that ended Sunday.

Terrified hotel guests climbed down bedsheets tied to balconies to escape the gunmen rampaging through the hilltop hotel overlooking the Afghan capital.

One lost his grip and fell in Tolo News television footage, which also showed black smoke and flames billowing from the hotel.

Special forces were lowered by helicopters during the night onto the roof of the landmark 1960s building. Afghan security forces killed all six attackers, the interior ministry said.

An Afghan security force personnel stands guard as smoke billows from the hotel

They were aided by Norwegian troops, Norwegian military officials told public broadcaster NRK. Norway has helped train Afghan elite forces since 2007.

"I want to say this explicitly and frankly and precisely... in total 14 foreigners and four Afghans were martyred in the attack on the hotel," Danish said on Tolo, adding that more than 160 people had been rescued during the attack.

Afghan officials have been known to understate death tolls in high-profile attacks.

Danish also said preliminary information showed the attackers may have already been inside the hotel before launching the assault, but gave no further details and warned an investigation had to be carried out.

But he did say that among the dead were 11 people from Afghan airline Kam Air. The company's CEO, Captain Samad Usman Samadi, earlier said 42 of its personnel had been at the hotel during the attack -- at least 16 of whom were still missing.

"We fear for their lives," he told AFP.

A foreign ministry official told AFP that senior Afghan diplomat Abdullah Poyan was among the fatalities.

Private security guards help an injured colleague near the hotel

Mufti Ahmad Farzan, a member of the High Peace Council, responsible for reconciliation efforts with militants, was also killed in the attack, Danish said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault via email. The attack followed security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners in war-torn Kabul.

"We are hiding in our rooms. I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us," one guest, who did not want to be named, told AFP by telephone during the siege.

His phone has been switched off since then.

- 'Fleeing like crazy' -

Officials said four gunmen burst into the hotel, which is not part of the global InterContinental chain, on Saturday night, opening fire and taking dozens of people hostage.

Afghan Telecom regional director Aziz Tayeb, who was one of dozens of people at the hotel attending an IT conference, said he saw the attackers enter.

Afghanistan attack

"Everything became chaotic in a moment. I hid behind a pillar and I saw people who were enjoying themselves a second ago screaming and fleeing like crazy, and some of them falling down, hit by bullets," Tayeb told AFP.

Local resident Abdul Sattar said he had spoken by phone to friends who are hotel staff and had been trapped inside.

"Suddenly (militants) attacked the dinner gathering... (then) they broke into the rooms, took some people hostage and they opened fire on some of them," he told AFP.

Interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said the attackers were armed with light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when they stormed the hotel.

Security in Kabul has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb killed some 150 people and wounded around 400 -- mostly civilians.

- Devastating attacks -

But the resurgent Taliban and Islamic State are both scaling up their assaults on the city.

The attack on the Intercontinental was just one of several bloody assaults Sunday.

In a village in the northern province of Balkh, Taliban militants went from house to house in the middle of the night, pulling police from their homes and shooting them dead.

At least 18 officers were killed, deputy police chief Abdul Raziq Qaderi told AFP.

In Herat in the west at least eight civilians were killed when a car hit a Taliban-planted roadside mine, officials there said.

The last major attack on a high-end hotel in Kabul was in March 2014 when four teenage gunmen raided the Serena, killing nine people including AFP journalist Sardar Ahmad.

In 2011 a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people at the Intercontinental including 10 civilians.

Danish said authorities were probing how the attackers got past the hotel's security, which was taken over by a private company three weeks ago.

"We will investigate it," he said.

A hotel employee told AFP that as he fled the venue he saw the new security guards running for their lives.

"They didn't do anything, they didn't attack. They had no experience," the man said on condition of anonymity.
Australian cyclist Amanda Spratt tweeted that the equal pay for this year's Tour Down Under was "a huge step forward for equality"

Women will receive the same prize money as men from this year's Tour Down Under, the South Australian government said Sunday in what it believes is a world first for a stage race.

The Women's Tour Down Under is held the week before the men's event and this year was elevated to a UCI 2.1 classification, one level below Women's World Tour status.

The men's TDU, in its final stage Sunday, is the opening race on the men's UCI World Tour calendar and is a state government-owned event.

"We're going to be backpaying the... winners of last week's Santos Tour Down Under so that they receive the same paychecks as the men will for the race that concludes today," South Australia state's Tourism Minister Leon Bignell told reporters.

"We'll be the first stage race in the world to offer parity between men's races and women's races."

Bignell said the prize pool across all classifications for the women's race would be more than Aus$100,000 (US$79,900), compared with the initial pool of Aus$15,000.

"The broken bones don't hurt any less because you are a woman. You have to do just as much work as the men to become a top rider, so we think it's high time in 2018 that women get paid the same as the men do," he added.

Bignell said he spoke to UCI chief David Lappartient earlier Sunday, who welcomed the move.

"He's hopeful that other races around the world will follow suit," Bignell said.

Australian Amanda Spratt (Mitchelton-SCOTT) was the overall winner of this year's women TDU last week.

"Wow, not that I needed any more reasons to love Tour Down Under. What a huge step forward for equality," Spratt tweeted after hearing the equal pay news.
A crew member of the Vestas 11th Hour Racing team walks on their damaged yacht, as it sits in a dock for repairs after a collision with a fishing vessel during the fourth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, in Hong Kong

Teams competing in the Volvo Ocean Race had to slalom their way around numerous fishing boats while approaching Hong Kong on the fourth leg of the journey, French sailor Franck Cammas told AFP, after a collision left one Chinese fisherman dead.

The gruelling 5,800-nautical mile stage from Melbourne, Australia to Hong Kong was won by local group Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag in a historic victory. But news that a rival team had crashed into a Chinese fishing boat cast a cloud over celebrations.

Nine people were rescued following the accident Saturday, which tore a hole in the side of the American-Danish team's boat, Vestas 11th Hour Racing, and sank the fishing vessel.

Hong Kong police said a 50-year-old man from China who was in charge of the fishing boat was airlifted to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.

All Vestas crew members were safe but the incident forced the team to officially retire from the fourth leg.

Franck Cammas, one of France's most successful sailors who was with China's Dongfeng Race Team, said they were attempting to catch up with the second-placed Vestas when the accident happened.

He said there was always a risk of collision on approach to the coast but a high number of boats in the water made the final stretch particularly challenging.

"We were in the middle of countless fishing boats. There were two areas previously that were just as dense. This was the last area before we got to Hong Kong," the 45-year-old, who skippered the winning Groupama IV in the 2011-2012 race, told AFP.

He added that these kinds of accidents were "extremely rare" because vessels usually have equipment on board to help spot other boats.

"We had to slalom a little bit... We were almost at the boat's maximum speed, around 20 knots, with boats where everyone is concentrating on controlling the sails, with a lot of water in your face too, so it's going fast, and there's a lot of noise."

The teams were also exhausted after battling the seas for more than two weeks, he said.

When a mayday call was issued, Dongfeng immediately offered assistance to the American-Danish team but were told their help was not needed.

Dongfeng's French skipper Charles Caudrelier was quoted just minutes after finishing as saying conditions had been dangerous.

"It is always very dangerous when sailing in these fishing areas when there are so many boats and some have no lights," he said, according to the race website.

- 'Deeply saddened' -

The Volvo Ocean Race is one of the world's toughest sailing events.

The 2017-18 edition is the longest in the competition's 44-year history, stretching over eight months and 45,000 nautical miles around the globe. The event ends in The Hague in the Netherlands in late June.

It is the first time Hong Kong has hosted part of the race, and teams had the navigational challenge of dodging numerous islands on their journey north from Melbourne.

Race director Phil Lawrence said it remained unclear what caused the collision but there were questions around whether the fishing boat was showing navigation lights or using equipment to detect other vessels.

"We don't have answers to those questions yet but of course those are central question(s) to the ongoing investigation," he said.

Initial reports said the nine rescued were in good condition, he added, but the Vestas crew were "very shaken and deeply saddened by the incident".

Hong Kong police said an investigation was underway.
Police in Sri Lanka are looking for an automatic rifle they lost as they ran away from charging elephants near a cannabis farm

Sri Lankan police who were charged by elephants as they staked out a cannabis farm dropped an automatic rifle as they ran for their lives, sparking a hunt Sunday for the missing weapon.

Policemen who had been camping out near the plantation in a bid to catch crooks turned tail and scarpered after the huge creatures started hurtling after them.

"The constables dropped their weapons and fled to save their lives when the elephants charged," a statement said.

Officers were now looking for the T56 automatic assault rifle in the bush at Lunugamvehera, 225 kilometres (140 miles) south of the capital Colombo.

Sri Lanka has strict laws protecting elephants, which are considered sacred. However, about 200 jumbos are killed annually by farmers who say wild elephants stray onto their land and destroy their crops.

About 50 people are killed in wild elephant attacks annually.

Sri Lanka's elephant population has dwindled to just over 7,000, according to the latest census, down from an estimated 12,000 in 1900.
Since bursting into the American consciousness in the 1960s, Jane Fonda has lived a life of controversy, tragedy, and self-discovery -- all in the public eye

Sex kitten, Oscar-winner, peacenik, fitness guru, fashion model, cancer patient, feminist and political activist -- Jane Fonda has spent her life confounding labels and surprising people.

Since she burst into the American consciousness in the 1960s, she has lived a life of controversy, tragedy, and self-discovery -- all in the public eye.

The 80-year-old actress bares her soul in "Jane Fonda in Five Acts," a startlingly candid documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday.

"It's about the importance of being brave and taking leaps of faith," she said on the red carpet ahead of the screening in Utah's Park City ski resort.

"And it's very hopeful because it shows how somebody that was kind of vacuous can become someone who has a more purposeful and meaningful life."

The film mixes talking-head commentary from friends and ex-husbands, archive clips and Fonda's own first-person account of her life, culled from 21 hours of interviews.

Set to air later this year on HBO, the film's first four acts bear the names of the key men in Fonda's life, from her film star father Henry through her husbands: Roger Vadim, Tom Hayden and Ted Turner.

It's in the fifth act -- "Jane" -- that the real Fonda emerges, and we see the one-time ingenue as a fully-rounded public figure who has become one of America's leading political activists.

The actress arrived on the Sundance red carpet fresh from addressing crowds as part of a nationwide Women's March opposing President Donald Trump.

"I'm older and wiser, clearer and more focused. I'm more able, I think, to know what has to be done at a certain time," she told AFP, asked how her politics have changed over the years.

"That's why today at the march I spoke about the importance of going beyond protest to organizing on the ground."

- Democracy 'being stolen' -

The documentary explores the pain of her mother's suicide, 30 years of bulimia and three marriages to high-profile, sometimes difficult men

Fonda talked about taking back American democracy which she said was "being stolen from us" as the planet was "being destroyed."

The documentary explores the pain of her mother's suicide, 30 years of bulimia and three marriages to high-profile, sometimes difficult men.

"The hardest (part) is always to talk about the things that are more difficult in your life -- painful, emotional, difficult," she said.

"But it's not going to be a useful documentary that people can learn from unless I talk about the good as well as the bad."

Born in New York in 1937, Fonda rose to global prominence in the 1960s starring in films such as "Barefoot in the Park" opposite Sundance founder Robert Redford.

Her big breakthrough came in Sydney Pollack's "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" and she won her first of two Academy Awards for Alan J. Pakula's "Klute."

She is still perhaps best known, however, for her earlier work in her first husband's 1968 erotic sci-fi romp "Barbarella."

Fonda's political awakening came on the streets of Paris -- her home for a short while -- where she saw mass protests against the government of President Charles de Gaulle in 1968.

The documentary looks at her role as a leading figure in the anti-Vietnam war movement, including her 1972 trip to Hanoi when she outraged Americans by being photographed sitting on an anti-aircraft gun.

Beyond her peace campaigning, "Hanoi Jane" has long been a campaigner for women's rights and recently stood up for native Americans protesting the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.

- Life lessons -

She hailed female directors such as Greta Gerwig, Patty Jenkins, and Dee Rees, all of whom have made acclaimed movies over the last year, voicing hope that Hollywood was in a moment that would "amplify from here forward."

"Women see things differently, we experience things differently, and if you don't hear our tales, our narrative, then you are missing half the narrative and men are losers as well as women," she said.

Sporting a bandaged face, she also opened up about her battle with skin cancer, days after revealing she'd had a growth removed from her lower lip.

"You live long enough or you're a sun worshipper, you get cancer. So I'm dealing with it," said the actress, who underwent a lumpectomy for breast cancer in 2010.

Fonda, whose Netflix series "Grace and Frankie" is about to begin its fourth season, was accompanied on the red carpet by Troy Garity, her son with Hayden and one of the film's interviewees.

"She's not insane but she moves through life at a furious pace and because of that has experienced a lot and learned a lot," he told AFP.

"And I think the film has good lessons that we can all live by."

Asked if watching the premiere was going to be a difficult experience, he added: "I think I'll enjoy it more than 'Barbarella.'"
Saudi Energy Minister Khaled al-Faleh talks to journalists during the 7th Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee in Muscat on January 21, 2018

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia called Sunday for extending cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC producers beyond 2018, after a deal to cut output succeeded in shoring up prices.

The call, the first explicit invitation by Riyadh for long-term cooperation between oil producers, came with oil prices topping $70 a barrel thanks to the deal, after they dove below $30 a barrel in early 2016.

"We should not limit our efforts to 2018. We need to be talking about a longer framework for our cooperation," Saudi Energy Minister Khaled al-Faleh told reporters before a meeting between ministers of OPEC and non-OPEC countries in the Omani capital Muscat.

At the end of the meeting, attended by several OPEC and non-OPEC countries including the world's top producer Russia, Faleh said conformity levels were excellent.

He said that compliance level was 129 percent in December and was 107 percent for the whole of 2017.

The production cuts deal has removed two-thirds of the 330 million barrels of extra stocks that were on the market before the agreement, Faleh said.

He said improvement in the oil market will continue throughout this year and expected that "beyond 2018, we will continue to cooperate through these joint action mechanisms ... to avoid strong fluctuations that led to the oversupply glut".

Oil producers from inside and outside the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries signed a landmark agreement in November 2016 to cut output by 1.8 million barrels per day to fight oversupply and lift sagging prices.

That deal was initially for six months, but the 14-member cartel and 10 independent producers have since extended it until the end of this year.

- 'We must not relax' -

OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Faleh and Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak attend the 7th Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee in Muscat on January 21, 2018

Amid talk of exiting the deal at the end of the year, the Saudi minister said the agreement should be extended for an unspecified duration.

"I am talking about extending the framework that we started -- which is the declaration of cooperation... beyond 2018," Faleh told reporters.

Faleh however said the new framework for cooperation might differ from the current agreement and its production quotas.

"It does not necessarily mean sticking barrel by barrel" to the same agreement.

It would mean "assuring stakeholders, investors, consumers and the global community that (the agreement) is here to stay".

It would send the message that "we are going to work together not only with the 24 countries, but inviting more and more participants," he said.

Faleh said oil producers had not yet achieved their target of reducing world stocks to normal levels and striking a balance between supply and demand.

"That objective has not been achieved. We are not close to achieving it," said Faleh, adding that a rebalance is unlikely in the first half of 2018.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said oil producers should not ease off on their efforts despite the rebound.

"Despite the fact that progress is obvious, we must not relax. We are determined to carry through the rebalancing," Novak, whose country is the world's top crude producer, told reporters.

Novak held separate talks with Faleh on the sidelines of the Muscat meeting.

The Russian minister praised the outcome of the cuts deal.

"The market got on the way towards balancing and we jointly managed to reduce the surplus in stocks by more than half," Novak said.

- 'Consultations' -

Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak speaks with journalists during the 7th Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee in Muscat on January 21, 2018

But Novak but appeared less committed to the idea of establishing a permanent framework.

"As for efforts to coordinate joint actions on the oil market, the last year showed that this is a successful experiment," he told reporters, according to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency.

"I think that if necessary it can be used in the future too."

But "mutual action between OPEC and non-OPEC countries" could also continue after the end of the agreement in the form of "consultations", Novak added.

Omani Oil Minister Mohamed al-Rumhi said different arrangements could be discussed.

"By the end of this year, the stock level will be very small and it will be time to discuss different arrangements or agreements," he said.

Gulf states as well as many oil-producing nations have posted huge budget shortfalls since oil prices plummeted in mid-2014.
A general view shows Mosul's Old City, on January 8, 2018, six months after Iraqi forces seized the country's second city from Islamic State group jihadists

An Iraqi court said Sunday it had condemned to death by hanging a German woman of Moroccan origin after finding her guilty of belonging to the Islamic State jihadist group.

She was sentenced for providing "logistical support and helping the terrorist group to carry out crimes," said court spokesman Abdel Settar Bayraqdar.

"The accused admitted during interrogations that she left Germany for Syria then Iraq to join IS with her two daughters, who married members of the terrorist organisation," he said.

In September 2017, the same court sentenced to death by hanging a Russian man who was captured in Iraq's second city Mosul and found guilty of fighting for IS.

Iraqi forces expelled the jihadists from Mosul in July 2017, ending three years of IS rule in the city.

The same month, a German teenage girl suspected of joining IS was arrested in Mosul, according to Germany's justice department.

German daily Der Spiegel reported she had been held in Baghdad with three other German women including one of Moroccan origin.

Baghdad declared victory over IS in December after expelling the jihadists from vast areas of Iraq it seized in 2014.

There are no official figures for arrests of jihadists during the battle against IS, but Iraqi commanders and Iraqi Kurdish fighters say hundreds gave themselves up.

Others are said to have escaped by blending in with civilians fleeing the fighting.

In the province surrounding Mosul alone, more than 4,000 jihadists were arrested, police chief General Wathiq al-Hamdani said.

Despite Baghdad declaring victory over the jihadists, IS has continued to carry out attacks including in the capital.
Syrian children look at a building damaged in a missile attack on the besieged rebel-held eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of Damascus, on January 18, 2018

France has called for a United Nations Security Council meeting over "humanitarian risks" as fighting escalates in Syria, its foreign minister said on Sunday in Algiers.

"France is very preoccupied by the situation in Syria and by the brutal degradation of the situation," Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

"This is why we have called for a Security Council meeting to evaluate all the humanitarian risks, which are very serious," he said on the sidelines of a meeting for western Mediterranean countries.

His comments came after Turkish forces on Saturday launched an operation to oust Kurdish militia from the northern Syrian enclave of Afrin.

Le Drian spoke to his Turkish counterpart in a telephone call on Sunday morning, his staff said.

The French minister also mentioned tens of thousands of Syrians trapped in a besieged rebel stronghold outside Damascus, Eastern Ghouta, which has come under deadly regime bombardment this week.

He spoke of tens of thousands more forced to flee fighting between Russia-backed regime forces and jihadists in the northwestern province of Idlib.

Le Drian called for a halt to fighting and demanded access to humanitarian aid for all.

Idlib and Eastern Ghouta were two of four "de-escalation zones" agreed last year by rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Iran and Russia.

"It is important that everything be done for the ceasefires to be applied very soon and that a political solution finally be embarked upon," he said.

Since it erupted in 2011, Syria's conflict has killed more than 340,000 people and displaced millions.
In this file picture from September 9, 2015, members of Al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate and its allies stand at the entrance of the Abu Duhur military airport after seizing the base

Syria's army on Sunday announced it had captured the vital Abu Duhur military airport in the country's northwest, more than two years after losing it to rebels and jihadists.

"After a string of special operations, units from our armed forces in coordination with allied fighters succeeded in their military operation and took control of the Abu Duhur military airport in Idlib province," the army said in a statement.

"Engineering units are now dismantling and clearing mines, explosives, and bombs planted by terrorists in the area," he said.

An alliance of jihadists and rebels overran the vast majority of Idlib province in 2015, seizing Abu Duhur in September of that year.

Syrian troops had been advancing on the northwest province of Idlib, and Abu Duhur in particular, as part of a fierce offensive launched in late December with Russian backing.

Regime loyalists have seized dozens of towns and villages as part of the assault, but the air base's capture marks the first military installation Syrian troops have managed to retake in Idlib.

Moscow on Sunday confirmed that allied troops were now in control of Abu Duhur.

With its capture, the Syrian army said, troops could now secure a key route leading from the neighbouring province of Aleppo south to the capital Damascus.

Syria's uprising erupted in 2011 with protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, but a government crackdown paved the way for a full-blown civil war.

The government lost swathes of Syrian territory in the first few years of the conflict but, since Russia militarily intervened in 2015, it has steadily regained the upper hand.
US Vice President Mike Pence (L) meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II in the capital Amman, on January 21, 2018

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday voiced "concerns" over Washington's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital as US Vice President Mike Pence visited Amman during an uncomfortable Middle East tour.

Arab outrage over President Donald Trump's decision to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem had prompted the cancellation of several planned meetings ahead of Pence's trip, originally scheduled for December.

Abdullah, a key US ally, said he had "continuously voiced over the past year... my concerns regarding the US decision on Jerusalem that does not come as a result of a comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian Israeli conflict."

"Jerusalem is key to Muslims and Christians as it is to Jews," he added. "It is key to peace in the region. And key to enabling Muslims to effectively fight some of the root causes of radicalisation."

Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967 and later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

The US move to recognise the city as Israel's capital broke with decades of international consensus that the city's status should be settled as part of a two-state Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Pence, who heads to Israel later Sunday, arrived in Jordan on Saturday evening from Egypt, where he met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a key Trump ally.

The leaders of both Egypt and Jordan, the only Arab states that have peace treaties with Israel, would be key players if US mediators ever manage to get a revived Israeli-Palestinian peace process off the ground, as Trump says he wants.

Pence called Trump's Jerusalem move a "historic decision" but said the United States respected Jordan's role as custodian of the city's holy sites.

Abdullah said he was "encouraged" by Trump's stated commitment to finding a solution to the decades-long conflict, which he said was a "potential major source of instability".
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal: opponents are seeking his resignation

India's President on Sunday sacked 20 lawmakers from the state assembly in New Delhi after they were revealed to be holding jobs in government despite laws forbidding the practice.

The purge reduces by nearly a third the number of state assembly seats held by Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which still maintains a majority. It attacked the sackings as "unconstitutional".

The Election Commission had recommended on Friday that the legislators be disqualified for drawing salaries for government jobs outside their elected duties.

Politicians are barred in most states from accepting paid work in public office while earning a living as sitting members. Those appointed as ministers are exempt from the rules.

The practise of "holding offices of profit" has been legalised in some Indian states but not in the capital Delhi.

President Ramnath Kovind -- who was nominated last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party for the post -- upheld the commission's recommendation and dismissed the lawmakers.

The AAP -- who won 67 of Delhi's 70 seats in 2015, against just three for the BJP -- described the move as politically motivated.

The president's order was "unconstitutional and dangerous for democracy", tweeted AAP senior official Ashutosh, who goes by one name.

The AAP says the 20 legislators were acting as parliamentary secretaries assisting Delhi government ministers in running their offices, but were not receiving any salary for the work.

The party -- whose name translates as Common Man's Party -- roared to power in Delhi on the back of its activist-turned-politician leader Arvind Kejriwal, who railed against corruption in politics.

His opponents have called for his resignation in the wake of the mass disqualification of legislators. The party has suggested it could take legal action to retain its seats.

The AAP has been rocked by controversy and infighting since sailing to victory in the Delhi polls.

Three of Kejriwal's ministers have been fired. His law minister was sacked after it was revealed he paid for his degree, and another of his ministers was dismissed after being arrested for an alleged sex tape.
A malnourished Yemeni child receives treatment at a hospital in Yemen's rebel-held port city of Hodeida on January 16, 2018

The United Nations on Sunday made what it said was a record appeal for aid to Yemen, calling for nearly $3 billion in humanitarian relief for the war-torn country.

The $2.96 billion will be used to respond to an ever-broadening crisis in Yemen, where war, looming famine and cholera have killed thousands and put millions of lives at risk.

The appeal, made on behalf of UN agencies and humanitarian partners, came as 11.3 million people "urgently require assistance to survive", UN aid agency OCHA said in a statement.

"A generation of children is growing up in suffering and deprivation," OCHA said.

"Nearly two million children are out of school, 1.8 million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished, including 400,000 who suffer from severe acute malnutrition and are 10 times more likely to die if they do not receive medical treatment."

More than 9,200 people have been killed in Yemen since 2015, when a Saudi-led military coalition intervened to back the country's internationally-recognised government against Iran-backed rebels.

Another nearly 2,200 Yemenis have died of cholera amid deteriorating hygiene and sanitation conditions, the World Health Organisation says.

Over the past year, the United Nations' efforts to address what it has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis have been hampered by a crippling blockade of rebel-held ports by the Saudi-led coalition.

More than three-quarters of Yemen's population -- 22.2 million people -- are now dependent on some form of assistance in Yemen, the United Nations says.

Some 8.4 million Yemenis are also at risk of famine, according to OCHA.

In 2017, international donors provided $1.65 billion of the $2.34 billion requested by the United Nations and humanitarian partners in Yemen.
Members of a group of American Baptist Christian tourists stand at the Mount of Olives as they look towards Jerusalem's Old City and the Dome of the Rock on January 20, 2018

Near the olive grove where Christians believe Jesus agonised before his crucifixion, an American visitor spoke of a decision by US President Donald Trump some believe also holds spiritual importance.

Phillip Dunn, the 37-year-old pastor of an evangelical Christian church in the US state of South Carolina, said he saw Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital last month as part of biblical prophecy.

"Certainly this holds a lot of significance for people in that way. We believe Christ is going to return," Dunn, part of a group of around 50 American Southern Baptists visiting Jerusalem holy sites over the weekend, said before climbing back aboard a tour bus.

Trump's controversial declaration on December 6 will be back in the spotlight over the coming days with Vice President Mike Pence arriving Sunday night for talks with Israeli officials in Jerusalem.

Dunn and his fellow believers are key backers of Trump's move in the United States and part of the Christian evangelical community there that has become an important pillar of support for his Republican party.

Pence, who stood behind Trump as he made his Jerusalem announcement, is himself an evangelical Christian.

Dunn and others on the Jerusalem tour, planned before Trump's announcement, said they were pleased with his declaration because they consider it important to support Israel and affirm its claim that the entire city is its capital.

But there were also otherworldly considerations among the group.

Some evangelicals believe, based on interpretations of scripture, that firmly establishing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and establishing a new temple there could help lead to the second coming of Jesus.

Dunn and others on the trip said interpretations of Jerusalem's place in biblical prophecy vary too widely to provide a simple answer such as that one.

- 'A lot of mystery' -

Brett Burleson, a pastor at a church in Alabama, said "there's a lot of mystery to that, so I don't claim to know how it's all going to play out".

"We do recognise that this is a place where we believe the Lord Jesus himself will return and bring a peaceful end to human history," the 47-year-old said.

Jerusalem's status is perhaps the most sensitive issue in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel occupied and later annexed its eastern sector in the Six-Day War of 1967 in a move never recognised by the international community.

It sees the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinians view east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Trump's declaration deeply angered the Palestinians, with president Mahmud Abbas cancelling plans to meet Pence during his visit, which had been set for late December before being postponed.

The declaration was partly the result of a long political debate in the United States, with a law passed calling for the embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 1995.

It however allowed presidents to sign a waiver every six months to prevent the embassy move for national security reasons.

Trump again signed the waiver when declaring Jerusalem Israel's capital last month, but stressed he intended to move the embassy.

He also said Jerusalem's final borders and status would have to be negotiated, but Palestinians were unconvinced.

- 'Probably not' -

David Parsons, vice president of the International Christian Embassy based in Jerusalem, said he helped draft an earlier version of the embassy legislation while working for a pro-Israel lobbying firm in the United States.

"We have a large, broad movement worldwide that supports Israel on various motivations," Parsons said of the primarily evangelical Christian embassy.

"Some are motivated by biblical prophecy, but there's a broad array of views on biblical prophecy."

Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, said Sunday that Israel has long reached out to US Christian groups for support.

Specifically mentioning evangelicals, Shoval said "we may not agree with everything anybody says about the future of Israel or the future of the country."

Some evangelicals believe Jews would eventually have to convert to Christianity.

"But we must look at the present situation," he told journalists.

"The present situation is that there is a very important body of people in America who believe -- honestly and genuinely believe -- in the future of the Jewish people and its place in the Jewish country in Israel."

Lewis Richerson, 37, a pastor from Louisiana on the Jerusalem tour, may be among those he had in mind.

His support for Trump's declaration was "primarily political" since backing Israel in part helps "promote democracy and freedom around the world."

Richerson said of the declaration: "Is that some type of biblical prophecy? Probably not."
President Bashar al-Assad condemned Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militia in the northern Syrian region of Afrin, saying it was part of Ankara's support for extremist groups

President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday condemned Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militia in the northern Syrian region of Afrin, saying it was part of Ankara's support for extremist groups.

Turkey and allied Syrian rebels entered the Afrin region on Sunday, a day after launching their offensive against the Kurdish-controlled area.

"The brutal Turkish aggression on the Syrian town of Afrin cannot be separated from the Turkish regime's policy from the first day of Syria's crisis, which was essentially built on supporting terrorism and terrorist organisations, whatever their names," Assad said in statements carried by state news agency SANA.

Since Syria's conflict broke out in 2011, the government has repeatedly slammed Ankara for its support of rebels, accusing it of funding jihadist factions.

As Turkish threats of a potential attack escalated last week, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad warned that Syria could shoot down Turkish warplanes used in an assault.

But the Damascus regime has also previously taken a hard line against the Kurdish authorities, which have implemented semi-autonomous institutions across parts of northern Syria, including Afrin.

On Saturday, a foreign ministry official denied claims by Turkish authorities that it had been informed of the Afrin offensive and called the attack "the latest move in Turkey's attacks on Syria's sovereignty".
France's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the country was deeply worried about Turkey's offensive in Syria

France on Sunday called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council as fighting escalated in Syria, pressing Turkey to halt its offensive against the Kurdish militia who have been battling jihadists.

Foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France was deeply worried by the "brutal degradation of the situation" in flashpoints like Afrin -- where Turkey has launched its operation -- as well as Idlib and Ghouta.

"This is why we have called for a Security Council meeting to evaluate all the humanitarian risks, which are very serious," he said in Algiers on the sidelines of a meeting for western Mediterranean countries.

Le Drian spoke to his Turkish counterpart in a telephone call on Sunday morning, his staff said, with his ministry urging Ankara to "act with restraint".

Defence Minister Florence Parly meanwhile urged Turkey to stop its operation against Kurdish fighters who she said were a key ally against terrorism in the war-torn country.

The offensive could "deter Kurdish forces who are at the side" of the international coalition battling the Islamic State group, she said.

"What is essential is the fight against terrorism and all this fighting, notably that which is taking place in a terrible fashion near Idlib and elsewhere, must stop," Parly told France 3 television.

- Cautious tone -

The French warnings came as Turkish ground troops entered northern Syria to push an offensive against the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a terror group.

Parly said the Kurdish militants had been a crucial ally in IS.

"Our priority is the fight against terrorism," Parly said.

"As a result, anything that could deter the fighters of this battle is a bad thing."

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he expects IS to be defeated in Iraq and Syria within weeks, but Parly struck a cautious tone.

"It will likely still take some time," she said, adding that the jihadists were "going underground" as they lose more and more territory.

The Turkish campaign risks further increasing tensions with NATO allies including the United States, which has supported the YPG in the fight against IS.

Operation "Olive Branch" is Turkey's second major incursion into Syria during the seven-year civil war.

The army said IS was also being targeted in the operation although it no longer has any major presence in the Afrin area.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had repeatedly vowed that Turkey will root out the "nests of terror" in Syria of the YPG, which Ankara accuses of being the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK, which has waged a rebellion in the Turkish southeast for more than three decades, is regarded as a terror group not just by Ankara but also its Western allies.
A handout picture provided by the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani show him (R) meeting Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government in Tehran on January 21, 2018

Iranian officials on Sunday voiced support for efforts to end a dispute in neighbouring Iraq sparked by a Kurdish referendum on independence last year and underscored the need for Iraqi unity.

President Hassan Rouhani and the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, made the comments during talks in Tehran with the prime minister of Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region.

Rouhani told Nechirvan Barzani that Tehran backs "a united Iraq" in which "the legal and legitimate rights" of the Kurdish people are recognised in line with the constitution, the presidency said.

Shamkhani said Tehran "will do everything in its power to support efforts to ease the differences" between Baghdad and the Kurdish regional capital Arbil, official IRNA news agency reported.

Iraq's Kurds voted overwhelmingly in September to establish their own country but the non-binding vote was deemed illegal by the federal government in Baghdad which took retaliatory measures.

The referendum was also condemned in neighbouring Iran and Turkey.

On Saturday, Barzani met Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad for the first time since the failed push by the Kurds to secede.

A statement from Abadi's office said they discussed the "political and security situation and ways of settling disputes".

After September's vote, Baghdad imposed an air blockade on international flights to the Kurdish autonomous region's two main airports and retook disputed areas, including oil fields from which the Kurds derived the bulk of their revenue.

Shamkhani said Tehran hoped to "contribute to the success" of the dialogue that has opened between Baghdad and Arbil.
Rohingya Muslim refugees face desperate conditions in overcrowded Bangladesh camps, but many fear for their safety if returned to Myanmar

Bangladesh on Sunday sought to reassure the international community that a planned repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims to conflict-scarred western Myanmar would be "voluntary" and in coordination with the United Nations.

In a briefing to foreign diplomats, Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H Mahmood Ali insisted that the operation to return some 750,000 refugees who fled unrest and a military crackdown in Myanmar would involve the UN's refugee agency.

"In order to ensure that the return is voluntary, Bangladesh has incorporated provisions for involvement of UNHCR and other relevant international organisations in the entire return process," he said at the meeting in Dhaka.

Plans by Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate the refugees, who face desperate conditions in overcrowded camps near the countries' shared border, are due to begin within days and last for two years.

But they have been met by angry protest among the Rohingya refugees, with many left traumatised by atrocities including murder, rape and arson attacks on their homes.

Rights groups and the UN have said any repatriations must be voluntary.

They have also expressed concerns about conditions in Myanmar, where many Rohingya settlements have been burned to the ground by soldiers and Buddhist mobs.

UN special rapporteur Yanghee Lee is currently visiting the camps in southeastern Bangladesh where around a million of the Muslim minority are now living.

Ali said Bangladesh wanted to "ensure that the agreements facilitate safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return", the minister said, according to a statement.

He said Myanmar would involve the Red Cross in the repatriation process, adding that it has agreed to allow India, China and Japan to help rebuild homes and villages in Rakhine.

Western diplomats attending the briefing emphasised safe conditions for the repatriation.

"The Rohingya that I have met in the camp do not want to go back to a situation that will be dangerous to them," US ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Bernicat told reporters after the briefing.

"They do not want to go back to uncertainty. And why would any of us want them to go back to uncertainty. Again the conditions have to be safe and acceptable," she said.

The repatriation deal does not cover the estimated 200,000 Rohingya refugees who were living in Bangladesh prior to October 2016, driven out by previous rounds of communal violence and military operations.
Tunisian forces stand near a destroyed vehicle after a roadside bomb exploded in the mountainous border region near Algeria, on June 6, 2013

Tunisian security forces have killed a senior member of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb who was wanted by Algeria for two and a half decades, officials said.

"A terrorist wanted by Algeria since 1993 was killed in an operation carried out by the Special Unit of the National Guard," Tunisian interior ministry spokesman Khlifa Chibani said Saturday.

A security source said the person killed was Bilel Kobi, an Algerian who was close to the network's leader Abdelmalek Droukdel.

Kobi had been charged with overseeing links between the network, known by its French initials AQMI, and its Tunisian branch, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Another Algerian, Bechir Bin Neji, thought to have been the commander of an AQMI cell in the Sammama region of Tunisia, was also found dead with an assault rifle by his side, Chibani said.

The Friday evening operation took place in the Mount Sammama area of central-western Tunisia, which lies in a range of hills that are a favoured hideout of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State group jihadists.

It is adjacent to Mount Chaambi, considered to be the jihadists' main rear base near the border with Algeria.

The area is the scene of regular clashes between the army and jihadist groups.

Tunisian authorities announced last spring that they had killed several members of AQMI's Tunisia branch, which had claimed a series of deadly attacks against security forces.

Since its 2011 revolution, Tunisia has faced a jihadist insurgency responsible for the deaths of dozens of soldiers, police, civilians and foreign tourists.

Tunisia has been under a state of emergency since November 2015, when a suicide bombing in Tunis claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group killed 12 presidential guards.

The last major attacks were a series of deadly operations in 2015 and an IS offensive into the town of Ben Guerdane on the Libyan border in March 2016.

Thousands of Tunisians have joined jihadist groups fighting in Iraq, Syria and neighbouring Libya.
Turkish anti-riot police detained at least seven people at a rally in Istanbul against Turkey's operation in Syria

Turkish anti-riot police on Sunday blocked protests in Istanbul and the Kurdish-majority southeast against Ankara's military operation inside Syria.

At least seven people were detained in Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul, an AFP photographer at the scene reported.

One protester was seen with his hands tied behind by the police officers with others were carried roughly away.

The rally had been called by the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), whose members are facing a series of legal challenges for alleged ties with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The police action followed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's warning of a "heavy price" for anyone joining protests against the Turkish army's operation to oust Syrian Kurdish militia from northern Syria.

It came a day after Turkey launched its operation with Ankara-backed Syrian rebels to root out the Syrian Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) militia from Afrin.

Turkey views the YPG militia as "terrorists" linked to the PKK, which has fought against the Turkish state since 1984 and is designated as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies.

In the Kurdish-majority southeastern city of Diyarbakir, police also blocked a protest, surrounding the HDP headquarters and preventing party officials from making a press declaration, an AFP journalist in the city reported.

"People in Afrin will defend themselves. Turks ... will not gain anything, it is impossible. I call on the international community ... to stop Turkey," protester Hakki Karagoz said.
US Vice President Mike Pence (L) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on January 22, 2018

US Vice President Mike Pence pledged to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem by the end of 2019 on Monday in a speech to Israel's parliament that saw Arab lawmakers expelled after they shouted in protest.

As Pence spoke, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas arrived to meet European Union foreign ministers in Brussels, urging them to "swiftly" recognise the state of Palestine.

Pence's speech, filled with biblical references and praise of Israel, was greeted with loud applause by Israeli Jewish lawmakers, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Referring to the 1948 founding of Israel, he said US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the country's capital last month "righted a 70-year wrong".

The decision has drawn near global condemnation and deeply angered the Palestinians, who have refused to meet with Pence on his visit.

"In the weeks ahead, our administration will advance its plan to open the United States embassy in Jerusalem," Pence said.

"And that United States embassy will open before the end of next year."

As Pence was set to begin his speech, a group of around a dozen Arab Israeli lawmakers shouted in protest, with some holding signs saying Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine.

They were escorted out by security agents as Netanyahu and others stood and applauded their expulsion.

Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, denounced Pence's speech as "messianic" and a "gift to extremists".

Pence's visit, initially scheduled for December before being postponed, is the final leg of a trip that has included talks in Egypt and Jordan as well as a stop at a US military facility near the Syrian border.

Arab outrage over Trump's Jerusalem decision on December 6 had prompted the cancellation of several planned meetings ahead of Pence's tour.

Abbas and other Palestinian leaders refused to meet Pence, making his visit a rare one by a high-ranking US official not to include talks with the Palestinians.

- 'Dear friend' -

Israel has enthusiastically welcomed the vice president, with Netanyahu calling him a "dear friend" and praising what he described as the strongest ever ties between the two countries.

Earlier Monday, Pence was given a ceremonial welcome in a tent outside Netanyahu's office, with an honour guard and military band.

In remarks afterwards, Pence said he was "hopeful that we are at the dawn of a new era of renewed discussions to achieve a peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict that has affected this region."

Netanyahu again lauded the Jerusalem decision.

"I've had the privilege over the years of standing here with hundreds of world leaders and (to) welcome them, all of them to Israel's capital, Jerusalem. This is the first time that I stand here where both leaders can say those three words, 'Israel's capital, Jerusalem,'" Netanyahu said.

On Tuesday, Pence, a devout Christian, will visit Jerusalem's Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism.

Trump became the first sitting US president to visit the site when he travelled to Jerusalem in May 2017.

The site is located in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

A Palestinian boy walks over a poster bearing a portrait of US Vice President Mike Pence during a protest at Manger Square in the town of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, on January 21, 2018

The city's status is perhaps the most sensitive in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Palestinians' reaction to Trump's recognition was an illustration of the importance placed upon it.

Beyond refusing to meet Pence, Abbas has said the United States can no longer serve as mediator in negotiations and denounced Trump's peace efforts as the "slap of the century".

The Palestinians were planning a general strike on Tuesday to protest Trump's declaration.

Unrest since the announcement has left 18 Palestinians dead, most of them killed in clashes with Israeli forces. One Israeli has been killed in that time.

- 'Return to the table' -

In his speech to parliament, Pence said "we strongly urge the Palestinian leadership to return to the table. Peace can only come through dialogue."

The 82-year-old Abbas said in Brussels that "we are keen on continuing on the way of negotiations because we believe it is the only way forward to reach a negotiated solution and peace between us and Israel."

He has however pushed for an internationally led process.

Netanyahu appeared more interested in talking with Pence on other issues, including Iran, Israel's main enemy.

Pence dedicated part of his speech to Iran, saying the United States "will never allow" it to acquire a nuclear weapon and pledging to "work with Israel and with nations across the world to confront the leading state sponsor of terror."

The US move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital broke with decades of international consensus that the city's status should be settled as part of a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

Israelis and Palestinians alike interpreted Trump's move as Washington taking Israel's side in the conflict -- a view reinforced by the White House's recent decision to withhold financing for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

In Jerusalem, Pence repeated Trump's view that the United States will support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "if both sides agree."

burs-mjs/dv
A Turkish-backed fighter from the Free Syrian Army prepares to target Kurdish People's Protection Units positions in the area of Afrin

The Turkish military has started an air and ground operation against Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia whom Ankara views as "terrorists" linked to outlawed militants.

Turkey's last such cross-border operation -- against the Islamic State extremist group and the Kurdish militia -- was between August 2016 and March 2017.

Launched together with Syrian rebels, Turkish officials hailed its completion as a great success.

Ankara views the YPG and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing as branches of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

It is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

But why has Ankara launched this offensive and what are the risks for Turkey?

The reasons

A Turkish official who did not wish to be named said the offensive "aims to liberate the area by eliminating the PKK-YPG-linked administration" in the region of Afrin, accusing the YPG of "repressing the local population through anti-democratic and authoritarian means".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said one objective was to give Afrin back to "its rightful owners" while Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the offensive aimed to replace terror with peace in the region.

A member of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) demonstrates in Amuda, Syria, alongside Syrian-Kurds protesting against a military operation by the Turkish army in Afrin, Syria

According to Max Hoffman, associate director and a Turkey expert at Center for American Progress, Turkey is "deeply unhappy" with the existing balance of power in northern Syria -- where the regime and the Kurds are ascendant.

"Ankara fears that, effectively, a leftist Kurdish statelet deeply hostile to Turkey will be formalised on their southern border," he said.

The militia has been a key ally of the US in its fight against IS, with Washington providing air cover as well as weaponry during the YPG's fight to recapture IS strongholds in Syria last year.

Military analyst Abdullah Agar said US support had "really deepened", causing "a lot of concern" for Turkey.

The risks

The Turkish official said Turkey would learn from its 2016-17 operation in Syria dubbed Euphrates Shield.

"In our efforts to restore peace and stability in Afrin, we will draw from our experiences in Jarabulus, Azaz and Al-Bab," the official said, referring to regions in Syria recaptured from IS during the operation.

The YPG is a disciplined and well-trained force, Aron Lund, a fellow with The Century Foundation, told AFP.

The Kurds "will surely put up hard resistance, but I don't know how heavily armed they are and a determined Turkish attack is probably difficult to fend off," he said.

"If Turkey decides to throw major resources at this battle, and Russia and (Syrian President Bashar al-) Assad stand aside, the balance of power does not look favourable to the Kurds," Lund said.

He added the YPG was likely to do its best to create "diplomatic pressure" to bring Turkey's attacks to an end.

"I cannot foresee that this operation will be easy," Agar said, pointing to the thousands of YPG fighters in the region and around 250,000 civilians living there.

The Turkish army said it was taking every precaution to prevent harm to civilians.

The consequences

Analysts say a critical factor will be whether the offensive has any effect on the peace process for Syria that has been backed by Turkey and Russia in recent weeks.

"Everybody has been watching to see if this connects to the preparations for the Russian-sponsored talks in Sochi or not," Lund said, referring to peace talks to be held on January 30 in the Russian Black Sea resort.

While Moscow has a military presence in the area and a cordial relationship with the YPG, Hoffman suggested the offensive could strain those ties.

Referring to a statement from the PYD saying Russia was as much to blame for this attack as Turkey, Hoffman said the offensive could "drive a wedge" between Moscow and the YPG.

Hoffman added that if the offensive "goes well from Erdogan's perspective and he pushes on into Manbij or Kobane (towns in northern Syria), it could prompt an outright break with the US."

But Lund said the operation may have domestic political ramifications if Ankara is trapped in a military or diplomatic quagmire over Afrin.

"Erdogan is working hard to muster solid majorities in time for the very important Turkish elections of 2019," he said.

The presidential elections in November 2019 follow last year's referendum in which Turks approved creating an executive presidency.

"He'd be well served by a quick, neat military victory, but a fiasco would of course play into the hands of the opposition," Lund said.
A Turkish tank is seen on Sunday passing through the Bab al-Salameh border crossing into Syria, as Turkish forces launched an operation against Syrian Kurdish forces that Ankara considers 'terrorists'

Turkey gave Washington advance warning before launching an operation against US-allied Syrian Kurdish forces, and Ankara has "legitimate" security concerns in the area, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Sunday.

"Turkey was candid. They warned us before they launched the aircraft they were going to do it in consultation with us, and we are working now on the way ahead through the ministry of foreign affairs," Mattis told reporters aboard his aircraft at the start of a trip to Asia.

Turkey "is the only NATO country with an active insurgency inside its borders, and Turkey has legitimate security concerns," Mattis said, referring to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been engaged in a separatist struggle against Ankara since 1984.

Turkey launched "Operation Olive Branch," an offensive by Ankara's troops and allied Syrian rebels against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in the town of Afrin.

The YPG has been a key US ally in the war against the Islamic State group, helping to drive the group's jihadist fighters from swaths of Syrian territory, including its stronghold Raqa.

But Ankara considers YPG fighters to be "terrorists" linked to the PKK.

- Call for 'restraint' -

Turkey on Sunday ruled out the risk of an inadvertent clash with American forces in its operation in Syria, saying there were no US troops in the area where the campaign was taking place.

"US officials declared that there has been no American military or American soldiers in the region," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters in Istanbul.

The US State Department, while also referring to the "legitimate security concerns of Turkey," issued a call for Ankara to proceed carefully.

"We urge Turkey to exercise restraint and ensure that its military operations remain limited in scope and duration and scrupulous to avoid civilian casualties," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

"We call on all parties to remain focused on the central goal of defeating" IS, Nauert said.

A Britain-based monitoring group and a YPG spokesman both said that Turkish air raids on Sunday killed eight civilians in northern Syria.

A day earlier, the YPG's Birusk Hasakeh told AFP that a Turkish bombardment had killed 10 people, including seven civilians.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Sunday that claims of civilian casualties from the offensive were untrue.
Attendees gather for the "Women's March: Power To The Polls" rally on January 21, 2018 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, aimed at organizing ahead of US mid-term elections later in the year

In a second day of US demonstrations for women's rights and against President Donald Trump, marchers took to streets of Las Vegas on Sunday.

The rally aimed to highlight the need for political organization ahead of mid-term congressional elections set for later this year.

"We have to march together, we have to organize together, we have to mobilize together and we have to vote together, even when we don't like one another," said Tamika Mallory, co-chairwoman of the national Women's March organization, in Las Vegas.

"We have the power to change every policy and make every elected official work for us.... but we must stand up and be loud and be bold."

Demonstrators in the desert city marched and chanted "Power to the polls."

Some waved signs saying, "You can't fix stupid but you can vote it out," "The president of the US is a racist," and "We're not gonna take it sisters."

Still others chanted "Equal work, equal pay."

Saturday, demonstrators took to the streets en masse around the United States banging drums and donning pink hats for a second Women's March opposing the president -- a year to the day since Trump's inauguration, when more than three million people turned out nationwide to voice opposition to Trump.

Hundreds of thousands of marchers assembled in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, Boston and other cities nationwide.

Many donned pink knit "pussy hats" -- a reference to Trump's boast of his license to grope women without repercussions.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the budget battle in Congress (all times local):

12:15 a.m.

The final Senate vote on a Republican bill aimed at preventing a federal shutdown is in, and it's 10 votes short.

Sen. Kamala Harris D-Calif., speaks during a rally in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and to avoid the government shut down on Capitol Hill, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, in Washington. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Friday's late-night vote means a government closure is under way. There have been no clear public signs that the two parties have significantly narrowed their disputes over immigration and the budget.

The House approved the measure Thursday over Democratic opposition. It would have kept agencies afloat through Feb. 16, but Democrats wanted a package lasting just days in hopes of intensifying pressure on the GOP to compromise.

Republicans control the Senate 51-49. The GOP needed 60 votes to prevail, but the tally was 50-49.

Five Democrats voted in favor of the measure. Five Republicans voted against it.

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12:01 a.m.

The White House says it will not negotiate with the Democrats on immigration until the end of the federal government shutdown.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says in a statement that, "We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands."

She adds, "When Democrats start paying our armed forces and first responders we will reopen negotiations on immigration reform."

The government shut down at midnight after Congress failed to pass a spending deal.

Sanders says, "Senate Democrats own the Schumer Shutdown," adding, "This is the behavior of obstructionist losers, not legislators."

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12 midnight

The U.S. government shut down at midnight after Congress failed to resolve a partisan standoff over immigration and spending.

In a late-night vote, Senate Democrats joined to block a bill that would have kept the government running for another four weeks. A flurry of last-minute negotiations failed to beat the deadline.

Democrats have tried to use the Friday night funding deadline to win concessions from Republicans, including an extension of an Obama-era program protecting some young immigrants from deportation. The program is set to expire in March. Republicans sought more time for talks, but Democrats refused.

The shutdown is only the fourth government closure in a quarter-century. It will only partially curb government operations. Uniformed service members, health inspectors, and law enforcement officers are set to work without pay.

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11:59 p.m.

Many of the immediate effects of the government shutdown will be muted for most Americans, as it comes on a Friday night.

Social Security and most other safety net programs are unaffected by the lapse in federal spending authority. Critical government functions will continue, with uniformed service members, health inspectors and law enforcement officers set to work without pay.

But if no deal is brokered before Monday, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are set to be furloughed.

The White House and Capitol Hill will be working with skeleton staffs, but some government agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency, have said they were able to shift funding around to keep most workers on the job. National parks and federal museums will be open, but with potentially reduced services.

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11 p.m.

Senate Democrats appear to have derailed a Republican bill aimed at preventing a federal shutdown set to begin as soon as the calendar flips to Saturday.

Friday's late-night vote means at least a short government closure is all but unavoidable. There have been no clear public signs that the two parties have significantly narrowed their disputes over immigration and the budget.

The House approved the measure Thursday over Democratic opposition. It would keep agencies afloat through Feb. 16, but Democrats want a package lasting just days in hopes of intensifying pressure on the GOP to compromise.

Republicans control the Senate 51-49. The GOP needed 60 votes to prevail, but the tally was 50-48 as of 11 p.m. Eastern time. The Senate is awaiting a final vote from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

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10:30 p.m.

The Trump administration will exempt several hundred presidential staffers from mandatory furloughs if the government shuts down at midnight.

Contingency plans released Friday night show that 659 Executive Office of the President staffers would be allowed to report to duty because they are considered essential workers. More than 1,000 of 1,700 staffers would be furloughed.

The number is higher than the Obama administration, which deemed 545 staffers essential in 2015.

The Executive Office of the President includes those who work in White House Office, the Office of the Vice President and the National Security Council, among others.

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9:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump says efforts to avert a government shutdown are "Not looking good."

Trump says in a tweet late Friday evening that it's "Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border."

And he's blaming Democrats, saying they want a federal government shutdown "in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy."

Lawmakers are trying to hash out a deal to keep the federal government open. A partial shutdown will begin at midnight if Congress doesn't pass a funding bill.

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8:55 p.m.

Newly minted Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones is breaking ranks with party leaders and will vote for the House-passed Republican bill preventing a federal shutdown.

Jones tells The Associated Press he will "reluctantly" vote for the measure late Friday. He says he's backing it because the measure contains fresh financing for the Children's Health Insurance Program, which helps low-income children.

It will be Jones' highest-profile vote since he joined the Senate Jan. 3 after his upset special election victory over conservative Roy Moore.

Democrats say they have the votes to block the GOP measure. Republicans control the Senate 51-49 but need 60 votes to prevail.

Jones joins at least three other Democrats saying they'll support the bill: North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp, Indiana's Joe Donnelly and West Virginia's Joe Manchin.

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7:30 p.m.

Administration officials say President Donald Trump would be allowed to travel to Davos, Switzerland, next week even if the government has been partially shut down.

Senior administration officials told reporters in a background briefing call that the president is permitted to continue to exercise his constitutional duties during a funding lapse. That includes carrying out diplomacy.

The officials declined to comment on whether the president would be able to travel to Florida this weekend to spend time at his Mar-a-Lago club.

Trump is planning to attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting next week in Switzerland. He plans to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May, among others.

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7:20 p.m.

The Senate has scheduled a showdown vote for 10 p.m. EST on preventing a federal government shutdown. Democrats are ready to block the Republican measure.

Unless Congress approves some legislation providing money, government agencies will begin shutting down at midnight.

The initial impact on most people will be slight, but the closure will raise the stakes in a partisan fight over immigration and the budget.

The House approved a bill Thursday keeping agencies open through Feb. 16.

Led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, most Democrats are opposing the measure.

Republicans control the Senate 51-49 but need 60 votes to prevail. More than enough Democrats appear ready to vote "no."

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5:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump is striking an optimistic tone as the deadline for a federal government shutdown nears.

Trump tweeted Friday afternoon, less than seven hours before the midnight deadline, that he had "an excellent preliminary meeting" in the Oval Office with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

He is also praising the role being played by fellow Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Trump says negotiators are "making progress" and says a four-week spending extension "would be best." That's what the House passed Thursday.

Schumer told reporters after the White House meeting that progress had been made but a deal had not yet been reached.

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2:45 p.m.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer says he and President Donald Trump "made some progress" at a White House meeting, "but we still have a good number of disagreements."

The New York Democrat said "discussions will continue."

Trump asked Schumer to the White House for a meeting that lasted more than an hour.

The Oval Office session came with hours to go before a partial government shutdown at midnight.

Schumer'ss pressing for protections for younger immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, but the White House and Republicans say talks on that issue should be kept separate from legislation to prevent a shutdown.

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2:30 p.m.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has left the White House after a lengthy meeting with President Donald Trump.

Trump invited the Senate's top Democrat to try to reach a deal to avert a government shutdown.

Schumer did not address reporters as he left the building.

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12:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump has invited Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to the White House to try to reach a deal to avoid a government shutdown.

That's according to a person familiar with Trump's outreach who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

Schumer is expected to meet with Trump shortly.

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12:20 p.m.

The House has voted to remain in session - for now at least - while a Senate vote to avert a government shutdown looms.

Republican leaders planned to adjourn Friday after approving a four-week spending bill Thursday night that would avert a government shutdown. They changed course Friday after Democrats forced a formal vote on adjournment. Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, said lawmakers have not completed their work and should not leave Washington.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans want to go to Davos, Switzerland "hobnobbing with their elitist friends instead of honoring their responsibilities to the American people."

A GOP aide said McCarthy won't attend the World Economic Forum in Davos if the government shuts down.

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12 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says that Democrats will get the blame for a partial government shutdown that looks increasingly likely.

The Kentucky Republican says Senate Democrats will "own" the shutdown because they oppose a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open for a month.

McConnell says he looks forward to a vote soon, though Democrats and a handful of Republicans are expected to filibuster the measure.

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11:45 a.m.

The Trump administration is minimizing the looming budget crisis that could produce a government shutdown, saying former President Barack Obama "weaponized" hardcore negotiating tactics.

Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told reporters that any such shuttering of the government would "look very different" from the 16-day government closure in 2013 under Obama. He said the previous administration "weaponized" the government shutdown in budget negotiations and did not encourage agencies to lessen the impact with unobligated funds.

He says, "they chose to make it worse."

Mulvaney and Marc Short, the White House legislative director, spoke as the Republican-controlled Congress battled through budget negotiations in the shadow of a midnight deadline. If no resolution is reached, the government would shut down most operations.

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11:40 a.m.

As a government shutdown loomed, the White House said Friday that President Donald Trump would not leave for a planned weekend in Florida unless a spending bill passes.

Trump had been set to leave Friday afternoon to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his inauguration at his Palm Beach estate.

Vice President Mike Pence still plans to travel to the Middle East on Friday night despite the potential for a shutdown of the federal government.

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10:25 a.m.

White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney is putting the chances of a government shutdown at "between 50 and 60 percent."

Mulvaney spoke to reporters at the White House Friday as the prospect of a shutdown loomed. He said he was "handicapping it" between 50 and 60 percent. But, he added, "we're planning for it as though it's 100 percent."

After the House passed a four-week, government-wide spending bill, Senate Democrats vowed a filibuster unless there's a deal to protect certain young immigrants.

Asked about a Plan B, Mulvaney noted talks over a shorter term deal, but said the House may be leaving which could create a funding lapse.

Still, he said that he's open to that. He says: "we'd like to keep the government open."

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8:25 a.m.

President Donald Trump will not leave for a weekend at his Palm Beach estate unless a government shutdown is averted.

The White House said Friday that Trump will not head to Florida unless a funding bill passes.

Trump was set to leave Friday afternoon and planned to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his inauguration at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump tweeted Friday morning about the Friday night shutdown deadline, suggesting Democrats would be to blame.

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7:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump says Senate Democrats are focused on "illegal immigration and weak borders" as a government shutdown looms.

Trump says on Twitter Friday: "Government Funding Bill past (sic) last night in the House of Representatives. Now Democrats are needed if it is to pass in the Senate - but they want illegal immigration and weak borders."

He adds: "Shutdown coming? We need more Republican victories in 2018!"

A divided Congress stared down a government shutdown Friday as Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked on immigration.

After the House passed a four-week, government-wide spending bill, Senate Democrats vowed a filibuster unless there's a deal to protect around 700,000 immigrants from deportation who arrived in the U.S. as children and stayed illegally.

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1:08 a.m.

A bitterly-divided Congress is hurtling toward a government shutdown this weekend in a partisan stare-down over demands by Democrats for a solution on politically fraught legislation to protect about 700,000 younger immigrants from being deported.

Democrats in the Senate have served notice they will filibuster a four-week, government-wide funding bill that passed the House Thursday evening, seeking to shape a subsequent measure but exposing themselves to charges they are responsible for a looming shutdown.

Republicans controlling the narrowly-divided chamber took up the fight, arguing that Democrats were holding the entire government hostage over demands to protect "Dreamer" immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

An aide delivers several pizzas to the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., on Capitol Hill, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y. walks to his vehicle following his meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Donald Trump speaks to the March for Life participants from the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Construction cones used to cover walkway flaws, stand along the sidewalk on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. On the edge of a government shutdown, a divided House voted late Thursday to keep the government open past a Friday deadline - setting up an eleventh-hour standoff in the Senate, where Democrats have vowed to kill the measure. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., arrives at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, as a bitterly-divided Congress hurtles toward a government shutdown this weekend in a partisan stare-down over demands by Democrats for a solution on politically fraught legislation to protect about 700,000 younger immigrants from being deported. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., arrives at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, as a bitterly-divided Congress hurtles toward a government shutdown this weekend in a partisan stare-down over demands by Democrats for a solution on politically fraught legislation to protect about 700,000 younger immigrants from being deported. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney speaks with reporters outside the White House about a possible government shutdown, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump greets people on the South Lawn to the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, as he returns from Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., runs to catch a subway car as he returns to his office on Capitol Hill as Congress moves closer to the deadline to avoid a government shutdown, in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WILLIAMSON, W.Va. (AP) - A second man has been sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole after 15 years in the fatal shooting of a coal executive at a West Virginia cemetery.

News outlets report Mingo Circuit Judge Miki Thompson handed down the sentence Thursday for 20-year-old Brandon Lee Fitzpatrick, of Louisa, Kentucky. Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty last month in the killing of Bennett K. Hatfield, who was shot while visiting his wife's gravesite in May 2016.

Fitzpatrick admitted he was with 22-year-old Anthony Raheem Arriaga, of Delphos, Ohio, when Arriaga killed Hatfield in a scheme to steal his GMC Yukon Denali and sell its parts. Arriaga was sentenced in December after being convicted of murder, robbery and conspiracy.

Prosecutor Duke Jewell said Fitzpatrick came up with the scheme to kill Hatfield and steal his vehicle. He said Arriaga shot Hatfield but panicked and failed to steal the vehicle.
Cafe Mystery

What's up with the Plymouth Rd. Sweetwaters?

by Catherine Zudak

From the January, 2018 issue

On September 15, the Sweetwaters cafe in Plymouth Green Crossings posted notices online and on-site that it was closing temporarily due to equipment maintenance and road construction. Three months later, regulars were still wondering when and if it would reopen.



In late November, one fan emailed the Observer asking for news. "This sudden closure pulled the rug out from a lot of regulars," he wrote, "This was a very popular cafe--packed with students on Sunday afternoon, a women's knitting group on Thursday nights, business folks having meetings, people doing job interviews, and regulars like me ... doing research and writing."



The fan didn't want to be quoted by name. In fact, no one wanted to be quoted by name about the closure.



Sweetwaters offers franchises and does not own the closed location. However, the company does list all locations, both company and franchised-owned, on its website. The Plymouth Rd. cafe is no longer listed.



Its Facebook page is still active, however, and apparently is now under the parent company's control. A query there got this (unsigned) email response: "Hearing how much Sweetwater's Plymouth Rd. means to everyone is heartwarming! We are still working with the franchisee to see if we can get this store re-opened. If we have any new news--we will post on the Sweetwater's Plymouth Rd. Facebook page."



The name of the franchisee, too, remains a mystery. When MLive covered the cafe's opening in 2009, it wrote that the franchise was owned by a group of investors, without naming names.



A barista familiar with the closing says, "No one really knows what's going on."



Of course, he, too, spoke on the condition of anonymity.



While who owns the franchise, when it might reopen, and why it closed remain obscure, there are plenty of other Sweetwaters locations open for business in the Ann Arbor area. Not to mention several rival coffeehouses along Plymouth, including Espresso Royale, Starbucks, and Moonwinks in Dixboro.



The disappointed regular wrote he had transferred his business to Barnes & Noble's cafe on Washtenaw. He even ran into another displaced regular there. They both miss "their" cafe on Plymouth Rd.



[Originally published in January, 2018.]








WASHINGTON (AP) - He wrote a book on the art of negotiation and was elected to office claiming he alone could end Washington gridlock, but President Donald Trump's latest attempt to broker a big, bipartisan deal has turned into a big mess.

The failure to find consensus on immigration and spending is a blow to Trump's presidency on the one-year anniversary of his inauguration - and perhaps more painfully, a blow to his brand as a wheeler-and-dealer. The funding feud, which led to a government shutdown at midnight Friday, is the second time Trump has dived into a negotiation and come up short on a top priority. As with failed talks about overhauling the nation's health system, Trump has again slammed into the difficulties of Washington's particular mix of tricky politics and complex policy.

"Negotiating in politics is a lot different than real estate," said GOP strategist Alex Conant. "In Washington, not everybody wants to make a deal. Trump's initial premise that politicians just needed to be prodded more to make a deal was always flawed. Nobody runs for Congress because they want to compromise their principles. They want to advance their agendas."

FILE- In this Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, file photo, from left, Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony honoring former Senator Bob Dole on Capitol Hill in Washington. The funding feud, which led to a government shutdown at midnight Friday, Jan. 19, is the second time Trump has dived into a negotiation and come up short on a top priority. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Democrats' agenda in this case is, chiefly, protection for the 700,000 young immigrants who may face deportation when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program expires in March. Republicans are seeking more time to talk and a long-term funding bill that with major increases for the Pentagon.

It's not been entirely clear what the president's agenda is. Over the past few weeks, he has expressed openness to extending the DACA program, but then rejected a bipartisan plan on that front. He fired off a tweet that appeared to reject the GOP plan for a short-term funding bill that would buy time for more negotiation, but the White House walked it back. He abruptly tried to cut a broad deal with Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader and a fellow New Yorker, and then backed off.

"I'm looking for something that President Trump supports," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters on Wednesday, just two days away from the shutdown deadline. "And he's not yet indicated what measure he's willing to sign. As soon as we figure out what he is for, then I would be convinced that we were not just spinning our wheels going to this issue on the floor, but actually dealing with a bill that has a chance to become law and therefore solve the problem."

Democrats have been less diplomatic: "Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-O," Schumer said Saturday, gleefully recounting what he claimed was a blow-by-blow account of Trump's failed efforts to avert a shutdown.

The White House doesn't necessarily view the confusion as a problem.

In his most notable work, "The Art of the Deal," Trump boasted of his fickleness as a negotiator, describing it as a strategy. "I never get too attached to one deal or one approach. For starters, I keep a lot of balls in the air, because most deals fall out, no matter how promising they seem at first."

A White House official, who asked for anonymity to discuss private deliberations, said the White House prefers to keep the government open, but sees potential political upside in Democratic "overreach." Trump's team sees the shutdown as an example of the president's commitment to tough negotiation and believes Democrats will cave in, the official said in describing the strategy.

It is a familiar sentiment for presidents stuck in crises with Congress. During the 2013 shutdown, President Barack Obama predicted the confrontation would "break the fever" driving Republican opposition - ultimately to no avail.

Who bears the blame for the current debacle is difficult to predict. Some Republican critics of Trump said he might emerge reputation intact, should Democrats bear the brunt of the blame. "It's pretty clear Sen. Schumer wasn't going to be able to get to 'yes,'" said Mike Steel, a former aide to Republican House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan.

And many of Trump's core supporters aren't particularly interested in compromise. "He was elected for the 46 percent who voted for him," says William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who worked in the Clinton administration. "He was a mold-breaker, who wouldn't cow to conventional opinion."

But Trump, himself, has suggested he should be on the hook for the impasse.

In 2013, when he criticized Obama over another shutdown mess, he said: "Well, if you say who gets fired it always has to be the top. I mean, problems start from the top and they have to get solved from the top and the president's the leader. And he's got to get everybody in a room and he's got to lead."

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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

As traffic barriers close the two other lanes, a vehicle passes freely through the open lane to Rocky Mountain National Park, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Estes Park, Colo. Despite a government shutdown, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Yosemite National Park in California were open, but few Park Service staff were available to help visitors. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sure, Republicans and Democrats are battling over spending and immigration. But they're also battling over blame. On Day One of a government shutdown, both parties on Saturday launched a frantic messaging campaign aimed at mitigating the political blowback. The side that gets labeled responsible for the historic display of dysfunction may not only lose this fight, they could end of carrying that baggage into the midterm elections in November.

Republicans say Democrats are to blame because they've so far refused to go along with short-term temporary spending measures. Democrats argued Republicans are stalling on immigration negotiations. They're trying to force concessions from Republican that would shield the so-called "Dreamers" - the young immigrants protected under the Deferred Action for New Arrivals program - from deportation. The dispute could have ramifications that carry over into the midterms.

Here's a look at what Democratic and Republican strategists, and other experts say about who will be blamed for the government shutdown:

Park Ranger Amy Fink carries cones to use in the Bear Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Estes Park, Colo. Despite a government shutdown, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Yosemite National Park in California were open, but few Park Service staff were available to help visitors. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Republican strategist Kevin Sheridan, former Republican National Committee spokesman and adviser to the Romney-Ryan presidential campaign in 2012:

"Democrat messaging is a mess. They are delusional to think DACA, which is unrelated to keeping the government open and doesn't expire until at least March 5, but probably longer, is more important to the American people than paychecks for our troops and health insurance for children. Democrats do not oppose anything in the (continuing resolution) and after six years of governing by (continuing resolution) can't make a credible case they oppose" them.

"They simply want to signal to their base that they are resisting the president. That's not negotiating."

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Ross Baker, political scientist at Rutgers University:

"I think that Republicans are pushing up against a very uncomfortable fact and that is that they do control, although nominally, all the branches of the federal government and, consequently, I think it's easier to hold them responsible." Baker said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been "quite focused on trying to pin this on the Democrats," but doubted he would be successful.

Baker adds that Republicans complaining that they only control 51 seats in the 100-member Senate isn't an effective strategy. "If you have to retreat to procedural language and drag people into the legislative process and intricacies, it's a difficult argument to make," he said.

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Josh Holmes, longtime adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

"I think Democrats made a series of really grave mistakes, chief among them is having a three-week debate about the DACA program, which will likely get a solution but certainly didn't call for a government shutdown to achieve it. And what that did is frame the entire debate ... their purpose for shutting the government down is to try to provide citizenship for people who are currently here illegally. And that juxtaposed with soldiers and sick, poor kids is not a good set of optics."

"It's a lazy arrogance when it comes to political fortunes. The thing that gets you every time is this view that just because things have been going you way politically for a series of months it'll go your way no matter what. So the conclusion there is, 'the president has a 40 percent approval rating there 60 percent of the country is going to be with us.' Well, not when it comes to choosing people who are not Americans over American soldiers."

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William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who worked in the Clinton administration:

"Traditionally the party in power, especially when there's total unified government, is held responsible for policy outcomes. That's what history says, but history also said that someone like Donald Trump couldn't be elected president of the United States. I reference history with many more reservations than I used to."

Galston adds: "Democrats are likely to be at an advantage in the struggle to assign blame, among other things because an effective message campaign requires what the professionals call message discipline, and that hasn't been Donald Trump's strong-suit. One impulsive tweet could undo a week of strategy."

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Michael Steel, press secretary for former House Speaker John Boehner from 2008-2015:

"Republicans from President Trump on down are clear and unified on why Washington Democrats forced this shutdown, while the Democrats can't get on the same page. The American people know it was Washington Democrats who voted against funding the government and children's health insurance. This is all on their heads."
LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) - Austin Cook hit a hybrid into the fairway bunker on the par-4 18th on a breezy Saturday afternoon at La Quinta Country Club, then chunked a wedge and raced a chip 20 feet past the hole.

Kip Henley, the longtime PGA Tour caddie who guided Cook to a breakthrough victory at Sea Island in November, stepped in to give the 26-year-old former Arkansas star a quick pep talk.

"Kip said, 'Let's finish this like we did on the first day at the Nicklaus Course.' We made a big par putt on 18 there and he said, 'Let's just do the same thing. Let's get this line right and if you get the line right it's going in.'"

Austin Cook watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

It did , giving Cook an 8-under 64 and a one-stroke lead in the CareerBuilder Challenge going into the final round on the Stadium Course at PGA West. Fellow former Razorback Andrew Landry and Martin Piller were tied for second, and Jon Rahm and Scott Piercy were a another stroke back after a tricky day in wind that didn't get close to the predicted gusts of 40 mph.

"I know that I wouldn't have wanted to play the Stadium today," Cook said. "I think we got a great draw with the courses that we got to play on the days that we got to play them."

Cook played the final six holes on the front nine in 6 under with an eagle and four birdies.

"Starting on my fourth hole, I was able to make a birdie and kind of get the ball rolling and it never really stopped rolling," Cook said. "Kip and I were doing really good at seeing the line on the greens."

After a bogey on 10, he birdied 11, 12 and 15 and parred the final three to get to 19-under 197.

"I think that tonight the nerves, the butterflies, all that will kind of be a little less," Cook said. "I've been in the situation before and I was able to finish the job on Sunday. I think it would be a little different if I didn't play like I did on Sunday at Sea Island."

He's making his first start in the event.

"I came in from Hawaii on Monday, so I only had two days to prepare for three courses," Cook said.

Landry, the second-round leader, had a 70 at the Stadium. Piller, the husband of LPGA Tour player Gerina Piller, shot a 67 at La Quinta. Winless on the PGA Tour, they will join Cook in the final threesome.

"Piller's a good guy and we have played a lot together and same with Cookie," said Landry, the only player without a bogey after 54 holes. "Hope the Hogs are going to come out on top."

Rahm had a 70 at the Stadium to reach 17 under. The third-ranked Rahm beat up the par 5s again, but had four bogeys - three on par 3s. He has played the 12 par 5s in 13 under with an eagle and 11 birdies.

"A little bit of a survival day," Rahm said.

The wind was more of a factor on the more exposed and tighter Stadium Course.

"The course is firming up," Rahm said. "I know if we have similar wind to today, if we shoot something under par, you'll be way up there contesting it over the last few holes."

Piercy had a 66 at the Stadium.

"I controlled my ball really well today," he said.

Adam Hadwin had a 67 at La Quinta a year after shooting a third-round 59 on the course. The Canadian was 16 under along with Grayson Murray and Brandon Harkins. Murray had a 67 on the Nicklaus Course, and Harkins shot 68 at the Stadium.

Phil Mickelson missed the cut in his first tournament of the year for the second time in his career, shooting a 74 on the Stadium to finish at 4 under - four strokes from a Sunday tee time. The 47-year-old Hall of Famer was playing for the first time since late October. He also missed the cut in the Phoenix Open in his 2009 opener.

Charlie Reiter, the Palm Desert High School senior playing on the first sponsor exemption the event has given to an amateur, also missed the cut. He had three early straight double bogeys in a 77 on the Stadium that left him 1 over.

John Daly had an 80 at La Quinta. He opened with a triple bogey and had six bogeys - four in a row to start his second nine - and only one birdie. The 51-year-old Daly opened with a 69 on the Nicklaus layout and had a 71 on Friday at the Stadium.

Austin Cook hits out of the bunker on the 18th hole during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge golf tournament at La Quinta Country Club Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Andrew Landry hits from the fairway on the 18th hole during the second round of the CareerBuilder Challenge golf tournament on the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Andrew Landry watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during the second round of the CareerBuilder Challenge golf tournament on the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Jon Rahm reacts to his tee on the fourth hole during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge golf tournament on the Stadium Course at PGA West Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Andrew Landry watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge golf tournament on the Stadium Course at PGA West Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Jon Rahm watches his tee shot on the third hole during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge golf tournament on the Stadium Course at PGA West Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Jon Rahm hits from rough on the second hole during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge golf tournament on the Stadium Course at PGA West Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Andrew Landry watches his tee shot from the rough on the ninth hole during the third round of the CareerBuilder Challenge golf tournament on the Stadium Course at PGA West Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - A rocket launched from New Zealand on Sunday successfully reached orbit carrying small commercial satellites.

California-based company Rocket Lab said its Electron rocket, which carries only a small payload of about 150 kilograms (331 pounds), successfully deployed an earth imaging and two other satellites for weather and ship tracking after blastoff from the Mahia Peninsula on North Island's east coast.

Company CEO and founder Peter Beck, a New Zealander, said the launch marks the beginning of a new era in commercial access to space. He said that deploying customer payloads on a second test flight "is almost unprecedented."

In this photo provided by Rocket Lab, Electron rocket carrying only a small payload of about 150 kilograms (331 pounds), lifts off from the Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island's east coast. The rocket launched from New Zealand on Sunday successfully reached orbit carrying small commercial satellites. (Rocket Lab via AP)

The company last May reached space with its first test launch, only to abort the mission due to a communication glitch. It has official approval to conduct three test launches and sees an emerging market in delivering small devices, some as big as a smartphone, into orbit.

The satellites would be used for everything from monitoring crops to providing internet service.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Demonstrations in support of female empowerment are scheduled in cities across the country a day after hundreds of thousands of people across the globe marched, chanted and protested.

Marchers are expected to gather in several cities Sunday, including Miami, Melbourne and Munich.

On Saturday, many not only supported women's rights, but also denounced President Donald Trump's views on immigration, abortion, LGBT rights and women's rights on the anniversary of his inauguration.

People hold signs during the Women's March in Wilmington, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018. (Ken Blevins/The Star-News via AP)

Many of them talked about the news avalanche of politics and gender issues in the past year. They say the #MeToo movement, credited as countering widespread sexual abuse and misconduct, has galvanized them.

Critics of the weekend's marches say the demonstrations were really a protest against Trump.

A driver waves in support of the Women's March on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, as the marchers cross Broadway Avenue in downtown Rochester, Minn. (Andrew Link/The Rochester Post-Bulletin via AP)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Women and inclusivity continued to dominate the awards season conversation Saturday at the Producers Guild Awards, where Guillermo del Toro's fantastical romance "The Shape of Water" won the top award and honorees like Jordan Peele and Ava DuVernay gave rousing speeches to the room of entertainment industry leaders.

The untelevised dinner and ceremony, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., is closely watched for its capacity to predict the eventual Oscar best picture winner, but this year the "awards race" seemed to be the secondary show to the more urgent questions facing the industry, including the crisis of representation and sexual misconduct.

The Producers Guild on Friday ratified guidelines for combating sexual harassment in the entertainment industry, and everyone from DuVernay to Universal Chair Donna Langley and television mogul Ryan Murphy made mention of the changing times and the work that still needs to be done.

This image released by Fox Searchlight Pictures shows Sally Hawkins, left, and Doug Jones in a scene from the film "The Shape of Water." "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," "Get Out," ''Lady Bird," ''The Shape of Water" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" are among the nominees for AARP The Magazine's 17th annual Movies for Grownups Awards. The Feb. 5 ceremony will be held in Los Angeles. It will air on PBS' "Great Performances" on Feb. 23. (Kerry Hayes/Fox Searchlight Pictures via AP)

"If we want more brilliant films like 'Get Out' ...we need to have many different perspectives including equal numbers of women, people of color, people of all faiths and sexual orientation involved in every stage of filmmaking," Langley said in accepting the Milestone Award - noting that she was only the third woman to do so.

It was not the only time "Get Out" got a special mention, despite not winning the top award. Peele also won the Stanley Kramer Award.

Del Toro was not present to accept the PGA's Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures, due to the health of his father.

His film was up against 10 others this year, including "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," which won big at the Golden Globes earlier this month, "Lady Bird," ''Get Out," ''Dunkirk," ''The Post," ''Call Me By Your Name," ''The Big Sick," ''I, Tonya" ''Wonder Woman" and "Molly's Game" - many of which were represented by actors and directors in attendance like Timothee Chalamet, Christopher Nolan, Margot Robbie, Patty Jenkins and Greta Gerwig.

Other presenters included the likes of Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Mary J. Blige, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kerry Washington and Morgan Freeman in the ceremony that saw Disney and Pixar's "Coco" pick up best animated feature and Brett Morgen's Jane Goodall film "Jane" win best documentary.

In television, "The Handmaids Tale" picked up best drama series, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" won best comedy series, "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" won best TV variety series, "Black Mirror" for long-form TV, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath" for nonfiction television, "Sesame Street" for children's program and "Carpool Karaoke" for best short-form program.

The pre-announced honorees stole most of the show, however.

Norman Lear presented the Stanley Kramer Award to Peele invoking the award's namesake in speaking of "Get Out," which Lear proudly said he's seen three times.

Peele said he was proud to call Lear a friend.

"I want to say, you can use my body for your brain anytime," Peele laughed, before taking a more serious turn in his speech.

Peele likened the idea of "the sunken place" in the film to what is happening in the world right now, referencing Haiti, the water crisis in Flint, and President Donald Trump's criticisms of athletes for protesting on the field.

"What really scares me...is the silencing of voices," Peele said "'Get Out' is my protest against that."

Peele ended on a hopeful note, however.

"Finally unique voices are breaking through," he said. "Diverse and honest storytelling opens eyes and hearts. We can break out of the sunken place together."

"Selma" and "A Wrinkle in Time" director Ava DuVernay gave a similarly poignant speech in accepting the Visionary Award,

"It's an odd moment, you have a women's march and you have a country with a government shut down," DuVernay said. "We're in the midst of times that will be long remembered."

DuVernay said what is important is, "The way we work. The people we actually choose to see. That we choose to amplify in the moments where no one is looking."

"Don't think of diversity as a good thing to do," she added. "Think of it as a must. An absolute must."

Like many awards shows in the midst of Me Too and Time's Up, even the men accepting awards devoted large portions of their time on stage to talk about extraordinary women in their lives.

"Wonder Woman" producer Charles Roven used his David O. Selznick Achievement Award acceptance speech to call out powerful women he's worked with, from his late wife Dawn Steel, to Langley, Sue Kroll, Amy Pascal and Jenkins, who he said "has reignited this industry."

"Glee" creator Ryan Murphy, who got the Norman Lear Achievement Award, said, "Women were always my champions and mentors for 20 years now and I believe that's because they deeply related to my struggle - what it's like to be an outsider." He has taken steps to ensure that women occupy at least half of the directing spots in his productions.

In the larger context of awards season "The Shape of Water's" win Saturday surprised some who expected "Three Billboards" to continue its ascendancy after the Globes. "The Shape of Water" is also up for two Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be announced Sunday.

The Producers Guild's choice for top film has eight times in the last 10 years matched the eventual Academy Award best picture winner. Last year, its nominees predicted all 9 best picture nominees, although the PGA went to "La La Land" which lost out to "Moonlight" at the Academy Awards.

Oscar nominations will be announced Tuesday in advance of the ceremony on March 4.

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For full coverage of awards season, visit: https://apnews.com/tag/AwardsSeason

This image released by Fox Searchlight Pictures shows Sally Hawkins, left, and Doug Jones in a scene from the film "The Shape of Water." Guillermo del Toro's Cold War fantasy romance is a contender for the Oscar for best picture. (Kerry Hayes/Fox Searchlight Pictures via AP)

Ava DuVernay arrives at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Jordan Peele arrives at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Greta Gerwig arrives at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Timothee Chalamet arrives at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Kerry Washington arrives at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Leah Remini arrives at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Reese Witherspoon arrives at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Patty Jenkins arrives at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Gal Gadot arrives at the 29th annual Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - The Latest on Vice President Mike Pence's Middle East tour (all times local):

1:40 p.m.

The main Arab party in the Israeli Knesset says it will boycott Vice President Mike Pence's speech to the parliament on Monday.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence disembarks from his plane upon his arrival at Amman military airport, Jordan, Saturday, Jan 20, 2018. This is the second leg of his Middle East tour that will include Isreal. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)

Ayman Odeh wrote on Twitter Saturday that the members of his Joint List will boycott the speech.

The Trump administration has infuriated the Palestinians by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital - a move they see as one-sided.

In his tweet, Odeh called Pence "dangerous" and said he has a "messianic vision" that threatens the region.

It is not clear whether the Arab lawmakers will walk out on Pence or skip the session altogether.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking to his Cabinet on Sunday, called the planned boycott a "disgrace" and said the vice president would be warmly welcomed.

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12:50 p.m.

Jordan's King Abdullah II is appealing to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to "rebuild trust and confidence" after the Trump administration's recent decision to designate Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Abdullah, a staunch U.S. ally, said Sunday in Amman that he hopes to have "candid and frank" discussions with the visiting vice president.

The Jerusalem decision has infuriated the Palestinians, who accuse the U.S. of siding with Israel and say Trump cannot serve as a mediator.

Abdullah noted that the U.S. decision was not part of a "comprehensive settlement" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He says the U.S. now has a "major challenge to overcome."

Pence says the U.S. is "committed to restarting the peace process."

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7:30 a.m.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is defending President Donald Trump's move to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel, a decision that has touched off uneasiness among Arab nations on his first tour of the region.

Pence was meeting Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah II for discussions that are expected to include the Trump administration's December decision on Israel's capital and plans to shift the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The vice president said after meeting Saturday with Egypt's President Fatah Abdel el-Sissi that he emphasized the U.S. commitment to the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority.
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - Police in Congo used tear gas and gunfire to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators across the nation on Sunday, leaving five people dead and injuring more than 33 who marched after church services calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down, the United Nations said.

Catholic churches and activists had called for peaceful demonstrations Sunday in Kinshasa, Goma, Lubumbashi and other cities. The protests turned violent as police tried to disperse the demonstrators.

Security forces arrested 69 people countrywide, said U.N. spokeswoman in Congo Florence Marchal. The five dead were in Kinshasa, though it was unclear if police were among any of the casualties, she said. The government cut off SMS and internet services Sunday across the country to discourage gatherings.

In Congo's eastern Beni, police arrested about a dozen members of a civic organization, LUCHA, which in English is known as Fight for Change. Protesters there were also injured by stones being thrown when the demonstration turned more violent.

"We are asking President Joseph Kabila to give up power and to respect the New Year's agreement," said Vyanney Kasondwa, a LUCHA member.

The violence prompted Pope Francis to appeal for peace in Congo. Francis made the appeal Sunday from the Peruvian capital, where he led thousands of young people in prayer.

He said of Congo: "I ask the authorities and those responsible and all those in this beloved country that they use maximum commitment and effort to avoid all forms of violence and look for solutions in favor of the common good."

In a similar protest on Dec. 31 police killed at least seven people after the Saint-Sylvestre Accord was signed to set a new election date, free political prisoners and ease tensions in this vast, mineral-rich Central African country.

The United States and others have condemned Congolese security forces' response to the protests at more than 160 churches, which included tear gas being fired in churches and the altar boys being arrested.

On Jan. 12, police in the capital fired into the air and used tear gas to disperse people, including ambassadors, attending a mass at Kinshasa's Catholic cathedral to honor protesters killed in clashes with security forces.

Kabila, whose mandate ended in December 2016, had agreed to hold an election by the end of 2017. But Congo's election commission later said the vote cannot be held until December 2018.

Critics accuse Kabila of postponing elections to maintain his grip on power, while international observers have warned that Congo's political tensions could further destabilize the impoverished country and the region at large.

Kabila can remain in power until the next election is held, although he is barred by the Constitution from seeking another term in office.

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AP writer Carley Petesch contributed to this report from Dakar, Senegal.
PARIS (AP) - France's prime minister Edouard Philippe has decided to withdraw Paris's candidacy to host the 2025 World Expo.

In comments published Sunday by weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, Philippe said he has doubts about the economic viability of the project and fear unexpected additional expenses in the context of public budget cuts.

He also stresses the lack of private partners involved in the project.

The remaining candidates for the 2025 World Expo are Yekaterinburg in Russia, Osaka in Japan and Baku in Azerbaijan.

Philippe formally announced his decision in a letter he sent earlier to those organizing Paris's candidacy.

Paris will host the 2024 Olympic Games.
ATLANTA (AP) - President Donald Trump hasn't backed away from his unsubstantiated claim that millions of illegally cast ballots cost him the popular vote in 2016, but his efforts to investigate it appear to have stalled.

He transferred the work of the commission investigating his claim to the Department of Homeland Security. This week, the department's top official made it clear that, when it comes to elections, her focus is on safeguarding state and local voting systems from cyberattacks and other manipulation.

While the U.S. Department of Justice has broad authority to investigate voter fraud claims, White House officials said previously that Homeland Security was the best agency to take over the work of the now-disbanded Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. A Justice Department official declined comment this week on whether the agency was conducting any reviews related to voter fraud, but confirmed that no voter data collected by the commission, nor analysis of the data, was given to the agency before the commission was disbanded.

FILE - In this Nov. 28, 2017, file photo, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach addresses the crowd during a fundraiser for his campaign for governor featuring Donald Trump Jr., in Overland Park, Kan. Kobach, the former vice chairman of the Trump voter fraud commission, said previously that he planned to advise Homeland Security on the commission's work. In mid-January 2018, he said he has not had any communication with the department but remains in contact with the White House. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

The end of the commission is welcome news to voting rights advocates concerned that its ultimate goal was to promote voter-suppression efforts. They and numerous state election officials were alarmed when the commission issued a broad request to states last spring for detailed information on their voters, including partial Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses and voting history.

"The commission was an unprecedented attempt to make it harder for ordinary Americans to vote and have their voices heard," said Kristen Clarke, head of the Lawyers' Committee on Civil Rights, which sued alleging the commission violated laws requiring transparency. "In the end, it was a monumental failure on the part of this administration and makes clear that this is an administration that does not place a premium on the right to vote."

An Associated Press tally showed that 15 states and the District of Columbia refused to turn over the voter data, many citing privacy concerns, and a handful of others had yet to decide by the time Trump ended the commission. Some of the states that pushed back against the commission's request for voter data were Republican-leaning, including North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wyoming.

The White House announcement dissolving the commission said Trump had "asked the Department of Homeland Security to review its initial findings and determine next courses of action." But the director of White House Information Technology, Charles C. Herndon, said in recently filed court documents that the commission did not create any preliminary findings before it was disbanded. He also stated that none of the voter data collected by the commission will be transferred to or accessed by Homeland Security or any other federal agency, with the possible exception of the National Archives and Records Administration.

Herndon said the White House intended to destroy the voter data.

This past week, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified that her agency views cybersecurity as its top election-related priority and is focused on working with state and local officials to secure their election systems from cyber threats and hackers. She called voter fraud a "large topic" that covers various federal agencies.

"The part that DHS plays, we are looking at the integrity of the cyber systems," Nielsen told U.S. senators at a hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill. "We will continue to work with states and localities on that."

Last year, Homeland Security designated election systems as "critical infrastructure," on par with the electrical grid and water supply, and a 27-member council was formed with representatives from federal, state and local governments. A key priority has been establishing a process for sharing intelligence.

Nielsen did note that Homeland Security was available to assist states that have concerns about non-citizens voting in federal elections.

When asked whether the department intends to investigate claims of voter fraud, spokesman Tyler Q. Houlton said in an email that it is working with a "limited number" of states and counties that wish to verify the citizenship status of voters through a program managed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The agency also is evaluating how it might provide additional assistance to states, Houlton said.

While there have been isolated cases of voter fraud in the U.S., there is no evidence of it being a widespread problem.

The former vice chairman of the Trump commission - Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach - said previously that he planned to advise Homeland Security on the commission's work. This past week, he said he has not had any communication with the department, but remains in contact with the White House.

"When the president disbanded the commission, he did so with the expectation that DHS will take over the investigation," Kobach said in an interview.

It's not clear what, if anything, the Trump administration might do now to further investigate the president's voter fraud claims.

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Associated Press writer John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas contributed to this report.

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Follow Christina Almeida Cassidy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AP_Christina.
ROCHESTER, Vt. (AP) - With just three students left attending high school here, junior Kimberly Taylor moves from one empty classroom to the next, taking mostly online classes or studying alone.

She misses her friends and her classes. She also worries about where she will attend school next year, now that her remote valley town has voted to close the combined middle and high school. And she worries about how she will get to another school, maybe having to travel over a mountain on roads that can be dicey in winter.

"It's definitely going to be harder because currently I don't have a car," she said, "but next year I'm going to need one to get to school."

In this Dec. 11, 2017 photo, a student walks toward the Rochester School in Rochester, Vt. The middle-high school is slated to close at the end of the 2018 school year, as Rochester is among some small rural communities struggling to keep schools open in the face of dropping enrollment, rising costs and tightening budgets. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

Vermont, like some other rural states, has been wrestling with dropping enrollment, rising education costs and tightening budgets, and is searching for solutions; it has encouraged school districts to merge. Nationally, school budgets have yet to fully recover from the impact of the 2008-2009 recession, and while enrollment is increasing overall, the proportion of students in rural schools has been decreasing over the past decade, according to Patte Barth, the director of the National School Boards Association's Center for Public Education.

But in many ways, Vermont's predicament is special. It is a largely rural state, and one of the least populated, with a yearly average decline of about 1,300 students due to a stagnant population. The Burlington metro area, Vermont's largest, barely tops 200,000 people. The remaining 400,000 residents are spread throughout a few smaller cities and many smaller towns, not far from one another as the crow flies but often separated by the ridges and valleys of the Green Mountains for which the state is named.

Some U.S. towns have tried to pool resources and get the benefits of economies of scale by consolidating districts or schools, but one downside can be transportation, with students taking a bus an hour and a half one way, requiring them essentially to extend their school day and cut into extracurricular activities, according to Barth.

Mountains surround picturesque Rochester, a 25-minute drive from the nearest big town. When Tropical Storm Irene washed away roads and bridges in 2011, it was virtually cut off from civilization.

For the past decade, the talk has been about how to keep the school open with fewer and fewer students, school board Chairman Jeff Sherwin said.

Rochester considered merging its school district with two other communities, but the proposal failed after not all the towns approved it. Now some of its 1,000 residents are thinking about homeschooling or moving, while some families worry how they will get students to and from school in another community.

In the next academic year, the elementary school will merge with the district serving neighboring Stockbridge, and each town will keep those schools open. Rochester middle and high school students will go to other schools, with parents providing transportation. One option would be for parents to drop them off 4 miles away in another town that would then take them to a school in Middlebury, a 40-minute drive from Rochester.

Teachers saw that the high school, which is next to the elementary school, would likely close, so some decided to leave last year, Sherwin said. That gave the school board about a month and half to find new teachers, he said, so the board chose to pay tuition for the high school students to attend schools in other communities, he said.

Taylor, who has attended the Rochester district all her life, said she didn't have enough time to research what school to attend, so she decided to stay. Her brother attends the middle school, and their mother works in the school kitchen of the building that houses the middle school and high school.

Most of her friends left to go to school over a mountain in Middlebury or to an early college program in Randolph, about a half-hour drive.

"I knew that not everyone would stay, but I thought a couple more would," said Taylor, who runs cross country but had to run with the middle school team this year. She now worries that scholarship money intended for Rochester graduates will no longer be available to her.

Karen Rogers, whose daughter attends the middle school, doesn't know what their family will do about school next year.

"We've talked about actually moving out of town," she said. "We're not sure what to do yet."

Resident Connie Mendell said she sees both sides of the issue.

"It's kind of like we're just in a really tough spot for a while. And I hate to say it but I'm glad my kids made it through before this happened," she said.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Attorneys for a condemned killer whose execution was stopped last year after 25 minutes of unsuccessful needle sticks are once again recommending the firing squad as an alternative.

The execution could also proceed if the state adopts a closely regulated lethal injection process that includes a headpiece to monitor the brain activity of death row inmate Alva Campbell and medicine to revive him if the lethal drugs don't work, attorneys said in a court filing earlier this month.

Without these measures, Campbell's execution would involve "a sure or very likely risk of serious harm in the form of severe, needless physical pain and suffering," Campbell's federal public defenders said in the Jan. 4 filing.

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows death row inmate Alva Campbell, convicted of fatally shooting Charles Dials of Columbus, Ohio, during a carjacking after Campbell escaped from police custody during a 1997 court appearance in Columbus, Ohio. In a January 2018 court filing, Campbell's attorneys once again recommended a firing squad as an alternative to lethal injection, after the state couldn't find a usable vein during an attempt to execute Campbell on Nov. 15, 2017, that was stopped after 25 minutes of unsuccessful needle sticks. (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction via AP, File)

Campbell, 59, was sentenced to die for fatally shooting an 18-year-old man in a 1997 carjacking.

The state unsuccessfully tried to execute Campbell on Nov. 15 in the state death chamber at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.

After the Ohio prisons director stopped the execution, Republican Gov. John Kasich issued a reprieve and rescheduled the execution for June 2019.

Prison officials said three examinations found usable veins in Campbell's arms the day of and the day before the execution. But executioners weren't able to establish successful IV lines when it came time to put Campbell to death.

As a result, using a firing squad for Campbell must be an option, his attorneys argue.

A firing squad wouldn't cause severe suffering, doesn't require drugs Campbell might be allergic to or the need to find a vein. It also doesn't require the involvement of a doctor, the attorneys said in a 533-page filing.

A firing squad "virtually eliminates the unconstitutional lingering death and other severe physical and mental pain and suffering" that Campbell might suffer by injection, the attorneys said.

The Ohio Attorney General's Office wants Campbell's request tossed out, saying it's "beyond the borders of common sense."

"It would seem indisputable that a firing squad produces greater observable effects on the inmate than lethal injection," Jocelyn Lowe, an assistant attorney general, said in a Thursday filing.

She also called the proposal a "non-starter" since a judge previously said the firing squad is not an execution method recognized under Ohio law.

At least two U.S. states allow the firing squad, including Utah and Oklahoma, which permits it if other methods aren't available.

Campbell's attorneys argue lethal injection is permissible as long as his heart rate, blood pressure and breathing are continually monitored and drugs and equipment to revive him are on hand.

They say Campbell's health problems pose additional risks for a successful lethal injection. Campbell uses a walker, relies on an external colostomy bag, requires four breathing treatments a day and may have lung cancer.

During the November execution attempt, executioners provided Campbell a wedge-shaped pillow to help him breathe while he was put to death.

The state isn't obliged to resuscitate an inmate who's been administered the state's three-drug lethal injection system, the state replied.

"Providing medical or resuscitative care would directly contravene the court-ordered death sentence," Lowe said.

Ohio's next execution is Feb. 13, when Raymond Tibbets is scheduled to die for killing a man at his home in Cincinnati. Tibbetts also received life imprisonment for fatally beating and stabbing the man's wife during an argument that same day over Tibbetts' crack cocaine habit.

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Andrew Welsh-Huggins can be reached on Twitter at https://twitter.com/awhcolumbus.

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows death row inmate Raymond Tibbetts, convicted of fatally stabbing Fred Hicks in 1997 in Cincinnati. Following Ohio's unsuccessful attempt to execute death row inmate Alva Campbell by lethal injection on Nov. 15, 2017, Tibbetts is the state's next death row inmate scheduled for execution on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction via AP, File)
LAKE WALES, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man with an assault rifle was fatally shot by officers after he attacked his wife and daughter, authorizes said.

Shannon Jason Cables was killed by deputies responding to a domestic violence call at his Lake Wales home on Saturday, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Sheriff Grady Judd told the Lakeland Ledger newspaper that Cables first attacked his wife with Mace and a pool cue.

Then, Cable's daughter came to her mother's defense.

"That's when the 19-year-old actually jumped on the suspect and wrestled and choked him," Judd said. He said the pair managed to get away, and Cables fled into some woods behind the house.

The women took refuge at a neighbor's home and called police.

Deputies searched the woods with police dogs and a helicopter for two hours while the women received medical care. When the women returned home with law enforcement, deputies spotted Cables carrying an assault rifle and a shotgun coming up behind the house, Judd said.

The sheriff's office says they ordered Cables, a 46-year-old white man, to drop the weapon, but he pointed it at deputies instead, so they shot him. The deputies' races were not released.

Judd told the newspaper that investigators found shells from Cables' assault rifle outside, indicating he fired the weapon. No deputies were injured.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the sheriff's office are investigating, and the four deputies have been placed on paid administrative leave.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The corruption trial of a former top adviser to Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to begin in Manhattan.

The case against Joe Percoco gets underway Monday with jury selection. The trial is expected to last several weeks.

Percoco and several co-defendants have pleaded not guilty in a case that alleges bid-rigging and bribery related to state economic development projects. Percoco was once a top administration insider who the governor likened to a brother.

FILE - In this April 26, 2013, file photo, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, right, and Joseph Percoco, executive deputy secretary, stand at a news conference in Albany, N.Y. Percoco is set to go on trial in New York, Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, on charges that he orchestrated a complicated bribery and extortion scheme involving deep pocketed lobbyists and developers. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has not been accused of wrongdoing and says he knew nothing of the actions alleged by prosecutors.

But the trial could still create political challenges for the governor, who is seeking a third-term this fall and has been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2020.
LIMA, Peru (AP) - The Latest on Pope Francis' visit to Peru (all times local):

7:12 p.m.

Pope Francis is heading back to Rome after a weeklong South America trip marred by violence and fallout from a clerical sex abuse scandal.

Clery wave to and take pictures los Pope Francis leaving after celebrating Mass at the Las Palmas Air Force base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

The pope's plane took off from the Peruvian capital Sunday evening following a Mass before 1.3 million faithful, a warm ending to an otherwise restive trip.

Francis traveled first to Chile, where he met with and apologized to victims of clerical sex abuse. But he later stoked outrage when he said victims' claims that a bishop knew about abuse and did nothing to stop it were "all calumny."

Several churches were set on fire during Francis' trip in Chile, and police fired tear gas at protesters outside a Mass in the capital, Santiago.

Francis received a far warmer welcome in Peru as he traveled deep into the Amazon to defend the rights of indigenous people and spoke against corruption.

___

4:45 p.m.

Authorities say more than 1 million people are gathered at an airbase for Pope Francis' final Mass in Peru as he concludes a restive trip to Latin America.

Juan Rivera is a 31-year-old computer engineer in attendance. He says he is hoping to hear "words of encouragement" that can help Peruvians reconcile their differences.

Many in the country are upset over the recent pardon of former strongman Alberto Fujimori, who had been sentenced to 25 years for his role in the killings of 25 people by security forces while he was president.

The nation has also been jolted by a region-wide political corruption scandal involving the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

Several women cried as Francis left the Apostolic Nunciature and blessed their rosaries.

At the airbase on Lima's southern outskirts, firefighters streamed water at the crowds under a hot sun and fluttering Vatican and Peruvian flags.

Police spokesman Veronica Marquez said 1.2 million people showed up. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke gave a figure of 1.3 million, citing local officials.

The pontiff is scheduled to return to Rome later Sunday.

___

4:25 p.m.

The American cardinal who publicly rebuked Pope Francis over his remarks about Chilean sex abuse victims is concelebrating Francis' final Mass in Peru.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley is the archbishop of Boston and Francis' top abuse adviser.

He is one of dozens of bishops and cardinals celebrating the Sunday service under a huge, tented altar set up on a dusty Lima airfield, the last event of the pontiff's weeklong visit to Chile and Peru.

O'Malley publicly rebuked Francis on Saturday for accusing victims of Chile's most notorious pedophile priest of slandering another bishop with their claims.

The cardinal said the pope's words were "a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse."

Francis is likely to face questions about the issue on his in-flight news conference while returning to Rome.

___

12:55 p.m.

Pope Francis is telling young Peruvians that God loves them as they are and there's no need to "Photoshop" their hearts to make them seem perfect.

At a noon prayer from Lima's Plaza de Armas, Francis sought to speak to young people in their own language in encouraging them in their faith.

He said: "I know we all like to see digitally enhanced photographs, but that only works for pictures; we cannot Photoshop others, the world or ourselves."

He added that "there are pictures that are very nice, but completely fake. Let me assure you that the heart can't be Photoshopped, because that's where authentic love and genuine happiness can be found."

Francis is known for his blunt speaking style. Earlier Sunday he told Peruvian bishops they need to speak the language of young people to help them understand the message of the Gospel, just as Roman Catholic missionaries learned the languages of indigenous peoples as they worked to convert them.

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12:30 p.m.

Pope Francis is demanding that Congo authorities do everything in their power to avoid violence amid deadly anti-government demonstrations.

Francis made the appeal from the Peruvian capital, where he led thousands of young people in prayer.

He said of Congo: "I ask the authorities and those responsible and all those in this beloved country that they use maximum commitment and effort to avoid all forms of violence and look for solutions in favor of the common good."

Congolese police used tear gas and gunfire to disperse thousands of demonstrators Sunday in clashes that left five people dead and injured more than 33. The protesters had marched after church services calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down.

The United States and others have condemned Congolese security forces' response to the protests at more than 160 churches, which included tear gas being fired inside and altar boys being arrested.

Kabila, whose mandate ended in December 2016, had agreed to hold an election by the end of 2017. But Congo's election commission later said the vote could be held until December 2018.

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12:15 p.m.

Pope Francis says the sprawling Odebrecht bribery scandal that has rippled across Latin America is "just a small anecdote" in a scourge of corruption throughout the region.

Francis said Sunday in remarks to bishops in Peru that politics in much of Latin America is in a state of "crisis" because of graft.

It is the second time he has addressed corruption during his visit to Peru, one of the countries embroiled in the Odebrecht scandal.

President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski narrowly escaped impeachment over his ties to the Brazilian construction giant in December. Two former presidents are accused of accepting bribes, and a third is under investigation.

Odebrecht had admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to politicians throughout the region in exchange for lucrative public works contracts.

___

9:45 a.m.

The controversy over Pope Francis' accusations of slander against victims of Chile's most notorious pedophile priest has followed him to Peru.

A banner hanging from a building near the Lima church where Francis prayed on Sunday read "Francis, here there is proof" and featured a photo of the disgraced founder of a Peru-based Catholic lay movement, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae.

The Vatican last week took over the movement after Peruvian prosecutors announced they wanted to arrest the founder, Luis Figari. An independent investigation found Figari sodomized recruits and forced them to fondle him and one another, liked to watch them "experience pain, discomfort and fear," and humiliated them in front of others.

In Chile, Francis accused victims of the country's most notorious sexual abuser, the Rev. Fernando Karadima, of slandering another bishop by saying he knew of Karadima's abuse but did nothing. Francis said there was "not one shred of proof" implicating the bishop and that the accusations against him were "calumny."

The comments caused such an outcry that Francis' top sexual abuse adviser issued a highly unusual public rebuke of the pope.

___

9:30 a.m.

Pope Francis has had a special group of visitors call on him at the Vatican's residence in Peru: four prisoners who were released for a brief spell to greet him.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said the three men and one woman came from prisons in Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cuzco and Castro.

The greeting took place before Francis presided over a morning prayer Sunday with hundreds of contemplative and cloistered nuns at the Lord of Miracles sanctuary, which features an icon of Christ that survived a devastating earthquake in 1655 and is revered by many Peruvians.

Francis urged them to dedicate their prayers to those who are "thrown away" by society, including prisoners, migrants and drug addicts.

He told them: "By your prayers you can heal the wounds of many."

Francis frequently meets with prisoners during his foreign trips and visited a women's prison in Santiago, Chile on his seven-day trip to that country and Peru. He uses the meetings to encourage those deprived of their freedom to not lose hope.

Pope Francis arrives on the pope mobile to celebrate Mass at the Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A priest gives communion during Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at the Las Palmas Air Force base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, center, arrives for Mass to be celebrated by Pope Francis at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston and Francis' top abuse adviser, publicly rebuked Francis on Saturday for accusing victims of Chile' most notorious pedophile priest of slandering another bishop with their claims. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass at the Las Palmas Air Force base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass at the Las Palmas Air Force base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

People wait for Pope Francis to arrive for Mass at the Las Palmas Air Force base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

A woman is carried away in a chair by firefighters due to heat exhaustion while waiting for the start of a Mass with Pope Francis at the Las Palmas Air Force base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

Pope Francis delivers his blessing during the Angelus prayer overlooking Plaza de Armas, in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. At right is Peru's Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis waves to people in Plaza de Armas after giving the Angelus prayer in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Pope Francis delivers his speech during the Angelus prayer, from a balcony overlooking Plaza de Armas in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis leaves after giving the Angelus prayer in Plaza de Armas in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis makes his way to the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles to attend a mid-morning prayer with contemplative nuns, in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Pope Francis arrives for a mid-morning prayer with contemplative nuns at the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Nuns wave from behind a gate as they wait for the arrival of Pope Francis for a mid-morning prayer with contemplative nuns at the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

CORRECTS IDENTITY OF FLAG TO PUERTO RICAN - A pocket of light illuminates a Puerto Rican national flag held by a nun listening to Pope Francis during a mid-morning prayer with contemplative nuns at the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Ethiopia's leader has rejected arbitration by the World Bank on a disagreement with Egypt over the hydroelectric dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River.

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Saturday refused the suggestion made by Egypt in late December that the World Bank should be brought in to resolve the dispute with Ethiopia over the construction of the dam on the Nile River that Egypt says threatens its water security. Sudan is also part of the negotiations because the Nile flows through it on the way to Egypt.

"Ethiopia will not accept Egypt's request to include the World Bank in the tripartite technical committee's talks on the dam," Desalegn told the state run Ethiopian News Agency after visiting Egypt on Friday where he met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. "There is an opportunity for the three countries to resolve possible disputes by themselves."

Egypt's suggestion came amid a 10-month impasse over technical negotiations for the dam, which will be Africa's biggest hydro-electric plant. Egyptian officials have called the World Bank "neutral and decisive" and said the organization could facilitate negotiations "devoid of political interpretation and manipulation."

But the Ethiopian leader said that "seeking professional support is one thing; transferring it to an institution is another thing. So we told them (Egypt) that this is not acceptable with our side." Desalegn said that Egyptians are not getting accurate information about the source of Nile waters and how Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam will operate.

The $5 billion dam is about 63 percent complete. When finished it will generate about 6,400 megawatts, more than doubling Ethiopia's current production of 4,000 megawatts. The dam will also help to spare Ethiopia from drought and famine.

Ethiopia maintains that the dam's construction will not reduce Egypt's share of the river's water. It insists the dam is needed for development, pointing out that 60 million of its citizens don't have access to electricity.

But Egypt fears that if the reservoir behind the dam is filled quickly and if too much of the Nile waters are retained each year, the reduction of the river's flow would have negative effects on Egypt's agriculture.

Desalegn tried to reassure Egyptian during his visit to the country. "The people of Ethiopia did not nor will ever subject Egyptians to danger," said Desalegn, in Cairo Saturday on his first visit to Egypt as prime minister. "We will not hurt your country in any way and will work closely together to secure the life of the people of the Nile basin and take them out of the cycle of poverty."

While Ethiopia has said the dam is a "matter of life or death" for its people, Egypt has said water is a "matter of life or death" for its people.
LIMA, Peru (AP) - More than 1 million people turned out Sunday for Pope Francis' final Mass in Peru, giving him a warm and heartfelt farewell that contrasted sharply with the outcry he caused in neighboring Chile by accusing sex abuse victims of slandering a bishop.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, who publicly rebuked the pope on Saturday for those remarks, joined the pontiff and dozens of fellow bishops on a tented altar at a Lima airfield to celebrate the Mass. The crowd of 1.3 million people reported by the Vatican was the largest of Francis' weeklong, two-nation visit.

Francis tried to move beyond the scandal Sunday, joking with cloistered nuns that they were taking advantage of his visit to finally get out and get a breath of fresh air. And he denounced a corruption scandal in Latin America that has even implicated his Peruvian host, President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who recently survived an impeachment vote by lawmakers.

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass at the Las Palmas Air Force base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

In his homily Francis referred to the "grave sin of corruption," that kills the hope of people, urging Peruvians to have hope and show tenderness and compassion.

Earlier in the day, he said the bribery scandal centered on Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht was "just a small anecdote" of the corruption and graft that have thrown much of Latin American politics into crisis.

"If we fall into the hands of people who only understand the language of corruption, we're toast," the pope said in unscripted remarks.

Francis was greeted by cheering crowds at nearly every stop of his Peru trip, but the cloud of sex abuse scandal trailed him.

"Francis, here there IS proof," read a banner hanging from a Lima building along his motorcade route Sunday.

The message was a reference both to Peru's own abuse scandal and to Francis' Jan. 18 comments in Iquique, Chile, that there was not "one shred of proof" to allegations that a protege of that country's most notorious pedophile priest, the Rev. Fernando Karadima, knew of Karadima's abuse and did nothing to stop it.

Karadima's victims have accused the bishop, Juan Barros, of witnessing the abuse and of complicity in covering it up. Barros has denied the accusations, and Francis backed him by saying the victims' claims were "all calumny."

Francis' remarks that he would only believe victims with "proof" were problematic because they were already deemed so credible by the Vatican that it sentenced Karadima to a lifetime of "penance and prayer" in 2011 based on their testimony. A Chilean judge also found the victims to be credible, saying that while she had to drop charges against Karadima because too much time had passed, proof of his crimes wasn't lacking.

The pope's comments sparked such an outcry that both O'Malley, Francis' own top adviser on abuse, and the Chilean government made the highly rare decision to publicly rebuke him - an extraordinary correction of a pontiff from both church and state. The criticisms were all the more remarkable given that they came on the Argentina-born pontiff's home turf in Latin America.

O'Malley said Saturday that Francis' remarks were "a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse," and that such expressions of disbelief made abuse survivors feel abandoned and left in "discredited exile."

Chilean government spokeswoman Paula Narvaez said there was an "ethical imperative to respect victims of sexual abuse, believe them and support them."

The issue also had resonance in Peru. Last week the Vatican took over a Peru-based Roman Catholic lay movement, Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, more than six years after first learning of sexual, physical and psychological abuse committed by its founder.

An independent investigation commissioned by the movement found that founder Luis Figari sodomized his recruits, forced them to fondle him and one another, liked to watch them "experience pain, discomfort and fear" and humiliated them in front of others. Figari's victims have criticized the Vatican for its years of inaction and for eventually sanctioning him with what they consider a "golden exile" - retirement in Italy at a retreat house, albeit separated from the community he founded.

The banner hanging from the building along Francis' motorcade route referred to evidence against Figari and featured a photo of him. Peruvian prosecutors recently announced they wanted to arrest him.

But for the most part, Peruvians welcomed him with open arms and flooded in huge droves to his final Mass. In contrast, Francis' send-off from Chile drew only 50,000 people, a fraction of the number expected.

"He is a symbol to us as Catholics," said Cindy Sanchez, a 24-year-old administrative assistant attending the Mass. "Listening to him gives us encouragement."

During his seven-day trip in Chile and Peru, Francis personally apologized to survivors of priests who sexually abused them, traveled deep into the Amazon to meet with indigenous leaders, decried the scourge of violence against women in Latin America and urged the Chilean government and radical factions of the Mapuche indigenous group to peacefully resolve one of the region's longest-running disputes.

But the pope also attracted unprecedented rejection: At least a dozen churches across Chile were set aflame, and riot police shot tear gas at and arrested protesters in the capital, Santiago.

___

Associated Press writers Christine Armario and Franklin Briceno contributed to this report from Lima.

Pope Francis arrives on the pope mobile to celebrate Mass at the Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis meets with bishops at the archbishop's residence in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis wrapped up his trip Sunday to Peru by meeting with bishops and nuns, but the controversy over his accusations that Chilean sex abuse victims slandered a bishop continued to haunt him. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

Nuns look at sheet music as Pope Francis leads mid-morning prayer at the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis arrives on the altar to celebrate Mass at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

People watch from rooftops as Pope Francis arrives on the pope mobile to celebrate Mass at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

CORRECTS IDENTITY OF MAN PICTURED ON RIGHT SIDE OF BANNER TO LUIS FIGARI - A protest banner that shows an image of Pope Francis, and Luis Figari, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae founder of the Peru-based Roman Catholic lay movement, with a message that reads in Spanish: "Francisco, here we do have proof", hangs from a building seen along Francis' motorcade, in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. An investigation found that Figari sodomized his recruits, forced them to fondle him and one another, liked to watch them "experience pain, discomfort and fear" and humiliated them in front of others. Figari's victims have criticized the Vatican for its years of inaction and for eventually sanctioning him with what they considered a "golden exile" - retirement in Italy at a retreat house. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley, center, arrives for Mass to be celebrated by Pope Francis at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston and Francis' top abuse adviser, publicly rebuked Francis on Saturday for accusing victims of Chile' most notorious pedophile priest of slandering another bishop with their claims. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis makes his way to the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles to attend a mid-morning prayer with contemplative nuns, in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A crowd of people aim their smartphones at Pope Francis as he arrives for a mid-morning prayer with contemplative nuns at the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Pope Francis arrives for a mid-morning prayer with contemplative nuns at the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Nuns wave from behind a gate as they wait for the arrival of Pope Francis for a mid-morning prayer with contemplative nuns at the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis prays during a mid-morning prayer with contemplative nuns at the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Rosa Navarro holds a photo collage of her loved ones as she waits for the arrival of Pope Francis, outside the Shrine of Our Lord of the Miracles, in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis is wrapping up the most contested, violent trip of his papacy Sunday with a series of meetings with Peruvian church leaders and a final Mass at an air base in Peru's capital. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Pope Francis meets with bishops at the archbishop's residence in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Francis wrapped up his trip Sunday to Peru by meeting with bishops and nuns, but the controversy over his accusations that Chilean sex abuse victims slandered a bishop continued to haunt him. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Pool)

A man has his photo taken in front of a large banner of Pope Francis before the start of the Angelus prayer by the pontiff in Plaza de Armas in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Pope Francis arrives on the pope mobile to celebrate Mass at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Las Palmas Air Force base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)

Pope Francis celebrates Mass under an image of the Lord of Miracles at the Las Palmas Air Force base in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico posted its highest homicide rate in decades, with the government reporting Sunday there were 29,168 murders in 2017, a 27 percent increase over 2016.

The number is the highest since comparable records began being kept in 1997 and is also higher than the peak year of Mexico's drug war in 2011, when there were 27,213 killings.

The Interior Department, which posted the number, reported the country's homicide rate was 20.5 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2017, compared to 19.4 in 2011.

FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2017 file photo, a body wrapped in a bloodstained sheet is removed from an apartment building where a woman and two men were executed, in the Alta Progreso neighborhood of Acapulco, Mexico. Both men were bound with tape, and all three were shot in the head at an apartment outfitted as an office for a taxi service. Mexico's Interior Department posted on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 that the country's homicide rate is the highest in decades. (AP Photo/Bernandino Hernandez, File)

But Mexico security analyst Alejandro Hope said Mexico's murder rate is probably higher than the Interior Department statistics show, because the department does the per 100,000 count based on the number of murder investigations, not the number of victims, and a killing may result in more than one victim. Hope says the real homicide rate is probably around 24 per 100,000.

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's tweet last week claiming Mexico is "now rated the number one most dangerous country in the world," there are several nations in Latin America with higher rates.

Brazil and Colombia had about 27 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, still well below Venezuela's 57 per 100,000, according to a World Bank report. El Salvador reported a rate of 60.8 for 2017.

Several U.S. cities, including St. Louis, Baltimore, New Orleans and Detroit, also had higher rates.

But some parts of Mexico were singularly violent: The Pacific coast state of Colima had a rate of 93.6 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. Baja California Sur, home to the twin resort towns of Los Cabos, had a rate of 69.1. Guerrero, home to the resort town of Acapulco, had a rate of 64.2.

While President Enrique Pena Nieto campaigned on a pledge to end the violence that occurred during his predecessors' 2006-2012 offensive against drug cartels, there was only a temporary drop in killings between 2012 and 2014.

By 2015, killings began rising again, and 2017 was the bloodiest year, probably since the early 1990s.

This year promises to be even bloodier. During the first few days of 2018 in just the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, nine people were killed, dismembered and had their body parts stuffed into a van in the state capital of Xalapa.

The grisly scene - literally a jumbled pile of human limbs and torsos topped by a threatening note apparently signed by the Zetas drug gang - was reminiscent of the mass dumping of bodies in the state in 2011.

Earlier in the new year, five severed heads were found arranged on the hood of a taxi in the tourist town of Tlacotalpan, Veracruz and four others found in another city in the same state.

Experts say drug violence and other factors, such as bloody turf battles sparked by the expansion of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, played a role in Mexico's rising murder rate.

But Hope says the problem is complex.

"The violence in Mexico has many causes. Drug trafficking is one of them, of course, but it is not the only one," said Hope. "There are social triggers, institutional ones, historical ones, issues of land rights, it is complex."

In fact, Hope argues, the period from 1997 to 2007, when murder rates in Mexico plunged to as low as 9.3 murders per 100,000, was in fact the exception.

"What we have seen in the last decade is regression to the mean" that prevailed throughout much of the 20th century, he said. "The anomaly is the decade before this one."

Hope says murder rates now are about where they were in the mid-20th century.

"The violence was different then, no doubt, but your possibility of being murdered in the 1930s was considerably higher than it is now."
PARIS (AP) - Lanvin and Paul Smith capped a masculine and utilitarian menswear season in Paris as design veteran Hedi Slimane was named the new creative chief at Celine.

Here are some highlights from Sunday's final fall-winter men's shows and the run-up to Paris Fashion Week for couture collections:

LANVIN'S UTILITARIAN CHIC

A model wears a creation for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A constellation of bright lights that were fixed on stands around the runway gave Lanvin's display a dreamlike air.

The clothes at the Sunday morning show were more fixed on reality - with sneakers, hoods, hats, toggles and straps appearing on urban-looking and masculine winter looks.

The notable creative feature here was the cross-over styles. Sometimes asymmetrical, it worked well alongside designer Lucas Ossendrijver's signature use of layering.

A long coat with square pockets featured a flat cross-over lapel, alongside a partly-unzipped and oversized sleeveless coat in beige - that hung wonkily and possessed a carefree quality.

At times, styles that fused a Japanese and workmen's aesthetic demonstrated Ossendrijver's penchant for mixing vestimentary references.

Lanvin owner and enigmatic Taiwanese media magnate Shaw-Lan Wang - who's reportedly been behind the recent tumultuous creative changes at the house - clapped vigorously.

___

PATRICK GIBSON TALKS "TOLKIEN"

French notables including Lulu Gainsbourg, the musician son of the late Serge Gainsbourg, and DJ Martin Solveig attended Lanvin's brightly lit show in the Palais de Tokyo. Actor Patrick Gibson of "The OA" and "The Tudors" fame was among the speckling of international faces.

Gibson posed for the cameras in sunglasses and a low-key, coffee-colored Lanvin coat that matched the coffee being served around him.

The 22-year-old Irish actor has wrapped filming for the upcoming biopic "Tolkien." It tells the true story of author J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote "The Lord of the Rings" after returning from the horrors of World War I.

"I think there's going to be a lot of interest. (Main actor) Nick Hoult did an amazing job portraying Tolkien," Gibson said.

"It shows the really human side. It doesn't feel like a biopic. It feels like a story about a regular person out of the framework of history. And that makes it real, (showing) his flaws, too," he said.

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FORMER SAINT LAURENT DESIGNER SLIMANE NAMED AT CELINE

Veteran fashion designer Hedi Slimane has been named the new creative director of the edgy Paris brand Celine.

Slimane, who gained critical and commercial success as Saint Laurent's designer during 2012-2016, will replace outgoing British designer Phoebe Philo, whose departure was announced in November.

In a statement Sunday, Celine parent company LVMH praised Slimane's "talent and his remarkable ability to anticipate and express in a unique way the evolutions and desires of his age."

French-born, Italian-Tunisian Slimane previously worked for LVMH as designer of Dior Homme during 2000-2007. He was credited with contributing to the influential skinny menswear aesthetic.

Calling Silmane "one of the most talented designers of our time," LVMH head Bernard Arnault said he was "particularly happy that Hedi is back within the LVMH Group."

___

PAUL SMITH'S 80S

It was the dramatic styles of the 1980s that were in vogue at Paul Smith's fall show.

The British designer stuck closely to suit- and coat-heavy looks for his smart collection that referenced the broad and angular shoulders ubiquitous during that dressy era.

Asymmetrical paneling on outerwear - such as a half-tartan, half-plain tailored coat - was a recurrent style and mirrored the days of the New Romantics.

Large architectural lapels or turned-up collars on long oversized coats also had the exuberant flourish of that decade's heady fashions.

The sober and beautiful color palette of myriad blues - navy, Cetacean, Cerulean, blueberry, turquoise - as well as purple and vermilion ensured the collection stayed tasteful.

___

AGNES B. IS SALEABLE, RISK-FREE

Agnes B.'s perfectly saleable designs were dapper, but the collection ultimately played it safe.

For fall-winter, the French designer's best styles riffed on the retro suits of the 1960s.

Fitted gray and gray-blue woolen suits flared slightly at the jacket hem and were accessorized with a trilby hat.

They wouldn't have looked out of place on the James Bond of the Sean Connery era.

Jazzy shirts and ties in contrasting patterns added the contemporary lift that was also seen in a vivid royal blue hat and chic three-button jacket.

At times, the commercial garments looked out of place on a platform of high fashion.

___

Thomas Adamson can be followed at Twitter.com/ThomasAdamson_K

Models wear creations for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Models wear creations for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A model wears a creation for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Models wear creations for the Lanvin men's Fall-Winter 2018/2019 fashion collection presented in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Bob Meyers doesn't want partial justice for his brother. He wants full justice. And to him, that means leaving D.C. sniper Lee Boyd Malvo's sentence just the way it is: life in prison, with no chance of ever getting out.

A federal judge has given a glimmer of hope to Malvo, who was 17 when he was arrested in the random shootings that killed 10 people and wounded three in and around the nation's capital.

The judge ruled that Malvo is entitled to new sentencing hearings, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has made its ban on mandatory life-without-parole for juvenile offenders retroactive, extending it to people who were already sentenced before it ruled that such punishments are unconstitutional.

FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2004, file photo, Lee Boyd Malvo enters a courtroom in the Spotsylvania, Va., Circuit Court. A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2018, in a case focusing on the life sentences given to D.C. sniper Malvo. A federal judge in Virginia found that Malvo is entitled to new sentencing hearings in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that mandatory life sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional. Malvo was 17 when he was arrested in a series of random shootings that killed 10 people and wounded three in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia in 2002. (Mike Morones/The Free Lance-Star via AP)

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring's appeal is scheduled for Tuesday before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond.

The possibility of something less than a life sentence does not sit well with Meyers.

His brother, Dean, was fatally gunned down as he put gas in his car at a service station in northern Virginia.

"Nothing's changed," Meyers said. "The crime hasn't become diminished ... and if the sentence was appropriate initially and that was viewed as justice for Dean, is it three-quarters justice for Dean if they modify it?"

The shootings in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia paralyzed the region with fear in 2002. People were shot doing everyday things - mowing the lawn, pumping gas, loading purchases into their cars. Schools canceled outdoor activities, gas stations put up tarps to hide their customers and government buildings in D.C. were given increased security.

Malvo's accomplice, John Allen Muhammad, widely viewed as the mastermind of the deadly rampage. He was executed in Virginia in 2009.

A Virginia jury convicted Malvo of capital murder for killing FBI analyst Linda Franklin, who was shot in the head outside a Home Depot store, but spared him the death penalty. Malvo later struck plea deals in other cases in Virginia and Maryland. He ultimately received four life sentences in Virginia and six in Maryland.

Malvo's attorney, Craig Cooley, argues that he is entitled to a new sentencing under the Supreme Court ruling because jurors were told to choose between the death penalty and life without parole, with no lesser option. The jury unanimously rejected the death penalty and sentenced him to life.

Cooley also argues that Malvo, now 32, should get new hearings to assess what sentence would be appropriate after taking into account his youth at the time and other factors. Cooley said that since his arrest, Malvo has "separated from his psychological domination by John Muhammad" and become an accomplished poet and sketch artist.

"Mr. Malvo as a person has returned to the kind, thoughtful, articulate, and compassionate being he was in his youth," Cooley wrote in a legal brief.

Other former teen offenders are still waiting for a chance at resentencing in states and counties slow to address the court ruling, an Associated Press investigation found. In Michigan, for example, prosecutors are seeking new no-parole sentences for nearly two-thirds of 363 juvenile lifers. Those cases are on hold until the Michigan Supreme Court, which heard arguments in October, determines whether judges or juries should decide their fates.

Some courts are applying the 2016 ruling to inmates whose life-without-parole sentences weren't mandatory, like Malvo's, or were negotiated as part of a plea deal.

If the 4th Circuit rules against the state, Malvo may still not get a reduced sentence. The court could, for example, order a different sentencing procedure that could result in a re-imposition of a life sentence.

Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said the chances of Malvo getting a lower sentence are slim.

"Malvo pleaded guilty to horrendous offenses," Turley said. "There are many juveniles who can make strong claims under this new precedent for lower sentences. Malvo just doesn't happen to be one of them."

"For Malvo, it's like defusing nine out of 10 bombs. In the end, unless you can defuse all 10, the result is pretty much the same."
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - An undercover television report that exposed Polish neo-Nazis dressed in Nazi uniforms celebrating Adolf Hitler's birthday and burning a swastika has prompted Poland's prime minister to denounce fascism and authorities to launch an investigation.

The report was broadcast by TVN24 on Saturday and revealed the same neo-Nazi group, Pride and Modernity, was behind a November protest in Katowice in which participants hung pictures of six centrist Polish European Parliament lawmakers on mock gallows.

The prosecutor general launched an investigation Sunday into the "public propagation of fascism," a crime that can carry a sentence of up to two years in prison upon conviction.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says propagating fascism tramples "the memory of our ancestors and their heroic fight for a Poland that is just and free from hatred."
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - An Ethiopian police official in the restive Amhara region in the north confirmed Sunday evening that seven people were killed when worshippers celebrating the Epiphany holiday clashed with security forces.

The killings on Saturday in the town of Woldiya, some 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of the capital Addis Ababa, happened on the second day of the colorful Epiphany celebrations in this East African nation.

Amare Goshu, a police official in the region, told the state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation that seven people died, including one security officer, during the confrontation. He said that the security forces responded with force when youths in the town tried to attack officers who were patrolling the holiday procession areas. "More than 15 citizens and 2 police officers were also injured and are now receiving treatment," he said.

Two Woldiya residents, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the measures taken by the security forces were excessive and feared the death toll was higher. One claimed police fired on demonstrators who were throwing stones. The other said the death toll could rise further as gunshots could be heard until midday Sunday. Both added that a number of hotels, restaurants and shops were burned down by angry protesters.

Ethiopia's Amhara and Oromia regions have seen violent anti- government protests since November, 2015, when people took to the streets demanding political freedom and the release of political prisoners. Hundreds have been killed and more than 11,000 arrested, although most have since been released.

Ethiopia is an ally of the U.S. but it is often accused by rights groups of stifling dissent and arresting opposition figures and journalists critical of the government. A prominent opposition politician, Merera Gudina, was released on Wednesday as part of a pledge by the government to open up the political space and create a national consensus.
SANAA, Yemen (AP) - Deaths resulting from a diphtheria outbreak in Yemen are "likely to rise" if the naval blockade imposed by a Saudi-led coalition fighting to defeat Shiite rebels in war-torn Yemen remains in place, an international aid group warned on Monday.

Save the Children said in a statement that Yemeni children are bearing the brunt of what it described as a "the worst diphtheria outbreak for a generation." It also said that its aid workers have been struggling to cope with the disease which has killed at least 52 people, mostly among children under 15, and is believed to have infected some 716 others since August. Diphtheria is a contagious and potentially fatal disease that primarily infects the throat and airways.

There's so little help right now that families are carrying their children for hundreds of miles to get to us," Mariam Aldogani, the group's field coordinator in Hodeida, said. "But they're arriving too late and infecting people on the way."

The outbreak has hit Ibb and Hodeida provinces the hardest, the aid group said.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since March 2015, pitting Iran-backed Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, against the coalition backing the internationally recognized government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The near three-year stalemated war in Yemen has damaged its infrastructure, crippled the health system and pushed the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of famine.

The U.N. has called Yemen the world's worst humanitarian crisis with more than 22 million people in need.

Save the Children said that aid efforts have been largely hampered due to the blockade on the key Red Sea port of Hodeida, a lifeline for most of Yemen's population as it handles about 70 percent of the country's imports. The Saudi-led coalition has imposed a blockade on Yemen since the beginning of the war but has recently eased it on ports allowing access for commercial vessels.

The aid group said the partial easing of the blockade is still far from enough to meet the Yemenis' dire humanitarian needs. "Any tightening of the blockade could have a devastating impact on children," it added.

The impoverished country is already grappling with a cholera epidemic since October 2016. The outbreak, which escalated in April, killed some 2,000 people and infected over a million others
John Coleman, who co-founded The Weather Channel and was the original meteorologist on ABC's 'Good Morning America' during a six-decade broadcasting career but who later drew people's anger for his open skepticism about climate change being man-made, has died. He was 83.

Coleman died Saturday night at home in Las Vegas, said his wife, Linda Coleman, who did not give the cause of his death.

The Texas native got his first TV job while still a student at the University of Illinois. He worked at several local stations in Chicago and the Midwest, becoming one of the first meteorologists to work in front of a screen that had weather images projected onto it.

Scroll down for video

John Coleman, GMA's first meteorologist and a co-founder of the Weather Channel, died on Saturday at the age of 83

We are deeply saddened to report that longtime KUSI weatherman and founder of The Weather Channel, John Coleman has passed away at age 83.



Full story: https://t.co/Yt3dIOSnkz pic.twitter.com/D11tL14pXV  KUSI News (@KUSINews) January 21, 2018

'Up until then, forecasters used a felt-tipped pen and wrote backward on Plexiglas plates so that they could give detail,' Dave Scott, a San Diego weatherman who worked with Coleman for years, told the Union Tribune. 'This was a big innovation.'

Eventually, he was hired as GMA's first weatherman when the show launched in 1975, and stayed with the program for seven years.

He left to co-found The Weather Channel, the first 24/7 weather network, serving as CEO of the company for a year before leaving due to internal friction.

Coleman is seen on the right with Frank Batten, publisher of the Virginian-Pilot and Ledger-Star, during a press conference in 1981

Two years later the American Meteorological Society named Coleman its broadcast meteorologist of the year.

Coleman went to work at TV stations in New York and in Chicago before landing at KUSI-TV in San Diego, where he spent 20 years as a weatherman before retiring in 2014. Jason Austell, an anchor for the station's 'Good Morning San Diego,' tweeted that Coleman was 'a beloved meteorologist.'

National Weather Service forecaster Alex Tardy said Coleman's death was 'a big loss for the weather community.'

'He brought a lot of energy and color and enthusiasm to forecasting,' Tardy said. 'My kids loved watching him on TV.'

Coleman also drew anger during the later years of his career for his doubts that humans caused global warming, which he called a 'hoax' and a 'scam.' In a 2013 KUSI news segment, Coleman, while talking about a global warming study, chastised national media for reporting on it from 'an environmental point of view and their continuing liberal, political agenda.'

His views combined with his weatherman background led to appearances on cable news outlets discussing climate change.

It was his stance on global warming that caused Coleman to drop out of the American Meteorological Society.

Tardy said Coleman never tried to push his skepticism about climate change being man-made.

'We had good talks,' Tardy told the San Diego Union-Tribune . 'I enjoyed it.'

Coleman is survived by his wife, their children Scott Coleman and Susan Keim, and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) - Two Army captains who met at West Point have returned there to be married, in what is believed to be the first same-sex marriage of active-duty personnel at the storied New York military academy.

The New York Times reports Captains Daniel Hall and Vincent Franchino were married on Jan. 13. They're both Apache helicopter pilots stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

The men met in August 2009, when Franchino was a freshman and Hall was a senior. Their first date was in February 2012 in Washington, some months after the "don't ask, don't tell" policy was repealed in September 2011. That policy, in place since 1993, barred any gay person from disclosing their sexual orientation or talking about any same-sex relationship.
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - U.S. authorities have detained former Guatemalan presidential candidate Manuel Baldizon to face charges in Guatemala.

The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City said Sunday the detention occurred at an undisclosed location in accordance with an Interpol request.

The charges involve Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which has acknowledged paying bribes across the region and elsewhere to win public works contracts.

FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2011 file photo, Manuel Baldizon, presidential candidate of Guatemala's Democratic Freedom Revival Party, gives a press conference in Guatemala City. Baldizon was arrested on Jan. 20, 2018 at a U.S. airport for immigration irregularities, and after deportation to Guatemala he will face corruption charges in connection with Odebrecht. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)

Baldizon is a tycoon-turned-political populist who lost a runoff election in 2011 to Otto Perez Molina, the former president who is himself facing trial in a separate corruption case.

A statement from prosecutors alleges Baldizon took bribes from Odebrecht to help win highway construction contracts in Guatemala. He faces charges of conspiracy, receiving bribes and money laundering in the first Odebrecht-related corruption case in Guatemala.
A man has been kneecapped by men who burst into a house in west Belfast, police said.

The 24-year-old was shot in both knees and both ankles in a back yard after a number of males in dark clothing broke into the house and hit him with a hammer on Friday evening.

He has been left with potentially life-changing injuries after the assault in the Whiterock Drive area of the city, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.

The 24-year-old man was shot on Friday night (Peter Byrne/PA)

Detective Inspector Michael McDonnell said: Police received a report at around 7.10pm that a number of males in dark clothing had entered a house and struck a man over the head with a hammer before shooting him in both knees and both ankles in a rear yard.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries, which are serious and potentially life-changing.

Two females, a 17-year-old and a 21-year-old, who were in the property at the time and who witnessed this horrific attack, were left extremely shaken.

This was a brutal and callous attack in a residential area where other residents or passers-by could have been injured. It is yet another example of how criminal groups seek to control communities through fear and violence.

Anyone with information is urged to call Musgrave Criminal Investigation Branch on 101 quoting reference 1189 of January 19, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A former Cabinet minister caught up in a media sting has indicated he involved British intelligence agencies because he feared he was being targeted by foreign spies.

Andrew Mitchell is one of three former senior ministers alongside Andrew Lansley and Peter Lilley who have denied wrong-doing following an investigation by Channel 4s Dispatches into Brexit lobbying

The programme, Politicians For Hire: Cashing In On Brexit, was scheduled to air on Monday and the broadcaster said it raised important questions about transparency and accountability in public life.

Tory former Cabinet ministers Lord Lansley, Andrew Mitchell and Peter Lilley

Mr Mitchell, a former international development minister said he smelt a rat within minutes of arriving at the October meeting in St Jamess in Mayfair that he was the target of a sting.

In an article for the Mail on Sunday, he said he was approached by woman calling herself Fei Liu who said she represented Chinese investors through a Hong Kong-based consultancy.

Mr Mitchell said he launched his own investigation into the company and asked friends in Hong Kong to visit the address he had been given.

After being told it looked decidedly dodgy he contacted someone I know in what I will call the British authorities and said I was worried I was the target of an attempted entrapment.

He added: They eventually came back to me and said I was right, but it was not a foreign power so they had no further interest. On December 5, I complained to the Chinese ambassador in London, Liu Xiaoming.

Lord Lansley has referred himself to Parliaments standards watchdog.

The former Health Secretary has been under-going treatment for cancer after being diagnosed last summer.

A spokesman for the peer said: Lord Lansley made clear at all times that any work that he carries out has to comply with the House of Lords Code of Conduct Rules and that any contract would have to have that code written into it.

He has always kept his outside interests separate from his Parliamentary duties and at no time did he offer any privileged access, insider information, lobbying activity, parliamentary advice or services.

Lord Lansley has already referred himself to the Lords Commissioner for Standards over this matter and is confident that she will dismiss these allegations as groundless.

Lord Lansley made clear at all times that any work that he carries out has to comply with the House of Lords Code of Conduct Rules and that any contract would have to have that code written into it.

He has always kept his outside interests separate from his Parliamentary duties and at no time did he offer any privileged access, insider information, lobbying activity, parliamentary advice or services.

Lord Lansley has already referred himself to the Lords Commissioner for Standards over this matter and is confident that she will dismiss these allegations as groundless.

Mr Lilley said he did nothing improper whatsoever.

It was a tawdry attempt at entrapment and I did nothing improper whatsoever. I thought it might be a sting from the beginning, he told the Mail on Sunday.

They said they had a budget of 18,000 but I told them I was already on the advisory board of a Chinese company, that I was comfortably off and I did not pursue the matter.

A Channel 4 spokeswoman said: This investigation raises important questions about transparency and accountability in public life. We are continuing to work on the film which will be broadcast soon.
Hollywood stars celebrated the power of the Me Too movement as hundreds of thousands of protesters joined Womens Marches on the anniversary of Donald Trumps inauguration as US president.

Scarlett Johansson, Viola Davis and Eva Longoria were among those to address an estimated 700,000-plus crowd in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.

The weekend marks a year since more than one million people worldwide rallied on Mr Trumps first day in the White House and comes at a time of reckoning for many powerful men in Hollywood and other industries over their treatment of women.

Johansson, wearing a Times Up top, told marchers how the Harvey Weinstein revelations led her to consider how she was treated as a young actress.

Viola Davis speaking to the crowd in Los Angeles (Jae C. Hong/AP)

Many of her relationships, both personal and professional, had power dynamics so off that she let herself be degraded, she said.

I stand before you as someone who is empowered not only by the curiosity about myself and by the active choices that Im finally able to make and stand by, but by the brightness of this movement, the strength and the unity that this movement has provided, she said.

It gives me hope that we are moving toward a place where our sense of equality can truly come from within ourselves.

Davis shared her own experiences to echo the march organisers sentiment to encourage people to sign up to vote in Novembers mid-term elections, which could deal a blow to the president.

Im always introduced as an award-winning actor but my testimony is one of poverty, my testimony is one of being sexually assaulted and very much seeing a childhood that was robbed from me, Davis said.

I know that the trauma of those events are still with me today and thats what drives me to the voting booth, thats what allows me to listen to the women who are still in silence.

Longoria encouraged protesters to seize the Me Too momentum to fight for equality and decried the sexist, racist rhetoric coming out of the White House.

Eva Longoria addressing the crowds (Jae C. Hong/AP)

As we build upon the momentum of Me Too and Times Up in this movement, we women have the worlds attention so lets seize this moment and catalyse a permanent and cultural shift towards fairer and equal treatment in the workplace, she said.

Alfre Woodard said that people must reach across boundaries to fight for a common cause in this dangerous and baffling hour.

As the thousands took to the streets, Mr Trump tweeted that it was a perfect day for women to celebrate the economic success and wealth creation of his first year in the White House.

The marchers disagreed.

Anti-Trump sentiments were prominent among the placards, and so were pro-immigrant messages and those in favour of womens rights, including one reading Girls just want to have fun-damental rights.

There was also a continued outrage over Mr Trumps policies and alleged pre-election behaviour, which includes denied claims of sexual assault by multiple women and his boasting of grabbing women by the pussy.

The pink, pointy-eared pussy hats used to mock the commander-in-chief made a popular return.

The main march this year was held in Las Vegas, but others took to the streets in cities including New York City and Washington DC.

UK cities will hold marches on Sunday including a London demonstration in support of Times Up.
Brexit, businesses, Boris Johnson and Big Brother make headlines in various guises on Sunday.

The Mail on Sunday reports that three former Tory Cabinet ministers have been caught up in a Chinese cash for Brexit sting.

Meanwhile the Sunday Express says a group of 100 MPs it calls the Brexit enforcers will demand that free movement ends and Britain is taken out of the single market on March 29, 2019.

What the papers say - January 21

Up to 50 moderate Labour MPs are on a secret deselection hitlist drawn up by allies of Jeremy Corbyn, according to claims reported by the Sunday Times.

- Corbyn allies plot to oust 50 Labour MPs

- 2 limit to curb crack cocaine of gambling

- Gove rants at clock-watching civil servants#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/zCAkv5gSqY  The Sunday Times (@thesundaytimes) January 20, 2018

Meanwhile huge fines will be imposed on irresponsible company bosses who line their own pockets, Prime Minister Theresa May has said writing in The Observer.

The Observer front page, Sunday 21 January 2018 | May: I will fine greedy bosses who betray their workers pic.twitter.com/1VEbEIbQjw  The Guardian (@guardian) January 20, 2018

The Independent says MPs have called for an urgent review into the 300 million contract awarded to private companies to arrest people for not paying court fines in the wake of the collapse of outsourcing giant Carillion.

Mr Johnson has called for US president Donald Trump to be welcomed to the UK in a piece in the Sunday Telegraph, with the Foreign Secretary warning that not doing so could damage the public interest.

The front page of tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph: 'We should welcome Trump visit says Boris' #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/wJj0vWvpHg  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 20, 2018

Big Brother could soon be consigned to history, according to the Daily Star Sunday, which says bosses are ready to pull the plug after ratings fell.

STAR ON SUNDAY: Big Bro axed by bosses #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/Z5dTSx17Pm  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 20, 2018

The Sunday Mirror reports that Lisa McPartlin is staying with friends after she split from Im A Celebrity co-host husband Ant McPartlin.

And the Sunday People has spoken to the brother of Louise Turpin, the mother-of-13 who along with husband David, 57, kept their children imprisoned at their US home dubbed the House of Horrors.

The Sun on Sunday has a story about Premier League star Alex Sanchezs off-field activities.
The Home Office has paid out more than 21 million to migrants they have unlawfully detained, new figures reveal.

Labours shadow immigration minister Afzal Khan said the payouts raised serious questions about decision-making at the department.

The figures, unearthed by Tory former minister Andrew Mitchell in a written question to the department, relate to payments made over the past five years and total 21.2 million.

The Home Office has said that while a court may later rule an individual was unlawfully detained, it did not mean the original decision was taken in bad faith.

Mr Khan told the Press Association: This Tory Governments indefinite detention policy is not only cruel but costs hundreds of millions of pounds.

The UK is the only country in Europe to have no time limit on detention, yet the majority of detainees are actually released into the community.

This raises serious questions about how the chaotic Home Office makes its decisions on who to detain in the first place.

The figures were unearthed by Andrew Mitchell (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The figures show the cost of unlawful detention claims was 3.3 million in 2016/17, 4.1 million in 2015/16, 4 million in 2014/15, 4.8 million in 2013/14 and 5 million in 2012/13.

A Home Office spokesman said: Detention is an important part of our immigration system, helping to ensure that those with no right to remain in the UK are returned to their home country if they will not leave voluntarily.

Decisions to detain or maintain detention are taken after careful consideration, and we are committed to treating all detainees with dignity and respect.

The fact that a court may subsequently rule that an individual has been unlawfully detained does not necessarily mean the original decision was taken in bad faith.

The courts findings may only relate to part of the detention.

Following an independent review by Stephen Shaw commissioned by the Home Secretary, the Government is taking forward three reforms  a new adult at risk concept into decision making on immigration detention, publishing a mental health action plan and implementing a new approach to the case management of all those detained.

The Government has said that these reforms will lead to a reduction in the number of detainees and the length of time they spend in detention before removal.
Turkish ground troops have entered a Kurdish-held enclave in northern Syria and are advancing with Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces, according to the countrys state-run news agency.

Anadolu Agency said the troops pushed into Afrin on Sunday, a day after Turkish jets pounded Syrian Kurdish targets in the region.

The Turkish military says its offensive, named operation Olive Branch, aims to rid the region of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, or YPG.

Plumes of smoke rise from inside Syria (Lefteris Pitarakis/AP)

Turkey launches Afrin operation - LIVE COVERAGEhttps://t.co/b5jMmTwQ0M  ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) January 20, 2018

Turkey considers the YPG a terror organisation because of its affiliation to Kurdish rebels fighting in south-eastern Turkey, and had been threatening to attack Afrin for weeks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to expand the operation to other Kurdish regions.

The YPG is a key US ally in the war against the Islamic State group.
An injured walker was airlifted to hospital after falling close to the summit of Slieve Donard in the Mournes, the mountain rescue team has said.

The man, who was one of a group of four walkers, is believed to have suffered spinal and pelvic injuries when he fell on his way down from the summit of the mountain.

The Mourne Mountain Rescue Team said it received a call for help at around 5pm on Saturday.

The Mourne Mountains (PA)

The Police Search & Rescue Team  called out tonight for injured walker in the Mourne Mountains 



Thankfully male quickly located by Mourne Mountain Rescue Team and airlifted to Hospital by 119 Prestwick Coastguard Helicopter  #GetWellSoon #MourneMRT #PSAR pic.twitter.com/3RhhOqOPgE  Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) January 20, 2018

The team responded and located the casualty just off the summit of Slieve Donard.

He was treated for suspected spinal and pelvic injuries along with mild hypothermia.

The other members of the party were also treated for mild hypothermia.

The team said that due to the location and potential severity of the mans injuries, helicopter assistance was requested.

The man was airlifted to hospital while the remaining party members were assisted off the mountain.

The rescue operation, which involved 18 members of the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team, Belfast and Newcastle Coastguards, Rescue 199 and the PSNI, concluded at 10.45pm on Saturday.
Environmentalists have named the Scottish streets they say are being blighted by air pollution from traffic fumes.

Friends of the Earth Scotlands analysis of data found that recorded pollution levels continued to break Scottish and European air quality standards in 10 streets across four towns and cities in 2017.

It described air pollution as a public health crisis and blamed it for over 2,500 early deaths every year in Scotland and costing the Scottish economy more than 1.1 billion annually.

Friends of the earth monitored air pollution ((Yui Mok/PA)

Our research detailing Scotland's most polluted streets and what needs to be done to tackle #airpollution #health #transport https://t.co/knWd8GhfOY pic.twitter.com/aecFKHRAC1  Friends of the Earth Scotland  (@FoEScot) January 21, 2018

The Scottish Government said it is doing all it can to protect the public from the harmful effects of air pollution, and has a clear vision for Scotlands air quality to be the best in Europe.

Friends of the Earth Scotland looked at figures for two key pollutants, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter.

Glasgows Hope Street was ranked Scotlands dirtiest street, topping the list for nitrogen dioxide pollution.

Edinburghs St Johns Road and Queensferry Road were also on the list, as were Glasgows Dumbarton Road and Dundees Seagate and Lochee Road.

All were found to have NO2 levels above the set European limits, the organisation said.

Nitrogen Dioxide is poisonous gas caused by burning of fossil fuels in car engines. NO2 inflames the lining of the lung and reduces immunity to lung infections; exposure is known to be linked to increased mortality and respiratory problems. https://t.co/OMZc4Rp5PF pic.twitter.com/UuT2tegofi  Friends of the Earth Scotland  (@FoEScot) January 21, 2018

Queensferry Road and Dumbarton Road were also found to have breached Scottish standards for tiny sooty particles from vehicles.

The same was true for Edinburghs Salamander St and Glasgow Road, Atholl Street in Perth and Clarence Drive in Glasgow, according to the charity.

A Low Emission Zone will be launched in Glasgow by the end of this year, followed by three more in Dundee, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen by 2020.

Particulate Matter are tiny, often invisible particles in the air which can penetrate the deepest part of the lungs and damage our health. Can originate from road traffic include engine soot, small bits of metal and rubber from engine wear and braking. https://t.co/Je9ZbKUL6g pic.twitter.com/pj8sUhRRqt  Friends of the Earth Scotland  (@FoEScot) January 21, 2018

Emilia Hanna, air pollution campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: Once again, streets in Scotland have dangerous levels of toxic air pollution which are breaking legal limits.

The situation across Scotland is potentially showing some slow signs of improvements, but filthy streets continue to poison our lungs nearly a decade after a legal deadline.

Scotlands first Low Emission Zone will be in Glasgow by the end of this year, and this will be an important test of commitment to address this problem.

The rest of Scotland is looking to Glasgow to set a high standard with its Low Emission Zone.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: We have committed to introducing Low Emission Zones (LEZs) into Scotlands four biggest cities between 2018 and 2020, and then into all other Air Quality Management Areas by 2023 where the National Low Emission Framework (NLEF) appraisals support such mitigation.

We will continue to work with industry to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032. We have invested more than 210 million in active travel since the start of the 2011 spending review, and the most recent Programme for Government announced that we would double the active travel budget from 40 million to 80 million in 2018-19.

She added: Our Cleaner Air for Scotland strategy sets out an ambitious programme of action to promote air quality and Scotland is the first country in Europe to pass legislation based on World Health Organisation guidelines for fine particulate matter.
Jordans King Abdullah II has appealed to US Vice President Mike Pence to rebuild trust and confidence after the Trump administrations recent decision to designate Jerusalem as Israels capital.

King Abdullah, a staunch US ally, said in Amman that he hopes to have candid and frank discussions with the visiting vice president.

The Jerusalem decision has infuriated the Palestinians, who accuse the US of siding with Israel and say President Trump cannot serve as a mediator.

King Abdullah II of Jordan, meets US Vice President Mike Pence (Raad Adayleh/AP)

King Abdullah noted that the US decision was not part of a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He said the US now has a major challenge to overcome.

Mr Pence says the US is committed to restarting the peace process.
Jos Buttlers magnificent century steered England to a series-clinching victory in the third one-day international against Australia.

Buttler launched an audacious counter-attack to finish with 100 not out in 83 balls as the tourists posted a winning total of 302 for six, Chris Woakes racing to 53no in a dizzying stand worth 113.

Buttler, whose middle-order masterclass included six fours and four sixes, was also involved in the key moment of the Australia innings, claiming a hotly-disputed catch to see off home skipper Steve Smith.

Jos Butler celebrates his hundred (Rick Rycroft/AP)

Englands 16-run success was all the more remarkable given Liam Plunketts untimely exit with a hamstring injury, leaving his side a bowler short with more than eight overs to fill.

With a 3-0 lead and two games to go England head to Adelaide with the prospect of whitewash, and a measure of Ashes redemption, in the air.

It is tempting in retrospect to view the first 22 overs of the England innings as a phony war, a scene-setter for the brilliance to come, but that would be unfair on Australias reunited seamers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

None of Englands top five found any real fluency after being sent in for the first time in the series, though Eoin Morgan (41) and Jonny Bairstow (39) chiselled out hard runs.

Joe Roots day had started with rugby league star Sam Burgess presenting his 100th ODI cap, a more memorable moment than any in his knock of 27.

It was not until Buttler heaved Marcus Stoinis for the first six of the match in the 28th over that the balance began to shift.

With a tidy 50 already under his belt Buttler began to dust down his party pieces, ramping Cummins over his own head for four then driving Hazlewood hard and flat for six.

That was the pivot point, with Australia suddenly unable to keep a lid on Buttler.

There was another flat six off Hazlewood, back-to-back fours off Starc and then 20 runs off four successive Cummins balls  two crashing into the ropes and two sailing over.

Woakes played his part to perfection, a short-arm pull for six the best among a handful of authoritative blows.

His efforts almost denied Buttler the chance of a fifth ODI ton but he dashed through for two from the last ball of the innings to claim his just reward.

In all, the pair added 102 runs in the final 10 overs, a remarkable effort given their team-mates struggles on an awkward surface.

Australias chase was led in familiar fashion by Aaron Finch, who followed up hundreds in Melbourne and Brisbane with a confident 62.

England had already removed David Warner and Cameron White, one apiece for Woakes and Mark Wood, but Finch  lbw sweeping Adil Rashid  was the prize scalp.

By then Plunkett had already left the field, stretching Englands slight bowling options.

Root, whose occasional off-spin struck gold at the Gabba, stepped up again but his 8.4 overs were milked for 60.

Smith (45) appeared to be building a winning position alongside Mitchell Marsh (55) but when he aimed a wild drive at the returning Wood it allowed Buttler to stoop for a much-debated catch.

He was given out on the field but replays proved unhelpful and when third umpire Kumar Dharmasena upheld the verdict boos rang around the ground.

Australia were left needing 122 in 16 overs and despite the best efforts of Tim Paine and Stoinis, who cracked a punchy 56, Woakes and Wood closed things out with minimal drama.
Jordans king has appealed to US Vice President Mike Pence to rebuild trust and confidence in the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The call follows the fallout from the Trump administrations decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Mr Pence, in turn, tried to reassure the monarch that the Trump administration remains committed to restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and views Jordan as a central player.

King Abdullah II of Jordan meets US Vice President Mike Pence (Raad Adayleh/AP)

The vice president also said that the United States of America remains committed, if the parties agree, to a two state solution.

Such a caveat deviates from long-standing US support for a two-state solution as the only possible outcome of any peace deal.

President Trumps pivot on Jerusalem last month infuriated the Palestinians, who seek the Israeli-annexed eastern sector of the city as a future capital.

They accused the US of siding with Israel and said Washington can no longer serve as a mediator.

Jerusalem is the emotional centrepiece of the long-running conflict, and President Trumps policy shift set off protests and condemnation across Arab and Muslim countries.

It posed a dilemma for King Abdullah, who is a staunch US ally, but also derives his political legitimacy in large part from the Hashemite dynastys role as guardian of a key Muslim site in Jerusalem.

Any perceived threat to Muslim claims in the city is seen as a challenge to Jordan, where a large segment of the population is of Palestinian origin.

Mr Pence told Jordans monarch that President Trump made it clear in his announcement on Jerusalem that we are committed to continue to respect Jordans role as the custodian of holy sites, that we take no position on boundaries and final status.

He said Jordan would continue to play a central role in any future peace efforts.

#VPinEgypt Photos of the Day: Landed in Cairo to begin meeting w/ leaders of Middle East countries. Critical discussion w/ @alsisiofficial & reaffirmed our commitment to stand w/ Egypt against terrorism. Also discussed the need to prevent persecution of religious minorities. pic.twitter.com/wfE2I2D6Mr  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) January 20, 2018

The vice president also praised Jordans contribution to a US-led military campaign against Islamic State extremists who in recent months were pushed back from large areas in Iraq and Syria, both neighbours of Jordan.

King Abdullah expressed concerns about the regional fallout from the Jerusalem decision.

Today we have a major challenge to overcome, especially with some of the rising frustrations, he said.

He described the Pence visit as a mission to rebuild trust and confidence in getting to a two-state solution, in which a state of Palestine would be established in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967.
Vital services such as hospital cleaning should be run by public servants and ministers must take responsibility when things go wrong, the shadow attorney general has said.

Baroness Chakrabarti said it was all very well for Theresa May to say huge fines will be imposed on irresponsible company bosses who line their own pockets, and said there needed to be ministerial responsibility.

Lady Chakrabarti suggested that the state take responsibility for non-core services, such as hospital cleaning, because cleanliness in a hospital is quite often matter of life and death.

Shami Chakrabarti (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Its all very well for Mrs May to now say shes going to sting these executives  theres got to be a little bit of ministerial responsibility in all of this as well, she told the BBCs Sunday Politics.

One of my concerns is that when vital public services of a kind that theyre almost constitutional, for example prisons, get contracted out what youre actually devolving is ministerial responsibility.

"Some vital services need to be run by public servants with ministers held to account" - Shami Chakrabarti on #Carillion #bbcsp pic.twitter.com/jyBLEYHwjc  BBC Daily Politics and Sunday Politics (@daily_politics) January 21, 2018

If something goes terribly wrong, whether in a vital utility or whether its a matter of security or infrastructure, and ministers of whatever colour just put their hands up and say its wicked executives, its the wicked company.

What we need is ministerial responsibility, what we need is oversight.

Of course we want a thriving private sector, but some vital services need to be run by public servants and with ministers held to account.

She continued: I believe in a mixed economy and I know that my colleagues do too, but there are times when some things need to be in public hands.

That will include on constitutional grounds where youre talking about peoples human rights and peoples basic security, that will also mean sometimes when you have a big organisation and outsourcing is used to grind down the working conditions of some workers and break down the sense of community and solidarity between them.

Lady Chakrabarti said that while there were some things the private sector does better: I think in some circumstances, I think maybe hospitals are a better example because of course cleanliness in a hospital is quite often matter of life and death.

So I think sometimes it is better even for something that is not a core service like cleaning to be in public hands.

Asked about Sunday Times reports that Momentum is trying to make it harder for MPs to be confirmed as candidates for the next general election, Lady Chakrabarti said: My understanding is that Momentum is not prioritising the selection of some candidates over others  they are an invigorated movement, part of the Labour movement, which has always had various strands within it.
Caroline Wozniacki is confident but taking nothing for granted as she tries to chase down a first grand slam title at the Australian Open.

The Dane was world number one as a 20-year-old and now, at the ripe old age of 27, is three matches away from lifting the trophy at Melbourne Park.

Playing with house money after her recovery from 1-5 and match points down against Jana Fett in round two, Wozniacki hit top form at Melbourne Park in a 6-3 6-0 victory over Magdalena Rybarikova, even making a tweener for the first time in a match.

"I think being almost out of the tournament, you have nothing to lose after that. You just go out there and you enjoy yourself."



-@CaroWozniacki #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/8sYfBBbqYu  #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 21, 2018

The world number two won the biggest title of her career at the WTA Finals to end 2017 but does not want to look past her quarter-final clash with Carla Suarez Navarro.

She said: I think you can tell my confidence is pretty good at the moment. Weve played four matches. Theres still three to go. Theres still a long way. So I really just focus on the task ahead of me.

Wozniacki has had to answer questions about her grand slam-winning potential for the best part of a decade but no longer worries about what might be.

Caroline Wozniacki when she was world number one (Andrew Milligan/PA)

She said: When you put in the work, then you just hope thats enough. If its not, then you go back to work and try and get better. For me, its no pressure, just go out there and have fun.

Suarez Navarro had a much tougher match on Sunday, recovering from a set and 4-1 down to defeat Anett Kontaveit 4-6 6-4 8-6.

The Spaniard and Wozniacki have met seven times before, with Wozniacki winning five but none of them easily.

She said: Weve had a lot of tough encounters, three-set gruelling matches. Im expecting a tough fight. She had a tough season last year. She also had a few injuries. Obviously shes back playing really well.

The semi-final looks very likely to be a clash between Wozniacki and fourth seed Elina Svitolina, who breezed past qualifier Denisa Allertova 6-3 6-0 in a match that finished close to 1am.

The Ukrainian, who next plays in-form Belgian Elise Mertens, is through to her third grand slam quarter-final and has never been further.

Svitolina said: Im very pleased with the performance. Its not the first time going into a tournament as one of the favourites. It adds more pressure but also gives you that extra confidence. Im trying to take one match at a time because everybody is ready to play. I just try to do my best and see how it goes.

Mertens won the warm-up event in Hobart and is enjoying her best ever run at a slam, beating Croatian Petra Martic 7-6 (7/5) 7-5 in the fourth round.
At least 18 people including 14 foreigners were killed when the Taliban attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Afghanistans capital, Kabul, the Interior Ministry confirmed.

Spokesman Najib Danish said 11 of the 14 foreigners killed were employees of KamAir, a private Afghan airline.

He added that 10 others were wounded including six security officers and four civilians.

KamAir said flights had been disrupted because of the attack.

A series of explosions occurred at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, #Afghanistan. A heightened police presence throughout the city is expected. Contact the US Embassy if you are aware of any US citizens at the hotel. Follow @TravelGov for updates. https://t.co/i5lEE8uslP pic.twitter.com/GSMxrgxWyf  Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) January 20, 2018

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which began late on Saturday, saying five gunmen armed with suicide vests targeted foreigners and Afghan officials.

Mr Danish said the last attacker was killed on Sunday afternoon, more than 12 hours after the attack began.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents initially planned to attack the hotel on Thursday night, but postponed the assault because there was a wedding under way and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties.

The attack unfolded almost six years after Taliban insurgents launched a similar assault on the property, which is not part of the InterContinental chain of worldwide hotels.

Police block the road to the Intercontinental Hotel (Massoud Hossaini/AP)

The Interior Ministry said a private firm assumed responsibility for securing the hotel around three weeks ago. The ministry says it is investigating how the attackers managed to enter the building.

Afghan security officials confirmed that 34 provincial officials were gathered at the hotel to participate in a conference organised by the Telecommunication Ministry.

A fire broke out at the hotel as the fighting raged, and the sound of explosions could be heard throughout the standoff. Live TV footage showed people trying to escape through windows on the upper stories.

Captain Tom Gresback, spokesman for Nato-led forces, said in a statement that Afghan forces were leading the response efforts. He said that according to initial reports, no foreign troops were hurt in the attack.

Neighbouring Pakistan condemned the brutal terrorist attack and called for greater cooperation against militants. Afghanistan and Pakistan routinely accuse each other of failing to combat extremists along their long and porous border.

Pakistan condemns the terrrorist attack at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul pic.twitter.com/rQk4VtLROM  Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) January 21, 2018

Afghan forces have struggled to combat the Taliban since the US and Nato formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014. They have also had to contend with a growing Islamic State affiliate that has carried out a number of massive attacks in recent years.

In the northern Balkh province, insurgents burst into a home where several members of a local pro-government militia were gathered late on Saturday, leading them outside and killing 18 of them, said Gen. Abdul Razeq Qaderi, the deputy provincial police chief. Among those killed was a tribal leader who served as the local police commander, he said.

In the western Farah province, a roadside bomb killed a deputy provincial police chief and wounded four other police early on Sunday, according to Gen. Mahruf Folad, the provincial police chief.

The Taliban claimed both attacks.

In the western Herat province, a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying 13 civilians, killing all but one of them, said Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for the provincial police chief. No one immediately claimed the attack, but Walizada blamed Taliban insurgents, who often plant roadside bombs to target Afghan security forces.
Police have seized 20,000 worth of class A drugs following the search of a property in west Belfast.

A 34-year-old man was arrested at the property in the McDonnell Street area on suspicion of a number of drugs and money laundering offences.

The PSNIs Organised Crime Unit, assisted by Tactical Support Group officers, carried out a planned search of the property on Sunday morning.

A man was arrested in west Belfast (Joe Giddens/PA)

Detective Inspector Pete Mullan said: We will continue to proactively tackle the issue of illegal drugs.

He added: We want to ensure that we are doing everything possible to prevent the supply of drugs and arrest those involved while at the same time making people aware of the real danger posed to their health and their lives if they take illegal or controlled drugs.
A European arrest warrant will be reissued for the fugitive former leader of Catalonia if he leaves Belgium and enters Denmark as planned, Spains state prosecutors office said.

The regions ex-president Carles Puigdemont is scheduled to attend a debate at the University of Copenhagen on Monday.

The trip would be Mr Puigdemonts first outside Belgium since he fled there to avoid a court summons in Spain for his role in a failed secession bid led by his government in October.

Carles Puigdemont fled to Belgium to avoid a court summons in Spain (Virginia Mayo/AP)

The state prosecutor said that if Mr Puigdemont enters Denmark as planned it will immediately request the Spain Supreme Court to issue a European warrant for his arrest by Danish authorities.

Spain issued a European warrant for Mr Puigdemonts arrest in November, but withdrew it after a month.
Call The Midwife viewers have welcomed the arrival of the shows first West Indian nurse, saying it was about time.

The seventh series of the much-loved programme about midwives in the East End in the 1960s started on BBC One on Sunday night.

It brought the arrival of newcomer Lucille Anderson (Leonie Elliott), who the creators have previously said will give an insight into the experience of Caribbean nurses who joined the NHS workforce in the Sixties.

Call The Midwife has a new character (BBC)

Viewers were thrilled to see Lucille join the other midwives at Nonnatus House.

One person said on Twitter: So excited that #callthemidwife is back!!and finally reflecting the contribution of black midwives to the health service with a main character.

So excited that #callthemidwife is back!!...and finally reflecting the contribution of black midwives to the health service with a main character#BBCOne  Veda Harrison (@Minkymoo99) January 21, 2018

LUCILLE IVE ONLY JUST MET YOU BUT I LOVE YOU ALREADY, tweeted another viewer.

LUCILLE IVE ONLY JUST MET YOU BUT I LOVE YOU ALREADY @Leonie_Elliott #callthemidwife  ellie (@frankiebrgstein) January 21, 2018

One viewer said: I can already tell that ctm are going to deal with the topic of racism as delicately and as amazingly well as every other topic. this is a tough show and im proud.

i can already tell that ctm are going to deal with the topic of racism as delicately and as amazingly well as every other topic. this is a tough show and im proud #callthemidwife  ellie (@frankiebrgstein) January 21, 2018

Another said: #callthemidwife is just about to start and they are finally going to get a black midwife. #aboutbloodytime.

#callthemidwife is just about to start and they are finally going to get a black midwife. #aboutbloodytime  vaxxed vaxxed baby (@magic_at_mungos) January 21, 2018

The first Black nurse in Nonnatus House, *and* a former librarian? I think its fair to say I love Sister Lucille Anderson, tweeted another.

The first Black nurse in Nonnatus House, *and* a former librarian? I think it's fair to say I love Sister Lucille Anderson. #CallTheMidwife  Sister Outrider (@ClaireShrugged) January 21, 2018

Elliott has said she hopes her new role shines a light on the unsung heroes who came to the UK to work for the NHS.

Im just focused on doing her justice, and those kinds of women that came over at that time, said the actress.

I feel like theyre unsung heroes really, so just to shine a light on them.

And hopefully the audience take to her and love her.

She has admitted it was tough shooting scenes where patients were hostile towards her character.

Elliott said: Its quite difficult, just because I suppose that would have been some of the ladies experience when they came to London.

And just speaking to my family as well, and just listening to some of their stories.

So it is upsetting, but I think that its true to life in that its telling part of her story. Its not all of her story, but it definitely is part of her experience.

The new series of Call The Midwife comes after the programme won the Christmas Day ratings battle for the second year in a row, with an audience of 9.6 million people tuning in.
With German, Chinese and Tamil translations in addition to English and Sinhala

The Chief Incumbent of Sri Sudarshanarama Purana Viharaya in Rajagiriya, Kalapaluwawa, Venerable Uluvitike Anuruddha Thera recently released a six-language Dhammapada edition including German, Chinese and Tamil translations, at a ceremony held at the temple.

"The contents of the verses, however, transcend the limited and particular circumstances of their origin, reaching out through the ages"

Writing the introduction to this beautiful rectangular- shaped book, is Venerable Anuruddha Thera who has mentioned that it had been published with the view of disseminating the authentic message of Buddha to the public.

The first copy of the book was presented to Chief Incumbent of Sri Sammbuddhaloka Viharaya of Madiwela, Venerable Weligalle Pannaloka Thera by author Ven Anuruddha.

The Dhammapada is the best known and most widely read text in the Pali Tipitaka is included in the Khuddaka Nikaya of the Sutta Pitaka. It has been recognized as a world religious classic.

Composed in the ancient Pali language, this anthology of verses constitutes a perfect collection of the Buddhas teaching, comprising between its covers all the essential principles elaborated at length in the forty-odd volumes of the Pali canon.

"Composed in the ancient Pali language, this anthology of verses constitutes a perfect collection of the Buddhas teaching"



Each verse in the Dhammapada was originally spoken by the Buddha in response to a particular episode. Accounts of these, along with exegesis of the verses, are preserved in the classic commentary to the work, compiled by the great scholastic Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa in the fifth century C.E. on the basis or material going back to very ancient times.

The contents of the verses, however, transcend the limited and particular circumstances of their origin, reaching out through the ages to various types of people in all the diverse situations of life. For the simple and unsophisticated the Dhammapada is a sympathetic counsellor; for the intellectually overburdened its clear and direct teachings inspire humility and reflection; for the earnest seeker it is a perennial source of inspiration and practical instruction.

Insights that flashed into the heart of the Buddha have crystallized into these luminous verses of pure wisdom. As profound expressions of practical spirituality, each verse is a guideline to right living.

The Buddha unambiguously pointed out that whoever earnestly practises the teachings found in the Dhammapada will taste the bliss of emancipation.

Venerable Anuruddha is also the Vice Principal of Sri Siddhartha Maha Vidyalaya, Kalapaluwawa. Copies of this book could be purchased by contacting following numbers  2792840, 0714 392876
he Korean people are probably one of the most unfortunate people on earth. Today the US -a country half a world away from the Korean peninsula- and a so-called ally of South Korea is threatening a nuclear attack and the total destruction of North Korea and its people because the American President says his country feels threatened by a few nuclear weapons held by the North Korean regime.

For over a century the peninsula has been the battleground of imperial powers. However, it was in the twentieth century Korea faced its darkest period. Under Japanese imperialist rule (1910 to 1945) -in the aftermath of Japans defeat of Russia for control of the peninsula. As Hitler attempted to wipe out the Jews and their culture during the Nazi era in Germany, from 1937 and into World War II, Japan attempted to exterminate Korea as a nation.

Participation in Korean cultural activities became illegal. Worship at Japanese Shinto shrines was made compulsory for Koreans. School curriculums were modified to eliminate the teaching of the Korean language and history. The Korean language was banned, Koreans were forced to adopt Japanese names, and newspapers were prohibited from publishing in Korean.

Korean cultural artefacts were destroyed or taken to Japan. Imperial Japan looked on Koreans as less than human forcing its women into positions of sex slaves to gratify the imperial armys sexual appetites. But as Hitler failed in his attempt to exterminate the Jews, imperial Japan too failed in its evil designs.

However, even its military defeat and the nuclear bombing of Japan by the Americans failed to alter Japanese attitudes toward the Korean people. Even as late as during the mid-nineteen-seventies planeloads of Japanese men would fly to Korea on what was then referred to as sex tours.

When the Japanese Empire was dismantled at the end of World War II, Korea fell victim to the wiles of the Cold War antagonists -the US and the then USSR. The country was divided at the 38th parallel into two spheres of influence - Americans controlling the south formed the Republic of Korea and the USSR installing a communist regime under Kim Il-Sung in the North.



Both regimes claimed sovereignty over the whole peninsula. In 1950 Kim Il-Sung attempted to unify Korea under communist rule. He launched an invasion of South Korea and captured most of the south. The United Nations intervened at the behest of the US, authorising a US-led force to intervene in the conflict. While UN intervention was conceived as a means of restoring the border at the 38th parallel, US General Douglas MacArthur Commander in Chief of the UN forces said he intended to unify Korea not just drive the North Korean forces back behind the border.

As the North Korean forces were driven from the south, South Korean and the US forces crossed the 38th parallel on 1 October. Other UN forces followed a week later. This drew China, which had warned US forces against crossing the 38 parallel into the conflict. As US-led forces pushed into North Korea, China unleashed a counter-attack which drove the US and its allies back into the south.

The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed after three years of war. A 4-km-wide buffer zone between the states, known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was set up. By the time an armistice was signed in July 1953, around 2.5 million persons had died. It is estimated over a one million were Koreans. Since the armistice, the US set up a permanent garrison in South Korea.

The entry of foreign forces into what was basically a Korean problem, the resultant civilian deaths caused by the US bombing of North Korea during the Korea War led to North Korea seek a deterrent to prevent any future US-led invasions of Korea. Thus began North Koreas nuclear programme. Today North and South Korea are in independent negotiations to unite the peninsula. May the Trumps and Abes of this world keep their fingers out of the Korean pie.
France and Germany are celebrating the 55th Anniversary of the Elysee Treaty, though not much discussed currently, this treaty was a symbol of extraordinary efforts by leaders of post-war France and Germany to create a European unification transcending centuries of adversary that was at the heart of all European conflicts. It came into effect after then-German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and the French president Charles De Gaulle on January 22, 1963.

The treaty set in motion a series of processes that led to Germany and France consult bilaterally on many European matters of national and regional interests. One key element of the successful European integration was the ability of the two countries capabilities and political will to work together.

Today the two countries while celebrating the treaty, are encountering a sequence of events that have not just put the European Project at peril but has put every mechanism that was established by the liberal western political order towards achieving a smooth, global governance.

There are signs of the system ceasing up or being dismantled, especially by the United States led by the Trump administration.

The single biggest reason for global governance setback is the emergence of a domestic political polarisation in most parts of the world, especially in the democratic world that is led by political forces urging for national agendas and overhaul of internationalist policies that had powered and kept the global governance circuit running.

2018 is a year quite different from many years since 2001, last seventeen years have perpetually being dominated by the fear of global insecurity driven by terrorism, the first decade of the 21st Century it was Al Qaeda and last four years it was the Islamic State.

Come 2018, neither of these two so-called transnational terror groups remains in their formidable forms.

Thus 2018 is the first post-terrorism year of the 21st Century since 2001, yet more chaotic and unstable than any year of this century.The response to chaos comes in two forms, the first is the new conservative worldview coming from American foreign policy-making elite.

Donald Trump is part of the package but not the only key player since he was elected President. American conservatives had gained significant sway influencing White House policymaking. They have managed to increase American force projections globally, create a global fear psychosis, especially the threat of nuclear war.

The threat and fear of nuclear war, especially in Asia, had seen an unprecedented sale of all variants of missiles.

"Donald Trump is part of the package but not the only key player since he was elected President. American conservatives had gained significant sway influencing White House policymaking. They have managed to increase American force projections globally, create a global fear psychosis, especially the threat of nuclear war"



American defence companies especially the ones that develop interceptor missiles such as Raytheon has seen their stock values increase and profits surge. If a simple analysis of sales generated by Raytheon, for both cruise missiles and interceptors, namely Tomahawks and Patriots have seen an increased number of buyers ranging from the Czech Republic to UAE.

Thus this entire column could trace increase of missile sales over last year as symbolising a chaotic world.

While successfully increasing US arms sales globally, deploying more military assets across the Asia Pacific, Africa, Eastern Europe the United States sustained an ideological and financial battle against the United Nations.

The United Nations with all its setbacks and idiosyncrasies represent the one hope of the global system and the only functioning grand mechanism of global governance.

Trump has had many takedowns of the United Nations, out of which this tweet was particularly poignant of how he managed to convince many in the United States that it was not worth funding the UN. He claimed, It is just a club for people to get together.

Already United States have started systematically defunding many UN programmes that range from protecting migrants, protecting vulnerable populations such as Palestinians and withdrawing from UN bodies such as the UNESCO.

The double shocks of a more chaotic world that orbits around a weakened United Nations may not be the best equation given the current context.

Many International Relations analysts are showing signs of great concerns, there are worries of an impending financial crisis or a nuclear war in a world minus order that may lead to conflicts between numerous nations.

2018 is the first post-terrorism year of the 21st Century since 2001, yet more chaotic and unstable than any year of this century

The double shocks of a more chaotic world that orbits around a weakened United Nations may not be the best equation

Sales generated by Raytheon, namely Tomahawks and Patriots have seen an increased number of buyers



Thus the situation this week with tensions running high between Turkey and Syria over Turkish plans to attack Kurdish targets in Afrin, Syria is a glimpse of what 2018 and beyond holds.

The sheer optimistic counter-argument to all negativities that manifest in global political and economic transformations is that they may lead to new constellations of responsible powers, who will try their best to bring stability and hope to the world. The recent election of Jacinda Ardern, as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, is seen as the potential of young leaders who are emerging globally capable of challenging conservative believes while giving people hope of a better future.

This column at the beginning referred to the anniversary that France and Germany are celebrating today, in September 2017 French President Macron delivered a speech at Sorbonne University, where he used the opportunity to provide a new view of Europe It was one of the most optimistic speeches given by a European leader that called for a rebuilding of Europe and its European identity on a grander scale. The speech was treated with ambivalence.

Macron is not the strongest of European leaders, he has always been seen in the shadow of Merkel, yet the speech did outline an ambitious plan to rebuild the European Union when most of contemporary domestic European politics is about dismantling it.

Macron underscored Europes existing weaknesses and stressed its security problem and implications of relying on the United States for too long. He argued, at the beginning of the next decade, Europe needs to establish a common intervention force, a common defence budget and a common doctrine for action.



Macron made use of the speech to refer to the Franco-German treaty of friendship and using it as a bedrock to shape the future of Europe, which was a conscious hint at the impending Brexit divorce and gradual American disengagement from Europe. The biggest challenge for Macron is that for all what he perceives to happen it needs strong German consensus. Unfortunately, since September 2017 German general elections, Chancellor Merkel is struggling to form a government.

Political analysts are sceptical of Merkel achieving a grand coalition of political parties to form the government and last few weeks many are calling Merkel the disappearing Chancellor as she has shied away from the public limelight. Germany was the indispensable nation in Europe if it weakens the idea of Europe that liberal elites such as Macron champion is in great peril. This will affect a network of global relationship Europe has established that ranges from its neighbours to bilateral relations with countries like India and China.

How would this affect Sri Lanka remains to be seen, the less global governance is at play it is more susceptible to small powers such as Sri Lanka to be dragged into emerging great power struggles. This is something that has already been discussed in this column several times. What we as a country should focus on is our human resources, not just in the context of a workforce and building an elite management and information class.

We could take lessons from how communities are fighting back the chaos by trying to unite on common issues such as sustainable development, environmental protection. What we lack is a proper outlet or forum for young leaders who can function as unifying forces. While we are battling in a local government election, what young leadership in Sri Lanka should realize is that the current global chaos if not mitigated will lead to a long winter, todays youth will be the ultimate victims irrespective of their location, do they realize it or try even to address it in public forums remains a mystery.



The writer is the Director, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)
Uva Province Chief Minister Chamara Sampath Dassanayake said he would step down from the Post of Provincial Education Minister with immediate effect.

The Chief Minister said he decided to step down from the post until the investigation into the allegations levelled against him was completed.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) launched an investigation into the incident where the Chief Minister allegedly forced a school principal to kneel before him.

The female principal of a Tamil girls school in Badulla was allegedly summoned to the Chief Ministers house where she was forced to kneel because she had refused to enroll a student recommended by the Chief Minister.

Minister Susil Premajayantha earlier said that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) would also launch an investigation into the incident.
China will sell two domestically-produced MA-60 aircraft to Angola, announced Xi'an Aircraft Industry Company, the manufacturer of the planes, Saturday.

Zhang Xiaohong, the company's deputy general manager, said that the new agreement is another successful overseas sale of MA-60 aircraft.

The company did not disclose further details about the deal.

Angola has the fifth largest air passenger and freight volumes in Africa.

"The MA-60 planes will shorten travel time for passengers in Angola," Zhang said. "Meanwhile, the deal will increase the popularity of such aircraft on the international market."

The MA-60 is designed for short and medium-range commuter services. Due to its low operational and maintenance costs, it has sold well in Africa, Asia, and Latin America since 2005.
Wu Qian, spokesperson for the ministry, speaks at press conference in response to the actions of a U.S. warship.

China's Ministry of National Defense has told the United States not to "cause trouble out of nothing," and to respect the sovereignty of China.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for the ministry, made the remarks Saturday in response to the actions of a U.S. warship Wednesday.

According to Wu, on Jan. 17, the USS Hopper, a guided missile destroyer, arbitrarily entered waters surrounding Huangyan Island in the South China Sea, before Chinese missile destroyer Huangshan immediately conducted an identification and warning process to drive it away.

Under joint efforts by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the situation around the South China Sea is becoming more and more stable and positive, Wu said.

The United States has sent vessels to illegally enter the waters around China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea on multiple occasions, endangering the safety of vessels and personnel from both sides, the spokesperson continued.

It has also threatened China's sovereignty and security, harmed the regional peace and stability, and gone against the stable development of relations between the two countries and their militaries, he stated.

"We hope that the United States will respect China's sovereignty, respect the efforts made by the countries within the region, and not cause trouble out of nothing or make waves," Wu said.

The Chinese military will continue to fulfill its defensive duties, intensify its patrols in the air and at sea, in order to firmly safeguard the sovereignty and security of the country, as well as the regional peace and stability, he added.
Su Xiuyu (Daw Zin Khine) Foundation, a Chinese educational foundation, offered stipends for a total of 101 Myanmar outstanding students on Saturday.

Speaking at the donation ceremony, Tian Shanting, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy to Myanmar, praised the foundation's efforts in strengthening China-Myanmar friendship as well as in promoting development in Myanmar's education sector.

U Sein Win Aung, chairman of Myanmar-China Friendship Association, expressed his belief that the assistance from the foundation will be a great help for the outstanding students who could not afford to attend schools due to various reasons.

"I would like to wish Sayarmagyi (great teacher) Daw Zin Khine to have a long healthy life and thank you for your assistance during my academic life," Thura Aung, a third-year medical student said.

The foundation was established five years ago, aiming to enhance friendship between China and Myanmar. Since then, it has granted assistance to a total of 446 outstanding students.

The foundation was chaired by Su Xiuyu, a retired professor from Beijing Foreign Studies University.
COLLEGEVILLE (PA)  Freshman Ryan Harris took second place in the men's 5,000-meter run to lead the Delaware Valley University Indoor Track and Field teams in its first meet of the new year at the 2018 Collegeville Classic hosted by Ursinus College.The Aggies women did not register a team point, but the men racked up 20 points to earn 11place out of 24 schools.Harris competed against eleven other athletes in the men's 5K and finished in second place with a time of a 16 minutes, 32.57 seconds and just three seconds off of the leader. Harris followed his runner-up performance by beating more than half of the field in the men's 3,000-meter run. His time of 9 minutes, 53.51 seconds was good for 11th place out of 25 runners.Senior All-Americandid not compete in his usual events (long jump and triple jump) but did take home third place out of seven athletes with a mark of 5 feet, 8.75 inches (1.75 meters) in the high jumpearned a fifth place finish with a time of 7.21 seconds in the men's 60-meter dash while sophomorecompeted in the 200-meter dash and earned seventh place out of 51 finishers with a time of 24.04 seconds.Seniorhad two top-20 finishes on the day in the men's 3K and 1-mile run. He took 14with a time of 10:04.59 in the 3K and finished 19with a time of 5 minutes, .97 seconds in the mile.In the field, a pair of Aggies had finished in the top-20 in the men's shot put. Seniorled the way with an 11place showing and a mark of 40 feet, 10.5 inches (12.46 meters) whilefollowed with a toss of 38 feet, 6 inches (11.73 meters) to earn 17from the field of 46.On the women's side, rookiehad the lone top-20 finish as she completed the 400-meter dash in 1 minute, 9.17 seconds to earn 16out of 41 athletes.Seniorhad a 24place finish in the women's 1-mile run with a time of 6 minutes, 11.76 seconds. Freshmanalso narrowly missed a top-20 finish as she earned 26place in the women's long-jump with a mark of 13 feet, 5.5 inches (4.10 meters).Both Aggies teams will resume action on Friday, January 26 when they head to Muhlenberg College Invitational for a 10 a.m. start.
Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi has taken steps to grow its business in Brazilian markets, where the company acquired a home-grown counterpart called 99 earlier this month.

"DiDi and 99, two young companies founded in 2012, are going to do bigger things together," DiDi's founder and CEO Cheng Wei recently told Brazilian executives and employees following the sale.

Clients of 99 in some 500 cities across Brazil were also notified of the changes with a text message titled "A special day in the history of 99."

"From now on, you will get even more benefits from using 99, because we will have more technology and more financial resources to offer you increasingly better service," the message said.

The startup 99 is a pioneer in its field in Brazil, with some 300,000 drivers and 14 million registered users.

After initially buying a strategic 10 percent stake in the South American company some years ago, DiDi "sent engineers and technicians to Brazil to work with colleagues at 99, with an aim to perfect the Brazilian company's products, services and operations," Gu Tao, DiDi's vice president and director for Latin America, told Xinhua.

The investment paid off last year with the launch of 99 POP, a service that allows users to hail a car to tour the city.

Taking into account local conditions, China's private-sector investments abroad have matured to bring more mutual benefits to investment destination countries and China, he said.

"So when China's international companies enter the Brazilian market, they help the development of local companies," said Gu.

"We hope that technologies for smart transportation, such as smart traffic lights and reversible lanes, which have already been used very successfully in more than 20 Chinese cities, will help to resolve problems in big Brazilian cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro," he said.

Matheus Moraes, director of policies and communication at 99, believed the fusion of the two companies will benefit both.

"I am very proud of the agreement. DiDi is already one of our leading strategic partners, contributing to 99's success in the country," said Moraes.

"We feel privileged today to be one organization with an even stronger objective: to improve the transportation industry and citizens' quality of life," Moraes said.

What's more, he viewed the acquisition as a reflection of international cooperation in a new era.

"We are now a global company... We share the same goal, the same criteria and the same mission. We are extremely confident that together we will achieve greater results," said Moraes.

"We plan to consolidate DiDi's organization in Latin America and we are looking to a future with more intelligent cities through our AI (artificial intelligence) capacities," Moraes said.

As a "global company, we aspire to redefine the future of mobility around the world. We strive to provide a better transportation service for millions of people, helping them to move rapidly and safely. Our mission is to be a global leader in smart transport systems," said Moraes.

Global competitor Cabify, a Spanish venture that last year acquired Easy Taxi's operations in Brazil, believed the fusion between 99 and DiDi will benefit the ride-hailing sector in general.

The head of Cabify in Brazil, Daniel Bedoya, said "99's acquisition by a Chinese company breaks Uber's (market) dominance. It represents a consolidation of the sector, providing a more equitable atmosphere for competition and more options for clients."

Bedoya also said sector companies should not compete in terms of pricing, but in quality of service, to provide users with more comfortable rides and greater conveniences.
The compensation cess would be levied on commodities at the presumptive capacity of production declared by a manufacturer to the GST authorities.

New Delhi: With the Centre concerned about tax evasion, the GST Council is looking to start levying cess on some commodities like pan masala at the manufacturing stage itself.

The Council is looking at the possibility of levying the cess at the manufacturing stage based on the production capacity as against the current practice of imposing it on supplies made by the manufacturer.

This proposed amendment to the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017, would be deliberated upon by the Council later this month.

The compensation cess would be levied on commodities at the presumptive capacity of production declared by a manufacturer to the GST authorities.

It is likely to be broug-ht during the Budget session. This proposed amendment to the Act would be deliberated upon by the council in its meeting.

According to sources, some 40 recommendations of the law review committee were also accepted by the Council last week and amendments will be moved during the second half of the Budget session, after consultations were over.
Manoj Bajpayee is a bit of an enigma. A stellar actor and a star in his own right, his fans include the whos who of the film industry too, including Amitabh Bachchan. But Manoj has no hang ups about stardom.

The thing is that stardom of any particular personality plays an important role in the life of Indian audiences, he mulls. They like to become like their favourite actor and even follow their style statements and mannerisms. In my opinion, Amitjis stardom means a lot to millions of his fans, and is unmatchable.

A private person himself, Manoj isnt fond of the overexposure of todays actors. Stars now are easily available. Theyre seen all over, with interaction on their social media too. But still, the interest to know more about their favourite star will remain. Stardom goes on, he says smiling.

Now waiting for the release of his next, Aiyaary, Manoj thinks he has been lucky to work with some stellar names in the industry. He says, God has been very kind to me, and Ive gotten performance-oriented roles. I must thank directors like Ram Gopal Varma, Prakash Jha, Neeraj Pandey and Anurag Kashyap, who believed in me and could see me in different roles. To this day, the directors trust in me is like a chance to be able to give my best in these roles and keep my fans happy. I agree that its because of my fans that Im here. There are few who wait for my movies and watch it in theatres.

So, will he be seen working with Prakash again? Chortles Manoj, Ab toh woh actor ban gaye gain. Hamare pet pe laat maar di hai! (Hes turned actor now and has taken away our livelihood).

His movie Aiyaary seems to be playing a cat and mouse game with Pad Man, with the two earlier clashing on January 26 and now on February 9, with a changed release date. However, Manoj has no qualms. Akshay toh aaj bhi hamare hain (Akshay is still ours). First we were to release on January 26, then we realised Pad Man and then Padmaavat were to release on the same date too. Being aware of the theatre problems here, we decided to move our date. But now Pad Man too will release with us. If the almighty wants us to release our movie alongside Akshays, its a good thing, isnt it? he smiles.
Young actor Sai Dharam Tej is in need of a good break and he is completely banking on top director V.V. Vinayak for it. Their film Intelligent is set to hit the screens on February 9. The post-production work is almost complete and the producer feels that February is the best time to release it. We are planning to release the film on February 9 and we are also planning to have an audio function for the film soon, said producer C. Kalyan.

There are many big films releasing in March and April, so if the makers dont release it in February, they have to wait till summer.
The work on the film Mahanati, a biopic on Savitri, is going on at a brisk pace. Produced by Swapna Dutt and directed by Nag Ashwin, the films shooting is almost complete, except for a few scenes that involve ANR and NTR. The makers are planning to make a few scenes inspired from old films like Devdas, Appuchesi Pappu Koodu, Gundamma Katha, Samsaram and a couple of more films that involve Savitri, NTR and ANR.

Naga Chaitanya agreed to play ANRs role, but they are still in talks with a few actors for NTRs role. The makers are planning to approach Nani for NTRs role, says a source.

Presently, a big set has been constructed at a private studio in Hyderabad for a song with Keerthy Suresh and Dulquer Salmaan, who are playing Savitri and Gemini Ganeshan respectively.
Hundreds of thousands of people marched and rallied in Los Angeles on Saturday, crying against sexual harassment and gender inequality.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the first Women's March in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration, many of the demonstrators wore pink hats and flocked to downtown Los Angeles. A crowd of thousands had already gathered in front of the city hall in the morning.

Protesters held signs that read "Women hold up half the sky," "Defend Women's rights," "The future is female," and "A new day is on the horizon," and so on.

According to the organizer's website, the Women's March is committed to "dismantling systems of oppression" through nonviolent resistance and "building inclusive structures" guided by "self-determination, dignity and respect."

"It's important to teach my daughters and young women in general that they need to fight for their rights," said Heather Allison, a mother who came to the event with two daughters.

"Women have rights to be heard and silence is broken, (and) it's OK to speak up," Allison told Xinhua, noting that women need to take advantage of rights to vote to show their power.

One of the little girls of Allison's held up a sign saying: "When I grow up, I want to be an actress and have equal pay."

Some Hollywood stars also showed up for the event, including Natalie Portman, Eva Longoria, Olivia Munn, Scarlett Johansson, and Viola Davis, among others.

"This march and this movement is far more ambitious in scope and scale and it extends beyond one political actor or even one political party," Longoria, who is best known for her role as Gabrielle Solis on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television series "Desperate Housewives," said at the rally.

"What we're calling for is sustainable and systematic change to the experience of women and girls in America," she added.

Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles, wrote on his official Twitter account: "Today, we bore witness to the testimonials of incredible women at the #WomensMarch2018. Women like @ViolaDavis - who stood up, spoke out, and shared their truth."

"600,000 strong," the mayor tweeted after the event.

The march organizers had predicted that 200,000 people would turn out. But according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, there were around 300,000 participants, making it one of the biggest events across the United States this weekend.
While there have been male models in the city in the past, its only recently that they are getting more opportunities and recognition.

When one talks of models, most people automatically think of female models. However, there are several male models in Hyderabad who often walk the ramp for famous designers, do ad shoots, catalogue and magazine shoots, and are faces of well-known brands.

While there have been male models in the city in the past, its only recently that they are getting more opportunities and recognition. Interestingly, a lot of young men are also choosing to enter the modelling industry now. Earlier, male modelling was often looked down upon and men were paid less and had fewer opportunities when compared to women.

Hyderabad-based model Akshay Neelakantam bagged the prestigious Dellywood Mr India 2017 title, and has over 15,000 Instagram followers who get inspired by his transformational posts. Apart from taking up almost two designer shoots every week, working with the likes of Shilpa Reddy and giving motivational speeches, Akshay also walks the ramp at almost all the fashion shows in the city, including the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour.

I started modelling five years ago, but took it seriously only when I applied for Mr India 2017 and won. The opportunities for male models are increasing. Though a lot of designers still choose to design majorly for women, the scenario is definitely improving. Not only am I getting better quality modelling assignments, I am also getting opportunities in Tollywood, says Akshay, who pursued an MBA before becoming a model. A lot of my followers get inspired looking at how fit I am, and thats what I want to keep doing.

Ajit Shukla is another city-based model who works with several huge brands. I sign up for almost two to three ads every month. I am getting opportunities even from Mumbai as male models here are fitter, hardworking and disciplined. There are not many fashion shows happening in Hyderabad, but there are several ad and designer shoots, he says.

Fashion choreographer and model Shaik Rafi from Empire Model Management says that any good show at a fashion week typically has just four to five male models and 16 to 17 female models. The problem is that the demand is low, and the supply is high. Every month, several men enter the industry with the hope of becoming top models. But there isnt much work for them out there. Designer womens wear still rules the market in Hyderabad while mens wear falls in the niche segment. As a result, designers release collections mainly for women. This results in more shows for female models, and fewer for men. He adds, An accomplished male model is paid `10,000 for each show, while others get anywhere between `4,000 and `5,000.

Model Harshit Maheshwari says that 2017 was a great year for male models and the future looks bright. I take up two to three shoots every month and walk the ramp often. Yes, the opportunities are definitely improving for male models, but it is also important for men to be extremely fit, mentally and physically, he says.

Model Rahul Bokadia says that the film industry is a better option. Male models do get fashion shows, print and ad shoots, but for how long? Acting is a safer option. I am working on a Telugu movie too. Sometimes I get five modelling assignments, sometimes just one. Female models still have better scope, he opines. Meanwhile, model Anand Pillai says that with an increase in male models, the accomplished ones are losing out on opportunities. Young models do shows for free, so designers sometimes hire them. Right now, there are a lot of male models, but not as many opportunities, he adds.

Meanwhile, model grooming expert Joseph Sunder says, Male models work harder than female models as they need to be extremely fit. But, not only get paid less but they also do not have many opportunities. Things are changing now and I am starting a fashion show exclusively for men called the Mens Fashion Week in the city.
For the past five years, Nagesh had been harassing his wife for unknown reasons. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: In a shocking incident, a man who wanted to take revenge on his wife for finding out his illicit relationship with another woman, spread rumours that his wife was possessed with evil spirits. Under the guise of special puja, he assaulted and injured her.

The man, K. Nagesh, with the help of one Baba Mallaiah assaulted the victim, in the presence of his parents, with a leather belt and injured her on back, hands and thighs. Shamirpet police registered a case against the husband, his parents and Mallaiah and have started an investigation.

The woman was married to Nagesh more than 10 years ago and they have two children. They were residing in Bomr-aspet village under Shamirpet police station limits.

For the past five years, Nagesh had been harassing his wife for unknown reasons. The harassment increased after Nageshs wife found out about his illegal affair.

Meanwhile, Nagesh spread a rumour that his wife was possessed with evil spirits and confined her to a room. The other day, Nagesh brought Mallaiah to their house for puja.

The woman alleged that they beat her severely with a leather belt, injuring her. She escaped from the house and informed her family members. They lodged a complaint with the police. All the accused are missing and could not be arrested.
ALAPPUZHA: The special investigation team probing the alleged rape of a minor on Saturday arrested the father of the victim. The DySP of Alappuzha who was leading the team, said that the father, a physically challenged man, was arrested for allowing his daughter to go out with first accused Athira alias Gloria, 24.

Athira used to pay the father money to buy alcohol. The dad was aware of Athiras intentions when he took the child from home at night to several places. He has been remanded, the DySP said. This is the seventh arrest in connection with the case. Earlier on Friday, Nidhin, 22, a native of Punnapra was booked under Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused in the case include Athira, Nelson Thomas, 40, a senior civil police officer attached to Narcotics Cell, Mararikulam probationary SI K.G. Laiju, 38, and two youths Jinumon, 22, and Prince 28. They are in judicial custody now. Nelson allegedly molested the minor after forcing her to drink alcohol. The probationary SI was booked for abusing with victims relative when the minor was in a resort.

The cops were suspended from service. Meanwhile, KSU workers on Saturday alleged that police was trying to save the high rank officials involved in the case. Marching to Dy.SP office, the protesters demanded a team led by IG rank official should investigate the case. Otherwise they would start indefinite protest' , he said.


AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj talks to the media at the party office in New Delhi on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to pass any interim order of protection to AAP MLAs, whose names have been recommended for disqualification as legislators by the Election Commission of India for holding office of profit.

Justice Rekha Palli, however, asked the ECI to inform it on January 22 whether the recommendation has been communicated to President Ram Nath Kovind, as the MLAs have sought that they be heard by the poll panel if no such communication has been made.

The order was passed late on Friday evening as the poll panels lawyer, Amit Sharma, said he was not aware whether the recommendation has been sent to the President.

On being asked by the court to check with the ECI, he said he was unable to get in touch with them in this later hour.

The ECI recommended to the President the disqualification of 20 legislators who were appointed as parliamentary secretaries by the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi.

During the hearing, the court made it clear that it was not inclined to pass any interim order in view of the conduct of the MLAs in the proceedings before the poll panel.

It was displeased by the MLAs conduct of telling the poll panel not to go ahead with the matter as the issue has been challenged in the high court.

You dont have a stay from the high court, but you tell the ECI that it should not touch the matter as the high court is seized of the matter. Your conduct is such that you do not care to go before the ECI. The high court did not prevent you from going before the ECI, the judge said and added, you have used the pendency of your pleas in the high court as a shield.

The court was referring to the MLAs petitions filed in August last year challenging the poll panels decision to continue hearing a complaint against them for allegedly holding office of profit.

Meanwhile, the ECIs recommendation gave a ray of hope to the beleaguered Congress and BJP in Delhi as they were quick to demand the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister.

AAP emerged as a big political force seeking to fight corruption and bring probity in politics.

Both the Congress and the BJP, which suffered badly in the AAP surge, said they were ready for elections.

The Congress was routed with none of its candidates being elected while the BJP managed to win only three seats. The BJP won another seat in bypolls later.

The disqualification of 20 MLAs will not threaten the AAP government as it has 66 MLAs in the 70-member Assembly and would continue to be in majority even if these lawmakers are disqualified.
Hegde downplayed Congress' criticism by saying that his comment was being misinterpreted. He said that the Congress was trying to tarnish his image. (Photo: ANI/File)

Ballari: Weeks after having caused disruptions in both Houses of the Parliament by his controversial remarks on secularism and changing the Constitution, Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde on Saturday stoked another controversy with his 'barking dogs' analogy.

Dalit groups in Karnataka's Bellary district on Saturday blocked Hedge's car -- who was in the district for the inauguration of a job fair -- over his remarks on Constitution.

While addressing the aspirants at the fair, NDTV quoted the minister as saying "We are determined to help you. We will be with you, no matter what. We will do anything for the survival of our people. We cannot be bogged down by some street dogs staging protests."

Reacting to his remark, Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told NDTV, "This is something Dalits have been fighting for years. This man has no business being in cabinet. If he is the new icon of the BJP in Karnataka, God bless them."

However, Hegde downplayed Congress' criticism by saying that his comment was being misinterpreted. He said that the Congress was trying to tarnish his image.

"I made the statement with regard to those who have been criticising my stand," he said.

Coming down heavily on Hegde, actor Prakash Raj said the minister was a "serial offender".

"Enough is enough... Serial offender... minister Ananthkumar Hegde at it again... he calls Dalits DOGs... for protesting against his controversial constitution remark... supreme leaders of #bjp will you ask him to step down... or do you endorse his abuse #justasking," Raj tweeted.

Enough is enough...Serial offender...minister Ananthkumar Hegde at it again....he calls Dalits DOGs ..for protesting against his controversial constitution remark... supreme leaders of #bjp will you ask him to step down ...or do you endorse his abuse #justasking  Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) January 20, 2018

Earlier on Thursday, Prakash Raj, during a session at the India Today South conclave in Hyderabad, said that he was he was not an anti-hindu, but that he was against PM Modi, Amit Shah and Hegde.

Raj also said that Modi should not let Hegde speak.

Earlier in December 2017, Anant Hedge, while attending a public function in the state, hinted that the word "secular" could be removed from the Constitution.

"Seculars do not know what their blood is. Yet, the constitution has given that right to say 'we are secular and we will say it'. Yes, I know but the constitution has been amended many times, we will also amend it. We have come to power for that," Hegde had said.
KOCHI: Vice Admiral Timothy W. Barrett, the chief of Royal Australian Navy (RAN) accompanied by a four-member Australian naval delegation visited Southern Naval Command (SNC) in Kochi on Friday and Saturday. During their stay at Kochi, the RAN chief had discussed with Vice Admiral AR Karve, AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, SNC topics of mutual interest, including training conducted by the Indian Navy and exchanged crests.

The Australian delegation also visited the Water Survival Training Facility and the Flight and Tactical Simulator at the Naval Base. The delegation had earlier visited Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, before arriving at Kochi on 19 Jan 18. The delegation had earlier participated in the Raisina Dialogue held at New Delhi, to consolidate the existing strong bilateral naval relations between the two countries on January 16-18. The delegation departed Kochi for Mumbai on Saturday.
Bengaluru: It took 27 hours of a tireless operation for army men, personnel of the Karnataka Lake Development Authority (KLCDA) and the Bengaluru Developlment Authority to douse the fire at Bellandur lake, reportedly the fourth biggest of its kind since 2015 in the city.

Seeing the lake area still on fire Friday night, the army personnel stayed back to ensure that it did not spread to surrounding localities.

At 9 am, Saturday, over 70 firemen were spotted dousing the fire using boats and over 16 fire tenders were rushed to be the spot. At 12 pm, the Director General of Police, fire department, M N Reddi took to Twitter to announce that the fire had been completely suppressed and inaccessibility of the lake had proved a major hurdle for the firefighters.

Lt Gen. Vipin Gupta, Commandant, ASC Centre, said the area where the fire broke out had always been under their watch, given its vulnerability and this allowed them to act fast.

"The biggest difficulty we faced in dousing the fire was the flow of the wind. Also, the fire was not localised but was spread over four different spots. Last year too, a fire had broken out in the same area," he explained. Speaking to reporters, the commandant said he would raise the issue with civic officials so a permanent solution could be found to the problem. Meanwhile, the condition of the army jawan, who was bitten by a snake during the operation, is said to be stable at the Command Hospital, where he is being treated.

Following a similar fire at the Bellandur lake in February last year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to shut down the polluting industries around it and clean it up. But so far only 50 industries have been shut down, according to KSPCB sources.

Although the cause of the fire has not been established yet, the government speculated that grass harvesters, who set it on fire, could have caused it as the flames had not reached the water body.

Scientist: Didnt see any farmers, lake is polluted, flammable



Bengaluru: Dr T.V. Ramachandra, lead scientist, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) said the regulatory agencies were hiding their incompetence by pointing fingers at the farmers.

Someone could have thrown a lit cigarette bud or any inflammable substance on the grass, setting it on fire, but it was aggravated because of the generation of methane from the polluted lake, he explained. Dr Ramachandra, who was at the spot with his team to do some research just a few hours before the fire broke out, said there was no sign of grass cutters in the area at the time.
10 women and seven men were killed while a man and woman were injured in a massive blaze at a firecracker storage unit in outer Delhis Bawana industrial area yesterday evening. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The tragic fire accident in Delhi's Bawana area on Saturday night also assumed political hues, as several leaders from the BJP, visited the site, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh

each to the family of the deceased.

AAP chief Kejriwal, who visited the site late on Saturday night, said the truth will come out only after the inquiry, which has been ordered by the government.

A compensation of Rs five lakh each will be given to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives and Rs one lakh each to the two injured persons, he told reporters.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain also visited the site and met the two survivors at the hospital.

"Prima facie it appears packaging of the fire crackers were going on, but no machines have been found," he said.

Prior to Kejriwal, Union ministers Harsh Vardhan, Vijay Goel and party's Delhi unit president Manoj Tiwari headed to Bawana following the fire incident in a fire cracker factory that claimed 17 lives.

"Visited the site of #BawanaFire and #MahirshiValmikiHospital at Pooth Khurd, where two of the injured are being treated 24-year-old Roop Prakash and 45-

year-old Sunita. Both have fractures on their legs and would require surgical interventions. Appear to be out of danger," Vardhan tweeted.

"Saddened at the loss of 17 lives in the Bawana cracker factory fire. My thoughts are with the families of the persons killed in the mishap. Government should enforce strict safety regulations to such hazardous industries to avoid at least

future accidents," Vardhan said.

North Delhi Mayor Preety Agarwal also visited the site and took a swipe at Kejriwal as the area falls under DSIIDC.

"He calls himself messiah of the poor. Where is he now. Where is the AAP MLA of Bawana," she had said earlier, before Kejriwal reached the site.

Entire local BJP Unit led by district president Neel Daman Khatri and North Delhi Mayor Preety Agarwal were working to ensure relief for victims, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor had earlier said.

The Delhi BJP spokesperson also questioned the "delay" by the ruling AAP's leaders in visiting the affected site and the people.

"Almost 5 hours have gone by after the accident and from local AAP MLA to the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, none have yet reached out to victims for help," Kapoor said earlier.
A Baguiati resident, Tapas Roy Choudhury, received a call from a friend informing him that a ghost, which would do anything for him and turn all his wishes into reality, was available for sale, police said on Saturday. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay)

Burdwan (WB): The police have arrested four persons, including a police driver, from Burdwan for attempting to sell a "genie in a bottle" to a resident of Baguiati near Kolkata.

A Baguiati resident, Tapas Roy Choudhury, received a call from a friend informing him that a ghost, which would do anything for him and turn all his wishes into reality, was available for sale, police said on Saturday.

The friend also said that he could introduce Roy Choudhury to the seller, if he was interested.

Roy Choudhury discussed the matter with another friend Basudeb Kundu and decided to have a look at the ghost. He then informed the friend about his willingness to purchase it.

The seller himself then called up Roy Choudhury and told him that the price of the ghost is Rs 10 lakh, police said.

An appointment was fixed and Roy Choudhury and Kundu came to Burdwan town. Four persons escorted them from Ullas More to a hotel in a vehicle bearing a police sticker.

The four showed them a small soft drink bottle with a Rs 1 coin in it and said the ghost was inside the bottle. They also demanded the price for the ghost.

When Roy Choudhury told them that he had no money, the four forcibly took Rs. 600, all the cash that Choudhury and his friend had at that time, and locked them up in the hotel room.

Police said Roy Choudhury somehow managed to contact a friend who informed the Burdwan police and the four were arrested. One of the four is a police driver.

The arrests were made on Thursday night and a local court released them on bail on Saturday.
Lucknow: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India has shown that it can attack its enemies not only on its soil, but also in a foreign territory, if need be.

Singh's remarks come almost a month after 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.

The operation was seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district.

"A few months ago, Pakistan, in an act of cowardice, attacked and martyred 17 of our jawans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi consulted all of us on this serious issue, and the Indian Army entered the Pakistani area and killed the militants," Singh said at a public meeting here.

"India's image in the world has become that of a strong nation and we have given a strong message to the world that we can attack our enemies not only on our soil, but also in their territory. India has developed this power," he said.

Singh said India wants to maintain a friendly relationship with Pakistan.

"But Pakistan is not mending its ways," Singh said.

"I want to assure you that our government will not let India to bow its head," he said.

The home minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country's economy is moving ahead at a fast pace.

"..and now even the global economists and experts accept this," he said, adding that India's prestige in the global arena is "rising rapidly".

Singh was addressing a meeting of 'Bharatiya Railway Maal Godaam Shramik Sangh' in Lucknow.

"The 'railway maal godaam shramik' have, for the past few generations, been sweating and giving the Railways a good income. However, despite this, they do not have any identification card, nor do they get any treatment facility in any of the Railway hospitals," said Rajnath.

He said he would take up the issues and problems of the labourers in the railway sector with their representatives and the railway minister.
Villager shows a damaged section of his house after shelling from the Pakistani side on the India-Pakistan international border at Arnia Sector about 45km from Jammu on Saturday. (Photo: PTI)

Jammu: An Army jawan injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan succumbed to injuries last night, taking the death toll in the border firing in Jammu and Kashmir to 11 since Thursday, police said.

Sepoy C K Roy, posted in a forward post in Mankote sector of Poonch district, was injured in Pakistani firing on Saturday and succumbed to injuries at the military hospital Saturday night, a police official said.

Soldier Chandan Kumar Rai have lost his life in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Mendhar sector of Poonch #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/LfXlpi22KC  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2018

His death raised the number of persons killed in the Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in five districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri since Thursday to 11.

The dead included six civilians, three army men and two BSF personnel.

While a BSF jawan and a teenaged girl were killed on Thursday, four persons -- two civilians and one each BSF jawan and Army jawan -- were killed and over 40 others, including two BSF personnel, injured in the Pakistani firing on Friday.

Three civilians and an Army jawan were killed and 16 others injured in the ceasefire violations on Saturday.
Vivek Lall, an Indian American who last year was instrumental in the decision of the Trump administration to sell top-of-the-line unarmed drones from General Atomics, in his previous capacity. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

New Delhi: American aerospace and defence firm Lockheed Martin has proposed to manufacture custom-built F-16 fighter jets in India, which its officials say will give the Indian industry a unique opportunity to become part of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem.

"We plan to introduce two new words into the lexicon of international fighter aircraft manufacturing: 'India' and 'exclusive'," Vivek Lall, vice president, strategy and business development, at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics said in an interview.

"India-specific state-of-the-art fighter production in India will be exclusive, something that has never before been presented by any other fighter aircraft manufacturer, past or present. There will also be a significant export market available for Indian-made fighters," he said.

Vivek Lall, an Indian American who last year was instrumental in the decision of the Trump administration to sell top-of-the-line unarmed drones from General Atomics, in his previous capacity.

Noting that the India-specific fighter on offer and its programme's size, scope and success will enable the Indian industry to take advantage of unprecedented manufacturing, upgrade and sustainment opportunities well into the future, Mr Lall said the platform will give the Indian industry a unique opportunity to become a part of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem.

"We intend to create far more than an "assembly line" in India," he said.

Vivek Lall claimed no other advanced fourth generation platform even comes close to matching the record of real-world combat experience and proven operational effectiveness.

"The fighter being offered specifically to India is uniquely the best state-of-the-art fighter," he said adding that all three variants of the F-16 are single-engine aircraft.

Many of the systems used on the India-specific platform are derived from key lessons learned and technologies from Lockheed Martin's F-22 and the F-35, the world's only operational fifth generation fighters, he said.

Northrop Grumman's advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar on the F-16 Block 70 provides F-16s with fifth generation fighter radar capabilities by leveraging hardware and software commonality with F-22 and F-35 AESA radars, he added.

The APG-83 radar shares more than 95 per cent software commonality with the F-35 radar and more than 70 per cent hardware commonality.

Lall said the F-16 provides the path to business relationships with Lockheed Martin, the only company in the world that has designed, developed and produced operational fifth generation fighter aircraft.

Technology improvements will also continue to flow between the F-16, F-22 and F-35 for decades, at a fraction of the cost to F-16 operators, he said.

The platform being offered provides unmatched opportunities for Indian companies of all sizes, including micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) and suppliers throughout India, to establish new business relationships with Lockheed Martin and other industry leaders in the US and around the globe, Lall said giving an insight into the offer being made by his company.

Asserting that approximately half of the Indian fighter supply chain will be common with the fifth generation F-22 and F-35, Mr Lall said the aircraft brings the most modern avionics, a proven AESA radar, modernised cockpit, advanced weapons, longer range with conformal fuel tanks, auto ground collision avoidance capability, and an advanced engine with an extended service life.

Even with the addition of targeting systems and two 2,000 pound (lb) class Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), the aircraft has a mission radius exceeding 1,300 kms - 30 per cent greater than that of its closest competitor, he said.

"Many of the advances in systems on the aircraft India would get draw directly from key lessons learned from Lockheed Martin's work on the F-22 and the F-35," he said.

"The AESA radar is the result of over two decades of investment, use and experience with AESA technology, and it's fully operational today," Mr Lall said.
Sinha also meted out inspiring words to by saying, 'Remember, when the going gets tough the tough get going.' (Photo: File)

New Delhi: On Sunday, after the President signed off on the Election Commission's (EC) recommendation to disqualify 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lawmakers, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrughan Sinha came forward to openly support rival leader Arvind Kejriwal in the matter.

He tweeted a small poem in Hindi that loosely translates to "AAP is everywhere, in every household and in every individuals's thoughts. So AAP does not need to worry about anything," playing on the word AAP that means You in Hindi.

"Politics of vendetta or politics of vested interests just dont last long. Dont worry, be happy," he added.

He also meted out inspiring words to the party that currently holds power over the country's capital by saying, " Remember, when the going gets tough the tough get going."

This is not the first time veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha has openly spoken against his party and accused the BJP of "politics of vendetta".

During the campaign for the 2017 Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had accused former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to be in lieu with Pakistan in order to win elections, Sinha had accused Modi of the same.

Veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha also tweeted in support of AAP and Arvind Kejriwal.

"President's order disqualifying the 20 AAP MLAs is complete miscarriage of natural justice. No hearing, no waiting for High Court's order. It is Tughluqshahi of the worst order," he said.

Yashwant Sinha has also repeatedly lashed out against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Government over the past one year.
Bengaluru: In the wake of increasing assault on the police personnel, city police commissioner T Suneel Kumar has directed policemen to open fire at those trying to manhandle them. The police constables have been directed to carry their rifle during the night beat and use it if necessary. At a press meet here on Saturday, the police commissioner directed his men to take strict action against those interfering with them while carrying out their duty.

As many as six assault incidents on police personnel have been reported this month, including the latest one at Jeevan Bima Nagar, where four drunk men allegedly misbehaved with a woman police sub-inspector early Friday. During her night rounds sub-inspector R. Ashwini told them not to create a public nuisance and leave the place. They picked up a fight and misbehaved with her.

Immediately the constables, who were accompanying her, took them into their custody and registered a case. The accused have been identified as Jittu, 22, Vidyananda, 26, Akhil, 25 and Sachin, 25 all residents of Thippasandra.

The Commissioner said that in most incidents the accused were under the influence of alcohol and in some cases the culprits did not have any criminal background. A special team has been formed to nab the culprits of J.J. Nagar and Kogehalli incidents, he added. He directed the police to check to take strict action against bars violating the rules related to closing time.
Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Sunday accused the Tamil Nadu Government of disrespecting the 1961 interstate agreement by refusing to release water from the Veedur dam in Villupuram district for farm use in the union territory.

The release of water for Mannadipet block was stopped this year by Tamil Nadu and our request to them is to enforce the water agreement in letter and spirit. Puducherry farmers are dependent on the water for irrigation purposes. I am also planning to write to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami seeking immediate release of water, he told reporters here.

Contending that Puducherry has a share in the water from the Veedur dam in Villupuram district under an interstate agreement inked in 1961, Narayanasamy said the pact was inked to ensure that the irrigation requirements of farmers in the Mannadipet constituency in the union territory are met.

The deal ensured availability of water for Puducherry for 175 days to enable farmers here to get water for cultivation on an extent of 1,400 hectares from the dam, he said. The Veedur dam is located in the catchment areas of Varaha river and Thondiaru in Villupuram district and had been a source of irrigation for farmlands in the constituency.

The chief minister also accused the Tamil Nadu Government of not releasing Puducherry's share of 6 tmcft of Cauvery water released to it by the Karnataka Government. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Ke-rala and Puducherry share Cauvery water.

On AIADMKs demand that Congress and DMK MLAs should step down from the posts of chairmen and parliamentary secretary made to CM, he said: The MLAs belonging to Congress and the DMK were appointed chairmen of the PSUs or Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister here as per the Act adopted in the

territorial Assembly in the past. We took utmost care before appointing the MLAs to the posts of chairmen and parliamentary Secretary and therefore the situation in Puducherry is different from New Delhi, he claimed.
Krishnagiri: Tamil Nadu BJP appears to be divided on the issue of the state government hiking bus fares with state unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan and Union minister of state for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan publicly contradicting each other.

Speaking to reporters in Hosur on Sunday, Radhakrishnan said he saw nothing wrong in the hike in bus fares since such things are decided according to the prevailing situation.

They should have done this long back when the prices of fuel and other commodities increased, but they failed to do as since they were afraid of losing votes. They have come out with announcement on fare hike after six years which, according to me, is not a mistake, Radhakrishnan told reporters here.

He also said the state government would not have had to face strong protests if it had increased the fares periodically instead of doing it at one go. People seem to be upset because the fare hike has been imposed on them at one go, he said.

Radhakrishnans comments contradict the Tamil Nadu BJP which has outright rejected the fare hike and has also called for a protest across the state on January 24. TN BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan opposed the hike when the announcement came on Friday and reiterated her stand on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters in Madurai, the BJP leader sought to know from the sate government why it increased the salary of MLAs when the state was reeling under financial crisis. "The bus fare hike is anti-people and the BJP strongly opposes the measure," she said.
Lucknow: The 11-year-old girl, accused of stabbing a Class I student in a school in Lucknow, has now sought a CBI inquiry into the incident.

The girl, who addressed a press conference here on Sunday, claimed that the school officials were falsely implicating her and were planting evidence against her.

She said that she was with her classmates when the incident ocurred and this can be verified. She said that she was attending the computer class when some teachers came and made the boys and girls line up and frisked them.

The teachers then picked up four girls who had short hair and noted down our details. After I reached home, some teachers came and started interrogating me. It was only a day later that I saw the news on TV channels and realised what had happened, she said.

The girl, who is now out on bail, said that she was strip-searched the following day in school and one of the teachers even chopped her hair.

I was taken to the boy and I heard him saying that he doesnt recognise me, she claimed.
Pandemonium in Rajya Sabha over Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde's remarks about the constitution. (Photo: Screengrab)

New Delhi: A united Opposition on Wednesday disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha protesting against controversial comments reportedly made by Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde on changing the Constitution and secularism.

Congress, SP and BSP members trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans seeking removal of Hegde and forcing Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the proceedings till 12 noon.

The trouble started during the laying of the official papers on the table of the House as opposition members shouted "shame, shame" when Hegde, who is Minister of State (MoS) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, rose to lay the papers listed against his name.

Read: We're here to change the Constitution: Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad sought a clarification from the Minister as he could leave the House soon after laying papers.

True to this, Hegde sat in the House for a while listening to opposition protests against his controversial statement that the BJP would change the Constitution by excluding Secularism from the preamble. Soon thereafter, he left the House.

Azad asked if a minister does not believe in the Constitution, does he has a right to remain as a minister.

"Minister who has no faith in the Constitution has no right to be a minister. He has no right to be a Member of Parliament," he said.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (Trinamool Congress) said secularism is inscribed in the preamble of the Constitution and asked if a minister is allowed to denounce the same preamble in public.

Naresh Agarwal (SP) said the Constitution is the Ramayana and Gita of democracy and any minister who abuses it and its founder Baba Saheb Ambedkar should be removed.

At this, Naidu interjected to ask members not to bring Babasaheb Ambedkar into the controversy. But the opposition members remained unrelenting and trooped into the well raising slogans.

Naidu asked members not to raise slogans and ordered that nothing they were saying would go on record. He then allowed Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice and

Empowerment and Republican Party of India founder Ramdas Athawale to speak.

Athawale praised the Prime Minister for honouring the memory of Ambedkar with a fitting memorial and said it was Congress which had insulted Ambedkar.

"Don't create a ruckus. You are going to be defeated in general elections in 2019 and 2024," Athawale told the opposition.

Subramanian Swamy (BJP) claimed Ambedkar did not include the word secularism in the Constitution.

Naidu tried to restore order but all his efforts went in vain. "How much should I tolerate. This is not acceptable. This is not done," he said as slogan shouting continued unabated.

As opposition members continued their noisy protest and demanded a discussion on the issue, Naidu said no discussion can take place without a proper notice.

The speaker then adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.
KOZHIKODE: Dalit thinker and writer Kancha Ilaiah has said that Gujarat model of development doesn't deserve a comparison with that of Kerala. Speaking at the release of the book, Modify Cheyyapedathathu' (Non-modified) here on Saturday, he said that one can notice the plurality anywhere in Kerala but not in Gujarat. "Plurality cannot be seen in Gujarat. You can only get dal and rice in Gujarat," he ridiculed.

Mr IIaiah lauded Kerala for its pluralistic food culture and the resistance against worshiping cow. "The Prime Minister is exhorting that Yoga is a great exercise of India. Could we resist a vibrant Chinese army through Yoga and vegetarianism?" he asked. Writer Sara Joseph received the book. The book is a compilation of poems of 100 poets and works of 25 artistes, edited by Nadeer.
Coimbatore: Sidelined AIADMK leader and Independent MLA, TTV Dhinakaran, on Saturday urged the government to roll back the hike in bus fares immediately.

Mr Dhinakaran, who was at Pollachi near here to participate in the marriage reception of the son of the Pollachi MP, Sugumaran, one of his supporters, told the media later that when people were already experiencing severe hardship financially in the wake of measures like GST, the bus fares hike will hit the middle class and lower middle class people severely.

The rebel AIADMK leader charged that few ministers from Kongu region have their own bus services plying on many routes across the state and they would get the 'real benefit' from the bus fare hike. Perhaps, this was one of the reasons for hike the state transport bus fares, he quipped.

Asserting that nobody could threaten him to quit politics, Dhinakaran on the recent entry of new film personalities into TN politics said, it will not affect our party faction and we have more than 90 per cent of the cadre with us.

Dhinakaran alleged that it was members of the EPS-OPS faction who had distributed `6,000 for a vote during the R.K.Nagar bypoll and denied that he had given `20 token to anyone. He also said that he was not responsible for the interview given by Trichy-Rajendran, who claimed that he (TTV) was responsible for release of a video on the treatment of former Chief Minister, J Jayalalitha through the MLA, Mr. Vetrivel, adding, it was his (Rajendra'n) perception.

Hike puts bus pass holders in state of confusion

With revised bus fares that came into effect on Saturday, there has been increasing uncertainty over the schemes provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Corporation (MTC) including travel as you please and monthly concession passes.

Passengers were put into hardship as the department stopped issuing the passes on Saturday, forcing them to shell out more bucks for their trips.

Using the travel as you please ticket priced at `50, a commuter can board any MTC service (except AC and night service) for one whole day.

While the fare hike has already come down heavily on us, the commuters who take more than four trips a day are affected badly as the tickets are priced high and there are no daily passes, said K. Karthik, a regular commuter.

Same is the case with the monthly passes priced at `1000. The officials of MTC said that there will be no change in the validity of monthly passes and the commuters who already have monthly passes can use them till they expire.

New passes would be issued in a couple of days after the transport department announces revised fare slab.

With government transport corporations struggling to overcome losses and finding it difficult to even pay dues to its employees, Tamil Nadu Government on Friday announced a steep hike in government and private bus fares ranging from 20 per cent to 55 per cent.
Bengaluru: AICC president Rahul Gandhi will tour the state in February and visit the state again for the assembly election campaign.

During his visit now, he is likely to spend no less than two to three days in each of the four revenue divisions to interact with different sections of society like Dalits, liberals, entrepreneurs etc. Based on the inputs he will fine-tune his campaign speeches and poll strategies.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior functionary in the party disclosed that Mr Gandhi's tour in the state will be clearly divided into three sections - first the party will hold a massive rally, second he is more focused on doing more road shows and lastly, he will interact with different sections of society during his pre-election tour.

"Going by his recent interaction with party leaders in New Delhi last week, he showed more interest in organising road shows and getting involved in public interaction with different sections of society. Based on his inputs, the party is working on a strategy to plan his tour and use him as much as possible to its advantage," the source explained.

The source further added that the main idea behind doing road shows or involving the Congress president in public interaction was to get first hand information before he kicks off his election campaign in the state. "He plans to interact with youngsters, farmers, Dalits-OBCs and various caste groups, women, intellectuals and entrepreneurs too. During his road shows, he wants to interact rather than focus too much on delivering speeches. He firmly stated that he was not so interested in attending public rallies, rather he was interested in road shows. His aim is not to send any message across but to gather more information about the state," the source contended.

The source added that Mr Gandhi is likely to spend three days each in all four revenue divisions and most of his interaction will be done through his research team and local leaders who might just pitch in if his research team requires any support.

"His research team has already fanned out across the state and has started meeting various groups secretly in order to get first hand information about the ruling party. His first three- day tour which will be kicked off on February 10, will be the first of four tours planned in the state," the source said.
Hyderabad: Former minister and BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya on Sunday said he was not interested in being made Governor, as is being speculated, and was keen on contesting again from the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency in 2019.

I am not fit for the Raj Bhavan, only fit for the praja bhavan, he said and added that he would be contesting again from his constituency.

Referring to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhans praise of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on the rapid pace at the Kaleshwaram project, Mr Dattatreya said the Governor should have thanked the Centre for arranging finances for irrigation projects including Kaleshwaram.

He said the NDA government had given funds even for Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha, which should have been mentioned by the Governor. He declined to comment on BJP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy threatening to quit the party, saying the state leadership was looking into the issue.
Hyderabad: Taking strong objection his comments praising Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and irrigation minister T. Harish Rao for the work at the Kaleswaram project site, Congress leaders on Sunday said they would complain against Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to President Ram Nath Kovind. They accused the governor of being biased towards the TRS government.

TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, former minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu and former MP V. Hanumantha Rao, speaking to mediapersons said that it was unbecoming of the Governor to visit the site and heap praises on the CM and irrigation minister.

Mr Narasimhan went to the extent of changing their surnames after Kaleswaram, the trio said.

The Governor was highly biased towards the TRS government from the beginning and it touched new heights during his visit to the Kaleswaram project. We fear one day he might change the name of Raj Bhavan to TRS Bhavan, they said.

They said the Kalesw-aram project was an old one that was partly executed by the previous Congress government under the name of B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella project.

The TRS, after coming to power changed its name into Kaleswaram project. For this, the Governor should have objected, which he did not, they said.

They said the Governor was acting in a partisan manner by inducting TD defectors into the Cabinet and continuing with him instead of disqualifying them.
Hubballi: Unfazed over the widespread criticism by farmers of his failure to ensure release of Mahadayi river water by BJP ruled Goa as per the promise made by him, BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa continued his Parivarthana rally in Honnalli of Davangere district on Wednesday where he launched a broadside against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and AICC president Rahul Gandhi. Accusing both these Congress leaders of provoking their party unit in Goa to call for a bandh on January 6 against release of water to Karnataka, he said that he will hold a convention of Mahadayi farmers soon to convince them about the failure of the Congress in resolving the issue.

Stating that he has made honest efforts to find a solution to the water dispute, Yeddyurappa claimed that he had managed to get a letter of assurance from Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar to release water for drinking purposes. He also said that no one has made such attempts in the past though the dispute is pending for thirty years. "The Mahadayi water dispute is a gift from the Congress.

The Chief Minister is trying to gain political mileage ahead of elections by thwarting BJP efforts to resolve the issue. The AICC president is instigating the Congress in Goa to oppose release of water", Yeddyurappa said.
Ob la di, Ob la da, life goes on and here is another reminder of how fast time flies! It is now 50 years since the Beatles came to Rishikesh to Maharishi Mahesh Yogis ashram. Fifty years later, an exhibition of photographs has been put together to recollect those historic moments at the Beatles Story museum at Liverpool. These were taken by Paul Saltzman, a Canadian who had also come to the ashram after his girlfriend had jilted him. Whilst there he mingled with the Beatles and their entourage which included the four Beatles  Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon  as well as their wives and girlfriends. In fact, Saltzmans photographs will be supported by the memories of the former Mrs George Harrison, Pattie Boyd, who was also there at the time. Looking at some of the photographs now one realises how much Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had impacted not just the Beatles, but the music of the times  as the biggest and most famous group in the world headed for his ashram and stayed there. This interest in India and the subsequent journey led to the Beatles interaction with Pandit Ravi Shankar as well. Mahesh Yogi is a forgotten man today  but it was he who first broke into popular culture with the concept of TM, or Transcendental Meditation, which he taught at centres at Los Angeles and London.

It is reported that he charged (in those days!) around 2,500 for a five-day course! Of course this would mean that only the elite could afford it  but nonetheless it made TM a worldwide brand, and the Yogi a rich man. As the exhibition opens in Liverpool in mid-February, one wishes we could work on the ashram in India as well and revive and regenerate it. Undoubtedly, this trip down the memory lane will bring many to Rishikesh, just like one sorrow-laden Canadian came 55 years ago! Interestingly, it was Pattie Boyd who had introduced the Beatles to the Maharishi. Later, the Maharishi who was born Mahesh Prasad Varma also got embroiled in a few controversies as people questioned his claims that he could levitate, and similar queries came up about his credibility as a guru. However, lets not forget that he was the first guru to the superstars  and excellent music resulted from it. The 1960s are embedded in our minds  linked with the long-haired hippie movement, which also impacted India in a big way. Those were the days, my friends, when Lucy was in the sky with diamonds.

Meanwhile, some of the children of the Beatles are not doing too badly either  famed designer Stella McCartney was recently in the news because a coat designed by her was worn by Meghan Markle  the American actress who is soon to become a princess. It always astonishes me as to how quickly the word goes out about what the young royals (and would-be royals) are wearing  till I realised the role of the old and the new media in the process. Obviously the moment Ms Markle steps out in an outfit  the public relations machinery starts churning and hurrah!  within hours the outfit is sold out. This time on her visit to Wales with Prince Harry, Ms Markle wore a wrap black coat which was much appreciated as Ms McCartney only creates clothes with a conscience and does not use fur or leather. Hmmmmmm Im beginning to see a link between Ms McCartneys well-known vegetarianism  and her fathers visit to the Rishikesh ashram many years ago. What do you think?

And sometimes it is only when things change, that they remain the same. Honestly, I cannot fathom foreign secretary Boris Johnson and his latest pronouncement! He does specialise in flummoxing you, doesnt he? After all he was the biggest champion of Brexit and, some would say, that he and his ilk almost wrecked the country and the economy in the pursuit of it. But now when President Emmanuel Macron visits from France, Mr Johnson decides that he would like to see the creation of a 20-mile bridge connecting the UK and France across the channel. Oh well, I suppose he would still like more tangible links to the EU than now seems possible.

Some people have taken Mr Johnsons suggestion seriously  though it was not formally endorsed by either Prime Minister Theresa May or President Macron. Undoubtedly, big infrastructure projects are also one way to generate employment, not just bonhomie. Talking of bonhomie that Oscar selfie seems to have got everyone looking for an unforgettable and very crowded selfie. Prime Minister Theresa May also was part of a large group selfie, along with President Macron, following a dinner at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Undoubtedly, there were jokes doing the rounds, knowing of Mr Macrons very welcome interest in older women or at least one older woman. But to be honest, where in the present fraught world would we place most leaders? Would President Donald Trump be at one end of the spectrum and Mr Macron at the other? Or are there many about whom we simply dont know enough?
Pakistan Foreign Office, apart from Sunday, had summoned India's deputy high commissioner on January 15, 18, 19 and 20. (Photo: File/PTI)

Islamabad: Pakistan summoned India's deputy high commissioner in Islamabad for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday over the alleged "unprovoked firing" by Indian troops across the Line of Control which resulted in the death of two people.

The tensions have increased between the two sides due to ongoing skirmishes and Pakistan has summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh five times since Monday.

Director General (South Asia and SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Singh and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces, the Foreign Office said.

In a statement, it claimed that the latest violation by Indian forces occurred on January 20-21, when 18 Indian posts resorted to "unprovoked firing" with mortars and heavy weapons in the Nikial sector at the LoC.

The firing killed two civilians - a 33-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman - and injured another women and a girl, the Foreign Office said.

Faisal said the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and against the human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws.

The repeated ceasefire violations by India "are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," he asserted.

He urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the repeated incidents of ceasefire violations, the statement said.

Faisal also urged the Indian side to allow the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

India maintains that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control.

The FO, apart from Sunday, had summoned India's deputy high commissioner on January 15, 18, 19 and 20.
Islamabad: Amid mounting global pressure on Pakistan to act against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and entities linked to him, a UN Security Council team will visit the country this week for an assessment of Islamabads compliance with the world bodys sanctions regime.

The two-day visit of the UN Security Councils sanctions monitoring team will begin on Thursday.

The monitoring team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee will be in Islamabad on January 25 and 26, a senior Pakistani official was quoted as saying by Dawn.

The UN monitoring teams visit is taking place amid increasing pressure on Pakistan from the US and India with respect to the inadequate implementation of the sanctions on Saeed and entities linked to him.

However, Pakistani officials, insist that the trip is a routine visit.

Saeed was listed under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

On Friday, the US State Department said it has told clearly to Islamabad that Saeed is a terrorist and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, reacting strongly to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasis remarks that there was no case against the Mumbai attack mastermind.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said: He is listed by the UNSC 1267, the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is a designated foreign terror organisation.

We believe that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Nauert had said.

Saeed, the chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

The terms of reference of the monitoring team for Pakistan visit are not publicly known, but as per its general mandate it assists the 1267 Committee in keeping an eye on the freezing of the financial assets of listed persons and entities and checking provision of training and other material to them and their travel, the paper said.

The UNSC monitoring team intimates instances of non- compliance to the committee through its reports. At the same time it also advises and assists member states on implementation of the regime.

Pakistan has remained under the Financial Action Task Force scanner over allegations by the US and India about the UNSC sanctions not being fully implemented, the paper said.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist', and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.
US lawmakers failed to agree a stop-gap spending deal which resulted in the shutdown of the government. (Photo: AFP)

Beijing: China's official news agency said in a commentary on Sunday that the shutdown of the US government exposed "chronic flaws" in the US political system.

Funding for federal agencies ran out at midnight on Friday in Washington after lawmakers failed to agree on a stopgap funding bill.

"What's so ironic is that it came on the first anniversary of Donald Trump's presidency on Saturday, a slap in the face for the leadership in Washington," China's Xinhua News Agency said in a commentary by Xinhua writer Liu Chang.

The commentary said that the Trump administration had "backtracked" on policies supported by his predecessor, Barack Obama, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement and US participation in the Paris climate agreement.

"If there was any legacy that has survived the transfer of power, it was the spirit of non-cooperation across party lines," the Xinhua commentary said.

While Xinhua commentaries are not official statements, they offer a reflection of Beijing's thinking.

"The Western democratic system is hailed by the developed world as near perfect and the most superior political system to run a country," it said.

"However, what's happening in the United States today will make more people worldwide reflect on the viability and legitimacy of such a chaotic political system," it said.

At a twice-a-decade congress of China's ruling Communist Party in October, President Xi Jinping was anointed for a second term as party chief, strengthening his grip on power.
The woman's two-year-old son, whose nationality remains unclear, has been taken into the care of the state. (Representational Image)

London: A British woman who married and gave birth under the Islamic State regime in Syria has become one of the first so-called jihadi brides to be arrested on her return to the UK, a media report has claimed.

The 27-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested at Heathrow Airport under terrorism laws when she landed from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, earlier this month, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

Her two-year-old son, whose nationality remains unclear, has been taken into the care of the state.

Scotland Yard has released the woman on bail while it continues its investigation.

The UK authorities are working on a series of measures to tackle cases of such ISIS brides and children returning to the UK following the terrorist group's defeats in its Syrian and Iraqi strongholds last year, the report said.

Aqsa Mahmood, a 22-year-old Pakistani-origin suspected ISIS recruiter from Glasgow, has been stripped of her British citizenship to prevent her returning to Britain.

The UK Home Office argues that Mahmood has not been made "stateless" because she is eligible to apply for citizenship in the country where her parents were born, which is Pakistan.

A similar order has been made against another British woman who fled Syria at the end of 2016 after her husband, a prominent British figure in ISIS, died in a battle.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave birth to two children, now aged one and three, in the war zone, which means they have no nationality, the report said.

All three remain stranded in Turkey.

The UK's social services departments have been drawing up plans to take into care British children known to have travelled to Syria and Iraq with their families, should their parents bring them back home.

More than 100 British women are thought to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the terror groups.
The Taliban on Sunday claimed responsibility for storming a luxury hotel in Kabul and killing at least six people in a 12-hour overnight siege.



The attack at the Intercontinental Hotel in the Afghan capital "killed tens of foreign invaders and their puppets", spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in an emailed message.



Officials have said one foreigner was among the six killed.
An Army jawan injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan succumbed to injuries last night, taking the death toll in the border firing in Jammu and Kashmir to 11 since Thursday, police said.



Sepoy C K Roy, posted in a forward post in Mankote sector of Poonch district, was injured in Pakistani firing yesterday and succumbed to injuries at the military hospital last night, a police official said.

His death raised the number of persons killed in the Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in five districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri since Thursday to 11.

The dead included six civilians, three armymen and two BSF personnel.

While a BSF jawan and a teenaged girl were killed on Thursday, four persons two civilians and one each BSF jawan and Army jawan were killed and over 40 others, including two BSF personnel, injured in the Pakistani firing on Friday.

Three civilians and an Army jawan were killed and 16 others injured in the ceasefire violations yesterday.
No one can touch a woman without her consent, a Delhi court said and termed it unfortunate that women continue to be victimised by "lecherous and sexually- pervert" men.



The court's observation came while awarding five years jail term to Ram for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl.

Additional Sessions Judge Seema Maini awarded rigorous imprisonment to Uttar Pradesh resident Chavi Ram, who had inappropriately touched the minor at a crowded market in north Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar in 2014.

The court said a woman's body is her own and it is she who has an exclusive right over it and all others are prohibited to touch her body, without her consent, for any purpose whatsoever.

It also said that right to privacy of women does not seem to be recognised by men and they do not think twice, before making untoward advances or satisfying their lust by sexually assaulting helpless girls.

"Such perverts, get a sexual kick by assaulting the women, oblivious to the rights of privacy of the female gender including a female child," it said.

The court said that Ram being a "sexual pervert" deserves no leniency and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him out of which Rs 5,000 would be given to the girl.

Apart from that the court asked the Delhi State Legal Service Authority to pay Rs 50,000 to the child.

"In a free, fast progressing, technically-strong country like India, it is an unfortunate scenario that the female citizens, be it an adult or a small child, continue to be consistently victimised by lecherous and sexually pervert male folk, found in abundance in public places, especially crowded markets, public transports like buses and Metros and recreation joints like movie halls and theatres," the court said.

According to the complaint, on September 25, 2014, while the girl was with her mother at the market near Mukherjee Nagar here, Ram inappropriately touched the child and tried to molest her.

The minor immediately informed her mother and pointed to Ram after which he started running from the spot. He was caught by the mother with the help of passersby.

The man claimed he was falsely implicated in the case as the market was crowded and it was a case of misconception.

He claimed that the real offender ran away after committing the crime.

The court, however, rejected Ram's claim and said it was clear that he was with a sexual intent, taking advantage of a crowded market place, wilfully touching the girl and thereafter trying to run away.
Police have arrested the owner of the firecracker storage unit in Bawana where 17 people were killed in a massive blaze yesterday.



Manoj Jain, who ran the factory, has been arrested. A probe revealed it was a factory of "cold firecrackers" used in stage shows and Holi celebrations, said Rajneesh Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini).

Firecracker packages found at the site suggest the same, he said.

Jain had rented the factory from January 1, the DCP said.

Seven of those killed have been identified as Baby Devi (40), Afshana (35), Sonam (23), Reeta (18), Nadeen (55), Rakho (65) and Dharma Devi (45), he said.

The fire had started in the storage unit on the ground floor of the two-storey building and ripped through the structure.

Of the 17 killed, ten were women. A man and woman were injured.

Police said an FIR had been registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible material. The maximum punishment under the sections is 10 years.

Jain was apprehended and questioned yesterday.

The other partner of Jain has been identified as Lalit Goel.

One of the injured labourers told police that the firecrackers used to be brought from outside and were only packed at the unit.
It will cost the government nearly Rs 8 crore annually to run 12 special courts to try the over 1,500 cases related to lawmakers, the law ministry has informed the Cabinet secretariat.



The proportion of the amount for the states, where the 12 special courts will come up, is being worked out.

"An estimated expenditure of Rs 7.8 crore to make 12 courts operational for one year has been prepared. The proportionate allocation to the states where such courts would be set up is being worked out," Secretary (Justice) in the law ministry wrote to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha earlier this month.

Last November, the Supreme Court had directed the government to come up with a scheme to set up 12 special courts to try 1,581 criminal cases pending against elected MPs and MLAs.

The apex court had approved the scheme and had directed the Centre to allocate grants to the governments of the states where such special courts are proposed to be set up.

The courts are to commence operation from March 1 for speedy disposal of the cases.

The Supreme Court had favoured the creation of special courts to exclusively deal with criminal cases involving politicians and their speedy disposal, saying such a move would be in the "interest of the nation".

"We direct the competent authority of the Union of India to place before the court the following information: how many of 1,581 cases involving MLAs and MPs (as declared at the time of filing of the nomination papers to the 2014 elections) have been disposed of within the timeframe of one year as envisaged by this court by order dated March 10, 2014...how many of these cases which have been finally decided have ended in acquittal/conviction of MPs and MLAs ...," the Supreme Court bench had said.
Pakistan summoned India's deputy high commissioner here for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday over unprovoked firing" by Indian troops across the Line of Control which resulted in the death of two people.



The tensions have increased between the two sides due to ongoing skirmishes and Pakistan has summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh five times since Monday.

Director General (South Asia and Saarc) Mohammad Faisal summoned Singh and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces, the Foreign Office said.

In a statement, it claimed that the latest violation by Indian forces occurred on January 20-21, when 18 Indian posts resorted to "unprovoked firing" with mortars and heavy weapons in the Nikial sector at the LoC.

The firing killed two civilians - a 33-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman - and injured another women and a girl, the Foreign Office said.

Faisal said the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and against the human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws.

The repeated ceasefire violations by India "are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," he asserted.

He urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the repeated incidents of ceasefire violations, the statement said.

Faisal also urged the Indian side to allow the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

India maintains that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control.

The FO, apart from Sunday, had summoned India's deputy high commissioner on January 15, 18, 19 and 20.
US lawmakers will launch a last-ditch bid on Sunday to end a Budget impasse before hundreds of thousands of federal workers are forced to start the work week at home with no pay.



The impact of the shutdown that began at midnight on Friday has been largely limited so far, closing sites like New York's Statue of Liberty, but the effect will be acute if the stalemate runs into Monday.

Republicans and Democrats have traded bitter recriminations over who is to blame for the failure to pass a stop-gap funding measure by a January 20 deadline, a year to the day since Donald Trump took office as US president.

Highlighting the deep political polarisation, crowds estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands took to the streets of major US cities Saturday to march against the president and his policies.

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell on Saturday set a key vote for a funding measure for 1.00 am (2.30 pm IST) on Monday, with both houses of Congress set to reconvene on Sunday.

"I assure you we will have the vote at 1.00 am on Monday, unless there is a desire to have it sooner," he said in a statement.

At the heart of the dispute is the thorny issue of undocumented immigration.

Democrats have accused Republicans of poisoning chances of a deal and pandering to Trump's populist base by refusing to fund a program that protects 7,00,000 "Dreamers" -- undocumented immigrants who arrived as children - from deportation.

Trump, in return, has said Democrats are "far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border."

The shutdown's effects meanwhile are set to intensify.

Essential federal services and military activity are continuing, but even active duty troops will not be paid until a deal is reached to reopen the US government.

There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. In the last one in 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave.

"We're just in a holding pattern. We just have to wait and see. It's scary," said Noelle Joll, a 50-year-old furloughed US government employee.

A deal had appeared likely on Friday afternoon, when Trump, who has touted himself as a master negotiator, seemed to be close to an agreement with Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer on protecting Dreamers.

But no such compromise was in the language that reached Congress for a stop-gap motion to keep the government open for four more weeks while a final arrangement is discussed. And Republicans failed to win enough Democratic support to bring it to a vote.

Congress reconvened for a rare Saturday session, where leaders of both sides were meant to hammer out their differences to prevent the shutdown from stretching into Monday. Instead, they traded accusations of responsibility for the shutdown.

Schumer said trying to negotiate with Trump "was like negotiating with Jell-O."

"It's impossible to negotiate with a constantly moving target," he said. "President Trump is so mercurial it's been impossible to get him to agree to anything."

Meanwhile, McConnell said Schumer "took the extraordinary step" of preventing the legislation from passing and thus "plunging the country into this totally avoidable mess."

Republicans have a tenuous one-seat majority in the Senate, and on Friday needed to lure some Democrats to their side to get a 60 vote supermajority to bring the motion forward. They fell ten votes short.

The measure brought to Congress would have extended federal funding until February 16 and reauthorized for six years a health insurance program for poor children - a long-time Democratic objective.

But it left out any action on the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, that affects Dreamers.

White House officials insisted there was no urgency to fix DACA, which expires March 5.

As US lawmakers wrangled over government funding, protesters turned out in cities including Los Angeles, New York and Washington to express their opposition to Trump, and their support for women's rights.
As gunmen went on a night-time rampage through Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday, Aziz Tayeb posted a desperate plea on Facebook: "Pray for me. I may die."



The telecom executive hid behind a pillar as four heavily-armed attackers stormed the luxury hotel and began spraying terrified guests and staff with bullets.

At least six people were killed, including a foreigner, and eight wounded in the 12-hour ordeal as the attackers engaged in a fierce gunfight with Afghan security forces.

"I saw people who were enjoying themselves a second ago screaming and fleeing like crazy, and some of them falling down, hit by bullets," Tayeb told AFP on Sunday, hours after his traumatic experience ended.

One colleague, who had been stuck on the fifth floor of the six-storey building throughout the attack, told Tayeb that some areas of the hotel resembled a butcher's shop with blood everywhere.

The attackers were eventually killed.

Tayeb, a regional director for Afghan Telecom in the western city of Herat, was staying at the hilltop hotel -- not part of the global InterContinental chain -- with dozens of industry colleagues from around the country ahead of an annual conference due to begin on Sunday.

The gunmen shot at people who had been enjoying dinner in one of the hotel restaurants before breaking into guest rooms and taking dozens of hostages including foreigners, witnesses said.

Tayeb and a few friends managed to escape to the hotel's outdoor pool area where they hid, listening to the horrifying attack metres away.

"I could repeatedly hear blasts one after another, hand grenades, they used many grenades," he said, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

"We contacted security officials who arrived an hour later and as we were being escorted out I saw five or six bodies outside the hotel.

"The second, third and fifth floors were on fire -- the fifth floor was engulfed in flames."

Once he was a safe distance from the hotel, Tayeb called his colleagues still trapped inside the burning building.

"Some were crying that they would die of smoke inhalation," he said.

Dramatic television footage from Afghanistan's Tolo News showed people trapped on balconies at the top of the building climbing down bedsheets to escape, with at least one losing his grip and falling.

A witness told AFP that the hotel's security team fled "without a fight", leaving guests to their fate.

"They didn't attack. They didn't do anything to them. They had no experience," said the 24-year-old man, a hotel employee who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.

He ran from the hotel with some of them, he said. "I was asking them, where should I go?"

An interior ministry spokesman has confirmed to AFP that the hotel's security had been taken over by a private company just three weeks earlier. No hotel official was immediately able to comment.

As he waited for news of his colleagues, Tayeb updated his Facebook status to thank his friends for their prayers.

"Staying alive in this country is a mere coincidence," he wrote, before making another plea.

"More than a 100 of my colleagues and friends are caught between life and death. Please pray for them."

It was too late for one of them: the interior ministry confirmed at least one person involved in the conference was among the dead.
The bustling settlement of Arnia and a chain of border hamlets along the Indo-Pak border now wear an empty look, with over 40,000 villagers abandoning their homes to escape heavy shelling by Pakistani forces.



Arnia town, with a population of 18,000, resembles a ghost town with only a few people left each in its adjoining hamlets to take care of animals and guard homes.

Farming, schooling, cattle rearing and everything else on which border dwellers survive has come to a halt due to the shelling episodes.

Villagers at the forefront of Pakistani shelling say they feel they are in a war zone with sounds of mortar bombs and rattle of automatic weapons booming in the area.

In the hamlets, the devastation is visible all around - blood stains on the floor, broken windows, injured animals and splinter marks on the walls.

Dressed in battle fatigues and bulletproof jackets, jawans of the Border Security Forces criss-cross through borderline hamlets and paddy fields to take a position to give a befitting retaliation.

Some families that had initially decided to hold on to their homes have finally decided to move after intense shelling.

Night after night, 80-year-old Yashpal, and his family huddled together under a bed in one corner of their room as soon as the shelling started.

After heavy cross-border shelling for over two days, the family finally decided to leave their home along the India- Pakistan border on Saturday.

On Friday night, the situation got worse and two shells hit our house and damaged it, he said.

"It had happened during the 1965 and the 1971 wars.Such large number of mortar bombs had not since fallen in Arnia," he said.

"Arnia town has been vacated. We have evacuated a large number of people from Arnia and border hamlets...Most of the hamlets are now vacated," said Surinder Choduhary Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), R S Pura.

Choudhary, who led the police from the front in carrying out the massive evacuation of the border population from R S Pura and Arnia sectors, said houses and cattle have bore the brunt of the shelling.

Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan said 58 villages in Arnia and Suchetgarh sectors of Jammu district have been affected due to the shelling by Pakistan.

"Over 36,000 border dwellers have migrated from their homes", the DC said and added that 131 animals have been killed, 93 injured besides damage caused to 74 buildings and houses.

While most of the border dwellers are living with their relatives, over 1000 are camped in boarding and lodging places set up by the government in schools.

In Samba and Ramgarh sectors of Samba district, over 5000 people have migrated besides over 3,000 from Hiranagar sector of Kathua district.

Hundreds of grass houses (kullas) have also been gutted and bovines killed in fire triggered by bursting of mortar bombs fired by Pakistan troops in Jeora farm, popularly known as "hamlet of milkmen".

The hamlet houses over 100 families and is famous for supplying milk and other milk products to Jammu.

"Over 150 kullas have been gutted in the fire and several animals have perished in the fire triggered by Pakistan shelling", Choudhary, who himself led the rescue operation, said.

Arnia dweller Asha Rani, who fled her house along with her family of five in a bullock cart, said "People have not seen such intense firing and shelling even in the 1965 and 1971 wars. Pakistan was solely shelling us (civilians) in Arnia".

It is also for the first time that shells fired by Pakistan exploded in Gajansoo town, killing a 25-years-old.
Further, the students from Kerala currently in Karnataka will face restrictions on their return journey until the end of October.
The federation of pro-Kannada organisations have decided to call a Karnataka bundh on January 25, and a Bengaluru bandh on February 4 (day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Bengaluru).



Their demand is that PM Modi must intervene and resolve the Kalasa-Banduri and Mahadayi river issues.

A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of various pro-Kannada organisations and Kalasa-Banduri agitation committee at inspection bunglow here on Sunday.

The meeting was chaired by Vatala Paksha President Vatal Nagaraj.

Though it was a press conference called by Vatal Nagaraj, it was hijacked by the Kalasa-Banduri Horata Samanvaya Samithi who demanded Vatal to postpone the Karnataka bundh to February 4, the day when Prime Minister Modi is in Bengaluru to address a Parivartana yatra rally.

Vatal Nagaraj had called the press meet to announce that Karnataka would remain shut from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm on January 25, to mark 915 days of Kalasa-Banduri protest; and to press for the Prime Minister to intervene.

However, Vatal disagreed to this at first as they had made arrangements to hold Karnataka bundh on January 25, and rescheduling the same would be difficult.

This led to a heated discussion between the pro-Kannada leaders from 'South Karnataka' and samithi members.

The samithi members questioned Vatal on how he decided to call for Karnataka bundh on January 25, without consulting the samithi, who have been staging protests for the cause for the last two-and-half years.

"Hubballi-Dharwad has already seen two bundhs in the last one month, bundhs have lost their impact and are ineffective. Calling another bundh would only mean more disruption to normal life," the samithi members argued.

Sources also informed DH that the samithi members were angry with the 'South Karnataka' pro-Kannada organisations as they had fixed January 25 as bundh day after receiving an 'approval' from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

After cutting short the press meet midway, the pro-Kannada organisations and samithi members held a closed door meeting and later decided to observe a Karnataka bundh on January 25; and a Bengaluru bundh on the day Prime Minister Modi arrives (February 4).

Vatal said that the January 25 bundh would be complete as they will not allow government offices, schools, colleges, buses and petrol bunks to function. More than 2,300 organisations have shown support for the bundh, he claimed.

And on February 4, they will make sure that; "The Prime Minister does not even get a glass of water," he claimed.

The protesters claimed that their protest is not directed towards any single political party, and they would protest, by waving black flags, at Hosapete, where AICC Chief Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to hold a rally.

The protesters want Rahul Gandhi to commit himself to convincing Goa Congress leaders to not oppose the Kalasa-Banduri project.
Three persons, who were arrested yesterday in connection with the fire at a pub in the Kamla Mills Compound here that claimed 14 lives, have been sent in police custody until January 25.



The NM Joshi Marg police had last evening arrested Ravi Bhandari, a partner in the Kamla Mills, station fire officer Rajendra Patil, and Utkarsh Pandey, the owner of the Nirvana Hookah, in connection with the incident.

The three were produced this afternoon before the Bhoiwada court which remanded them in police custody till January 25, senior police inspector Ahmed Pathan said.

The arrests were made last evening after Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta submitted his report to the chief minister in which he mentioned factors which caused the tragedy last month.

The owners of the '1 Above' pub, Jigar Sanghvi, Kripesh Sanghvi and Abhijit Mankar, as well as owners of the adjoining 'Mojo's Bistro', Yug Pathak and Yug Tulli, are already arrested.

According to the enquiry report submitted by Mehta, the fire on December 29 started because of the flying charcoal embers from hookah which was illegally served at Mojo's Bistro. It then spread to 1 Above.

Most of the deceased were visiting 1 Above.

The owners of both the pubs were booked for 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder' and other offences under the Indian Penal Code.

The municipal commissioner's report said the owners of Kamla Mills allowed illegal alterations and usage of the terrace by the two pubs.

It also said that a departmental inquiry will be conducted against some fire brigade officials for lapses in duty.
The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said Turkish troops tried to cross the countries' border into the Afrin region on Sunday but were forced back.



Birusk Hasaka, the YPG spokesman in Afrin, said Turkish forces were repulsed after fierce clashes with Syrian rebel factions.

Another YPG official, Nouri Mahmoudi, said, "All the Turkish military's ground attacks against Afrin have been repelled so far and they have been forced to retreat."

Ankara earlier said the Turkish military had entered Afrin.
Union Home Minister Rajanth Singh on Sunday hinted that India might conduct another surgical strike if Pakistan continued to violate ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC).



"India is now considered to be a powerful country in the world... we will not hesitate in crossing the borders again, if needed," Singh said while speaking at a function here.

"A few months ago, Indian soldiers had entered Pakistan and killed many terrorists," he added.

He also said that India was in favour of having cordial relations with Pakistan. "However, it seems Pakistan does not want good relations with us," he said.

The remarks of the Union minister come in the wake of the recent incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC in Jammu & Kashmir.

Pakistan has resorted to heavy shelling on the LoC over the past few days.

India also retaliated and killed several Pakistani soldiers and destroyed its outposts and bunkers.
Following the Saturday meeting with all stake holders and fighting fire at Bellandur lake for nearly 30 hours, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has begun the hunt for the culprits who caused it.



The BDA has roped in locals to clean up weeds, garbage and dry grass around the lake.

A senior BDA official who visited the lake on Sunday told DH: "We have confirmed that the dry grass around the lake was set on fire by miscreants. It is also evident that there is something in the lake which is fueling the fire and making it ignite sporadically".

Unlike forest fires, the flames raged for over 30 hours. While the firemen were busy putting out flames, BDA officers were questioning locals to find out who the culprits were.

The BDA is shooting videos to document the locals' statements, as per directions by ACS Mahendra Jain. The BDA has joined the local police for gathering evidence.

BDA admits that there could have been laxity among officials, which could have caused the fire. BDA Commissioner Rakesh Singh has called for a meeting of all BDA engineers and staffers on Monday.

"In the mean time I have also ordered the clearing of dry grass and garbage around the lake. We will clean up the water body starting Sunday," Singh said.

Singh added that restoration of the lake will be discussed during the Monday meeting and a final decision will be on how the area needs to be protected.

Chief Secretary seeks report

Speaking to DH, Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha said that there was no need to blame officials. "But I have asked them for a report of the incident on Monday," she added.

"What is the need to pull up the officials? They are doing their job. I will meet with them and find out the cause. I am not being lenient. I have asked for specific details that they will have to answer personally. Since this is happening frequently at Bellandur lake, it is a serious issue," she pointed out.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday appealed to the Indo-Pak leadership not to turn the Valley into a battleground and instead develop cordial relations with each other.



"There is a bloodbath going on at the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir," Mehbooba said while speaking at the passing out parade of police constables in north Kashmir's Baramulla.

"The country is moving on the path of development, but the opposite is happening in the Valley. I want to appeal Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan to not to make Jammu and Kashmir a battleground but to create a friendly relation with each other," she said.
Coming to the rescue of an 89-year- old man from West Bengal, the Supreme Court has set aside the three months jail awarded to him for possessing 187 litre of kerosene oil in excess at his ration shop in 1988.



The top court said that it is not interfering with the conviction of Madan Mohan Kabiraj but looking at his age, he can be accorded benefit of provisions of Probation of Offenders Act.

"Though we are not interfering with the conviction recorded against the appellant herein, having regard to the circumstances of this case and particularly the fact that the appellant is 89 years of age and that there is no other blemish against the appellant, we are of the opinion that the benefit of provisions of Probation of Offenders Act, 1958, be extended in the present case," a bench of justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said.

It said that the three months sentence awarded to him by the Calcutta High Court is set aside and Kabiraj is released under the provisions of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958.

Kabiraj through his advocate Dushyant Parashar has challenged the high court order which sentenced him for three-months jail after holding him guilty under provisions of Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

An FIR was lodged against Kabiraj on September 2, 1988, after an inspection of his ration shop, which he was running under the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS), found an excess of 187 litre of kerosene oil.

On April 20, 1990, a special court at Murshidabad had held Kabiraj guilty under provisions of Essential Commodities Act and awarded him four months rigorous jail term.

Kabiraj challenged the order of special court before the high court in 1990, which had after 26 years, on May 3, 2016, upheld the conviction but modified the sentence from four to three months jail term.

He claimed before the apex court that the high court had upheld his conviction solely on the statement of a police officer who lodged the case while holding the two independent witnesses as "most unreliable".
Three policemen in Uttar Pradesh were booked for refusing to take two wounded teenagers to a hospital because they did not want blood stains in their vehicle.



The policemen were earlier suspended over the incident.

The delay led to the death of Arpit Khurana and Sunny, both aged 17.

On the basis of a complaint by an eyewitness, an FIR was registered against the policemen -Indrapal Singh, Pankaj Kumar and Manoj Kumar - at the Janakpuri police station late on Friday night.

The teenagers were on their way home on Friday night, when they lost control over their motorbike and crashed into a pole in the Beri Bagh area in Saharanpur district.

Locals had rushed to the scene and pulled the teens out of a drain they had fallen into after the crash.

The teenagers were seriously wounded, adding that the residents then informed the police on the 'Dial 100' service.

The policemen who reached the site apparently refused to take the teenagers in their vehicle to a hospital saying the jeep would be stained by the blood.

The residents then took the teenagers to a hospital in an autorickshaw but doctors there declared them 'brought dead'.

Saharanpur Superintendent of Police Prabal Pratap Singh said the officers were booked under IPC section 304 A (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

A departmental inquiry has also been initiated against the accused, he said.

The Dial-100 service was initiated by the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure better policing through an increased number of vehicles, all painted in black. The vehicles help respond to calls of distress.
Bihar set a record of sorts when around five crore people joined hands to form a 13,668-km long human chain in here on Sunday.



The human chain, in which Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi also participated, was formed to spread awareness about two social evils - child marriage and dowry.

Apart from ruling party legislators and bureaucrats, lakhs of school and college students, teachers, lawyers and academicians took to the streets, where they lined up forming a human chain from 12 noon to 12.30 pm.

The entire event was captured by 40 drone cameras. A documentary film about the human chain will be shown in 127 cinema halls across Bihar.

This human chain has broken the record set in January 2017, when a human chain of 12,417 km was formed by around four crore people in support of the prohibition implemented by the Nitish regime.

RJD, Cong absent

The only stark difference this year was the absence of RJD and Congress leaders from the event. Only one leader from the parties - Congress MLC Ram Chandra Bharti - attended the event, making Nitish's former partners in the Grand Alliance conspicuous by their absence.

"Nitish is one chief minister who spends crores in image-branding," said RJD vice president Shivanand Tiwary.

Congress spokesperson Prem Chandra Mishra demanded a white paper on the exorbitant expenses incurred in organising such an event.

This year, the main function was organised at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, where Nitish flagged off the event.

Similar human chains were formed in the 38 districts of the state.

Limca record

The Nitish regime invited officials of the Limca Book of World Records to have a first-hand account of the mega event.

The Limca team had recorded last year's human chain.
An indigenous malaria vaccine the first and the only one to be transferred to the industry for clinical trial - has failed, prolonging the wait for a life-saving shot against the mosquito-borne disease.



Developed by researchers at Delhi-based International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, the vaccine was transferred to Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in May 2010 with much fanfare for the clinical trial.

But since the vaccine performed poorly in the phase-1 clinical trial on 45 healthy volunteers, it was decided not to proceed further with the malaria vaccine, named Jaivac-1.

Created by ICGEB scientist Chetan Chitnis and his colleague V S Chauhan with their team members after two decades of research, Jaivac-1 was developed against the killer malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. It was found safe in animal studies.

The vaccine comprises two proteins. The trial results showed one of the proteins didn't work whereas the other did. But since the clinical vaccine was a combination of both, it couldn't be taken to the next step because of its poor performance.

"The phase-I clinical trial showed while one protein (name: PfEBA175-PfF2) produced immune response and elicited growth inhibitory antibodies, the second protein (PfMSP1-19) was poorly immunogenic. It was, therefore, decided not to proceed further with clinical development of Jaivac-1," Chitnis, who now works at the Pasteur Institute in Paris told DH.

Asked to comment on the failure of the malaria vaccine after two decades of research and development, ICGEB director Dinakar Salunke said, "The open-ended conventional trial-and-error vaccine development efforts are always subject to this worry. Such efforts need to be accompanied by major efforts to gain mechanistic understanding so that they can become less trial-and-error."

Chitnis's team received nearly Rs 12 crore research funding for the malaria vaccine.

After the failure, ICGEB researchers tweaked Jaivac-1 by modifying the non-responsive protein with the addition of another protein (a peptide).

Named Jaivac-2, the tweaked vaccine was transferred to Zydus Cadila for producing the vaccine for toxicology studies and Phase I Clinical Trials.

"Toxicology study was completed and an investigational new drug application is currently being submitted to the Drugs Controller General of India for permission to conduct a Phase I trial," said Chitnis, a winner of the Rs 50 lakh Infosys Prize.

Outside the African continent, India is the only nation in the world where malaria continues to be a public health problem. Majority of the malaria cases in India are the deadly ones caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
The family members of Chandan Kumar Rai, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan, were preparing for his marriage when they received the news about his martyrdom at the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir by Pak shelling on Saturday.



Rai, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Chandauli district, about 300 km from here, was to tie the nuptial knot on February 28, according to his family members.

''He had applied for leave and was expected to arrive home sometime next month,'' a family member said in Chandauli on Sunday.

A pall of gloom descended on the village when the news of his martyrdom came. People in large numbers, not only from the village but also from the nearby areas flocked Rai's home to express their condolences.

Rai was injured in Pak shelling in Rajauri sector in Jammu & Kashmir and was rushed to hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the next of the kin of the martyr, said official sources here on Sunday.

Senior officials of the state government and public representatives also visited Rai's house to condole his martyrdom. Rai's body was likely to arrive at his village on Monday, sources said.

The mortal remains of another BSF jawan Jagpal Singh, a resident of UP's Bulandshahar district, were consigned to flames with full state honors on Sunday.

Singh was martyred in Pak shelling in the Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir a couple of days back.
For the second consecutive year in a row, National Institutes of Technology (NITs) has scrapped scholarship for 2,000 students to pursue B Tech at the institute under a special scheme launched in 2010-11, citing fund crunch.



The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry under Prakash Javadekar has put on hold the scholarship scheme introduced for "meritorious" students during the erstwhile regime of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

It has recently directed the central seat allocation board (CSAB) not to "operationalise" the scholarship scheme for the students who qualify in the JEE (Joint Entrance Examination), Main, this year and figure in the all India rank list of less than 2000).

The CSAB is the highest body, constituted by the HRD Ministry every year, to play a supervisory role in the conduct of the JEE-Main. IT also finalises the procedure and schedule for seat allocations.

"The scholarship scheme is under review of the Ministry," an official said.

The scholarship scheme is meant to cover the tuition fee of the students who qualify the nation-wide test with less that 2000 all India rank and get admission at any of the 31 NITs.

The merit scholarship award is granted for the entire duration of the engineering course, subject to "good academic and non-academic record" of the students.

The Ministry has put the scheme on hold after the NITs cited paucity of funds, requesting for the government's support.

A standing committee of the Council of the NITs at its meeting in November 2016 had recommended for scrapping of the scheme "on account of the huge gap in grants-in-aid between the requirements of the institutes (NITs) and that disbursed by HRD Ministry"

"The issue is still pending for the Ministry's decision. We are waiting for the Ministry's instruction," an NIT official told DH, when contacted.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is set to conduct the JEE-Main 2018 in pen and paper mode (offline) on April 8. The computer-based test (online mode) will be held by the board on April 15 and April 16.

Many private technical institutes are expected to accept the JEE scores for filling their seats from this year. The Joint Admission Board (JAB) of the IITs (Indian institutes of Technology) has invited BITs Pilani to come on board to accept the JEE scores.

"The Ministry is in process of formulating guidelines for inclusion of self-financed technical institutes in the list of those accepting the JEE score for admission of students," an official said.
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has increased its first ever debt-raising plans by 40%, to as much as Rs 35,000 crore, to fund its Rs 36,915-crore acquisition of Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL).



The acquisition would create India's first integrated oil company. This would be ONGC's biggest acquisition and second buyout this fiscal after its Rs 7,738 crore acquisition of 80% stake in Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation's KG Basin gas block.

ONGC Chairman and Managing Director Shashi Shanker said the two deals would not affect the company's overseas acquisition plans as "with a consolidated balance sheet (of ONGC and HPCL), we would be better equipped to take higher risks and eye better assets".
Germany's Volkswagen Group plans to invest around 1 billion (over Rs 7,800 crore) in India over the next few years to develop six new models.



Czech carmaker Skoda is driving the emerging market strategy for the VW Group and is leading the development process for new models in India, which are expected to be rolled out post 2020, when new regulations related to safety and emissions come into force in the country.

The proposed six new models, three each under Skoda and Volkswagen brands, would cater mainly to the domestic market.

If successful in India, the group may also look at exporting these to some of the select markets abroad. The new products would be developed on Volkswagen's MQB-A0 platform.

When contacted, Skoda Auto India Director (Sales, Service and Marketing) Ashutosh Dixit said that the company is working on VW's MQB-A0 platform, but declined to share investment details and new product launch timelines.

Industry sources, however, confirmed that the group has lined up a1 billion euros investment in India for various activities, including plans to set up an engineering and development centre, expand production facility at Chakan and to develop new models.

Last year, Skoda CEO Bernhard Maier had said that the launch of the first products based on localised MQB A0 platform in India will coincide with the changing regulations in 2020.

Skoda has taken over the development of affordable products for the VW Group, as its deal with Tata Motors for joint development of products failed to take off.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is unlikely to go to the Swiss town of Davos for the World Economic Forum (WEF) as he is preoccupied with the Union Budget to be presented on February 1.



Jaitley, who was one of the key speakers at the India-specific sessions at the WEF, appears to have cancelled his visit at the last moment as he needed to concentrate more on the preparations of the Union Budget.

This is the first time in the recent past that a finance minister of India will be absent from the WEF's annual meeting.

The meeting is a four-day event that is expected to attract over 2,500 participants, including many leaders from the world of politics, business and civil society. The event will take place between January 23 and 26.

This is also the first time in about two decades that an Indian prime minister will be attending the meet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Davos from January 22 to 23. He is slated to address the inaugural plenary session.

Besides that, he will meet 60 of the world's topmost business leaders and chief executive officers at a dinner on January 22.

Five Union ministers, including Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, are attending the event.

A large number of sessions at Davos are being attended by Indian ministers.

Prabhu is likely to attend nine sessions across three days, Pradhan will attend five, Goyal will attend 10, Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh three sessions and Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar will be part of two sessions.

Sessions on financial inclusion, digital payments, modernisation of Indian railways and skill development will be organised by India.
How safe are Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) installed in apartment complexes across the City? To understand this, DH interacts with a few apartment owners to gather interesting insights on the critical maintenance and safety issues.



The death of three workers in an apartment in HSR Layout has been a wake-up call for all apartments. This came across clearly in the interactions.

A resident of Freebird Apartment in Victorial Layout, Rajamani Muthuchamy strongly recommends that workers should not be exposed to health hazards. "They should be provided with safety gears and cleaning equipment to ensure that their health is not at risk," he says.

His message: The rules that apply to municipal waste clearance should apply to STPs too. Mechanical cleaning should be adopted to avoid human contact with the liquid or solid waste that the municipal workers are required to deal with.

Besides, he says, the planning and enforcement authorities should be clear about the capacity and appropriate treatment technology to be adopted for an apartment. This should be known right at the stage where the apartment construction is approved.

He says, "It is equally important to ensure that such treatment facility is actually provided for and the same is functioning as per the prescribed norms."

Failure to adhere to the norms, he says, will lead to sewage water not being contained and treated within the premises. "There is a greater likelihood of the untreated sewage finding its way into the streams and open areas jeopardising the health of the residents as well as people living in the neighbourhood."

A resident of Mantri Greens apartment in Bengaluru West notes that advanced water treatment technology with detailed design and workflow mechanism will certainly benefit the residents of an apartment. "The importance of STP in the present scenario is imperative as water is the basic need of people. Using it meticulously is possible only through STP," he says.

Timely maintenance will help avoid malfunctioning of STPs. "In general, the onus lies on the builder who takes the responsiblity for maintenance and upkeep of STP till the occupants or housing society takes over," the resident says.

STP experts say a worker should first be treated as a human being and not robots that can endure poisonous gases in treatment tanks and manholes. In the case of manholes, the workers ventures into dangerous territory for monetary reasons. As an expert put it, "Never in their dreams would they want to loose their lives. But this is the reality."

Underground sewers (and a few STPs), are left unopened for months. This leads to accumulation of toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and methane. It also contains large amount of ammonia, chlorides, sulphate and mercury. This leads to high temperature inside the sewers. So as the worker enters the manhole, he may suffocate and die due to asphyxiation.

To prevent accidents such as the recent one in HSR Layout, workers have to be adequately armed with all the safety equipment before they enter a confined area. Besides, there should be additional persons as standby waiting outside at the time of emergency. Most apartment residents that DH spoke to admit this is the way forward.

Strict guidelines on STP maintenance are yet to be officially issued from the agencies concerned. While some apartments have been lax in adhering to even the basic norms, there are models to emulate. This apartment complex on the city's outskirts has formed a sub-committee to look specifically into STP matters and ensure that it functions optimally.

Only skilled people are employed here for even the cleaning job. Since the plant enjoys round-the-clock monitoring, chances of toxic gases accumulating in the enclosed treatment chamber is virtually eliminated.
Some anxious moments. A bit of suspense. Some earnest appeals. And finally, the inevitable.



The CPM Central Committee (CC) on Sunday voted against a resolution favoured by party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, which had appealed for an electoral truck with the Congress in the fight against the BJP.



Instead, the party placed its faith in the resolution by Yechury's predecessor and Polit Bureau member Prakash Karat, who wanted no trucking with the Congress.



Riding on the support from the powerful Kerala lobby, Yechury's resolution was defeated by a 31-55 vote.



The party had been divided on the issue of being part of a larger Opposition platform with the Congress for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.



Yechury, in a desperate bid to project a unified face of the party, appealed to the CC members to avoid voting on the two draft resolution brought before the powerful body of the party.



His logic was that with barely a month left for the crucial Tripura Assembly elections, the party and the Left front as a whole need to stand united against the BJP.



A section of the CC, led by several members from West Bengal, said since the matter concerns the party's future political line, the apt forum to discuss the issue is the 22nd Party Congress scheduled in April in Hyderabad.



But voting became inevitable when the lobby with the majority, owing allegiance to Karat, rejected Yechury and said taking the two draft resolution to the Party Congress will only mean the CC is not sure about the line the party needs to adopt for its future.



They also said the Kolkata CC meet was the third such meeting of the body over the two resolutions and a decision has to be made this time.



Party sources told DH that with a deadlock around the corner, the Polit Bureau had met late on Saturday night, where Yechury expressed his desire to step down as general secretary.



He said since the general secretary's views are being rejected time and again, him continuing at the helm will not send out a good message to the party's rank and file. He, however, was disuaded.



Talking to reporters after the concluding session of the CC meet, Yechury said, "The CC has voted in favour of a draft political resolution during todays meeting and has adopted it with certain amendments. The CC has decided that the party will ensure maximum votes against the BJP, but there will be no electoral adjustment with the Congress. The draft will be placed before the Party Congress, where a final call will be taken. A decision on electoral alliance or such can only be taken when elections come. We will cross the bridge when it comes."
In a surprising move, Rajput women group in Chittorgarh, protesting against Padmaavat, has decided to write a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking his permission to end their lives by "active euthanasia".

On Sunday, thousands of women took out a 'swabhiman' (dignity) protest march in the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan.

Clad in their Rajputi poshak (traditional dress of Rajput women), women took out a march which originated from Padmini Mahal in Chittorgarh Fort and concluded at Johur Jyoti Mandir also situated in the fort.

"We are filling the forms and writing a letter to the President to seek permission for euthanasia. We want to die with dignity. No one is hearing us out. Our sentiments are hurt with the release of this film. We will also sacrifice our lives like Rani Padmini did ages ago," Sangeeta Chauhan, secretary of Johur Kshatrani Manch told DH.

The march saw a huge participation of women from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. "The aim of the protest was to bring attention to the fact that we are united and are ready to go against the movie if it is released in cinema halls on January 25th", Sangeeta said.



Unhappy with the Supreme Court order that stayed the ban on the release of Padmavaat in four states, Karni sena has already threatened to perform a mass 'johur' (self-immolation) on January 24 in Chittorgarh.



However, a committee led by Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, which studied the Supreme Court's order, decided on Saturday night to file a petition on Monday or Tuesday.

Karni Sena founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi has called for a "janata curfew" on January 25 and has appealed to people to boycott the film. Kalvi claimed that distributors in Rajasthan have assured that they will not distribute Padmaavat.
Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria on Sunday said the state government will provide the required protection to censor board chief Prasoon Joshi during the Jaipur Literature Festival.

The home minister's statement comes two days after the Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena threatened against Prasoon Joshi attending the festival, amid the protests against Padmaavat.

"We will not allow any kind of nuisance. We assure that all protection will be provided to him (Joshi) and will not tolerate anything that violates law and order situation in the state", Kataria said.

Prasoon Joshi is a regular at Jaipur Lit Fest and is scheduled to participate in a session titled 'Main aur Woh: Conversations with Myself' at the fest on January 28.
The Organic and Millet-2018 International Trade Fair came to an end on Sunday after facilitating business deals worth Rs 79 crore in three days during which the footfall crossed 2 lakh.



About 34 companies signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for deals that effectively expand the millet market at national and international level. Apart from Rs 79.31 crore business deals, some private companies signed letters of intent worth Rs 27.6 crore with 14 farmers federations.

Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that the event has opened up space for private players to enter the millet market and contribute to its growth. "There are a lot of stakeholders in this ecosystem, including research institutes, academic facilities, businessmen and the government. We all must be a part of the solution and not the problem," he said.

Gowda said startups are no longer limited to the IT sector but have now entered the agriculture sector. "Last year, Rs 10 crore was set aside in the state budget to encourage startups. In the trade fair, 16 startups were given financial aid," he said.

Nine companies have entered into an agreement to boost organic products in the state. Long-term agreements worth Rs 340 crore have also been signed.

IT, BT and Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge said Agriculture and IT department will come together to form an agriculture excellence centre. "The centre will be opened within two months," he said.

He said Karnataka was second in the world in creating an encouraging ecospace for startups. "The way we use technology and internet has become a model for the entire country. Last year, we gave financial aid to more than 250 startups," he added.
The inauguration of the silver jubilee celebrations of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) on Friday, at the Fortune Inn Valley View, was a momentous occasion for the deemed-to-be University.



With all the previous vice chancellors and the present one sharing a stage to start the celebrations, it was nothing short of a historic occasion for the varsity. The presence of Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy as the chief guest was the cherry on the cake. Also present was Manipal Education and Medical Group (Bengaluru) chairman Dr Ranjan Pai.

A short, impressive programme gave the celebrations a good start. Every speaker recalled how Dr TMA Pai toiled to start India's best private university. They also recognized the tremendous efforts put in by Dr Ramdas M Pai, the present chancellor in bringing it to where it now is. The release of the silver jubilee logo was also unique as Narayana Murthy pressed a button and the logo showed up on a huge LED screen on the stage.

Six decades

Pro chancellor Dr H S Ballal while welcoming the gathering said that his association with the institution has been for more than four decades. "As an institution of higher education, we have been in existence for more than six decades and as a university, it is 25 years now," he said. Speaking on behalf of all the vice chancellors, past and present, Dr Valiathan spoke of the extraordinary growth of the university. He said it was because of the dedicated and continued leadership provided by two great minds, the father and son duo. He expressed happiness that two generations have contributed to the growth of this great institution and was also glad that the third generation in Dr Ranjan Pai promises to take the institution to greater heights.

Vice chancellor Dr H Vinod Bhat gave a snapshot of the university from the time it started with five institutions in Manipal and Mangalore with a little over 5500 students to its current presence in three countries and consisting about 32,000 students. He spoke about research, some of the existing programmes and future plans. He took pride in saying, "Ours is the highest ranked private university in the country according to World QS Rankings." He told that 80 new centres were set up in 30 months. "I believe our past performance and future potential will help us get the status of "Institution of Eminence" for which we have applied to the Government of India," he said. On future campuses, he said there were plans to start universities in Bengaluru, Jamshedpur and Sri Lanka.

There was an interaction with Narayana Murthy at the end of the programme. It was moderated by Dr Gayathri Prabhu, associate professor, MCPH.
The incidents show up their vulnerability, besides their lack of training and skill. A worried police commissioner said on Saturday his men should shoot at those attacking them.

In all cases reported over the week, policemen failed to judge the aggression of those they were out to discipline, former Karnataka intelligence chief B Gopal Hosur said.

And that's not all. The rifles and lathis constables carry afford them little protection.

Bengaluru constables still lug around a Lee-Enfield .303 rifle, introduced into the British army in 1895. And at critical moments, they have to recall their skills from years ago.

They are trained for nine months when they are recruited, and it ends there. The department gives them no regular target practice.

Also, the rifle has a range of about 1.5 km-2km, which is not useful in cities as the assailants are usually present at a close range.

"Our constables carry a nine-kg rifle all night," Hosur told DH. "It is a pain." He recommends lighter, more modern weapons.

"Not just constables, but even our sub-inspectors are scared to use their service weapons as they face tough departmental inquiries," he said.

Home minister Ramalinga Reddy isn't so sure about that line of argument. "The weapons are given for their protection," he said. "They should go ahead and use them when their life is at risk."

City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar said many criminals turn out unruly, violent, drunk and high on drugs. "Constables must be cautious. If they feel they can't handle a gang, they should call for additional staff," he said.

Zero experience

A head-constable attached to the Indiranagar police station said he had never used the .303 rifle given to him.

"It is too heavy. I don't know of any colleagues who have used their rifles even once during their service," he said.

A .303 is given to one of two constables on night duty. Constables who work during the day say they are even more defenceless.

"Even small-time criminals carry revolvers. But we just get a lathi to protect the public and ourselves," a constable said.

Fitness is a concern, too. Many policemen above 40 suffer from a host of ailments and don't exercise.

A constable attached to the Ashok Nagar police station said, "Our day shift is 8.30 am to 8.30 pm, and night shift 8.30 pm to 8.30 am. When do we even exercise?"
China's increasingly aggressive construction activity in Doklam Plateau, barely five months after a 73-day-long face-off between Indian and Chinese troops there warrants immediate attention and action by India's security establishment.



A few weeks ago, media reports drew attention to satellite images available in the public domain that revealed a new road the Chinese are building in Doklam. More recent images show that the Chinese have built several military structures, including a full-fledged military complex, helipads and trenches, just 81 metres from the point where the two armies were locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball stare-down last year. The Ministry of External Affairs insists that the "status quo" at the site of the face-off has not been altered and that it has "used mechanisms" to "resolve misunderstandings" with China. However, Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat has admitted to Chinese infrastructure building in Doklam, albeit of a "temporary" nature. Is the MEA not in the loop on matters at the Line of Actual Control? Or worse, is it in a state of denial? Even the Chinese government is not denying its infrastructure building in Doklam. Indeed, it has justified its activity there as "legitimate" and is reasserting its claim over Doklam rather strongly by insisting that it has "always belonged to China" and under its "effective jurisdiction."



Following an agreement in late August, India and China agreed on an "expeditious disengagement" of their troops to end the crisis that severely strained Sino-Indian relations last year. This came as a relief. There was quiet satisfaction in India that Chinese troops had pulled back and that the Doklam crisis had "ended". Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Beijing for a Brics summit thereafter and engaged in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of that summit. It did seem then that relations were on the mend. However, in October, media reports on Chinese building activity in Doklam began trickling in again. India brushed these aside as attempts by Xi to impress hardline Chinese nationalists ahead of the Communist Party Congress. The recent satellite images indicate that the Chinese may have never halted their construction activity at Doklam or at best only paused for a while, only to return to the area subsequently. Did Beijing take India for a ride by agreeing to disengage in August? Or worse, did the Modi government agree to de-escalation on Chinese terms?

The Modi government must reveal the terms of the deal with China in August. If the terms cannot be made public for reasons of national security, the government should at least take the opposition parties into confidence on the matter. Doklam is primarily a matter between Bhutan and China, but its proximity to Chicken's Neck - India's Siliguri Corridor - makes its possible loss to China a grave threat to India.
The year 2017 began with uncertainties in the global environment. On trade policy, the year did not end on any clearer terms than it started with. Uncertainty remains over several ongoing negotiations with different sets of countries. It is most visible at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and in India's bilateral trade relations with Europe and the US.



The inauguration of Donald Trump as US President in January 2017 set the tone -- things were to be different in relations with the US. In the early days of his office, he pulled the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), then reopened NAFTA and questioned the WTO. The Obama-era interest in a bilateral investment treaty with India also seems to have waned, but the recently appointed US Ambassador to India, Ken Juster, has hinted at a Free Trade Agreement in the future.

For India, Trump's taking office ushered in uncertainty over the visa regime for its software professionals, too. Indians on work visas in the US also face uncertainty over whether or not their spouses can work. With the Trump administration, the element of unpredictability in the relationship will always remain.

In the Asia Pacific region, talks for the proposed RCEP continued throughout last year. India, too, hosted one of the RCEP rounds in July in Hyderabad. Amongst the sticking points for India is the need for all 16 RCEP countries (Asean+6) to reduce tariffs to zero for all products from the date RCEP comes into force.

The concern is about foreign goods, particularly from China, flooding the Indian market at the cost of local producers. India wants free movement for its professionals to other RCEP countries, but it is uncertain whether India's interests in the IT-ITeS sector will be fully accommodated.

The Asean wants to wrap up the text of the RCEP in 2018. This month, India will host the Asean-India Commemorative Summit marking the 25th anniversary of India-Asean relations. Commerce is high on the agenda. Though India must use the opportunity to make clear its position on RCEP, New Delhi is also to host a round of discussions in February on intellectual property provisions in RCEP.

The European Union, the world's largest trading block, is itself facing its biggest threat with Brexit. In that setting, India is talking to both the EU and the United Kingdom for FTAs with each of them separately. A new UK-India joint working group on trade issues was formed in November. Also, after being deadlocked for a while, the talks for a proposed bilateral trade and investment agreement (BTIA) with the EU were revived last year.

The four EFTA member states - Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland - have for almost a decade been attempting a "Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement," or TEPA, between India and EFTA. Talks for the TEPA were held in Liechtenstein in May-June 2017 and later in the year in India, but are still far from over.

The 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) of the World Trade Organisation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December ended inconclusively, with no Ministerial Declaration. New issues were sought to be introduced into the negotiating agenda of the WTO by developed countries and their allies.

In India's view, agreeing to these would have been extremely divisive. India wants to balance trade liberalisation with the need to protect small farmers and give due attention to food security for the poor. For that, special and differential treatment and special safeguard measures have been a legitimate demand. The permanent solution for public stockholding for food security and domestic support was also among the key issues for India at the MC11.

Packed schedule

2017 was indeed a busy year for India's trade negotiators, given the number of official talks the Government of India is engaged in. These will continue to occupy the government calendar in 2018 as well.

Although Suresh Prabhu took over as the new commerce minister in September, India's foreign trade strategy and policy is currently being steered by the Prime Minister's Office and the External Affairs Ministry. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj started 2018 with official visits to Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.

Trade talks give decision-makers a chance to say that they are attempting certitude in an uncertain world. But there are strong assumptions about FTAs, as free trade itself came to be questioned much more through last year. In such a scenario the buy-in for FTAs by the wider community in highly uncertain times is low.

Prabhu has hinted at a standard operating procedure that will be followed while entering into any new FTA. To start the year well, the government needs to do a full ex-ante assessment of the FTAs it is currently negotiating. Moreover, gains ought not to be simply measured in terms of the volumes of imports and exports. As Prabhu himself told the world: India is home to more than 600 million poor people. So, most importantly, we need to see how and if trade relations actually improve people's lives and livelihoods.
The Kaziranga National Park is a fascinating habitat, and comes up in evaluation exercises of management of tiger reserves in the north-eastern states. Assam has 2600 rhinoceros, of which 2,400 are in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). It is situated in the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River.



The ground level of the KNP was raised during an earthquake in 1950. The sediments carried by the Brahmaputra and rivers originating in neighbouring Karbi Anglong district are deposited. During monsoon, the rivers inundate the area, overflowing banks and filling low-lying areas of the KNP. The flood is an annual feature.



The KNP has a large diversity of mammals, birds and reptiles. One-horned rhinoceros, wild buffalo, elephant, tiger and swamp deer are present in good numbers and are popularly called the 'big five' of Kaziranga. This Park has many appellations to its credit - it is a tiger reserve, a world heritage site, an elephant reserve and an important bird area.

The threat to wildlife in the KNP is severe as the rhinoceros population is very high and the entire boundary is porous. The northern side is surrounded by the Brahmaputra and its numerous islands. There is a large population of traditional fishing communities all along the river, some of which harbour poachers of wild animals, especially of the rhinoceros. The poachers entering KNP from its northern side with the help of fishing communities use .315 and .303 rifles.

There are no villages inside the Park area, but villages close to the southern boundary also pose a threat to it and make wildlife protection difficult. These villagers harbour poachers from Nagaland and Manipur, who use assault rifles (AK 47, AK 56, etc). From 1980 to 1997, a total of 530 rhinos were poached, averaging nearly 30 rhinos per year. The highest poaching in a year - 48 rhinos - was reported in 1992, when its population was 1,100. In the years 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, rhino poaching cases were 27, 27, 17 and 18 respectively. Six rhinos were poached till November 2017. The markets for rhino horn are in China and Taiwan. Rhino population in the Park was 940 in 1980, grew to 1,300 in 1997 and was 2,400 as per the latest census in 2015.

Some other Protected Areas (PAs) in Assam also have rhino populations, equally vulnerable as at KNP for poaching. The Bodo agitation in the 1980s and 90s resulted in the wiping out of all rhinos from the Manas National Park (MNP). Elephants and tigers were also wiped out. The populations of these animals are slowly building up as a result of migration from the adjoining Royal Manas of Bhutan.

The MNP management has reintroduced rhinos, but poaching goes on unabated. Two rhinos reintroduced into the Burachapori Sanctuary in the flood plain of Brahmaputra have died. It appears that the mother was diseased and the calf was too young to survive alone. The choice of the pair for reintroduction was probably inappropriate.

Cattle from villages adjoining KNP graze inside the Park. The practice leads to habitat loss and poses an even bigger threat to wildlife protection. There are 178 anti-poaching camps spread across the Park so as to keep the entire area under surveillance. The spots of one rhino poaching on the night of November 2 and two more two nights later were hardly 200 meters from the Tunikati anti-poaching camp in Buda-pahar range. The same gang stayed in the Park for two days and committed both poaching. They were caught by police in Nagaland a week later.

During my visit, the staffs of the camp were confronted with a question as to how the poachers had stayed on in the forests without being noticed, they had no answer. A senior officer shared with me the obvious suspicion that some staff had abetted the poaching.

Multiple measures

The Government of Assam has taken many measures for effective management of wildlife in the state, including legislative changes, bringing Wildlife (Protection) (Assam Amendment) Act, 2009, for strict enforcement in handling wildlife crimes such as the poaching of rhinos; a special task force to prevent rhino-poaching, comprising of district police of Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Karbi Anglong districts, as well as Forest personnel of KNP, was established in 2014. They have arrested many poachers in a series of raids.

Additional support to curb poaching in KNP is provided by placing 535 personnel from the Assam Forest Protection Force, who are armed with .303 rifles and 200 SLRs. The services of 125 Home Guards are also available. A process is on to acquire more sophisticated arms, like AK series weapons.

An electronic surveillance system, called the Electronic Eye, has been installed on eight 45-metre tall towers and one control tower. They are fitted with visual and thermal imaging cameras with 24X7 operation. The visual camera can track any movement within a radius of 10 km during the day while the thermal camera can track up to three km during night. To cover the entire Park in surveillance, eight more towers need to be installed. For full-night surveillance, many more towers are required. The system in operation presently provides limited support to anti-poaching strategies.

During patrolling in the jungle, the staff are not only prone to attacks by poachers but also by wild animals like rhinos, wild buffalos and elephants. Fifteen forest personnel have been killed while patrolling the jungle in the last 12 years. Eight were killed by rhinos, four by buffaloes and three by elephants. In addition 41, 10 and 6 patrollers were injured by rhinos, buffalos and elephants respectively.

Assam often seeks the services of the CBI to unearth forward and backward linkages of poaching rackets. Other states should also constitute task forces with similar support.

(The writer is former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka)
Can blind people write programming codes?



The answer would be a firm yes as you watch them clustered around tables, putting their heads down and discussing what kind of apps to create in a 24-hour period at the hackathon held at the International Institute for Information Technology-Bangalore on Saturday.

The sighted people are not present to help them, but to partner with them in the effort.

Organised by I-Stem, a self-advocacy group with 10 blind students pursuing BTech in IITs, IIITs and NITs, the hackathon is to demonstrate the ability of the blind to work in an inclusive team.

"Part of our activity is to sensitise teachers, students and special instructors on the possibility of the blind students learning science and math at school," said Kartik Sawhney, a visually challenged MS Computer Science graduate from Stanford University, who created I-Stem with fellow blind persons pursuing technology programmes.

The 10 work with the zeal of an evangelist in persuading teachers, special educators and even students to make science, engineering and math learning accessible to the blind.

"Sometimes talk is cheap and we need to demonstrate the difference science/engineering education can make to a blind person by doing something as hands-on as this," Sawhney, who would take up a job with Microsoft soon, added.

In total, there are 12 groups of blind and sighted individuals building various apps.

The ideas for these apps have come from the blind participants. "The apps should be accessible for all kinds of disability and they exactly know how to make them work," said Saumya Paigwar, a first-year M Tech student with IIITB, who is part of the team that set about creating a web-based twitter trend finder.

Joining I-Stem in organising the two-day hackathon are IIITB's E-Health Research Centre, not-for-profit organisations Vision Aid, Vision Empower and Mumbai-based Xavier's Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged.

Co-founder of Vision Empower with research scholar Supriya Dey, Vidhya Y, the first ever blind student to complete MSc in Digital Society at IIITB, said Sawhney and his group reached out to her with the hackathon idea.

"Since Vision Empower is also involved in facilitating science education at schools, we thought this would be the kind of event that would reflect our objectives and provide practical examples of how science education can transform the blind," Supriya said.

On Sunday, a group of judges had picked the team made of Rishabh Jain, Rutwik Vempati, Aman Datta, Rama Krishna and Mayank Senani for creating an app that would identify objects around a blind person. Two other teams also made it to the podium.
With the completion of 30 pillars for the Baiyappanahalli-Whitefield Phase 2 metro line, construction work on the route has gathered pace.



The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited has divided the 15.50-kilometre route into Reach 1A (Baiyappanahalli-Visvesvaraya Industrial Area) and Reach 1B (the remaining distance till Whitefield). Of the 579 pillars spanning the route, it has erected 18 in Reach 1A and 12 in Reach 1B.

The metro corporation has also finished laying 1,100 of about 3,600 pile and pile caps (deep foundations) in the route.

The line would run parallel with the Whitefield Main Road and turn right at Hoodi to join the industrial area at Kundalahalli.

It will once again come adjacent to the main road at ITPL before cutting left at Hoskote Road to stop near the Kadugodi police station.

"We've set a 27-month target to finish with the construction work," a BMRCL official said, adding, "The contractor can finish the work before the deadline if he continues in the same pace."

The official also said clearing the grounds for the metro rail line is also going on simultaneously with the shifting of the underground drinking water and sewage lines, besides widening the roads at several stretches to re-route traffic. Nearly 102 buildings have been razed and only 20 more to be demolished, he said.

The corporation has to redirect the three-kilometre, 220-kV power line between Kundalahalli and Satya Sai Hospital, which it could not carry out due to delay in shifting utility lines. The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) has paid Rs 64 crore for the task.

With the metro construction work under way in several areas at Whitefield Main Road, it is witnessing alarming levels of traffic chaos.

"The contractors have deployed traffic marshals to handle the situation, but they have limited options to redirect the vehicles," the official said.
The cybercrime police have arrested five people for illegally hiking Television Rating Points (TRPs).



The suspects were using multiple television sets and paying money in certain locations for people to watch the channel to increase the TRP.

The suspects made a huge sum of money by advertising in the said channels. They were identified as Raju, Madhu, Suresh, Jemsy and Subhas, all residents of Bengaluru.

Police said that the Broadcast Audience Research Council had filed a complaint stating that illegal methods were being used to spike the TRPs.

Police added that based on the false TRPs, channels would charge the advertisement company a huge amount of money.
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Bitcoin dreams fade for Indians amidst govt crackdown

India's top banks, including State Bank of India, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Yes Bank, have suspend some accounts of major Bitcoin exchanges in the country suspecting dubious transactions, after the Income Tax Department on Friday sent tax notices to thousands of people dealing with the virtual currency.

The I-T notices follow a nationwide survey, which revealed that more than transactions worth more than $3.5 billion were made in just 17 months, according to a Reuters report.

The exchanges, which are facing the action are the top ten such platforms in the country and include Zebpay, Unocoin, CoinSecure and BtcxIndia, among others

Banks have reportedly asked for additional collateral equivalent to the loans these exchanges have taken, based on the market value of Bitcoin. They have also capped cash withdrawals for the few accounts which are operational, according to The Economic Times.

Investors in Bitcoin and other virtual currencies include tech-savvy youngsters, real estate players and jewellers and a majority of them are from cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune, Reuters quoted income tax officials as saying.

Reports say eight of these accounts have likely been suspended after the banks found that the funds were utilised for purposes other than stated by the account holders.

"Reserve Bank of India has not issued any directive to us - it's a cautionary move on our part. We are wary about the purpose for which some of these current accounts are being used," ET quoted a banker involved in the matter as saying.

These ten exchanges reportedly have a combined revenue of over Rs40,000 crore and they operate at margins greater than 20 per cent, according to the the ET report.

The government is reported to be looking at imposing restrictions on virtual currencies and the finance ministry has set up a committee to look into the possibility of bringing in legislation to regulate the currency.

India's move follows similar crackdowns in countries like Japan and China and the South Korean move to shut down virtual currency exchanges.
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb received his first county Republican committee endorsement as he seeks the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

The Yates County Republican Committee held a straw poll at its committee meeting last week. The members voted unanimously to endorse Kolb, R-Canandaigua, in the race for governor.

Kolb is one of two Republicans seeking the GOP nomination. Joel Giambra, a former Erie County executive, is the other. State Sen. John DeFrancisco is exploring a gubernatorial bid.

Sandy King, chair of the Yates County Republican Committee, highlighted Kolb's support for lower taxes, protecting gun rights, reducing spending and addressing corruption in state government.

"Assemblyman Kolb represents our Republican values," King said in a statement. "He is well-known to the citizens of Yates County and has the experience, policy knowledge, drive and tenacity to campaign against and ultimately defeat Andrew Cuomo and become the next governor of New York state."

Kolb, who represents all of Ontario County and part of Seneca County in the state Assembly, had Yates County in his district when he was first elected in 2000. While he no longer represents Yates, the county borders his current district.
2019-08-13

This is my first time to try fencing. Ive always wanted to do it because of Richard Gomez, Zorro and the Three Musketeers! Haha! Anyway ,Fencing is known as a very elite sports in the Philippines because of the expensive equipment, but now you can try it out without havingContinue Reading
The fetish for covering Trump backers fails to treat them like adults

The Wall is the Wall, it has never changed or evolved from the first day I conceived of it, the loser of the 2016 popular vote tweeted last week, before rejecting at least two bipartisan agreements to keep the government open. Both reportedly included some funding for the presidents request for the Wall, from the taxpayers of the United States.

No, Mexico is not paying for the wall, as Trump promised his supporters it would hundreds of times, so often that the promise was sung back to him at his rallies like a discordant German drinking song.

Normally, the president of the United States lying to his biggest supporters over and over about his signature promise would be a major news story. That its become something reporters barely even mention leads to a simple conclusion: Its an accepted fact that the current occupant of the Oval Office lies about everything.

The lies are relentless. About five a day, according to most counts. Theyre usually petty or irrelevant, but often they cloak massive betrayals.

He has broken promises to release his tax returns and reveal the details of his wifes dodgy immigration status. Most consequentially, he vowed to not cut his own taxes. The lies shield the other lies from being accurately debunked. But any adult can discern that a giant tax cut for the rich helps Trump and his kids, if he is actually rich. Or maybe thats a lie too.

Some lies are so massive that people dont even bother parsing them. He vowed to replace a corrupt machine in Washington. Instead, hes packed his administration with billionaires like Betsy DeVos, who runs her department like a patronage machine for herself and her fellow profiteers, and Scott Pruitt, the sort of politician who thrives because he makes life easier for billionaire polluters and robber barons.

Of course, there is a massive subtext here. Trump has been honest about his desire to harm immigrants, specifically the ones hes not married to. And hes carrying out that promise. Some Trump supporters (Im separating Trump voters from supporters) are obviously fine with anything Trump says as long as he does he brutalizes non-white people or nominates Mike Pences picks for the judiciary. But these voters are rarely or never asked why they are okay with being lied to.

During and after the campaign, many consensus builders adopted Salena Zitos fabulism: The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.

Maybe that makes sense on the campaign trail when youre basically running to start a cable news channel.

But hes president of the United States now, and the government is literally in a partial shut down. Trillions have been literally transferred to the rich and corporations. Trump literally spends one third of his time at his businesses he has not divested, using the power and the taxpayer money invested in him to promote his businesses and solicit personal profits in manner that Republicans would definitely call bribery if Hillary Clinton were doing it.

When the press heads out to Trump Country or hands over its editorial page to diehard 45 supporters, you get to see how people who voted for this man, and likely voted Republican since 1980, adopt Trumps surly defenses of his lies, often word-for-word. Youre likely to hear that Mexico will pay for the wall directly, or indirectly, as Trump began insisting after Mexico made it clear that he would never be

The Trump supporters the press keeps finding dont seem to feel lied to; they feel complicit in the lying, which feels so good because it feels good to hurt the people Trump is hurting with his lies and his policies. And theyre fine with the hurt he lathers everywhere, until a little gets on you.

There are questions to ask these people that might be useful for the rest of us  like how do you know when hes lying? Is it good that the rest of the world cant expect the president of the United States to tell the truth? When Trump promised to bring coal jobs back, were we supposed to take him metaphorically, since the industry is still dying?

One of the most lasting corrosive aspects of Trumps willingness to lie about everything is the way hes figured out how to get away with it. If you move on, the press does too, in search of another story.

But its time we start taking Trump voters seriously by asking them why they are okay with Trumps lies. I dont think theyre going to crack and admit that their guy ordered the Code Red. But its not news that a minority of Americans backs Trump. It would be news if the press would tell us why.

[Image by kyle tsui on Flickr, who has some great #WomensMarch18 photos]
Both sides need a good Brexit deal for the City

My regular column is available to subscribers on www.thesundaytimes.co.uk This is an excerpt.

In the spirit of Anglo-French co-operation of recent days, which included a Sandhurst summit and the offer by President Macron of a loan to this country of the Bayeux tapestry, let me today say how much I agree with Christian Noyer, a former governor of the Bank of France, its central bank.

Noyer, who now has the role of luring financial services business and jobs to Paris, particularly from Britain, said in a BBC interview that the City of London would not be displaced by any other capital as Europes leading financial centre. He is right.

London is the worlds leading financial centre, according to the most recent Global Financial Centres Index produced by Z/Yen and the China Development Institute. It ranks ahead of New York, in second place, as well as Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai and Toronto. The next European challenger to London, in ninth place, is Zurich, which is not in the EU. No other EU financial centre in in the top 10, with Frankfurt in 11th place, Luxembourg 14th and Paris way down in 26th.

Londons financial infrastructure and expertise puts it way ahead of its EU rivals, with a market dominance that is almost embarrassing. In several key areas its EU market share ranges from 50% to more than 80%. There are few, if any, other parts of the British economy this can be said about.

In the light of this, it would be easy in the forthcoming phase two of Brexit negotiations for the government to take a relaxed attitude towards the City and concentrate on other things. There are, after all, few votes in standing up for the Square Mile. Some Brexit voters, perhaps a considerable number, see the vote to leave as an opportunity to bring the City to heel and tilt the economy away from reliance on it.

Add to that the stated position of Michael Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator, that there will be no place for financial services in a post-Brexit EU-UK trade deal, and ministers might decide that there is no point banging their heads against a brick wall.

There is not a single trade agreement that is open to financial services, Barnier said last month. It doesnt exist. This was a consequence of Britains so-called red lines: In leaving the single market they lose the financial services passport. That, notwithstanding my entente cordiale with Noyer, was also his view. Macron has this weekend confirmed that there will be no financial services deal for Britain equivalent to single market membership without a continuing contribution to the EU budget, and Britain accepting the four freedoms of the single market and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Notwithstanding this it would, however, be a big mistake for the government not to place a high priority on the City and financial services in the forthcoming negotiations, both to ensure early agreement on a transition deal to stem any outflow of jobs, and to seek to break Barniers convention and ensure that the eventual deal between Britain and the EU does include financial services.

So, even if London does continue to be Europes biggest financial centre after Brexit, which I expect, it would do so even if it lost a significant part of its activity and jobs to other centres, such is the lead London has. But the loss of those jobs and activity, in the absence of a deal to preserve something like existing passporting arrangements, would be detrimental for the economy and Britains tax base.

It would also seriously undermine Londons standing in relation to other international financial centres. If enough activity peels away without a deal, which it could well do, it is unlikely that in five or 10 years time we would still be able to talk of the City as being the worlds leading financial centre. A slip down the global rankings would seem inevitable.

Targeting an EU-UK deal for financial services could not only underline the scale of the governments ambitions but provide a template for other sectors. Britain starts from a position of regulatory alignment with the EU but also with a regulator, the Bank of England, which is trusted on both sides and which has been operating within the EU but outside the eurozone for years.

The result of this, according Sam Woods, a Bank deputy governor and head of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), is that it should be entirely doable and technically feasible to conclude a financial services agreement within the next three years, in other words before the end of the transition period. Similar arrangements should also be doable, on the basis of continued regulatory alignment, for other sectors.

There is a final argument. There are very few areas associated with Brexit where the damage to the EU is greater than the damage to Britain; in most cases it is comfortably, or perhaps uncomfortably, the other way around. Logic, however

Financial services is, however, one of them, as Mark Carney, the Bank governor, has made clear. Woods described the worst outcome of all as one in which there is no transition, on co-operation and regulators on both sides would have to resort to a deep fallback position.

Cutting the EUs businesses and banks from the Citys markets would be the equivalent, for EU countries. Of cutting off their noses to spite their face. The City, he has said, is Europes investment banker and accounts for roughly half the debt and equity issued in the EU. I dont accept the argument that just because it has not been done in the past [a trade deal including financial services], it cant be done in the future, he said last month.

In the short-term, the EU would suffer financial dislocation, including the complication of the 20 trillion of derivatives contracts which are at risk, together with 60bn of insurance liabilities. In the medium-term, the loss of London to the EU would mean higher transaction costs, a rise in the cost of capital and the acceptance of less efficient markets and more thinly-spread expertise.

The logic for a deal which maintains something close to the status quo for the City in the EU therefore looks inescapable. Logic, however, has not always been uppermost in the Brexit process.


72 warplanes blasted off in memory of martyries

Turkish F-16s hit almost all targets in the operation against terror organization YPG.

Turkish jets destroyed targets of PYD/PKK terrorists in Afrin region, northern Syria, as part of "Operation Olive Branch".

Stated by Turkish General Staff 72 planes which took part in the operation have safely returned to their bases to get ready for the next mission.





There is a special meaning why 72 warplanes took part in the operation.

At the cross-border operation by the Turkish military named Operation Euphrates Shield endured from 24 August 2016 to 29 March 2017, 72 soldiers had been martyred.

In memory of martyries, 72 planes took part in the Operation Olive Branch.
Erdogan: Operation in Syria's Afrin has begun

The heavy bombardment began as units of pro-Ankara rebels known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) started moving into Afrin.

The bombing raids targeted the YPG terror organizations, the Turkish official said, adding that Free Syrian Army, was also providing assistance to the Turkish militarys operation in Afrin.

"TO ELIMINATE TERRORISTS AND SAVE FRIENDS FROM THEIR CRUELTY"

Turkish military confirmed it had started an operation in Afrin, saying this was to provide safety for Turkeys border and to eliminate terrorists and save friends and brothers, the people of the region, from their cruelty.

President Erdogan had said on Saturday a military operation in Syrias Afrin region had begun after cross-border shelling by the Turkish army.

Turkeys army said on Saturday it hit shelters and hideouts used by 3 terrorist groups -PKK, PYD and YPG, after terrorists fired on Turkish positions inside Turkey.
Farrah Abraham is the only Teen Mom OG star who hasn't welcomed (or announced they will soon welcome) a second child in the years since starring on 16 & Pregnant.

Amber Portwood is the only other remaining cast member who hasn't yet given birth to her second child. As she prepares for the due date of her baby boy, fans recently wondered if Abraham was on the verge of announcing her own pregnancy news.

On Jan. 18, Celebuzz shared an odd report regarding the reality star and her recent announcement about a "pregnancy scare" on SnapChat.

Oh my gosh! Ive had a pregnancy scare! Girls, watch your expiration dates, and that is on your birth control! she warned her fans and followers in a video message earlier this week.

Did Farrah Abraham Choose To Have An Abortion?

Just before signing off on her SnapChat account, Abraham sparked rumors of a possible abortion plan when she said she was going to go take care of it. Right away, her online audience suspected that Abraham may be headed to an abortion clinic to terminate her pregnancy.

Luckily, that wasn't the case. Instead, Abraham had gone to get a new IUD implant. As she explained, she decided to go for the "big guns" because she could not deal with a surprise pregnancy. A short time later, Abraham referred to her new birth control method as her companion.

I got my new little companion, she shared. My other companion for three years came out today, Im so proud.

Farrah Abraham Slams Amber Portwood's Pregnancy

As Portwood was seen learning of her baby news while on vacation with her boyfriend of just weeks in Hawaii, Abraham, who has one daughter, took to her Twitter page and put her Teen Mom OG costar on blast, suggesting Portwood had planned her pregnancy.

The single reality star then advised Portwood to enjoy the bonus she will be getting from MTV for agreeing to have another child. She also said that she hoped Portwood's bonus would help her pay off her child support payments to ex-boyfriend Gary Shirley.

To see more of Farrah Abraham and her costars including Amber Portwood, Andrew Glennon, Gary Shirley, Catelynn Lowell, Tyler Baltierra, Simon Saran, Maci Bookout, Mackenzie Standifer, and Ryan Edwards, don't miss new episodes of Teen Mom OG Season 7 on Monday nights at 9 p.m. on MTV.
The Parkers actress Mo'Nique is going against the popular streaming service, Netflix. The 50 year-old actress is claiming that Netflix paid her a significantly less amount than what her comedic colleagues were offered and is calling for a boycott.

Mo'Nique Versus Netflix

The actress addressed the issue on her Instagram page where she went into detail about the amount of money she was offered for a comedy special she did earlier this month.

"I was offered a $500,000-deal last week to do a comedy special. However Amy Schumer was offered $11 million, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle -- $20 million. Then Amy Schumer went and renegotiated two more million dollars because she said, 'I shouldn't get what the men are getting, they're legends, however, I should get more,' and Netflix agreed," the actress stated.

The actress stated that she brought to Netflix's attention a similiar problem between the online servie and actress Amy Schumer. Schumer also butted heads with Netflix over unequal payment for a comedy show she did. It was reported that the actress negotiated for two million more dollars in addition to what she already earned.

Monique continued that she wanted to know the difference between what she was asking and Schumer's demands. The comedian stated Netflix claimed that because Schumer starred in the blockbuster filmTrainwreck and wrote her own comedy show, her demands weren't over the top.

"Please stand with me in this boycott of Netflix,"she concluded.

Mo'Nique's Troubled Relationship With Hollywood

After winning the Best Supporting Actress Award for the film Precious, the actress has claimed she was "blacklisted" in Hollywood.

The Soul Plane star stated that directors Lee Daniels, Tyler Perry, and media proprietor Oprah Winfrey made it hard for her to find work because she did not promote Precious and gave an "unflattering" acceptance speech. Daniels denied this and stated that the actress simply "difficult" to work with.

The actress also came under scrutiny for stating that she and her husband, Sidney Hicks, have an "open" marriage.

Despite this, Monique starred in the HBO biopic Bessie opposite Queen Latifah. Her performance as Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith's former rival, received critical acclaim.

The actress is also known for her roles in: Almost Christmas, Two Can Play That Game, Moesha, Phat Girlz, Domino, Baby Boy, Good Fences, and her late night show, The Mo'Nique Show.
I want to buy a hair trimmer/clipper to cut my hair close-cropped to a few mm.



Can anyone point me to an Amazon.fr range of men's trimmers to do the job. Or could I use UK ones (half the bloody price of Amazon.fr in most cases!!!).



Don't need the ones that have a dozen or so attachments, just an adjustable one-piece unit or similar.
Thanks to both of you for your replies!I am aware that as an Aussie i'll just get a schengen visa on arrival.. was just wondering as I have previously held a WHV for the UK and since i've travelled there after it's expiry they seem to question me a lot more, asking for return tickets, proof of money etc etc....So I just wanted to know if this would be similar or if I needed to be out of France for a certain amount of time after my WHV visa expired! But I can't find anything so i'm positive there isn't timeframe...I'm sure it will be fine and they probably won't even ask me anything, I just like to be preparedThanks again you two!
No one cause brought hundreds of people to Main Plaza on Saturday morning.

Among the crowd gathered in front of San Fernando Cathedral, there were signs proclaiming support for women and immigrants, Democratic candidates and Black Lives Matter, reproductive rights and political participation, the truth and equality.

Its clear that were not just marching for one reason, said teacher Lauren York, 24.

The second annual Womens March, held Saturday in San Antonio and cities across the country, drew participants from varied backgrounds. The day marked not only one year since President Donald Trump took office, but also the first day of a partial government shutdown. This years demonstrations also happened in the wake of the widespread movement against sexual assault and harassment.

The diversity of causes was evident during more than an hour of impassioned remarks in the plaza, initially shrouded in a haze of fog and mist.

There was a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, who said the turbulence over the issue and the government shutdown were 100 percent the fault of Trump and the GOP.

We are losing our protections every day, said Jessica Azua, an organizer with the Texas Organizing Project.

There was a student from the University of Texas at San Antonio who urged those gathered not to forget people of color and other marginalized groups, including Palestinians.

There was domestic violence survivor Mariluz Resendiz, flanked by her two young daughters, who hoisted up posters that said, I have a voice.

There was Araceli Herrera, founder of Domesticas Unidas, a group that advocates for domestic workers, who said it felt like everything was under attack.

We knew it was gonna be bad. And every day, it was bad, said Rosey Abuabara, chair of Texas 23rd District Indivisibles and the rallys organizer, of the first year of Trumps presidency. Every day I felt stressed out.

Abuabara said she and others who helped organize the rally initially expected 100 to 200 people to show up but estimated attendance was closer to 500, based on a count by the Texas Democratic Party.

At the end of the rally, chanting and cheering, participants briefly marched past the Paul Elizondo Tower and City Hall before returning to Main Plaza.

Zoe Blythe, a drug and alcohol counselor, said she was concerned about the current administrations lack of respect for women. Blythe, 54, said she wanted to come out to show our strength and respect for ourselves.

Women are power, she said. And were really just learning that, some of us.

San Antonians were not the only ones to come out for the rally.

Mary Carraher of Loveland, Colorado, and her two friends were in the midst of a retirement road trip when they began looking for a place where they could participate in a womens march. They eventually settled on San Antonio, making a point of driving into the city for the rally.

Women are waking up, and theyre learning about their own power and theyre telling people about it, said Carraher, 67.

lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba
WASHINGTON - Warring members of Congress dug in Saturday on Day 1 of the partial government government shutdown as the political parties blamed one another for the budget impasse with unrelenting insults and waves of coordinated hashtags.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees received furlough notices, public sites closed and tourists were turned away from attractions, including the San Antonio Missions.

A day after a crippling fight over restoring protections of the expiring Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, President Donald Trump refused to negotiate until the government reopens and the Senates top GOP and Democratic leaders didnt bother to meet with one another.

The shuttering of government began on the one-year anniversary of Trumps inauguration, a symbolic conclusion to his often chaotic presidency. Trump postponed a fundraising trip to Florida as hundreds of thousands of people across the country protested his presence in the White House.

Debate about immigration turned increasingly harsh, with Trumps re-election committee releasing an ad proclaiming that Democrats are complicit in all murders by illegal immigrants.

Both parties sounded confident that voters will ultimately side with them, and no breakthrough appeared possible at least until early Monday, when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled a vote for 1 a.m. to pressure Democrats to fund the government for three weeks.

McConnell referred a half-dozen times to illegal immigration when denouncing Democrats for turning down a four-week extension as midnight Friday approached. That proposal also included funding for the lapsed Childrens Health Insurance Program and other popular spending.

McConnell said that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to keep the government shut down until we finish negotiating on the subject of illegal immigration.

Shutting down the government over illegal immigration, McConnell repeated. Its not an emergency. All of these other issues affected by the government shutdown are emergencies. The American people know whats going on here. Theyve got this figured out.

Laredo House Democrat Henry Cuellar, a moderate pushing to re-open the government, said he detects little urgency to resolve the crisis. A senator he asked to meet told him maybe Monday.

What happens is that people start think theyre message is resonating out in the public and then think theyre, quote, winning. So they continue what theyre doing, he said.

It was a day of crossfire blame games in Washington, pitting #SchumerShutdown versus #TrumpShutdown hashtags and Trump deploying his trusty Twitter account.

Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration. Cant let that happen! the president tweeted.

At another point, he posted sarcastically: This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present.

Democrats spoke Saturday on the Senate floor in front of a poster they created displaying a May 2017 tweet from Trump that read, Our country needs a good shutdown.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the Senates No. 2 Republican, argued that Democrats have listened to the most extreme elements in their political party and shut down the government over an unrelated immigration issue.

He added: We're not going to let him (Schumer) hold health insurance for 9 million children hostage over an unrelated immigration issue.

Cornyn, who on Friday night accused Democrats of ignoring problems along the border, suggested that discussion of deportation of Dreamers after DACA protections expire March 5 might be overblown.

I think, but I could be mistaken, that it doesnt mean theyre subject to deportation. What it means is they cant sign up again for another two years and they will lose potentially their work permit, he said.

The Senates most viable means of addressing the DACA issue up to now has been a bipartisan plan by six moderates in the chamber that would combine DACA protections with border security provisions.

But Cornyn, hinting at the need for more far-reaching changes in immigration policy, asserted that the proposal engineered by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and others has no future.

It should be clear to everyone that this is not going to be the path forward, he said.

Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Trump of reneging on an 11th hour near-deal when the two met at the White House on Friday. He said he offered funding for the controversial border wall in return for agreeing to a DACA solution and left the meeting believing the president had accepted.

The lunch that seem so promising was quickly overtaken by hard-right forces in the administration, he said, other recent instances in which Trump had backtracked.

I dont have the personal animus that a lot of my colleagues have for the president; were blunt and direct, he said of a fellow New Yorker. But its next to impossible to strike a deal with the president because he cant stick to the termsIts like negotiating with jello.

At the White House, legislative director Marc Short disputed Schumers account, contending that the Democratic leader had proposed $1.6 billion for wall funding this year, an amount Democrats already had suggested in negotiations.

Short said the president demanded $20 billion - over 10 years - and ridiculed Schumers tactic.

He had the gall to look at the president and say,Im giving you everything you want for the wall," Short said.

Mick Mulvaney, who heads the White House budget office, said hundreds of thousands of federal workers were notified on Saturday whether they are furloughed, if they are to remain at work or just show up Monday to close down operations.

He reiterated that the executive branch under Trump will conduct the shutdown differently than others were run, however long it lasts. Twice as many mine safety inspections will take place than in the 2013 shutdown and most national parks will remain open, albeit lacking in trash removal.

Mulvaney said that security personnel ranging from border protection to cybersecurity defenders would remain at work, and that trade negotiators would be at their posts next week for the sixth round of negotiations aimed at a redrawn NAFTA pact.

Military personnel are scheduled to be paid through the Feb. 1 pay period with the expectation that pay won't be interrupted. Cuellar noted the potential impact on more than 31,000 active duty military at Joint Base San Antonio, with estimated daily wages exceeding $10 million.

House Armed Services committee chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, said that roughly half of the civilians deployed by the Pentagon wouldnt be working next week.

He said work on weapons maintenance will largely cease, new support contracts wont be issued, medical procedures at some bases would be postponed and the Pentagon will not be able to pay many of its bills.

Every day that we force the military to live under a continuing resolution does damage to the military. The damage that is being done now under a shutdown is far worse, he said.

Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, a top Democrat on Senate Armed Services, said she is pressing Senate Republicans to unanimously approve a measure that assures military pay is not interrupted. She has yet to get an agreement, she said.

Seeking rhetorical advantage, senators relied on sources ranging from Winston Churchill to the Rolling Stones

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., used a Churchill quote to suggest that the Congress would end up in the right place.

You can always count on America in the end to do the right thing after trying everything else, Churchill once said.

Sen. Angus King, I-Me., recalled the Rolling Stones song You Cant Always Get What You Want and rewrote lyrics that follow that refrain.

If we compromise, we just might find that we get what we need, he said.

blambrecht@express-news.net
AUSTIN  Democratic candidates Lupe Valdez and Andrew White courted the labor vote Saturday, taking swings at Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, defining their differences and predicting that an angry electorate will help their partys cause in November.

Donald Trump is going to tweet for the next year, and hes going to outrage Americans. He is going to have some crazy, crazy tweets. Every time he does that, a new Texan is going to decide to vote, said White, a Houston entrepreneur and son of the late Democratic former Gov. Mark White. Everybody who voted for Hillary is pretty angry.

Valdez, former Dallas County sheriff, said she has seen energy and excitement among Democrats, who havent won a statewide race in Texas in more than two decades.

Oftentimes, pardon the expression, we have to piss off some folks so they can get out and do something. You know what? I think were pissed off enough, she said.

The two spoke at the Texas AFL-CIO COPE (Committee on Political Education) Convention, wooing a traditional constituency of the Democratic Party. The labor groups political arm plans to make an endorsement Sunday.

It was billed as the first one-on-one forum between Valdez and White, who are getting the largest share of the attention in a nine-way primary for the Democratic nomination to face Abbott and were the only two invited. The Republican governor, who has a war chest topping $43 million, is seen as beyond tough to beat whoever gets the nomination.

Valdez and White agreed on a number of issues at the forum, showing courtesy and even applauding each other at times. But they also showed some differences in policy and approach.

Both said the minimum wage, now at $7.25 an hour, should be raised, but only Valdez said she supports a $15 minimum wage.

I know that it will be difficult at some point to get there, Valdez told the labor crowd. We are going to need your help all the way to make it happen. It may have to be stair steps.

White said he would make raising the minimum wage a centerpiece of my platform, but he didnt commit to an amount. He told the San Antonio Express-News after the forum that he doesnt support a $15 wage because he doesnt think it can happen.

We are not going to double the minimum wage. I dont think thats realistic, White said. But we do need to raise the minimum wage.

Asked about how to pay for important state services that are underfunded, White made a point of saying, The money is there. We dont need to raise taxes.

His comment came a couple of days after Valdez said she would leave the door open to raising taxes, then backtracked and said she wouldnt look at that option.

Both candidates have voiced support for eliminating a provision in the property tax code that gives a break to businesses.

When asked how they would raise the campaign money to compete with Abbott, White highlighted his more robust effort, although he still has far less than the incumbent. White raised more than $219,000 in the first several weeks of his campaign, including more than $40,000 from himself. Valdez raised more than $46,000.

We have to be able to raise money in this race. Theres no doubt about it, White said, while adding that money is not as important as it used to be.

Valdez said the key is energizing the base and grassroots voters, but added that her campaign would get the money it needs.

She also used the issue to criticize Abbott, saying, The question that keeps coming up in our area is, is somebody trying to buy the position? What are the people that are giving him that much money expecting in return?

It was far from the only jab at Abbott, whom they said hasnt devoted enough attention to crucial state needs while pushing legislation with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick like a bill to restrict which public restrooms that transgender people can use.

Both agreed that the Legislature should repeal the anti-sanctuary cities measure championed by Abbott. It was opposed by Valdez and other sheriffs and, as the candidates said, has inspired fear among immigrants who worry over having to prove their citizenship.

What is wrong with that man? White asked of Abbott, saying it didnt make sense for him to push a measure that police chiefs opposed. The chiefs said it would interfere with community policing.

Abbott campaign spokesman John Wittman said, While Democrats debate over how much they will raise taxes on Texans, Gov. Abbott will continue promoting his agenda that has led to more jobs created in Texas than any other state in the past year, established record-low unemployment and created the best business climate in the country.

Aside from discussing policy, the candidates presented their different campaign styles.

Valdez drew on her background growing up in San Antonio as one of eight children of migrant workers.

I know what it is on a hot day to come in so sweaty that your clothes stick to you. I know what it is to come in so tired that you dont even want to eat, she said, quipping, And believe me, I always want to eat.

She also touted her work running the Dallas County sheriffs office, saying it gave her important experience as a public servant dealing with budgets, overseeing employees and negotiating differences with others.

I want to make the working folks  the everyday common people of Texas, the everyday issues  a priority, she said.

White cited his business experience as key. He said he draws inspiration from his fathers example of doing what he thought was right even when it was unpopular.

The former governor was a champion of education reform, including the no-pass, no-play requirement in schools. In pushing a tax increase to pay for education and transportation, the former governor told lawmakers to blame him for it.

Andrew White casts himself as a common-sense Democrat who can appeal to voters in the middle. He said Democrats need a candidate who can convince the reasonable Republicans to vote Democratic for the first time in 24 years.

Ken Aden, who is on the executive board of the Central Labor Council for San Antonio, said after the forum that as a personal matter, I liked White. He spoke well. I liked his daddy. I remember him. He (Andrew White) spoke well.

Nancy Hall of Dallas said, Being from Dallas, Im a Lupe fan. I worked hard for her when she was elected for sheriff. And its going to be tough, tough, tough, but I think we can pull it off.
AUSTIN  Texas women are dying due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth at alarming rates, but because of bad data, the reasons for the spike can be a mystery, a recent study indicates.

As lawmakers furiously look for fixes, the study showed many maternal mortality deaths reported to the state were attributed to nonspecific causes, meaning policy experts have little information to shape effective prevention strategies.

You have to be able to identify what the problem is before you can fix it, said Marian MacDorman, a co-author of the study published this month in the journal Birth and a professor at the University of Maryland Population Research Center. Half the deaths in Texas were coded to other as the cause of death, which means you dont know anything about what really happened to those women.

The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force, an agency under the Department of State Health Services, reported that 189 mothers died less than a year after giving birth in 2011-2012. According to research published in a 2016 issue of the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Texas maternal mortality rate had nearly doubled since 2011, though the latest study casts doubt on those numbers, suggesting they are over-inflated due to bad data.

The Obstetrics and Gynecology study reported that 537 women in Texas died in pregnancy or within 42 days of delivery, from 2011 to 2015, up from 296 during the period 2007 to 2010. The rate went from 18.6 deaths per 100,000 births in 2010 to 38.7 in 2012, a 108.7 percent increase.

Accurate, complete data on causes of death is critical for spotting public health trends and developing prevention programs.

But some Texas physicians warn the states electronic system for filling out death certificates is so complex and time-consuming that it discourages them from putting in detailed information about why their patients died.

Theres a lot of pressure on the doctor to get it done as soon as possible, said Dr. John Soule, an internal medicine doctor based in Victoria. If you have trouble filling it out, you are going to take a shortcut whenever you can.

Physicians can face a $500 fine and other penalties if they dont complete the death certificate within five days of receiving it from a funeral home. Doctors, however, usually arent trained in how to fill out the electronic forms, which require familiarity with medical coding language, said Charles Duncan, a critical care physician in San Antonio.

One wrong entry can force a restart of the entire process, so some doctors said they include as little information as possible to avoid potential errors.

Whats lost can be details about the patients underlying causes of death  such as smoking, diabetes or another disease that contributes to the fatality, information thats important to identify health issues.

The process is unbelievably complicated. Its not intuitive at all, said Dr. Eric Orzeck, an endocrinologist based in Houston, who preferred filling out paper copies used in the past. The data is wrong because we put in the bare minimum just to get it done.

Texas isnt alone. In the United States, studies estimate the rate of error in death certificates at about 40 percent.

By next year, the state plans to replace the dated electronic death certificate system with a new version, known as TxEVER. Among the improvements is a new alert that will ask physicians to verify a womans pregnancy status in the death certificate, a step meant to improve the accuracy of maternal mortality data, said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Were working with doctors, justices of the peace, funeral directors and others to help make it more user friendly, he said in a statement. Well be doing a lot of education as we switch over to TxEVER, and were already engaging in an effort to promote awareness of death certificates as a vital public health instrument.

The potential for misreporting, however, still will exist even with a more streamlined death certificate system, some doctors said.

Justices of the peace, who arent usually trained in medicine, can sign death certificates.

Experts say that may contribute to an underreporting in Texas of opioid overdose deaths, which to the untrained eye look like respiratory failure, social work Professor Lori Holleran Steiker recently told the Daily Texan.

Reporting even can be incomplete for people who die in a hospital, under the care of physicians who may not be familiar with a patients medical history, leading to guess work regarding, for example, duration of the disease, Duncan said.

A lot is just guesses and its inaccurate information as a result of that, he said, adding: The pressure is to get this thing done and off so they dont have to worry about it anymore.

Thats not everyones experience, however. Dr. John Holcomb, who specializes in pulmonary care in San Antonio, said that in his experience, a point person signs the death certificate after consulting with other attending doctors.

If the patient dies in the hospital, that hospitalist will be the one who signs the death certificate, Holcomb said. That is not usually a problem because we talk, the hospitalist knows every step of the way what the problem is.

Death and birth certificates feed into the states vital statistics records, which researchers rely on to determine leading causes of death, rates of childbirth and to spot public health issues, among other things.

State lawmakers formed a task meant to study and curb pregnancy-related deaths after learning the death rate had doubled since 2011. The Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force was renewed last year.

MacDorman, in an editorial accompanying the recent study, called better data a key tool to help solve the problem.

Simply put, if accurate maternal mortality data are not available, prevention efforts are scattered and unfocused  and more women die, she wrote.
Fifty percent of our new Texas teachers dont have college degrees.

 Andrew White on Jan. 11, to Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune

White, a Democratic candidate for Texas governor whos called for $5,000 pay raises for public school teachers, declared that half the states newest teachers lack college degrees.

White, a Houston investor, said, I know this: One way to fix education is to pay teachers more, so that we can attract the best teachers and keep the best teachers. So, we have a problem in this area right now. Fifty percent of our new teachers dont have college degrees. Right?

Not right, according to information from the Texas Education Agency, though figures backed up an alternate claim we fielded from Whites campaign.

After a reader brought Whites claim to our attention, Whites campaign spokeswoman, Desi Canela, told us White misspoke in the Jan. 11 public interview with Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune. Canela said White, drawing on information from a teacher advocacy group, had intended to stress the increased rarity of newly certified teachers in the state having bachelors degrees in education. Canela said White, whose late father, Gov. Mark White, shepherded into law a 1984 overhaul of state education laws, wants to mandate a uniform pathway to be certified to teach including, as a good first step, a focus on educators majoring in education.

Lets cover whether incoming teachers have college degrees, then turn to the alternate statement.

TEA spokeswoman Lauren Callahan said that, with minor exceptions, state law requires anyone seeking a state teaching certificate to have a bachelors degree. Also by law, Callahan wrote, almost all teachers in open-enrollment charter schools must hold bachelors degrees.

Callahan said that of over 25,000 newly certified Texas teachers in 2015-16, a maximum of 1.5 percent could have been certified without a baccalaureate degree. She added: Its likely the number wouldve been less. The agency reached the 1.5 percent estimate, Callahan said, by comparing the 382 people newly certified in the two school subjects that dont require a teacher to have a bachelors degree: health science technology and trade and industrial workforce training, with the 25,451 total newly certified teachers for that year.

Canela told us White had intended to echo a claim specific to education degrees included in a candidate questionnaire hed fielded from the Texas State Teachers Association. Part of the questionnaire says: A majority of incoming teachers no longer graduate from college with education degrees; they are certified via alternate certification programs. Some have suggested that reducing the standards for becoming a certified teacher could alleviate the teacher shortage. It then asks if the candidate is for or against reducing teacher certification standards.

To our request for elaboration, TSTAs Clay Robison emailed a document, attributed to the State Board for Educator Certification, which oversees the preparation, certification and standards of conduct for Texas public school teachers. The document, dated March 2017, breaks out the ways new Texas teaching certificates were earned from 2011-12 through 2015-16. In the latter year, the document says, 12,553 individuals gained certificates by taking an alternate route while 8,366 did so by meeting state requirements through an undergraduate program. Thats a 60-40 split between teachers certified by alternative means and those who went through undergraduate programs, but also considering people certified by coming from out of state or attaining advanced degrees, people certified via the alternate route accounted for 49 percent of newly certified teachers.

By email, we drew more recent figures from the TEAs Callahan indicating 33 percent of the states 32,795 newly certified teachers in 2016-17 were certified through undergraduate education programs, with 52 percent via alternative certification.

Our ruling

White said 50 percent of our new Texas teachers dont have college degrees.

In fact, very few newly certified teachers lack college degrees. Whites camp told us he meant to refer to teachers who dont get certified through undergraduate education programs.

We rate what he said False: The statement is not accurate.
NEW BRAUNFELS  State District Judge Jack Robison is the target of at least one complaint to state judicial authorities for telling jurors in a recent trial here that he believed the defendant in a sex trafficking case shouldn't be convicted.

"He said he had thought it over and prayed on it and that God told him that he had to say this," said Mark A. House, jury foreman in the weeklong trial of Gloria Romero Perez that concluded Jan. 12. "He was obviously troubled, very serious about it. It completely took everyone by surprise. We didn't say anything."

House said Robison appeared in the jury room after the panel had signaled with a bell that it had reached verdicts; of guilty on a charge of continuous trafficking of persons, and not guilty on a charge of sale or purchase of a child.

Perez, 32, was arrested in 2016 on charges that she'd brought a teenage relative to Texas from Honduras the prior year for illicit purposes, and later sold the girl, then 15, to a 32-year-old man who wound up impregnating the teen.

"There were jurors who were physically sick, crying and distraught" after Robison left the room, said House, a retired Marine who'd never served on a jury before.

He said jurors, who'd anguished over the minimum 25-year prison term mandated by the one guilty finding, stood by their verdicts despite Robison's remarks. Some felt Perez should be released on time served, House said.

"We rang the bell again and the judge came back again and reiterated that he didn't think she was guilty," House said Saturday. "Then he left."

Robison, a veteran jurist who presides in the 207th district that covers Comal and Hays counties, quickly informed the state and defense counsel of his conduct and recused himself from the punishment phase of the trial.

"It's probably the most unusual thing I've experienced in 20 years as an attorney," said Sylvia A. Cavazos, who represented Perez. "Judge Robison apologized in open court to the jury, saying something to the effect that 'I apologize but, if God tells me to do something, I have to do it.'"

A noted author and scholar on judicial conduct and ethics called Robison's behavior "completely improper and very strange," and suggested he step down.

"I believe you could call it a harmless error because they had reached their verdict and did not change it, but this gives rise to whether the judge should remain on the bench," said Jeffrey M. Shaman, professor of law emeritus at DePaul University.

"If a judge believes that God has told him to improperly interfere with the jury, and he believes he must comply with that, then the judge should resign from office," Shaman said by phone Saturday.

Although House said a bailiff had examined the completed verdict form, Cavazos said Robison indicated to the attorneys that he was unaware of their decisions.

"He said, 'I'm assuming guilty because the jurors all got mad at me'" over his remarks, she said Saturday.

Robison declined to comment on Friday, as did District Attorney Jennifer Tharp.

Cavazos said Robison had denied her motion for a directed verdict of not guilty on both counts after the state rested its case-in-chief.

"If he'd granted my motion, she would have been acquitted, case over and there would not have been any judicial misconduct," she said. "Once it was in the hands of the jury, he can't intervene while they're deliberating."

Cavazos rushed back to the courtroom after receiving a text that a verdict had been reached, but she was led with prosecutors into Robison's chambers.

"I just wanted to let you know what I did," she paraphrased the judge as saying. "I'm sorry if I messed anything up. Y'all can request a mistrial. I felt strongly that she should not be convicted on these facts, so I went to the jury room and I told them what I felt, and I'm sorry. I just felt that I did the right thing."

Several jurors said afterward that they intended to file complaints about Robison's actions with the state's judicial conduct commission, said House, who did so a day later.

"Judge Robison came into the jury room during deliberations two times and informed the jurors that he did not believe the defendant was guilty or should spend 25 years in prison," House's complaint said, in part.

Robison reportedly said since the trial that he, too, brought his action to the attention of officials in Austin, said Cavazos, citing a person with whom Robison shared that information.

The jury intervention wasn't the only strange aspect of the trial, over which state District Judge Gary Steel presided after Robison stepped aside.

Cavazos said Steel seemed as unsettled as other court officers by the situation created by Robison.

"It was like everyone was kind of stunned and shocked," she said. "We were in disbelief."

With the jurors out of the courtroom, Steel denied a defense motion for a mistrial and was discussing whether to seat a new jury for the punishment phase when the bailiff came in with a note from the jury saying they'd already agreed on a sentence.

"We have heard all the evidence we need to hear. We are all in agreement to the minimum sentence," said the note signed by House, which was time-stamped at 3:23 p.m. Jan. 12.

Cavazos contends Perez should receive a new trial because of Robison's actions, but she noted, "The DA's position was (no retrial should occur because) he encouraged them to find her not guilty, and the jury had already reached their verdict, and he didn't change their minds."

Despite concerns that Robison's acts may render the whole trial a waste of time and resources, House said, "You've got to respect him for what he did. He went with his conscience."

Juror Pam Millard thinks Robison should resign over the incident. "It was crazy. I just couldn't believe it was happening. It was so unethical," she said Saturday.

zeke@express-news.net
During the 1990 campaign, Paul Elizondos first bid to defend his Precinct 2 seat on Bexar County Commissioners Court, a Republican challenger, then-Helotes Mayor Vivian Hultz, cast Elizondo as a political crony who practiced good-old-boy politics at the taxpayers expense.

It was a refrain that would become familiar to Elizondo during his next six campaigns. His rebuttals have often centered on his political experience  and his opponents lack thereof.

Now, as Elizondo, 82, seeks a 10th term on the court, he faces similar charges from his Democratic opponents in the March 6 primary, Mario Bravo, 42, and Queta Rodriguez, 47. They both say his outsize influence over the countys $1.76 billion budget has become problematic, and that the condition of the precinct has remained stagnant under Elizondos representation.

Like in 1990, Elizondo has shot back with a warning to his opponents, one that doubles as a campaign pitch to his Precinct 2 constituents.

Commissioners Court is not for beginners, Elizondo said at his re-election kickoff. Balance of power is extremely tenuous and hard to maneuver.  A lot of times, people get their experience somewhere else and then come here.

But Bravo and Rodriguez are betting that this time the message of change will resonate with enough voters to knock Elizondo off the court. While campaigning in the precinct, Rodriguez, the countys Veterans Service officer, said local business owners have complained that they do not have a fair shot at competing for county contracts.

She said precinct residents need to know why the court is funding what are being called legacy projects  major county-backed initiatives, such as the San Pedro Creek Improvements Project spearheaded by Elizondo  over the needs of the precinct, parts of which remain in poverty and with crumbling infrastructure.

Bravo, an outreach specialist for the Environmental Defense Fund, has focused his campaign on the need to improve health outcomes in the precinct amid calls for more transparency on Commissioners Court. He views himself as a far more progressive candidate than Elizondo, and expressed skepticism that the commissioner would finish out his term, worrying he might resign midway through to pass on the seat to a political ally  a notion Elizondo has steadfastly denied.

Thats why its critical, Bravo said. This has to happen now.

Elizondo firmly shot down any suggestion that he has lost touch with his precinct. Responding to a remark from Rodriguez that the precinct has remained largely unchanged for the last 20 years, Elizondo argued that at least part of the blame falls on Rodriguezs mother, former District 5 City Councilwoman Lourdes Galvan.

If there was any neglect, it would have come from her part, Elizondo said.

He added that his communication with the public stretches back 30 years, and even further, from teaching music to students in the Edgewood and San Antonio ISDs in the 1960s and 1970s, many of whom continue to vote him into office every four years.

First of all, we answer all our phone calls, Elizondo said. We respond to people who show up in court and voice their opinions.  I know more people personally than (Rodriguez and Bravo) know put together, and I speak to more of them personally than all of them put together.

Rodriguez said she thinks the court could use a new outlook, promising to think outside the box and come up with new ideas to attack problems, like leveraging the commissioners power to accomplish things outside the courts statutory role, or working more closely with the city to improve infrastructure inside the city limits.

I just believe that we can do more, she said. I think thats really important in government. How else do you determine what the needs are out there without actually being engaged?

In 2014, Elizondo won the Democratic primary with 75 percent of the vote, beating Ismael Garcia, who is now running as a Republican to unseat Elizondo. Criminal defense attorney Theresa Connolly is also running in the GOP primary. No Republican has challenged Elizondo since 1990, with his general election candidacy buoyed by a round of redistricting in 1992 that some have argued makes the district safely blue.

Coupled with his name ID and his deep ties to large swaths of the precinct, Elizondos sizable war chest presents a formidable challenge to his opponents. On Wednesday, the deadline for candidates to submit their semiannual campaign finance reports, Elizondo reported a massive cash-on-hand advantage, with $560,665 over Bravos $6,149 and Rodriguezs $6,070. (Rodriguez reported raising $21,364, while Bravo took in $15,371.)

But Bravo and Rodriguez knew that would be the case when they hopped into the race. (Elizondo had reported having $586,743 on hand in July.) If anything, the funding difference has motivated Bravo.

People say he cant be beat, Bravo said. I say he hasnt been tested.

Though Elizondo has built up a major network within the precinct during three decades of service, Rodriguezs ties run deep, too. Her parents are Galvan and Henry Rodriguez, a longtime activist who founded LULAC Concilio Zapatista 4383.

Rodriguez recalled growing up in the precinct, in a house she described as rundown and dilapidated, noting how unusual it was to live in a two-parent household in her neighborhood. She said that from her parents longtime civic engagement, she learned the value of being involved in the community.

I have a sense of pride from growing up here, Rodriguez said. Ive always known I was going to serve the community, I just didnt know in what capacity.

For Bravo, the most pressing issue is the health of the community, in Precinct 2 and the county at large. In a show of commitment, he brought on Dr. Adelita Cantu, an associate professor in UT Health San Antonios family and community health systems department, as his campaign treasurer.

The No. 1 issue Im running on is improving our health outcomes, he said. I want people to know Im serious about it.

All three Democratic candidates acknowledge that Bexar Countys health care woes stem from systemic issues in the community. Bravo cited a study from the Bexar County Health Collaborative showing that economic inequality was the biggest challenge to improving the health of the community. In total, the study found four root causes of the countys poor health: low income and poverty, educational attainment, criminal and juvenile justice, and adverse childhood experiences.

Though the court has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into University Health System, Bravo said thats beside the point.

Its a problem that they have addressed but not gotten right, Bravo said of the commissioners. He believes more needs to be done on the ground to support local health organizations.

Health outcomes are a complex issue, Elizondo contended, in part because the county is limited by what the community is willing to pay for. Many people, Elizondo said, feel health care is not a right.

If youre talking about medical care, I dont think were so far behind in what we provide at the county, Elizondo said. Where were behind is where we lack as a community. Thats a social thing, if youre low-income, lack of insurance, we have the largest uninsured population. Stuff like that, that all goes to create a sociological problem.

If no candidate receives the majority of the primary vote, the top two finishers will head to a runoff. In that scenario, Elizondos cash-on-hand edge would give him a major leg up. He has announced that 2018 will be his final election.

Yet Bravo believes the support he and Rodriguez build could come together in a potential runoff.

If we do it right, if Im in the runoff, I get Quetas people to go with me, and I win. If its Queta in the runoff, she gets my people to go with her, and she wins, Bravo said. He added that he would support Queta, because shes a huge improvement over Paul.

For her part, Rodriguez said she has thought about that scenario, but declined to stake out a position.

Im really focusing on my own race right now, she said. I do think that its time for a change in our community. I wouldnt be running if I didnt think so.

Elizondo isnt so sure about his opponents chances.

You get my age, you look easy, Elizondo said in November as he filed for re-election. But on the other hand, theres a lot of scalps all over the place.

jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspscherer
Locals as well as visitors to "Military City USA" on Saturday railed against elected officials for not getting the job done, forcing a partial federal government shutdown that could halt some paychecks for the military as well as hundreds of thousands of federal employees.

"All I've got to say is it's too damn bad the people we elect go in there and don't do the job they're supposed to do," said Gene Monnot, a 76-year-old Air Force veteran from Canton, Ohio, who was visiting the city where decades ago he went through boot camp.

"Go home then," was the message 47-year-old resident Kelly McDuffie had for members of Congress after the Senate failed to pass legislation to fund the government through Feb. 16. "If you guys are not going to do anything, if you're just going to stand up there and banter and go on and on and fight and not try to make any sense of this for us, the American people, then go home. Because we don't need to be paying you if nobody else gets paid."

McDuffie was at the Alamo, selling Double Decker bus tours to a crowd that like most weekends included Air Force personnel who had just graduated basic training and were taking in the sights with their families. Basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland won't stop during the shutdown.

She said she remembered the impact of the 16-day federal government in October 2013 that had some 23,000 civilians in San Antonio furloughed. She already was selling tickets discounted to $10, and worried about the impact a prolonged shutdown would have on tourism.

The 2013 shutdown cost the country an estimated $24 billion and slowed growth by 0.3 percent to 0.6 percent for the quarter.

Her husband Jim, who leads tours of city highlights including the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, had gotten up in the wee hours of the morning to check the Department of the Interior website for news on whether his Saturday tour would be affected.

The answer came from the National Park Service in the afternoon.

"Due to a lapse in appropriations, some facilities will be closed at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park," according to an email received by Steve Wood, owner of San Antonio Bike Tours.

"There will be no visitor services, education or interpretive programs, special use permits or events," the email said. "Law enforcement rangers will remain present to protect life and property during this time. Park employees will not have access to their work phones or email. We will respond to correspondence as needed once government operations resume."

Some interviewed on the streets of San Antonio said they were frustrated with the finger-pointing in Washington, and flabbergasted that the stalemate was over immigration. Senate Democrats demanded a continuation of former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program protecting immigrants brought here as children from deportation. DACA is due to expire in March.

"We definitely need to solve our immigration issues, there's no question about it, but that's different from running the business of government," said David Miller, a 64-year-old from North Carolina. "Those are two separate issues, and so you're going to block it with something that we've been arguing about for 20 years? That's ineffective government."

"I don't think we should kick people out of the country," Miller added. "You know, 'You've been here 20 years, we're going to kick you out.' That's not right. But we do have to fix the immigration issue. So let's go. Let's do it."

Thomas A. Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, had harsh words for President Donald Trump.

"Careening from 'shithole' to shutdown in little more than a week, Donald Trump chose to commemorate the first anniversary of his inauguration by engineering something unprecedented  a partial shutdown of the government when a single political party controls the House, the Senate, and the presidency," Saenz said in a statement. "The Latino community will not be fooled. Latinos and the vast majority of others in the United States understand that protecting immigrant youth is a boon to everyone."

Trump for his part blamed Senate Democrats, posting a tweet that said, "They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead."

Government shutdowns are not all that unusual and occurred under both Presidents Bill Clinton and Obama, said Allan Saxe, a political science professor at the University of Texas at Arlington who supports stronger immigration controls. But he said the tie-in with immigration is new ground.

"I think probably they'll shove it down the road maybe until March, and we'll get a short-term fix," he said. "But it's not going to end the immigration debate."

"It's sort of reached a crisis point now with the DACA issue and spending and government shutdown and presidential races and congressional races, so it's a big issue," he said. "And frankly, both political parties have been negligent on the issue of immigration. I mean, can you imagine? Millions of illegal immigrants coming across the border."

Lynn Brezosky is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | lbrezosky@express-news.net | @lbrezosky
USC has officially approved their new strategic plan up through 2022.

Their strategic plan focuses on seven different areas of the school district with specific goals and objectives for each focus area.

Those focus areas include student achievement, student support, technology, workforce, school climate and school culture, community relations and marketing, as well as their academic program. It is a very similar, if not identical, set up to Blue Earth Areas strategic plan.

With regards to student achievement, the goal for USC is to achieve all of the goals of the Worlds Best Workforce for all students in their district.

Over the past few years, USC has seen some issues with reading in early grade school levels as well as being able to close the achievement gap between students. The school hopes to close that gap and have all students reading at grade level by third grade in 2022.

The School District also wants to provide resources and programs that enable all students to be successful.

In order to achieve that goal for their student support focus area, USC will be reviewing and using assessments to see the student participation levels in extracurricular and cocurricular activities and try to provide and advocate for those activities in order to increase student participation. The school also wants to implement interventions for 100 percent of their students in need of academic, social, or emotional support.

As far as the ever-changing world of technology in schools is concerned, USC?is choosing to focus on their goal of preparing students for that constant change in technology by maximizing the use of technology to enhance effectiveness and increase student achievement.

They hope to do this by assessing and implementing technologies in the classroom and with their staff on an annual basis. The school is also looking forward to exploring alternative uses of the media center space within the next year.

The workforce involving the schools teaching faculty and crucial support staff was another area with objectives to work on. USCs goal is to recruit, support, develop, and retain highly skilled staff who demonstrate integrity, compassion, respect and excellence in all they do.

The strategic plan outlines the USC?school will be working on the new teacher/new staff mentoring program as well as negotiating a compensation and benefit package that encourages longevity of quality staff.

USC, as far as school climate and school culture is concerned, only has one goal with three objectives. They want to ensure that USC?is a united and bully-free school district.

Theyd like to achieve this goal by providing high-quality cross-training of all employee groups in PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports) and 7 Mindsets on an ongoing basis, assess school climate programs annually, and to develop plans to maintain effective practices and address identified gaps and deficiencies.

The School Board hopes to improve the image of the School District as one of their goals in community relations and marketing.

They plan to develop and implement a communication plan as well as improve signage throughout the school by June of 2019. They would also like to create a plan to distribute USC?Brag Bags by June of 2019, as well.

Finally, in areas of academia, USC hopes to maximize their academic achievement in a personalized learning environment that includes both rigorous and relevant curriculum at all levels.

They are looking to achieve this goal by putting in place ways to partner with local industries, businesses and organizations to integrate authentic learning experience for all of their students. They also plan to, by June of 2022, to research and implement innovative teaching methodologies and structures.

During their regularly scheduled meeting last Tuesday, Jan. 16, the USC School Board also:

Approved the authorization to post the 2017-18 seniority list. This list provides a copy of a list of licensed professional employees at USC.

Looked through and approved a resolution to fully fund Special Eduction services. This Federal resolution outlines a very high priority has been placed on education to ensure that all students receive high quality Special Education programs and instruction.

Authorized both the 2018-19 academic calendar and budget time-line and assumptions.

Heard from each School Board member and Superintendent Keith Fleming on their experience at the MSBA?Leadership Conference they attended recently.

The next regular USC?School Board meeting is set for Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Education room.
In 1938, a man named Charlie Armon came from the great state of Iowa to begin a new chapter in his life. He started a business out of his home in a little town called Blue Earth, Minnesota. Charlie began a career as a steeple jack and started painting church steeples.

Little did Charlie know that his business would still be blossoming 80 years later.

In 1949, Charlies son, Ted, joined the team and their family business expanded and became Armon & Son Painting and Decorating.

The duo not only continued with steeple work, but added exterior painting with a full crew to their repertoire. Their business boomed, allowing them to open a storefront on Blue Earths West Sixth Street.

Over the years, Ted took over and eventually, Charlie passed away.

Ted added his oldest son, Terry, to the list of partners of Armon Decorating and in 1969, Terry took over for his father Ted, who passed away.

The storefront moved in 1989 from Blue Earths South Main Street to its current North Main Street site, the old J.C. Penney building, where Eders Department Store once stood.

Terry ran the store with assistance from a painting team and a number of associates to help him. Then, in 2006, Matt Armon took over for his dad, Terry.

The token paintbrush was handed over from Terry to Matt, who is now the fourth generation of the Armon family to keep Armon Decorating moving forward into the future.

Matt Armon is a 2002 graduate of Blue Earth Area and received his degree in business management from Minnesota State University.

Now, 12 years later from receiving the token paintbrush from his father, Matt and his team of associates have received the Blue Earth Chamber of Commerce prestigious Business of the Year award.

The Chamber of Commerce reports there were a multitude of nominations for Armon Decorating as Business of the Year.

Matt has put much time and effort into the updating and upgrading of the building with grant money from the Blue Earth EDA, says Chamber director, Cindy Lyon. He has replaced the old garage, the back entrance, and doors. He and his team take great pride in the business and Matts commitment as a young man in the community is noticeable.

Other quotables from other nominations state Armon Decoratings shop front display windows are always nicely done, especially during the winter which is set up for the Holiday Sampler and kept up well into the winter.

It is a multi-generation business and an anchor on Main Street.

The Armons started in a residential home and graduated into the South Main Street location and now are visible in their North Main Street location.

It is truly a local, family, home-grown business that we are very proud of, says Lyon.

I was really surprised to find that out, says Matt. I didnt even know I was nominated, let alone receiving the award. All I can say is that I am very honored.

Now, Matt certainly doesnt paint steeples, as Armon Decorating has changed quite a bit from 1938. Now, Matt has a team that helps to install carpet and still is the local supplier in the area for Benjamin Moore paints, as well as others, along with stock flooring materials located at the store at Sixth and Main.

Stock floor treatments are available here, that just means if you are looking for something for your home, you are able to get it sooner rather than later, its readily available for you,?says Matt. We do floor coverings like carpet and hardwood. We still have paint, and we even do window treatments.

He says that Armon Decorating has been in business for 80 years because of hard work and a good reputation for that work. Matt also says he would not be winning Business of the Year without his crew; which includes the flooring installation team of Mike Emmers and Mark Hassing, the window treatment knowledge from Anne Skaare, and the help of Pam Hunt who knows pretty much everything according to Matt.

Matt says the thing that really sets Armons apart from other similar companies within the area is their dedication to the community.

Weve obviously been here for quite a bit of time, and during that whole time we are sincerely committed to our community, Matt explains. We try to donate funds for benefits, along with any other opportunity to provide better opportunities to our community. Whoever comes in our door, we always try to help.
Becki Steier celebrated her first anniversary of being in business on Blue Earths Main Street with the notification of having been selected as the recipient of the Blue Earth Chamber of Commerces Rising Star Award.

Her one year anniversary was actually this past September, and her notification of the award just came recently. And it was big surprise, she says.

I am humbled by it, Steier says. I never expected any kind of an award for my business, I just like to do what I do, and do what I can for the community.

What she did was to open her own graphic design business in the fall of 2016 called Becki Steier Studio, LLC, or BS. Studio, for short.

It was a bit of a roundabout trip to get to that point, however, Steier says.

I lived in the Twin Cities for six years and went to college for graphic design, she explains. And I was working at the same time.

Steier worked at Daytons, which became Marshall Fields, in the brassiere area in the lingerie department.

Yes, she says. I was the bra salesgirl. After that I worked for Kohls two years, setting up displays in several of their stores. My first day on the job was on 9/11 (Sept. 11, 2001), and we were all sent home because of the fear of more terrorist attacks.

But, from there she was headhunted by the Sara Lee Corporation to go to work for them creating store displays of bras. Particularly one brand of bra.

The Wonderbra.

While Sara Lee (now owned by Hillshire Brands) was known for their baked goods, they had bought up a variety of other types of companies over the years. One of those was a lingerie company that included Playtex, Bali and Hanes intimate apparel.

I set up displays all over Wisconsin, in Rochester, and six or seven stores in the Twin Cities, she says. So I was a city girl for a while.

But, it was a lot of travel and she decided the cities might not be for her, especially since she did not want to travel as much, and try to buy her own home.

Housing is expensive in the Twin Cities, and I missed working in the art industry, she adds. So I decided to come home to Blue Earth.

She worked for nine years for Bob Bromeland Publishing, both as a graphic artist and eventually a manager.

I learned a lot, she says. There is a big difference between a design firm and a publishing house. I?had other duties. I liked working with the customers and going to trade shows, but I wanted have the opportunity for more creativity.

So she went to work for Blue Earth Graphic as their graphic designer. However, she kept thinking about doing something on her own.

I had a few clients over the years I was always doing freelance work for, to give me a customer base, she says. Some of them I had never even met in person. So I finally decided to start my own business.

Steier knew she could open it in her own home, but she decided it would be better both for her and the community if she could be in a downtown building.

She talked to Faribault County Development Corporation and came up with a business plan. Then she talked to Jim Pollard who owned an available store front on Main Street.

Pretty soon she was ready to open her BS. Studio.

There was a lot of room in this place, so I thought about what all I could do, especially what would benefit people in the community, she says. I talked to Jim (Pollard) about having an art gallery in the building and he was interested in that and supported the idea.

So, Steier has a lot of local and area artists work on display and for sale in her store.

It spread by word of mouth out in the community and around the area, she says. It is on commission so I do get a fee, but only if it sells.

Sales have been pretty good, she adds. She swaps the art around every once in a while to keep things fresh, and has added new items as well.

Art is an investment and it takes a lot of talent to create this work, Steier explains. This is not a Walmart framed print. I?love we are able to bring the work of these talented people to the community.

Steier also has sponsored some art classes, and has plans to expand into more classes, especially for youth.

I am working with (retired BEA art teacher) Linda Wells about doing some paint and watercolor classes, especially for young people, she says. I also am starting to have some pottery classes with Holly Stevermer, two a week starting in January. She will also have a knitting class on Feb. 5 and 8.

Steier herself has been teaching crocheting, and has a crochet class for beginners on Jan. 22, and one for advanced beginners which will be on Jan. 29.

One reason for the class is she sells some nicer than usual yarn at her store.

You cant buy yarn anywhere in the county, except here, she says. And this a much nicer yarn than you can get in other places like Walmart. It is from Canada I am the first place in Minnesota to carry it.

Her yarn sales have taken off and Steier says she is trying to get people, young and old, interested in crocheting.

She has even started an Afghan Challenge. People sign up to crochet an afghan over a year, by crocheting one line of yarn for each day of the year, with the color determined by the temperature that day.

I have created 10 color spectrums they can use, depending on what they like, she says. I thought I might have 10, maybe 15 tops, people sign up, but I have over 30 who are doing it.

Steier says she wants her store to be considered an art center. Graphic design, paintings, pottery and knitting and crocheting are all types of art work, she feels.

I believe in working hard, and I believe in community service, Steier says. Bringing art to the community is a good thing, I feel, and I am happy to be involved with it.

Steier will receive her Rising Star Award at the Blue Earth Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on Friday night, Jan. 26, at Hamilton Hall.

She will be having Jason Bonnema, of Thrivent Financial, do the introduction of her at the banquet.

The whole thing is still quite a surprise, but I am honored by it, too, Steier says. And thankful.
WHILE its leaping share price has put on a dazzling performance in recent weeks, the farm services comeback star, Elders, is adopting a more subdued approach to the future of its Indonesian business activities.

The companys abattoir on the island of Java and its 8200-head Sumatran feedlot, which buys in young cattle from Australia, are potentially up for sale.

The company has not confirmed it will definitely exit its beef production activities in Indonesia, but conceded our Indonesian feedlot and processing assets are currently performing below the required return on capital.

We are reviewing options for this business, including divestment of the assets should a suitable offer be forthcoming, a company representative said.

It will continue running its Indonesian businesses division, PT Elders International, on an ongoing basis in the event a sale does not eventuate.

Elders has owned the western standard feedlot in the province of Lampung in southern Sumartra (north of Jakarta) for 15 years and bought into the abattoir at Bogor (south of Jakarta) 12 years ago.

However, as part of its capital light business agenda and its commitment to extracting a healthy 20 per cent return from its capital, the company has already scaled back its overseas livestock activities, selling the North Australian Cattle Company live export business to a Chinese-Australian joint venture six months ago.

Last financial year Elders underlying return on capital hit almost 27pc.

That result helped the company pay its first dividend to shareholders in a decade after posting a statutory full-year net profit of $116 million  more than double its result in 2015-16.

Elders share price has subsequently responded by bouncing to highs of $8.76 last week  up from $5 in early November and $7 in early December.

Its previous peak price in the past year was about $5.50 in June.

Elders managing director Mark Allison told last months annual general meeting that although still strongly committed to working with producers supplying the trade, Elders was shifting away from its non-core live export business involvement.

It was moving towards technical and digital services, which are much more aligned with our growth agenda.

The enhanced technical approach had created productivity efficiencies for the company and introduced services which helped clients.

New services include the Thomas Elder Consulting (TEC) division which is being developed as a fee-for-service agronomic technical business, also drawing on research and development work with overseas partners.

However, Elders is not contemplating quitting all its Indonesian ties.

The company will continue its retail meat distribution business across Indonesia if the Bogor abattoir and the feedlot are eventually sold.

Regardless of the outcome, Elders is committed to the live export industry in Australia and the Elders brand will continue to have a presence in Indonesia through our distribution business, the company representative said.

Elders supplies its boxed Kooyong and Marlee branded beef and lamb cuts to retailers and restaurants, primarily in Jakarta and tourist hot spots such as Bali.

The feedlot at Lampung has capacity to handle more than 8000 cattle, including quarantine facilities for about 4740 head imported from Australia.

During 2016-17 it sold 12,686 feeder steers after an average 120-day feeding program, mostly to markets in Sumatra and Java.

About 20pc were transported to the companys Bogor abattoir.

The feedlot also has on-site abattoir available for use by PT Elders Indonesia customers, or for emergency slaughters.

Feeder cattle are managed along the same lines as those in Elders Killara feedlot in North West New South Wales, with the Indonesian site enjoying widespread industry respect and conforming to strong animal welfare standards.

PT Elders Bogor meatworks is on the grounds of an agriculture university (Institute Pertanian Bogor).

It operates six days a week, providing custom kill and boning services for the Great Giant Livestock company, plus two days of processing for PT Elders own retail business.

The facility has HACCP, ISO 9001 and Halal certification and a strong working relationship with the university, including organising study tours for students to visit Australian beef production and processing facilities.

Industry training in association with Meat and Livestock Australia has also been conducted at the Elders abattoir for the past four years.
Michael B. Jordan went to a "dark place" filming 'Black Panther'.

Michael B Jordan

The 30-year-old actor was inspired by the likes of Michael Fassbender and the late Heath Ledger when it came to throwing himself into his portrayal of villain Erik Killmonger in the upcoming Marvel adventure, and he admitted the role stayed with him for some time afterwards.

He said: "It took me to a dark place. Honestly, I can't really go through all I went through to get into it because I want to keep that close to me.

"But it stuck with me afterwards.

"You see performances as an actor and as a fan, you look at Heath Ledger's performance in say, 'The Dark Knight' and it's like, 'Wow'. I want to try to get something like that. You want Michael Fassbender's Magneto.

"Just trying to find my place amongst those roles and strive for that, even if I don't make it."

The role was a challenge for Michael because the character is so different to who he really is.

He said: "For me, this is a chance for me to go furthest away from who I am.

"As far as just the darkness of the guy, because the guy was really dark, even though you may empathise with him and understand his point of view.

"I think the greatest villains are the ones where you can see their point of view."

The actor had a "lot of fun" working with Chadwick Boseman, who plays the titular character, and thinks his co-star is "very talented".

He told Empire magazine: "Chadwick is a very talented dude. He's lived with this character for a movie already.

"He had to mentally establish who this guy is and he has that sense of confidence and understanding when he comes on set.

"There's definitely an understanding of where we're both coming from. Of finding out what our characters want and need.

"We had a lot of fun on set. There's a lot of physical moments and action sequences throughout this film that caused us to really challenge ourselves and fall deeper into character."
'The Shape of Water' won Best Theatrical Motion Picture at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday night (20.01.18).

Guillermo del Toro

The fantasy romance's director Guillermo del Toro was unable to collect the accolade at the 29th Annual ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, due to caring for his ailing father in Mexico, but the movie's co-producer, J. Miles Dale, was there and made a short speech after being handed the statuette.

The filmmaker joked about how it was hard to win-over audiences with a flick that has a cleaner [Sally Hawkins] and an amphibian man [Doug Jones] as the main characters.

He quipped: "When your romantic leads are a cleaning lady and a fish, it's a tough sell."

The heartwarming feature beat off stiff competition from the likes of 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing', Missouri', 'Lady Bird', 'Get Out', 'Dunkirk', 'The Post', 'Call Me By Your Name', 'I, Tonya', 'Wonder Woman' and 'Molly's Game'.

'Coco' won Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures and 'Jane', which sees the real-life scientist Jane Goodall open up about her life and work, received the equivalent in the Documentary category.

It was previously revealed that Ava DuVernay was the recipient of Producers Guild's Visionary Award.

The 'Selma' helmer admitted she was delighted with the recognition.

She tweeted: "This is so lovely and unexpected. I love producing. Almost as much as directing. So you know that's a lot! My thanks to @ProducersGuild for this encouraging recognition. (sic)"

DuVernay's emergence in the movie industry was hailed as one of the "great developments of the past several years".

Producers Guild Awards chairs Donald De Line and Amy Pascal said in a statement: "The emergence of Ava DuVernay as a producer and filmmaker has been one of the great developments of the past several years.

"Whether in scripted features, television or documentaries, her unique voice, skill and passion have inspired countless audiences throughout our country and around the world."

The 45-year-old director follows in the footsteps of the likes of Brad Pitt, Megan Ellison, Laura Ziskin, and Jeff Skoll in winning the accolade.

The Producers Guild Awards movie winners shortlist is as follows:

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures

'The Shape Of Water'

Producers: Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures

'Coco'

Producer: Darla K. Anderson

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures

'Jane'

Producers: Brett Morgen, Bryan Burk, Tony Gerber, James Smith
Example is back with new song 'The Answer' after having a creative splurge inspired by his children.

Example

The 'Kickstarts' hitmaker - who has three-year-old daughter Evander and five-month-old son Ennio with his Australian actress wife Erin McNaught - says until his latest addition to his brood was born he didn't know whether he wanted to make new music or not, but having two children urged him to hit the studio to get away from the "zombie-land" his home has become.

Those sessions, brought on "due to a lack of sleep", resulted in him penning the "best" three singles he's ever recorded.

The 35-year-old rapper - whose real name is Elliot Gleave - told The Daily Star newspaper: "I was so focused on family that I didn't know whether to rap, sing or what to talk about.

"Then after my second son was born I went to the studio every day for two weeks, because at home it was like zombie-land due to the lack of sleep.

"I wrote the three next singles in the space of a week, the best I've written in five years, I must have been on a baby comedown.

"Maybe it released hormones because I went to studio with a clear head."

Example, who will release 'The Answer' later this week, previously revealed he'd been sitting on his new album for over 12 months.

The 'Stay Awake' star hadn't been able to release his sixth studio - the follow-up to 2014's 'Live Life Living' - because he was waiting on his record label to allow him to put it out.

Speaking in 2016, he exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I've had an album ready for over a year now. The industry's changed, I mean you don't see a lot of records; people only want to put out a single. So I mean if they want to put out an album."

However, that hadn't stopped the British-born star from continuing to write new material for it, as at the time he'd compiled a staggering 50 songs.

Asked if he's still working on it, he said: "I've written 50 songs this year! Its ready. If not, I'm just going to continue writing songs."
The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a man in connection to the massive blaze at a firecracker storage unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area, which killed 17 people and injured two others.

The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a man in connection to the massive blaze at a firecracker storage unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area, which killed 17 people and injured two others.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal government ordered an inquiry into the fire incident, which started at the storage unit on the ground floor of a two-storey building, before ripping through the structure.

The chief minister told IANS that the matter will be fully probed on how the licence was given, who gave the licence and how the incident happened.

#SpotVisuals Seventeen killed in a fire which broke out at a plastic godown in Bawana Industrial Area #Delhi pic.twitter.com/GBDRjacBg1  ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2018

Manoj Jain, who was apprehended by the Delhi Police told that he took the factory premises on rent and was running it alone. Earlier, the police had said that Jain was running the unit in partnership with one Lalit Goel.

Ten women and seven men were killed in the incident and a man and woman were injured. The two injured  Roop Prakash (in his 20s) and Sunita (in her 40s)  have been admitted to a hospital.

The police said an FIR has been registered and the accused has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible material.

"Chinese firecrackers used to be packed in the building... Only packing of firecrackers used to take place, not manufacturing," Prakash, one of the survivors, told NDTV. The police said that they were verifying the claim.

"Investigation is on. Owners have been identified and will be questioned about the licensing aspect and negligence," A Delhi Police official said. While the fire department said that the blaze occurred at a firecracker storage unit, the police is yet to confirm this.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the family of the deceased. "A compensation of Rs five lakh each will be given to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives and Rs one lakh each to the two injured persons," he told reporters on Saturday.

The Delhi Fire Services had received a call about the blaze at the factory around 6.20 pm and 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The fire was brought under control by 9.20 pm.

GC Mishra, Director, Delhi Fire Service, said it was a firecracker storage unit and the building comprised a basement, ground floor and two upper floors.

"One body was recovered from the basement, three from the ground floor and 13 from the first floor. One person sustained fractures after he jumped from the second floor to save himself," he said.

"We are taking no chance. We don't have a definite number of people who were in the building when the fire broke out," Mishra had told PTI.

The police said the people were either charred or got choked to death.

With inputs from agencies
The Delhi unit of the Congress on Sunday demanded a judicial probe into the Bawana factory fire that led to the death of at least 17 persons.

New Delhi: The Delhi unit of the Congress on Sunday demanded a judicial probe into the Bawana factory fire that led to the death of at least 17 persons.

"We demand a judicial inquiry into the fire in Bawana industrial area in west Delhi on Saturday evening since the magisterial inquiry ordered by the state government is meant to save its own departments. We also demand the judicial inquiry for a fair probe," Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken told reporters after visiting the spot in west Delhi.

As many as 17 persons, including 10 women, were burnt to death or asphyxiated and 30 others were injured in the fire in a plastic factory warehouse, which was also used to store firecrackers.

The Congress leader said that there should also be an inquiry into the functioning of all Delhi government departments concerned, like the Delhi Fire Service, land, industries, and pollution, as well as the municipal corporations.

The former Union Minister also condemned North Delhi Mayor Preeti Agarwal for what he called her "insensitive statement".

"She spoke insensitively. She has no moral right to continue on the post and the Bharatiya Janata Party must take action against her," Maken said.

Maken was referring to Agarwal's alleged video wherein she is heard saying: "The licence of this factory is with us. That's why we cannot speak on the issue."

The Congress leader said that labourers at the factory told him that the premises was locked from outside when the fire broke out.

"There was rampant unauthorised construction on the premises, which obstructed possible escape routes," he alleged.

He said over 50 labourers were working on the premises on Saturday, which is a holiday.

Hitting out at the Delhi government, Maken said that the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Bawana government hospital was also not operational for a long time.

"People told me that the ICU is lying closed for the last two months. It is saddening to learn that the hospital ICU in an industrial area was not operational. We demand that the government make the ICU operational as soon as possible," he added.

The Delhi Police has arrested factory owner Manoj Jain after the fire.
Though some might accuse Modi of performing a dangerous balancing act by befriending Netanyahu while maintaining ties with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, no one can deny India is one of the few nations in the world which has truly cordial relationships with Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab states. India could very well play a critical role in peacemaking in West Asia.

When it comes to foreign policy, India does not rely on a zero-sum game strategy.

We trade arms with the Russians and sign defense agreements with the Americans. In 2016, we were officially recognized as a Major Defense Partner of the United States; less than a year later, we negotiated a $10 billion weapons deal with Russia.

We also buy oil from both Iran and Saudi Arabia. In fact, Saudi Arabia is our second largest supplier of crude oil and Iran our third: Behind Iraq, who in 2017, surprisingly jumped to first place.

We work with ideological rivals, geopolitical counterweights and even with those we've had historical enmity with. We forge new partnerships where opportunities arise and mend old disputes to gain common ground so we can move forward in a mutually beneficial relationship.

From our perspective, foreign relations is not an all-or-nothing business. We are willing to work with anyone who is willing to work with us.

So, when a few of our left-leaning politicians said that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in the country and that they, along with some religious groups, would protest his visit, it's clear that they are completely oblivious to the last 70 years of India's foreign relations history.

The very fact that Netanyahu is arriving less than a month after India's UN vote against President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital should tell us that even the deepest of feuds need not determine a nation's foreign engagement. The history of India-Israeli relations is a lesson in itself of how foreign diplomacy can work even when you don't see eye to eye on every issue.

On 29 November, 1947, India was one of 13 countries to vote against the UN plan to partition Palestine, which would create the State of Israel. Two years later, India again voted against Israel, this time on their inclusion in the UN. Yet, barely a year later, India recognised Israeli statehood.

Four decades of informal  at times friendly, at times icy  relations would go by, but in 1992, India would formally establish bilateral ties with Israel, opening its mission in Tel Aviv. Since then, trade between the West Asian and the South Asian nations has skyrocketed from $200 million to more than $4 billion, plus billions of dollars worth military contracts.

In July, Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel, healing old wounds and ushering a new phase in the history of India-Israeli relations.

Throughout this entire time, India and Israel have remained at odds on many issues. India has voted several times against Israel in the UN, maintained economic ties Israel's nemesis Iran and remained on the Palestinian side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Nevertheless, what India and Israel might disagree on has not prevented them to pursue what they do agree on.

Israel  a pioneer in agricultural solutions for harsh environments  has been an indispensable partner to Indian agronomists who are looking for soil-water management solutions to challenging, and often erratic, rainfall patterns. This comes at a time too when India is facing one of its worst agrarian crises, with tens of thousands of farmers committing suicide after losing their livelihood to a combination of droughts and economic setbacks.

India and Israel also face the common scourge of terrorism driven by extremist religious ideologies. As extremists gain adherents within borders and become more sophisticated in their tactics, intelligence sharing and cooperation in counter-terrorism operations is paramount for both nations.

Moreover, India, which is on track to have the largest Muslim population in the world and which is a burgeoning pluralistic democracy, can show the way forward for cooperation between cultures and faiths.

Though some might accuse Modi of performing a dangerous balancing act by befriending Netanyahu while maintaining ties with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, no one can deny India is one of the few nations in the world which has truly cordial relationships with Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab states. India could very well play a critical role in peacemaking in West Asia.

When world leaders place litmus tests on bilateral relations, they limit their own influence and in turn the potential of their people. Both India and Israel have much to contribute to each other, even when they might sit on opposite ends of the modern world's most divisive issues.

Most Rev. Joseph D'Souza is the Moderating Bishop of the Good Shepherd Church and Associated Ministries of India. He writes for the US-based Kairos Company. He also serves as the president of the All India Christian Council. He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades for his work as a human rights activist. He is also the founder and international president of the Dalit Freedom Network.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday appealed to India and Pakistan to make Jammu and Kashmir a 'bridge of friendship' between them and not let it become a battleground.

Srinagar: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday appealed to India and Pakistan to make Jammu and Kashmir a "bridge of friendship" between them and not let it become a battleground.

"Our borders are witnessing, god forbid, a bloodbath. Our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) often talks of development but at the same time, something opposite is happening in our state. Our schools are shut and children are trapped inside their homes," the chief minister said.

"I appeal to our prime minister and our neighbour Pakistan to make Jammu and Kashmir a bridge of friendship between the two countries and not let it become a battleground," Mehbooba said.

She was speaking at the passing out parade of new police constables at Subsidiary Training Centre at Sheeri, 65 kilometres from here, in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.

The PDP chief said it was the people of Jammu and Kashmir who were getting killed in firing on both sides of the border.

"It is our misfortune that our state has become a basis of a conflict between our country India and Pakistan. For the last few days, our borders are witnessing firing in which several of our people have been killed," she said.

"It is obvious that the situation will be same on the other side (of the border)," Mehbooba said.

The chief minister said the Jammu and Kashmir Police have the most difficult job in the country as they face many challenges.

"Your challenge is not just to maintain law and order or uphold the rule of law, but you have to face your own people, small children sometimes (while maintaining law and order) and that time you will have to exercise restraint," she said.

At least 10 people were killed and 50 others injured in a firing from across the border that started on Thursday.

The firing also forced thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.

Mehbooba said another challenge for the police was to bring back youngsters who were taking up arms.

Referring to the killing of a minor girl in Kathua district's Hiranagar area, Mehbooba asked the police to give special attention to the crimes against women.

"I request you (police) to take care of everything while discharging your duties. Drug addiction is a big problem here, atrocities are being done on women. Recently, a small girl was assaulted in Kathua," she said.

"We had to suspend the SHO there because, perhaps there was some negligence. We have constituted a team to enquire the issue," she added.
Three persons, who were arrested on Saturday in connection with the fire at a pub in the Kamala Mills Compound in Mumbai, have been sent to police custody till 25 January.

Mumbai: Three persons, who were arrested on Saturday in connection with the fire at a pub in the Kamala Mills Compound in Mumbai that claimed 14 lives, have been sent to police custody till 25 January.

The NM Joshi Marg police had on Saturday evening arrested Ravi Bhandari, a partner in the Kamala Mills, station fire officer Rajendra Patil, and Utkarsh Pandey, the owner of the Nirvana Hookah, in connection with the incident.

The three were produced on Sunday afternoon before the Bhoiwada court which remanded them in police custody till 25 January, senior police inspector Ahmed Pathan said.

The arrests were made on Saturday evening after Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta submitted his report to the chief minister in which he mentioned factors which caused the tragedy in December 2017.

The owners of the '1 Above' pub, Jigar Sanghvi, Kripesh Sanghvi and Abhijit Mankar, as well as owners of the adjoining 'Mojo's Bistro', Yug Pathak and Yug Tulli, are already arrested.

According to the enquiry report submitted by Mehta, the fire on 29 December started because of the flying charcoal embers from hookah which was illegally served at Mojo's Bistro. It then spread to '1 Above'.

Most of the deceased were visiting '1 Above'.

The owners of both the pubs were booked for 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder' and other offences under the Indian Penal Code.

The municipal commissioner's report said the owners of Kamala Mills allowed illegal alterations and usage of terrace by the two pubs.

It also said that a departmental inquiry will be conducted against some fire brigade officials for lapses in duty.
The bustling settlement of Arnia and a chain of border hamlets along the India-Pakistan border now wear an empty look, with over 40,000 villagers abandoning their homes to escape heavy shelling by Pakistani forces.

RS Pura: The bustling settlement of Arnia and a chain of border hamlets along the India-Pakistan border now wear an empty look, with over 40,000 villagers abandoning their homes to escape heavy shelling by Pakistani forces.

Arnia town, with a population of 18,000, resembles a ghost town with only a few people left each in its adjoining hamlets to take care of animals and guard homes.

Farming, schooling, cattle rearing and everything else on which border dwellers survive have come to a halt due to the shelling episodes.

Villagers at the forefront of Pakistani shelling say they feel they are in a war zone with sounds of mortar bombs and rattle of automatic weapons booming in the area. In the hamlets, devastation is visible all around blood stains on the floor, broken windows, injured animals and splinter marks on the walls.

Dressed in battle fatigues and bullet proof jackets, jawans of the Border Security Forces criss-cross through borderline hamlets and paddy fields to take position to give a befitting retaliation. Some families that had initially decided to hold on to their homes have finally decided to move after intense shelling.

Night after night, 80-year-old Yashpal and his family huddled together under a bed in one corner of their room as soon as the shelling started.

After heavy cross-border shelling for over two days, the family finally decided to leave their home along the India- Pakistan border on Saturday. On Friday night, the situation got worse and two shells hit our house and damaged it, he said.

"It had happened during the 1965 and the 1971 wars. Such large number of mortar bombs had not since fallen in Arnia," he said.

Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), RS Pura, Surinder Choduhary told PTI that, "Arnia town has been vacated. We have evacuated large number of people from Arnia and border hamlets. Most of hamlets are now vacated".

Choudhary, who led the police from the front in carrying out massive evacuation of the border population from RS Pura and Arnia sectors, said houses and cattle have bore the brunt of the shelling.

Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan said 58 villages in Arnia and Suchetgarh sectors of Jammu district have been affected due to the shelling by Pakistan.

"Over 36,000 border dwellers have migrated from their homes", the DC said and added that 131 animals have been

killed, 93 injured besides damage caused to 74 buildings and houses.

While most of the border dwellers are living with their relatives, over 1000 are camped in boarding and lodging places setup by the government in schools. Over 5000 cattle have been shifted from various border hamlets to safer places, he said.

In Samba and Ramgarh sectors of Samba district, over 5000 people have migrated besides over 3000 from Hiranagar sector of Kathua district. Hundreds of grass houses (Kullas) have also been gutted and bovines killed in fire triggered by bursting of mortar bombs fired by Pakistan troops in Jeora farm, popularly known as "hamlet of milkmen".

The hamlet houses over 100 families and is famous for supplying milk and other milk products to Jammu.

"We have left our hamlets. We have lost everything. Our kullas have gutted in Pakistan mortar shelling and animals have perished. They were our source of income", Sattar Din told PTI.

"Over 150 kullas have been gutted in the fire and several animals have perished in the fire triggered by Pakistan shelling", Choudhary, who himself led the rescue operation, said.

Another Arnia dweller Asha Rani, who fled her house along with her family of five in a bullock cart, said "People have

not seen such intense firing and shelling even in the 1965 and 1971 wars. Pakistan was solely shelling us (civilians) in

Arnia".

It is also for the first time that shells fired by Pakistan exploded in Gajansoo town, killing a 25-years-old.

As this PTI correspondent was on his way to Kanachak to report the ground situation, two mortar bomb shells exploded barely two kilometres ahead at the Ganjansoo bus stand triggering fear among residents.

At Gal-da-Chak, 500 meters from the spot of the shelling, people stopped vehicles, asking visitors not to move ahead in wake of the shelling.

"This is for the first time in decades that shells have landed in Gajansoo town.It is dangerous to stay here", Sham

Lal said at Gal Da Chak.

Pakistan Rangers started shelling areas along the IB on Wednesday and till now nine people including 6 civilians and 4 jawans have been killed and nearly 60 people, including over 50 civilians, injured along the IB and LoC in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region.

Over 300 educational institutes have been closed for the next three days along the IB and LoC in Jammu region by

authorities in the wake of tension along the India-Pakistan border due to shelling
Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India has shown it can attack its enemies not only on its soil, but also in a foreign territory, if need be.

Lucknow: Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India has shown it can attack its enemies not only on its soil, but also in a foreign territory, if need be.

Singh's remarks come almost a week after the Indian Army carried out a "retaliatory action" against Pakistani troops, killing seven of their soldiers and injuring four others along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

"Some months back, Pakistan, in an act of cowardice, attacked and martyred 17 of our jawans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi consulted all of us on this serious issue, and the Indian Army entered the Pakistani area and killed the militants," said Rajnath at a public meeting.

"India's image in the world has become that of a strong nation and we have given a strong message to the world that we can attack our enemies not only on our soil, but also in their territory," he said.

Singh said India wants to maintain a friendly relationship with its neighbour.

"But Pakistan is not mending its ways," he said. Singh said that under the leadership of Modi, the country's economy is moving ahead at a fast pace.

"..and now even the global economists and experts accept this," he said.

Singh was addressing the meeting of 'Bharatiya Railway Maal Godaam Shramik Sangh'. He said he would take up the issues and problems of the railway labourers with higher authorities.
Indian scientists disputed Union minister Satyapal Singh's remark that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution of man was 'scientifically wrong', saying that his statement was made without any scientific basis

New Delhi: Indian scientists on Sunday disputed Union minister Satyapal Singh's remark that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution of man was "scientifically wrong", saying that his statement was made without any scientific basis.

They have also opposed the minister's call for a change in school and college curriculum, terming any such move as a "retrograde step".

Singh, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, had on Saturday, at an event, said that Darwin's theory of evolution was wrong as our ancestors have nowhere mentioned seeing an ape turning into a man.

"Darwin's theory (of the evolution of man) is scientifically wrong. It needs to change in school and college curriculum. Since the man is seen on Earth he has always been a man.

"Nobody, including our ancestors, in written or oral, has said they saw an ape turning into a man. No books we have read or the tales told to us by our grandparents had such a mention," the minister had said.

Reacting to Singh's statements, the scientists of three science academies of India, which were not named, have said that "there is no scientific basis for the minister's statements".

"Evolutionary theory, to which Darwin made seminal contributions, is well established. There is no scientific dispute about the basic facts of evolution. This is a scientific theory, and one that has made many predictions that have been repeatedly confirmed by experiments and observation," the scientists have said in a statement issued by them.

"An important insight from the evolutionary theory is that all life forms on this planet, including humans and the other apes, have evolved from one or a few common ancestral progenitors," the statement said.

The scientists also said that it would be a "retrograde step" to remove the teaching of the theory of evolution from school and college curricula or to "dilute" this by offering non-scientific explanations or myths.

Darwinism is a theory of biological evolution that states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.

It was developed by Darwin, a 19th-century English naturalist, and others.
Security along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir was beefed up following an alert by intelligence agencies about possible infiltration bids ahead of the Republic Day

Jammu: Security along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir was beefed up following an alert by intelligence agencies about possible infiltration attempts by Pakistan backed militants ahead of the Republic Day, police said on Sunday.

A group of three to four terrorists were seen camping across the border at a village in Pakistan, near a border out post (BoP), intelligence agencies are learnt to have warned the police and security forces.

The agencies claimed that Pakistan's ISI was trying to infiltrate this group of terrorists to create disturbance and target security forces' camps, according to official sources.

The main reason behind ceasefire violations and Pakistan shelling is to help infiltrate militants from across the border, IG, Jammu Zone, SD Singh Jamwal said.

After the inputs from intelligence agencies, police have beefed up the security in border belts and increased round-the-clock vigilance, he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday had sounded a "red alert" and asked border dwellers to move out of their areas as the situation was "sensitive" in the wake of continuous shelling by Pakistani troops.
The Tamil Nadu government on Friday hiked the fares of buses under state run transport corporations and private entities approximately by 20 to 54.54 percent, provoking anger among people.

The Tamil Nadu government on Friday hiked the fares of buses under state run transport corporations and private entities by 20 to 54.54 percent, provoking anger among people and setting off a series of protests.

Commuters took to the streets in several part of the state, including Coimbatore, Tiruchi, and Tiruvarur, reported The Hindu. A road roko was organised in front of the bus stand in Shoolagiri demanding that the state government take back the price hike, the report added.

A group of villagers near Dindigul also staged a road roko. The protesters, comprising mainly of daily wage earners, said the new fare implemented from Saturday took away a chunk of their meagre income.

A wage labourer, who uses this service on a daily basis, told News18 that the hike will make it more difficult for him to make ends meet. Another commuter quoted in the report said, "Even during the (bus) strike, most of us were stranded as other modes of commuting were expensive. Now, with the bus fare revision, share auto rates may well be cheaper. We urge the chief minister to roll back the fare hike. We can't pay double the ticket price for commuting on a regular basis."

Apart from commuters, political leaders from the BJP and DMK also announced on Sunday that they will protest against the bus fare hike, as per India Today. BJP state president Tamilisai Soundrarajan was quoted in the report as saying, "The bus fare was revised without any notification and this is affecting the people. The concerned ministers will have to review the tariff."

Meanwhile, DMK working president MK Stalin has accused the Palaniswamy-led government of being "sadist" and said the steep hike to the tune of Rs 3,600 crore a year was unacceptable and was a 'thunderbolt' imposed on the people.

"I strongly condemn the AIADMK government for imposing this heavy burden on the people, whose buying power has already been diminished," he said.

The PMK said a state-wide protest demonstration would be held on 25 January, seeking immediate roll back of hike.

PMK chief Ramadoss said Omni bus operators already charge higher fares and that they planned to further increase it. The hike was to facilitate profiteering by private operators, he alleged.

Sidelined AIADMK leader and RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran (also spelled as Dinakaran) also demanded that the hike be withdrawn.

"People will not accept the bus fare hike. The government should withdraw the hike," he told reporters.

CPM state secretary G Ramakrishnan said the party would stage dharnas and hold protest demonstrations across Tamil Nadu on 22 January against the bus fare hike.

Seeking an immediate rollback, he said the government's announcement of forming a committee to look at restructuring the fare structure in future was 'a big betrayal' of people.

The Tamil Nadu government hiked the fares of buses under state run transport corporations and also announced a fund for accident compensation and prevention, besides a panel to go into restructuring of bus fares in future.

The fare has been hiked for buses across categories viz moffusil, city, ordinary, express, deluxe, bypass-non-stop, ultra deluxe, air-conditioned and Volvo modes, an official release said.

While the minimum hike is in moffusil ordinary category, where the fare of Rs 5 for 10 km would now be Rs 6 (20 percent hike), the highest is in Volvo buses, where the fare of Rs 33 for 30 km will now go up to Rs 51 (54.54 percent hike).

In town buses the fare has been hiked from a minimum of Rs 3 to Rs 5 and the maximum from Rs 12 to Rs 19.

With inputs from PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be more of a reformist than a revolutionary, especially because his schemes be it Swachh Bharat, push for yoga or demonetisation, all seek to bring a behavioural change in India

"You are a revolutionary leader and you are revolutionising India. You are catapulting this magnificent state into the future," Israels Benyamin Netanyahu said to Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week.

What could he possibly mean? My dictionary defines revolution as "involving or causing a complete or dramatic change". Usually, this change that a revolutionary seeks is a sort of insurrection against the established order, particularly the state. Since Netanyahu is also calling India magnificent (it would be fascinating to know why he thinks so), it's safe to assume that hes not referring to Modis attempts to overthrow that order. So, what could he possibly be reaching for? I dont really know and dont want to speculate. For a moment, let us set aside the fact that Netanyahu is here to sell arms to a customer susceptible to flattery.

It is very true that in one way, Modi is seeking to bring about a revolutionary change in the established order. But what is this change? I would say it is reform, but not in the way the word 'revolutionary' is generally used.

Let me illustrate this by looking at one of Modis signature initiatives: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Readers will remember how it was launched the prime minister taking a broom and cleaning public spaces, and encouraging others to do the same and tweet about it.

His website explained the purpose of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: "A clean India would be the best tribute India could pay to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth anniversary in 2019... While leading the mass movement for cleanliness, the prime minister exhorted people to fulfill Mahatma Gandhis dream of a clean and hygienic India. Shri Narendra Modi himself initiated the cleanliness drive at Mandir Marg Police Station. Picking up the broom to clean the dirt, making Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a mass movement across the nation, the prime minister said people should neither litter nor let others litter. He gave the mantra of 'Na gandagi karenge, na karne denge.

In the introductory note, Modi uses the words clean, cleanliness, litter and littering 21 times. The words 'toilet' and 'sanitation' appear once in the line that says that Modi "has simultaneously addressed the health problems that roughly half of the Indians families have to deal with due to lack of proper toilets in their homes".

This is almost an afterthought, perhaps because it was an extension of earlier programmes, and therefore, uninteresting to Modi.

Littering is an eyesore and at the most an aesthetic irritant. It is not a national crisis like sanitation is (38 percent of our children are stunted at age two, giving them no chance of a fulfilling intellectual and physical life). But Modis focus and his messaging was on littering because what he was reaching for was a change in the individual Indian citizen's character, which he saw as needing a behavioural change. An internal transformation. This sort of reformation is usually done by spiritual and religious leaders. It is not in the domain of popular politics.

One can similarly understand the motivation for eccentric actions like demonetisation through the same instinct of social reform. Indians must be weaned off black money and the way to do this is by forcing behavioural change and taking away their cash. Whether or not this is ultimately effective, whether or not it affects millions negatively, and whether or not people will actually die from this slashing policy stroke, the experts can quibble over all of that later. Modi must act and so he will force (compel) people to do the right thing, or that which he considers right. This is the the reform of the father figure, which in many ways Modi has become, given the nature of his popularity and where it springs from.

Bollywood director Madhur Bhandarkar recently wrote a piece (When a prime minister turned social reformer) referring to the same aspects. He wrote: "There are several examples which show how our society is undergoing a major transformation. Initiatives like taking yoga to the masses, banning the use of red beacons to end VIP culture, special schemes for divyangs and sensitising people to their needs, ending the formality of getting forms/certificates attested by gazetted officers, exhorting people to prepare their own manure through composting  these may look like small initiatives but their impact is massive."

Whether this is what the prime minister of India should concentrate on is not something I want to look at here. The point is that this societal change is what he is drawn to. Sometimes he recognises that he may have approached the issue wrongly or hastily. Today, the Swachh Bharat websites, including one for urban centres, list toilet and sanitation numbers front and centre while there is little, if anything, about littering.

In his reply to Netanyahus praise, Modi said, "I have a reputation for being impatient to get results and so do you. We should expect that his attempts to reform us will continue.
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today accused the Tamil Nadu government of not releasing water from Veedur dam for farm use in the union territory.

Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Sunday accused the Tamil Nadu government of not releasing water from Veedur Dam for farm use in the union territory.

Puducherry has a share in the water from Veedur dam in Villupuram district in that state under an inter-state agreement inked in 1961, he told media on Sunday.

Narayanasamy noted that an agreement was signed by the two governments in 1961 to share water from Veedur dam to meet the irrigation requirements of farmers in Mannadipet constituency in the union territory.

The deal ensured availability of water for Puducherry for 175 days to enable farmers here to get water for cultivation on an extent of 1400 hectares from the dam, he said.

"The release of water for Mannadipet block was stopped this year.. Our plea is that the agreement should be enforced by the Tamil Nadu authorities," he said adding a letter would be shot off to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu seeking immediate release of water in keeping with the provisions of the agreement.

Veedur dam is situated in the catchment areas of Varaha river and Thondiaru in Villupuram district and had been a source of irrigation for farm lands in Mannadipet constituency in Puducherry.

"Besides, Tamil Nadu government was ignoring the Union Territory's share of 6 tmc feet of water released into the Cauvery basin by the Karnataka government," Narayanasamy alleged.

On AIADMK's demand that Congress and DMK MLAs should step down from the posts of chairmen of the PSUs and Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister, he said "The MLAs belonging to Congress and the DMK were appointed chairmen of the PSUs or Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister here as per the Act adopted in the territorial Assembly in the past."

"We took utmost care before appointing the MLAs to the posts of chairmen and Parliamentary Secretary and therefore the situation in Puducherry is different from New Delhi," he claimed.

The AIADMK had yesterday said it would seek disqualification of ruling Congress and DMK legislators in Puducherry "for holding office of profit," in view of the Election Commission's decision to disqualify 20 AAP MLAs in New Delhi on similar grounds.
Unlike with Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh or Mayawati, Congress has no problem attacking Arvind Kejriwal, because it believes weakening AAP will increase its chances of defeating BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Delhi Congress president Ajay Makens relentless attacks on Aam Aadmi Party conforms to the model that Congress began to subscribed ever since its decline started following the rise of Bharatiya Janata Party.

Call it the model of comeback built on the assumption that BJPs Hindutva and misgovernance will scare left-liberals, the genteel right wing, and the ideologically neutral into voting for Congress. Where else can these disenchanted groups go but flock to the tent of Indias grand old party? After all, it is the only national alternative to BJP. Congress has to only ensure that state-based parties take away as few anti-BJP votes as possible in order for it (Congress) to return to power.

This deeply flawed model of comeback has inspired Maken to train his guns on AAP instead of BJP. True, Congress feels bitter at AAP having grown at its expense in Delhi. It is also true that as an opposition party it must raise issues on which the ruling party is found wanting. It is indeed the right of Congress to rebuild itself for a comeback.

Yet Congress leaders and their supporters never miss an opportunity to emphasise the necessity of forging a broad front to take on BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The need of the hour, they say, is to reconcile competing interests among Opposition parties to check Hindutvas ascendancy and the Modi governments growing authoritarianism. Or else, Indias democracy will be imperiled, and the cherished values of the Republic will be eroded, the Congress argues.

But such worries begin to sound hypocritical when there is a gross mismatch between its rhetoric and action. Maken has created tremendous sound and fury over AAPs parliamentary secretaries even though the Congress government in Karnataka has 10 of them, each having the status and salaries equivalent to that of a minister. A week before the Election Commission recommended to the President that 20 AAP MLAs should be disqualified for holding "office of profit", Maken had met Chief Election Commissioner Achal Kumar Joti urging him to take the precipitate measure.

In July 2016, Maken had sought to become a party to the office of profit case, but the Election Commission rejected his plea. Perhaps Maken believes bye-elections in the 20 seats (which could be vacated following AAP MLAs disqualification) in Delhi could provide Congress a chance to enter the Assembly, where it doesnt have a seat, and prove his mettle to the Congress high command. As of now, he and his party seem to be punching well above their weight; bye-elections to these 20 seats are likely to boost BJPs tally, giving it yet another victory to crow about.

Few will deny that the Modi government has created obstacles to prevent smooth functioning of the AAP government, objecting to just about every initiative it had taken, either delaying projects or scuppering them altogether. Though the Supreme Court is yet to determine as to who is the government in Delhi, the NDA governments propensity to stonewall Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, through the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, meets the definition of authoritarianism that Congress often invokes to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Yet Congress has chosen to be seen on BJPs side. Whether it is about the Mohalla clinics, improvement in government schools, allocation of land to AAP to build its office, or, the party's advertisement expenditure, Maken has been firing at AAP like a man possessed. It is presumed his strategy has the backing of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is said to have a soft corner for the Delhi president.

Perhaps Congress hasnt forgiven AAP for having launched the anti-corruption movement in its earlier avatar, targeting the Manmohan Singh government and eroding its credibility. The narrative that AAP created was indeed an important factor behind Congress' defeat. It is now time for Indias grand old party to take its revenge on AAP. This too is understandable because vengeance has long been the norm in Indian politics.

A new story gets revealed if you were to look at Congress from the perspective of the last 28 years, that is to say, after it lost the 1989 Lok Sabha elections. This style seemingly stems from the belief that the best way to fight BJP is to weaken the state-based parties.

For instance, through the 1990s, Congress' focus of attack had been Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and the Kanshi Ram-Mayawati duo. Congress targeted them because each of these four leaders had ferreted away a chunk of its traditional base. But so had BJP, to which the upper caste voters of Congress migrated.

Unable to reinvigorate its organisation, or reinvent itself, the upper caste leadership structure of Congress could scarcely conceal its disdain for the emerging OBC and Dalits leaders. It attacked them even though they were, on the side, arrayed against Hindutva, hoping their weakening could correspondingly lead to its own strengthening and revival.

It took Congress nearly 14 years to realise that it cant possibly counter BJP without the support of regional outfits. In the months before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Sonia Gandhi overcame the biases of the Congress leadership to enter into alliances with regional outfits whose bosses were mostly non-upper caste. This was largely because Sonia, an Italian by birth, did not have a caste. It was thus that Lalu became a member of the United Progressive Alliance government in 2004 and 2009.

Makens attack on AAP is a throwback to the politics that Congress pursued in the 1990s, aimed at weakening those whose base overlaps with its own. This too is a justifiable pre-emptive measure. No party in the world loves a competition detrimental to its interests.

But Congress and its supporters cant also rail against parties which field candidates that turn elections into multi-cornered contests, weakening what is called the Index of Opposition Unity and benefitting BJP. Over the last three years, as soon as election results in any state are announced, we are given the precise number of seats the Congress lost because non-BJP formations gobbled votes that would have otherwise come to it.

Really, Congress, to use a cliche, cant eat its cake and have it too. It cant attack state-based parties and still expect them to not field candidates so that Hindutva is trumped. Who would want to bear the cross of secularism to ensure that Congress comes to power despite its own ideological and organisational weaknesses? After all, Congress isnt a movement, but another party jockeying for power.

This is a fact that Congress supporters, including left-liberals, dont understand. They want all small outfits to make sacrifices for the cause of secularism. For instance, months before the Gujarat elections they were critical of AAPs decision to field candidates there. It was said that AAP and other outfits would eat into Congress votes and enable BJP to triumph. In case AAP contests all 60 Assembly seats in the forthcoming elections in Nagaland, the charge of it betraying the fight against secularism will be raised again.

How about Congress asking Maken to think of the fight against Hindutva before he fires yet another volley against AAP?

But Congress will not restrain Maken from attacking Kejriwal unlike Lalu or Mulayam and his son Akhilesh Yadav or Mayawati, all of whom are required for an alliance without which Congress knows BJP cant be trumped. But then no such compulsion exists in Delhi especially since the state has just seven Lok Sabha constituencies and AAP cant but fight in all of them.

This is what drives Maken to snipe at AAP. His party believes that by joining BJP in tarnishing AAPs image it can perhaps win over a large segment of its voters who too have anxieties about BJPs rise. To be on the side of Hindutva to fight it is indeed a strange strategy. Congress thrives on the fear of Hindutva, but the party will not counter BJP. Congress model of comeback rests on such weak foundations.
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an 'ego of his prime ministership', adding that it was the reason why Modi was not responding to his letters

Mumbai: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an "ego of his prime ministership", adding that it was the reason why Modi was not responding to his letters.

Hazare was speaking at a public rally in Atpadi tehsil in Sangli district on Saturday.

Hazare said, "I have written more than 30 letters to prime minister Modi in the last three years but he never replied to them. Modi has an ego of his prime ministership, hence he did not respond to my letters."

Hazare had, earlier, announced that he was going to stage another round of agitations in New Delhi from 23 March.

The rally at Atpadi on Saturday was the first of the three rallies Hazare will be addressing in an effort to mobilise support for the 23 March agitation.

"It will be a never-seen-before kind of massive agitation that will be a warning to the government," he said.

"I have no intention of garnering votes through my rallies and agitations. The way there was a huge rally for Jan Lokpal, I believe there will be a similar agitation on farmers' issues," he said.

Hazare said that his demands included implementation of the Lokpal, the appointment of a Lokayukta, a pension of Rs 5,000 to farmers and higher rates for farm produce.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad blamed the ruling parties at the Centre and in Kerala for the continuing political violence in the state. 'Both the BJP and CPM are equally responsible for the continuing political violence in Kerala. They should share the responsibility for the loss of lives in political violence,' he told reporters.

Kozhikode: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad blamed the ruling parties at the Centre and in Kerala for the continuing political violence in the state. "Both the BJP and CPM are equally responsible for the continuing political violence in Kerala. They should share the responsibility for the loss of lives in political violence," he told reporters.

Triple talaq, if implemented in the present form, would affect the entire Muslim community in the country, the Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha said.

"If the wife makes a complaint against her husband, then her in-laws will also be jailed for three years as per the draft bill," he said.

"However, instant triple talaq is against the law and the Supreme Court verdict in this matter is welcome." he added.

The bill criminalising talaq-e-biddat was passed by the Lok Sabha in the recently-concluded Winter Session of the Parliament but was stuck in the Rajya Sabha.

Opposition parties as well as the NDA ally TDP had reservations over criminal provisions in the draft law.

MPs in the Upper House had demanded that the bill, which proposes to make triple talaq a cognisable and non-bailable offence, be referred to a parliamentary committee for review.

Azad also spoke on the conditions in Kashmir, saying the government lacked a "positive attitude" to stop tensions across the border.

"The violence across the Kashmir border with Pakistan has escalated after the BJP came to power at the Centre," he alleged.
If the results of the recent civic elections in Madhya Pradesh are anything to go by, the BJP is facing anti-incumbency in considerable measure.

If the results of the recent civic elections in Madhya Pradesh are anything to go by, the BJP is facing anti-incumbency in considerable measure. The party has been in the saddle uninterruptedly for 14 years, the last 12 plus years under Shivraj Singh Chouhans chief ministership. This anti-incumbency, if left unattended, could jeopardise its hold on power in the next Assembly election later this year.

This is something for the party to worry about, but the BJP seems in no mood to rein in the arrogance of its leaders, which is a factor in the growing ire of voters. Even as the state was in the throes of the civic elections, Chouhan fanned the flames of anti-incumbency by slapping his bodyguard in full public view which attracted huge criticism.

Earlier, the chief minister had evoked widespread derision when he declared after his return from a US trip that his states roads were better than those there. He faced comments mocking him on social networking sites for making a claim that woefully lacked realism and credibility.

In the civic polls, the BJP and the Congress won nine civic bodies apiece in the state. However, considering how wide a gap there has been between the two parties in the last 14 years, this made the BJP and Chouhan personally look vulnerable.

Evidently, this was not a reflection of a success for the Congress leadership but a growing sign of disenchantment with the BJP under Chauhan. The voter was turning wary of the BJPs claims, as it invariably happens when there is a mood of anti-incumbency.

At a time when the people at large were already talking of the growing arrogance of BJP leaders, anti-BJP propagandists added fuel to the fire after Shivraj Chouhan slapping his bodyguard.

Significantly, central leaders of both the BJP and the Congress were conspicuous by their absence during campaigning. Shivraj Chouhan, however, campaigned hard for the BJP, conducting road shows and addressing rallies.

In Raghogarh, the home constituency of All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijay Singh, his son Jaivardhan Singh won comfortably despite Digvijay not making an appearance and Chouhan campaigning vigorously.

It would be foolhardy to exaggerate the BJPs setback and to juxtapose these results to show the partys impending doom in the Assembly and parliamentary polls. However, if the party fails to draw any lessons from it, it could well rue its misplaced over-confidence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis sway over voters and party president Amit Shahs organisational skills are undoubted as was borne out by their extensive campaigning, managing to pull the party out of a virtual catastrophe in the recent Gujarat Assembly elections. But local factors also count significantly and the Shivraj Chouhan government would need to pull up its socks and show tangible results in governance.

The BJP has been striving to improve its numbers in the Rajya Sabha so as to win a majority of seats there and have a smooth sailing with Bills, and any reduction in the tally in BJP-ruled states would affect that goal.

Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are also slated to elect new assemblies later this year. The governments in these states could well face the anger of a section of voters largely on account of anti-incumbency, but also because of a perception of arrogance of the leaders.

In Karnataka, the shoe is on the other foot with the Congress facing anti-incumbency and BJP waiting to cash in on it. But the BJP chief ministerial nominee Yeddyurappa is viewed by many as a tainted leader who had even been jailed for alleged corruption before he was cleared by the court.

With elections due in May this year in Karnataka, poll-watchers would not have to wait long to know what happens there.

The stakes are indeed high in the Assembly polls in 2018 which will be held in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections next year. The Modi government could lose part of the sheen that still characterises it if it fails to perform creditably in the Assembly elections.

If the Congress in turn performs well in the Assembly elections, it would help resurrect that party that has been down in the dumps since it lost power at the Centre in 2014 to the Modi wave and subsequently in some states.

Normally, the results in civic elections are not an important pointer to the shape of things to come at the national level. But this time around, they could well be an influencing factor in raising the stock of a Congress that has been consistently on the downhill path.

Much like Gujarat, the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are also largely bipolar states, where the chief battle is between the BJP and the Congress. Thus, the performance of these parties in the Assembly polls will be an indication of their clout in the Lok Sabha election.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interview spoke on a range of issues, including the recent Supreme Court judges' rebellion, GST, demonetisation and the Congress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interview to Times Now spoke on a range of issues, including the recent Supreme Court judges' rebellion, GST, demonetisation and the Congress.

In his first comments on the judicial crisis, Modi on Sunday said the government and political parties must stay out of it while expressing confidence that the judiciary will sit together to find a solution to its problems. He also said the Indian judiciary has a bright history and is full of very capable people.

"Our country's judiciary has a very bright past, they are very capable people. They will sit together and find a solution to their problems. I have faith in our justice system, they will definitely figure out a solution," he said.

Six months into the rollout of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and after dozens of changes, Modi said he is open to more changes in the GST to plug loopholes and make it a more efficient tax. He also attacked those opposing the GST, saying they were "insulting" Parliament. He compared the new law with that for income tax, asking how many changes and improvements have been made in the income tax law since its inception in 1961. "The GST too is a new system. I have been saying this since the day one that people will take some time to adjust to the new system," he said. "We will have to improve wherever there are loopholes."

Modi also indicated that the upcoming Budget will not be a populist one and it's a myth that the common man expects "freebies and sops" from the government. He also pledged that his government will stay on the course of the reforms agenda that has pulled out India from being among the 'fragile five' economies of the world to being a 'bright spot'. "We are progressing at the right pace as we had planned, that's the biggest satisfaction for us," he said.

"If you want a debate on the economic conditions, do it on the basis of fixed parameters. Those who are judging the economy on the basis of fixed parameters, say India on a bright spot," the prime minister said.

On being the first Indian prime minister to be going to Davos, Modi said India has achieved a track record of doing well and has become an attractive hub hence we have the opportunity to present India to the world after 1991.

On the Opposition, Modi said his slogan of 'Congress-free India' was not about eliminating the main Opposition party politically but about ridding the country of the "Congress culture" which he termed as casteist, dynastic, corrupt and involving total control over power among other ills.

Maintaining that the Congress has been the "main pillar" of politics in the country that spread its culture to all political parties, he said that his call for "Congress mukt" or 'Congress-free India' was "symbolic" and he wants even the Congress to be free of the "Congress culture", according to the transcript provided by the channel.

When asked about the triple talaq bill that was not passed in the Rajya Sabha and whether he was personally affected by it, Modi said the 'nation is bigger than the party' for him. "When people are insulting GST, I can understand that it's their hunger for power and politics that makes them do that, but when a poor woman is at stake, it is difficult to see their point," said Modi.

On being asked why there was no consensus on Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections being held simultaneously, Modi said that before 1967, the general elections and the state elections were held together and he is not the first one to suggest that they be held together. He went onto say that proper political dialogue becomes difficult when elections keep happening continuously.

On the issue of India's foreign policy, Modi said it is based on the context of India. Modi also rejected the notion that India was putting "so much hard work" to isolate Pakistan, asserting that his efforts were aimed at uniting the world powers to defeat terrorism as his country has been suffering from the scourge since decades.

He said the suggestion that the country's foreign policy was based on Pakistan was wrong but stressed that the world was uniting against those sympathetic towards terrorists, an apparent reference to the neighbouring country. Modi also praised US President Donald Trump for raising his voice against terror with "a lot of assertion".

With regards to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu supporting his "hard power" towards terrorism, Modi said, "I'm thankful to Netanyahu for praising India but when it comes to terrorism, there is nothing called hard power or soft power, it is about humanity. Humanitarian values need to unite to combat terrorism and since this is about saving humanity, there cannot be a bigger soft power than this."

With inputs from PTI
Demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken on Sunday said his party was ready for bypolls.

New Delhi: Demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken on Sunday said his party was ready for bypolls.

He also reiterated the allegation that the BJP and the Election Commission (EC) had "helped the AAP by delaying the disqualification process and enabled it to send its three candidates to the Rajya Sabha".

The party would have split due to "internal dissensions" had the Election Commission made the recommendation before 22 December, when the three AAP candidates were elected to the Rajya Sabha, Maken claimed.

"The delay was deliberate and due to a deal between the BJP and the AAP, the Election Commission knowingly did so," he said, rubbishing the AAP's claim that the disqualified MLAs were not given a hearing by the EC to present their case.

"The full bench of the commission on 11 dates gave them opportunity for hearing," the Congress leader claimed.

He accused AAP of "lying" on the matter and said that his claims of office of profit enjoyed by the MLAs as parliamentary secretaries were based on proper documents.

"The AAP can file a case against me if I am lying. The papers prove the MLAs enjoyed benefits of office, furniture, conveyance and other facilities," Maken said.

The Congress will hold a massive protest at the chief minister's office on Monday demanding his resignation, he said. "Kejriwal has lost the moral right to rule and he should step down after the disqualification of 20 MLAs of his party," Maken said.

The Congress is "fully ready" to contest the bypolls on the 20 seats."We are holding meetings over the possible elections. We will hold workers meets after January 26. I hope the people will correct the mistake they committed three years back," he said.
The Gujarat poll outcome has instilled the belief in Congress workers that the BJP can be defeated, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said on Sunday and exuded confidence that the party would emerge victorious in the 2019 general elections under Rahul Gandhi's leadership.

New Delhi: The Gujarat poll outcome has instilled the belief in Congress workers that the BJP can be defeated, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said on Sunday and exuded confidence that the party would emerge victorious in the 2019 general elections under Rahul Gandhi's leadership.

Patel, who had won the Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat last year in a close contest, also said the poll verdict in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state was a "moral victory" for the Congress as the BJP, which had talked about getting 150 seats, was wrapped up under 100.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed so many meetings and used all sorts of tricks from bringing Pakistan...to even saying that someone in Pakistan wants me to be the chief minister, but failed to polarise the voters," Patel told PTI in an interview.

"Gujarat poll results have boosted the morale of Congress workers, not only in Gujarat but all over India, and given them the belief that the BJP can be defeated," the 68-year-old leader said.

The Assembly election outcome would definitely help the Congress party in the 2019 elections, he said.

"The way Rahul Gandhi has campaigned in Gujarat, his hard work and the way he drew huge crowds were very encouraging and helped us win the seats we finally did," said Patel.

The BJP won 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, its tally dipping from 115 in the last elections.

Had the BJP not "used their gimmicks", they would have been defeated in Gujarat, Patel claimed.

He said the Congress was constantly improving and would do well in the upcoming state elections this year.

The "young and dynamic" party president, Rahul Gandhi, would lead the Congress to victory in the 2019 polls, he held.

Asked if Gandhi, who took over as the party chief last month, would build a new team, Patel said, "The Congress president is consulting seniors; he is using youngsters also."

"He has a slot for everyone. He knows where to utilise whose expertise," the veteran Congress leader said.

On whether the Congress would stitch up an alliance for the 2019 elections, Patel said the ultimate goal was to defeat divisive and communal forces.

"We are prepared to take the support of like-minded parties, but it is too early to talk of alliances. Congress president and senior leaders will decide later," said Patel, who served as Sonia Gandhi's political secretary for about 15 years during her time as Congress chief.

Asked if the Congress was going through its worst phase electorally, Patel said, "When Soniaji had taken over, the Congress was (in power) in a few states; similarly under Rahul ji, we will get more states. It's a question of time."

On the BJP projecting itself as championing the cause of Muslim women and the Mehram issue, Patel said women could proceed for haj without mehram (male guardian) because of a change in rules in Saudi Arabia.

Talking about the triple talaq bill, which has been passed by the Lok Sabha and is awaiting the Rajya Sabha nod, he said the Congress had demanded that the bill be forwarded to a select committee, so that all its provisions could be scrutinised.

Asked if the Congress was guilty of causing too many disruptions in Parliament in recent times, Patel said the party was only raising "genuine" issues.
The RSS is going to hold a mega rally on Sunday in Guwahati, where more than 33,000 of its members in Sangh uniform will perform yoga

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The RSS is going to hold a mega rally on Sunday in Guwahati, where more than 33,000 of its members in Sangh uniform will perform yoga, it publicity incharge said on Friday. The rally will be addressed by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat.

More than 50 women volunteers worked on drawing rangoli to welcome Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and other leaders.

The Assam unit of the RSS includes some districts of Assam, the entire Nagaland and Meghalaya. The 'Luitporia Hindu Samabesh' is being organised ahead of the 27 February Assembly elections in Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Guwahati students have been posted on duty as Swayamsevaks at the Khanapara ground.

It is to be noted that Chakravarty been an RSS member for 53 years.

Sankar Das, spokesperson for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), calls the organisation's mega rally on Sunday a "test". "This is the largest-ever congregation organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). More than an event, this is actually a test for us," Das said.

Khagen Saikia, a senior RSS volunteer, behind the desk, was busy asking his colleagues if they had had their lunch, aside from responding to various queries. When asked about the kind of attendance expected on Sunday, Saikia said they were expecting over one lakh people in total. Das later confirmed that the number was actually closer to 75,000 with around 35,000 RSS karyakartas in uniform and 40,000 people as part of the audience.

The RSS became operational in the country's North East in the mid-1940s when it set up its first base in undivided Assam, which then comprised the present-day states of Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya. For administrative purposes, the Sangh's northeastern arm is divided into two parts: Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, along with the southern parts of Assam, fall under the Dakshin Assam division. Northern parts of the state, along with Meghalaya and Nagaland, make up the Uttar Assam division.

About 35,000 swayamsevaks (volunteers) from across the North East will converge in Guwahati for the programme. It's for the first time that the Hindu nationalist body is organising an event of this magnitude in the North East. Since 1994, the region has seen RSS gatherings in smaller cities like Dibrugarh and Shillong, but these never witnessed crowds of over 3,000 to 4,000.

Swayamsevaks in the 14-35 age group fall in for the physical exercise

RSS Assam spokesperson Sankar Das says physical exercises will go on until RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat arrives at 1.00pm

The RSS will be broadcasting Mohan Bhagwat's speech LIVE through its official account on Facebook as well as Twitter.

Swayamsevaks being asked to take their respective positions and be ready for the drill as the dignitaries have started coming in

Swayamsevaks are also being asked to refrain from using mobile phones until the end of the ceremony in Guwahati.

In the video, one can hear in the background: "RSS karyakartas from both sides of brahmaputra river have assembled together. We wish to conduct our service sincerely and dedicatedly with order and discipline."

Sunday's rally, being organised in coordination with Luitporiya Hindu Sammelan, is an ambitious programme which was being planned since two years. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and senior leaders such as joint general secretary V Bhagaiah, Krishna Gopal Sharma and Dattatreya Hosabole will speak at the rally. Other national leaders such as Akhil Bharatiya Sharirik Pramukh in-charge Sunil Kulkarni and Saha Sampark Pramukh (public relations chief) Sunil Deshpandey will also be present. The programme is scheduled to begin with the 35,000-strong volunteer force singing 'Ami Luit Poriya Hindu' (we're Hindus of Brahmaputra valley).

Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, BJP MP said, "Very impressed with the preparations for the event. An event of this scale has never happened before here, and I doubt it will happen again. It is high time the concept of Hinduism is reinforced in Hindustan."

King of Mayong, a village near Guwahati that is known for black magic and sorcery, Tarani Singha says, "RSS and its affiliates have taken up the initiative to secure the Hindu culture. Hindutva should be protected, and that is why I came here to understand more about their mission and vision"

Eminent politicians, heads of village bodies, 20 titular tribal kings  from the Karbi, Naga, Khasi, Hajong, Tiwa, Garo, Jayantiya, Mising and Hajong communities  and more than 10 chiefs of different satras of Assam will be among the dignitaries attending the rally. (Satras stand for institutional centres associated with Vaishnavism, a sect in Hinduism)

"There are no traffic jams in Guhawati. In the last 15 days, we have coordinated with the authorities to manage the traffic in city. We are totally prepared for the event now. The event is also beginning slowly. We feel that ther number may even cross 40,000 now," RSS Assam spokesperson Sankar Das told Firstpost.

"If anyone can save Assam right now, it is the RSS. It is a national, cultural organisation that has the discipline to conduct a congregation of this massive scale. I invite all opposition parties and groups to come and see what the RSS really is," Dev said.

"If anyone can save Assam right now, it is the RSS,' says BJP MP Shiladitya Dev

Saikia says, 'Hindutva being a culture and not just a religion.'

Organisers welcome tribal kinds and leaders of various satras of Assam on stage

Invoking Lachit Borphukan, Umesh Chakraborty says we must protect the soil of Assam and the North East to "save" the region. He asks every citizen to go back to their village once in a while and make sure there is equitable development.

"As a nation state, we have the right to give enlightenment for struggling world. The time is ripe for it. It may seem difficult and impossible for some, but with efforts and self-discipline, we can achieve these goals," he added.

"To bring our country back on its feet is the goal of RSS. It is not a selfish or parochial motive. There is a need for it. Around the world, humanity has for the past 2,000 years, tried many things for world peace, But they have failed. They need a new route and India will provide that new path for the people. India has been doing so since millenniums," RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said at the RSS rally in Guwahati.

Struggling world is looking at India for a path towards world peace, Mohan Bhagwat says

The audience listens to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat with rapt attention as he begins his speech in Hindi to welcome everyone present at the rally.

"Our uniqueness lies in diversity or religion and different ways of life...but at the core, our essence is all same. We need to seek happiness within, even the illiterate people in India are wise enough to know this truth that many in the world fails to understand," The RSS chief said at the rally. "There is diversity in the world, respect it and then do darshan of this unity in diversity.. then only will your life be fruitful," he added, advocating the need for unity.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat talks about values of the Vedic age as modern age technology drives a drone capturing the moment

"Accept and respect all diversity. This is how humanity in this lifetime is accomplished. We have this uniqueness of diversity gifted to us by our motherland," Mohan Bhagwat reiterated at the Guwahati rally. "Sujala suphala malayajashitala..." was how abundant out motherland was, this made us open and broadminded which led us to welcome more and more people...Nature protected us and blessed us with this abundance," he added.

"India forgot its enmity with Pakistan, but Pakistan did not forget," says Mohan Bhagwat.

"The Sangh's strength is not to scare anyone or dominate anybody, it is for social causes. Don't just remain a spectator, as a sympathiser, learn to come down and learn the culture of the Sangh. Mothers and sisters need to send their sons to the Sangh's shakhas and teach them our vision," Mohan Bhagwat says as he ends his speech.

"Sangh's strength is not to scare anyone or dominate anybody, it is for social causes," Mohan Bhagwat says

Latest updates: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has arrived on the stage. After saluting the swayamsevaks, the volunteers began their yoga exercise. Before his address to the gathering, the Assam unit head Uttam Chakraborty is speaking.

The rally at Khanapara ground has begun with the organisers welcoming leaders from the tribal community in North East region. Not just tribal leaders but people from various fields in Assam have gathered at the venue. Speaking to media, BJP MP Shiladitya Dev said that only RSS can save Assam. On the other hand, veteran actor Pranjal Saikia called Hindutva a "way of life."

Speaking to Firstpost, Assam RSS spokesperson Sankar Das had said that the preparations for the mega event are complete and added that the outfit expects over 40,000 participants on Sunday. The rally is expected to go on for at least two to three hours on Sunday. The volunteers gathered at the ground are likely to sing the song 'Luitporia Hindu ami' (We are Hindus of Brahmaputra).

RSS swayamsevaks as well as women volunteers have begun to arrive at the Khanapara ground in Guwahati. Final rehearsals are being conducted before RSS Sanghsarchalak Mohan Bhagwat arrives at around 1 pm.

It is for the first time that the RSS will be holding such a big rally in the North East. According to latest reports at least 35,000 volunteers are expected to be at the venue on Sunday. Security has been tightened across the venue ahead of the rally. Preparations for food and water are in full swing while more than 50 women volunteers worked on rangoli to welcome Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and other leaders.

The RSS will be holding a mega rally on Sunday in Guwahati, where more than 33,000 of its members will be hearing the address by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat.

The Assam unit of the RSS includes some districts of Assam, the entire Nagaland and Meghalaya.

The 'Luitporia Hindu Samabesh' is being organised ahead of the 27 February Assembly elections in Nagaland and Meghalaya.

The BJP is aiming to make further inroads into the northeast after having formed governments in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

"A mega public rally of the RSS's Assam unit will be organised on 21 January in Guwahati. The meeting is expected to be attended by more than one lakh people, including over 33,000 Sangh workers," the Sangh's Assam publicity incharge Shankar Das told PTI.

Sangh members will perform different 'asanas' (exercises) wearing Sangh dress, he said.

Das said over 20,000 families from across the three states have decided to provide five food packets each for distribution during the rally.

With inputs from PTI
CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury accused the BJP of practising 'double standards' and said the party that projects itself as a nationalist force across the country had joined hands with 'extremist organisations' in poll-bound Tripura.

Kolkata: CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury accused the BJP of practising "double standards" and said the party that projects itself as a nationalist force across the country had joined hands with "extremist organisations" in poll-bound Tripura.

The saffron party will face defeat at the hands of the ruling CPM-led Left Front and the Assembly elections in Tripura will be BJP's "Waterloo", he claimed. The CPM leader also said that the BJP was trying to unite anti-Left forces in the state to win the polls.

"They (the BJP) are trying to bring together anti-Left forces and extremist organisations. They have already entered into an alliance with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), they are negotiating with others too," Yechury told reporters.

The BJP, on one hand, has been thrusting its idea of 'Hindutva nationalism' upon people and, on the other, it is aligning with the divisive forces in Tripura, the CPM leader alleged. "The IPFT is now claiming that the BJP has assured them that their demand for a separate rebel state will be considered," he said. The IPFT, an anti-Left tribal party, has been seeking a separate state for the indigenous communities of Tripura. The party recently said that it was holding talks with the BJP for a pre-poll alliance.

"The BJP is practising double standards... The party is contradicting its own ideology of Hindutva nationalism and trying to create a division between tribals and non-tribals,"he said. Tripura will go to polls on 18 February and the results for the 60 constituencies of the state will be declared on 3 March. The CPM-led Left Front has been power in the state since 1993.
A British woman who married and gave birth under the Islamic State regime in Syria has become one of the first so-called jihadi brides to be arrested on her return to the UK, a media report has claimed.

London: A British woman who married and gave birth under the Islamic State regime in Syria has become one of the first so-called jihadi brides to be arrested on her return to the UK, a media report has claimed.

The 27-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested at Heathrow Airport under terrorism laws when she landed from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, earlier this month, The Sunday Times reported.

Her two-year-old son, whose nationality remains unclear, has been taken into the care of the state.

Scotland Yard has released the woman on bail while it continues its investigation.

The UK authorities are working on a series of measures to tackle cases of such Islamic State brides and children returning to the UK following the terrorist group's defeats in its Syrian and Iraqi strongholds last year, the report said.

Aqsa Mahmood, a 22-year-old Pakistani-origin suspected Islamic State recruiter from Glasgow, has been stripped of her British citizenship to prevent her returning to Britain.

The UK Home Office argues that Mahmood has not been made "stateless" because she is eligible to apply for citizenship in the country where her parents were born, which is Pakistan.

A similar order has been made against another British woman who fled Syria at the end of 2016 after her husband, a prominent British figure in Islamic State, died in a battle.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave birth to two children, now aged one and three, in the war zone, which means they have no nationality, the report said.

All three remain stranded in Turkey.

The UK's social services departments have been drawing up plans to take into care British children known to have travelled to Syria and Iraq with their families, should their parents bring them back home.

More than 100 British women are thought to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the terror groups.
With the federal government shutdown in its second day, New York is intervening to ensure two historic landmarks will be open to visitors.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday that the state reached an agreement with the Department of the Interior to reopen Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The state will provide $65,000 to cover the costs of operating the sites, which will include paying National Park Service staff.

The sites will reopen Monday after being closed over the weekend. The agreement with the Department of the Interior will last for the duration of the shutdown.

The funds to reopen Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty will come from the state's tourism budget.

"From our point of view, it's a good investment because the revenue we gain from the tourists is multiples of what it will cost to actually pay to open the Statue of Liberty," Cuomo said. "We want to keep tourism flowing."

New York paid to reopen Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty during the last government shutdown in 2013. Cuomo noted that situation was different because the state initially believed the shutdown wouldn't last long. When it continued for several days, the state covered the costs to reopen the sites.
Gunmen burst into Kabul's luxury Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday, shooting at guests and staff and setting the building on fire

Kabul: Gunmen burst into Kabul's luxury Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday, shooting at guests and staff and setting the building on fire, officials said.

Gunmen killed at least five people and wounded eight others in the attack, an official said, as the eleven hours-long siege continues.

"Five are dead," an official with the Afghan spy agency told AFP, adding 100 hostages have been released.

Special forces were lowered by helicopters onto the roof of the landmark hilltop hotel during the night-time siege, interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP, adding two attackers had been killed.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest assault in the war-torn Afghan capital that followed a series of security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners.

It is not clear how many people are still inside the hotel, which was previously attacked by Taliban militants in 2011, or whether any foreigners are among them.

A guest hiding in a room told AFP he could hear gunfire inside the 1960s hotel where dozens of people attending an information technology conference on Sunday were staying.

"I don't know if the attackers are inside the hotel but I can hear gunfire from somewhere near the first floor," the man, who did not want to be named, said by telephone.

"We are hiding in our rooms. I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us."

His phone was switched off when AFP tried to contact him again.

'Hostages taken'

Local resident Abdul Sattar said he had spoken by phone to some of his friends who are chefs and waiters at the hotel and are trapped inside.

"Suddenly they attacked the dinner gathering... (then) they broke into the rooms, took some people hostage and they opened fire on some of them," he told AFP.

An official at Afghanistan's spy agency told AFP at the beginning of the attack that four assailants were inside the building.

They are "shooting at guests", the National Directorate of Security official said.

Rahimi said the attackers were armed with small weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when they stormed the hotel, which is a popular venue for weddings, conferences and political gatherings.

"Seven wounded people have been taken to hospital," Rahimi said.

"Some other guests have been rescued. We will be able to release casualty figures once the operation ends."

But several hours after the attack started Afghan security spokesmen switched off their mobile phones or refused to answer AFP's calls for an update on casualties.

Afghan media is reporting multiple casualties in the attack, which comes days after a UN Security Council delegation visited Kabul for a close-up view of the conflict.

The fourth floor of the hotel, which boasts several restaurants and an outdoor swimming pool, had been set on fire during the raid, the NDS official said.

Security questioned

The last major attack on a high-end hotel in Kabul was in March 2014 when four teenage gunmen raided the Serena, killing nine people including AFP journalist Sardar Ahmad.

The Intercontinental was previously targeted in June 2011 when a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people, including 10 civilians.

Even before Saturday's attack was over, authorities were questioning how the assailants got past the hotel's security, which was taken over by a private company two weeks ago, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

"They probably used a back door in the kitchen to enter," he said.

Abdullah Sabet, an official at the communications and information technology ministry, said IT officials from around the country were staying at the hotel ahead of a conference on Sunday.

"There were 40 of them in the hotel. We don't know if any of them have been killed or wounded," Sabet said.

Security at the Intercontinental, which is not part of the global InterContinental chain, is relatively lax compared with other luxury hotels in Kabul.

A conference on Afghanistan-China relations was held in one of its function rooms earlier Saturday, attended by the Chinese embassy's political counsellor Zhang Zhixin.

An AFP reporter who attended the conference passed through two vehicle security checkpoints.

At the entrance to the building, there was a physical inspection that could be easily evaded by scaling a low-level barrier and entering the lobby.

Security alerts sent in recent days to foreigners living in the Afghan capital warned that "extremist groups may be planning an attack against hotels in Kabul" as well as public gatherings and other locations "where foreigners are known to congregate".

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it was not known if any American citizens had been caught up in the attack.

Security in Kabul has been tightened since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others -- mostly civilians. No group has yet claimed that attack.

The Islamic State group has claimed most of the recent attacks in the Afghan capital, but authorities suspect that the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network has been involved in at least some of them.

The deadliest of the recent attacks happened at a Shiite cultural centre on December 29 when a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing more than 40 people.
Activists blocked roads and clashed with police in Honduras as part of nationwide protests against re-election of President Juan Orlando Hernandez.

Tegucigalpa: Activists blocked roads and clashed with police in Honduras as part of nationwide protests against the contested re-election of President Juan Orlando Hernandez.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds jailed since Hernandez was declared the winner of the 26 November run-off election after a three week stretch of often-interrupted ballot counting that stoked tensions and sparked accusations of fraud in the Central American country.

The left-wing Alliance in Opposition against the dictatorship is heading a protest campaign insisting that the election was stolen from its candidate, former TV anchor Salvador Nasrallah.

The opposition called for a "national strike" on Saturday to block the country's main roads ahead of the start of the president's new term in office on 27 January. The government deployed police and soldiers to confront protesters.

One demonstrator was shot dead on Saturday, opposition leader and former president Manuel Zelaya told AFP, identifying the victim as Anselmo Villareal, 60.

Seven other demonstrators were detained and two police were hurt, police spokesman Jair Meza said.

A military spokesman, Lieutenant Jose Coello, told AFP that some highways had been blocked "but they are being

cleared in a peaceful manner." Coello said police confiscated tires, presumably to be set ablaze, that protesters were carrying in their vehicles.

Protesters blocked the country's main highway between Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula at a point about 100 kilometers north of the capital, local media reported.

In Tegucigalpa, police fired tear gas at protesters trying to block a road and burn tires. The demonstrators responded by hurling rocks. Hernandez has implicit backing from the United States, which is pouring millions of dollars into Honduras and neighboring Guatemala and El Salvador to improve security conditions there. Those three countries, collectively known as Central America's "Northern Triangle," are the biggest source of undocumented migrants heading to the United States.
The worlds digital vaccine market, conservatively valued at ~$10 billion, is bracing for a classic David versus Goliath battle at the US Patent and Trademark Office. An Indian start up is resisting a bid by a Boston based biotech firm which has filed for the 'digital vaccines' trademark and many leading researchers from America's most reputed institutions are backing the Indian start up's case to keep 'digital vaccines' in the scientific realm.

The worlds digital vaccine market, conservatively valued at ~$10 billion, is bracing for a classic David versus Goliath battle at the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Bhargav Sri Prakash, founder of a Silicon Valley based Indian start up FriendsLearn behind the fooya! app is fighting off a trademark bid for digital vaccines by Boston based Moderna Therapeutics which has filed for exclusive access to the trademark for digital vaccines.

Accomplished researchers from the worlds leading academic institutions are backing the argument that digital vaccines must remain in the realm of science as a sub category of vaccines and not become the property of one company.

But what are digital vaccines anyway?

Digital vaccines expand the definition of a standard injected vaccine. Neurogaming and immersive VR based apps like fooya! induce specific brain activity to trigger habit formation and have been shown in clinical trials to reduce health risks and prevent lifestyle disease. At its core, this is what our digital vaccine embodies, says Sri Prakash.

Firstpost is awaiting a response from Moderna on its interpretation of digital vaccines and will update the story once thats in.

And next, how do you pin down where this began or at least get a grip on who invented this genre of vaccines? Some signals emerge from a world renowned professors letter of opposition to the Moderna filing, where the word inventor has been used to describe Sri Prakashs role.

Dr. Rema Padman, Professor of Management Science and Healthcare Informatics in the H. John Heinz III College of Information Systems, Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, in a written letter, says she has been involved in the scientific exploration of methods towards the creation and validation of the first digital vaccine through a research collaboration that began in December 2014 with the inventor, Mr. Bhargav Sri Prakash, and his team of engineers and scientists.

Sri Prakash has spoken on digital vaccines at the worlds most discussed medical conference Stanford MedicineX and at the Childhood Obesity Conference. His presentation Developing a Digital Vaccine based on Neuropsychology & Cognitive Behavior Therapy to reduce the risk of lifestyle disease was submitted and accepted by reviewers at Stanford MedicineX, for presentation at the 2017 MedX|ED conference prior to Modernas initial filing with the USPTO.

Stanford MedicineX is arguably the foremost global venue at the intersect of technology, people and design where evidence-based ideas about the future of medicine get peer-reviewed, critiqued and refined. The Childhood Obesity Conference is a premier biennial event held in San Diego, California.

At one level, this is a trademark fight and at another, its a confrontation between the nature of scientific enquiry driven by academic rigor versus the playbook of business strategy.

Modernas first bid to trademark digital vaccines met with failure before the company pushed ahead with an appeal. The trademark attorney who rejected Modernas bid the first time also cited publications on digital vaccines by Sri Prakash, among other information leading up to the rejection.

From the time of the initial filing by Moderna Therapeutics, more than a year has passed and USPTO has now published Moderna's bid in a gazette for public opinion which is open until January 25, 2018.

Sri Prakash and several medical researchers who are backing him will be up against the might of Moderna Therapeutics, a ~$5 billion biotechnology startup based in Boston which has attracted nearly ~$2 billion from investors since its 2010 founding.

Dr Rema Padman, quoted earlier in the story and also listed in the Top 110 Women in MedTech, backs the argument that digital vaccines must remain in the realm of research: It is my considered opinion that the pending trademark for Digital Vaccines is merely descriptive, but more importantly, it represents an area of life science research which has already been recognized as an emerging field at several prestigious academic medical conferences, following peer review. If granted, I believe that it disregards the efforts of many experts involved in this field of scientific research and it will undermine several years of scientific progress made in this area, writes Padman in a detailed letter seen by Firstpost.

Serious pushback to the Moderna filing also comes from Uttara Bharath Kumar, Trustee, Center for Communication & Change - India, an organisation which is affiliated to the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.

A collaborator on the digital vaccine project, Bharath Kumar says the words digital vaccine are English words that can be a field of study. Should such a trademark be granted, it would disregard our body of pioneering work and scientific progress over the years, as well as that of the inventor (Sri Prakash), who has been working in this field since 2011.

Based on conversations with several stakeholders in this gathering storm, two themes are predominant in the FriendsLearn versus Moderna story: Should digital vaccines belong in the realm of science or become the prize for a single pharma/ biotech company? If a single business gets exclusive rights, how might that affect scientific progress in this field?

Take for instance, what Dr. Murali Doraiswamy, a prominent researcher at Duke University School of Medicine, has to say from his vantage point of developing digital therapies for dementia: "Giving a broad trademark for the term digital vaccine to a traditional biologics company would be inappropriate and has potential to cause harm to the field. This could impede ongoing work by my group and others in the field of digital brain health working to prevent a variety of psychiatric and neurologic disorders.

Our position is in favour of keeping "digital vaccines" as an emerging field of science or a sub category of vaccines, says Sri Prakash as the clock ticks for the January 25 deadline at USPTO.
An Iraqi court said it had condemned to death by hanging a German woman of Moroccan origin after finding her guilty of belonging to the Islamic State jihadist group. She was sentenced for providing 'logistical support and helping the terrorist group to carry out crimes,' said court spokesman Abdel Settar Bayraqdar.

Baghdad: An Iraqi court said it had condemned to death by hanging a German woman of Moroccan origin after finding her guilty of belonging to the Islamic State jihadist group. She was sentenced for providing "logistical support and helping the terrorist group to carry out crimes," said court spokesman Abdel Settar Bayraqdar.

"The accused admitted during interrogations that she left Germany for Syria then Iraq to join Islamic State with her two daughters, who married members of the terrorist organisation," he said. In September 2017, the same court sentenced to death by hanging a Russian man who was captured in Iraq's second city Mosul and found guilty of fighting for Islamic State. Iraqi forces expelled the jihadists from Mosul in July 2017, ending three years of Islamic State rule in the city.

The same month, a German teenage girl suspected of joining Islamic State was arrested in Mosul, according to Germany's justice department. German daily Der Spiegel reported she had been held in Baghdad with three other German women including one of Moroccan origin. Baghdad declared victory over Islamic State in December after expelling the jihadists from vast areas of Iraq it seized in 2014.

There are no official figures for arrests of jihadists during the battle against Islamic State, but Iraqi commanders and Iraqi Kurdish fighters say hundreds gave themselves up. Others are said to have escaped by blending in with civilians fleeing the fighting. In the province surrounding Mosul alone, more than 4,000 jihadists were arrested, police chief General Wathiq al-Hamdani said.

Despite Baghdad declaring victory over the jihadists, Islamic State has continued to carry out attacks including in the capital.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday that America is facing 'growing threats' from China and Russia, and warned that the US military's advantages have eroded in recent years.

Washington: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday that America is facing "growing threats" from China and Russia, and warned that the US military's advantages have eroded in recent years.

Mattis' assessment came as he unveiled the Pentagon's vision for the future detailed in a document called the National Defense Strategy.

"We face growing threats from revisionist powers as different as China and Russia, nations that seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models," Mattis said.

"Our military is still strong, yet our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare  air, land, sea, space and cyberspace  and is continually eroding," he added.

President Donald Trump and his administration worry that the vast US military force is feeling the effects of years of budget shortfalls and atrophy, and needs a full reboot to restore it to an idealised strength.

Blueprint for the future

Part wish list, part blueprint for the coming years, the Pentagon's national defense strategy seeks to increase the size of the military, improve its readiness and work with allies  all while operating across multiple theaters including in Europe, West Asia and Asia.

"This strategy establishes my intent to pursue urgent change at significant scale," Mattis wrote in the introduction to the strategy.

"We must use creative approaches, make sustained investment and be disciplined in execution to field a Joint Force fit for our time, one that competes, deters and wins in this increasingly complex security environment."

The announcement sparked a backlash from Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who branded the new US strategy as "confrontational."

"It is regrettable that instead of having a normal dialogue, instead of using the basis of international law, the US is indeed striving to prove their leadership through such confrontational strategies and concepts," Lavrov told a news conference at the United Nations.

Elbridge Colby, the US deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development, told reporters that Mattis's strategy seeks to deal with the "erosion" of America's military advantage.

"What it is recognising is that China and Russia in particular have been assiduously working over a number of years to develop their military capabilities to challenge our military advantages," he said.

South China Sea threat

The new defense strategy follows on from Trump's national security strategy that he released last month which, similarly, highlights the role of China and Russia in the global security environment.

"China is a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors while militarising features in the South China Sea," Mattis wrote.

"Russia has violated the borders of nearby nations and pursues veto power over the economic, diplomatic and security decisions of its neighbors," he added, while also pointing a finger at Iran and North Korea for their threats to peace.

The two countries reacted furiously to Trump's security strategy, with Beijing accusing Washington of having a "Cold War mentality" while Moscow denounced its "imperialist character."

Trump's security strategy contrasts with the friendly nature of his first state visit to Beijing in November, when he received a lavish welcome and repeatedly praised President Xi Jinping.

One of the biggest criticisms inside the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill is that the US military is suffering from a lack of readiness, where troops and gear are not getting the training or maintenance they need.

Mattis said the United States must be ready to fight a war.

"The surest way to prevent war is to be prepared to win one," he said.

"Doing so requires a competitive approach to force development and a consistent, multiyear investment to restore war fighting readiness and field a lethal force."

Pressure on European allies

Mattis' strategy also calls for greater coordination with allies, who Trump on the campaign trail lambasted for not doing enough to share the burden of defending the post-World War II order.

"We expect European allies to fulfill their commitments to increase defense and modernisation spending to bolster the alliance in the face of our shared security concerns," Mattis said, in reference to NATO countries paying more into their defense budgets.

Republican senator John McCain, who chairs the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee that helps oversee the Pentagon, welcomed Mattis's strategy for getting "the big decisions right."

"A new era of great power competition has emerged, and this strategy prioritises that reality," he said in a statement.

The document makes no mention of climate change, which under former president Barack Obama was recognised as a national security threat. Trump has claimed climate change is a hoax and pulled the US out of the historic climate accords in Paris.
A Taliban assault on the Intercontinental Hotel in Afghanistan's capital killed at least 18 people, including 14 foreigners, and pinned security forces down for more than 13 hours before the last attacker was killed on Sunday, with the casualty toll expected to rise.

Kabul: A Taliban assault on the Intercontinental Hotel in Afghanistan's capital killed at least 18 people, including 14 foreigners, and pinned security forces down for more than 13 hours before the last attacker was killed on Sunday, with the casualty toll expected to rise.

The heavily-guarded luxury hotel is popular among foreigners and Afghan officials. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said the 18 killed included 14 foreigners and a telecommunications official from the western Farah province who was attending a conference.

"11 of the 14 foreigners killed were employees of KamAir, a private Afghan airline," said Danish. KamAir also put out an announcement saying some of their flights were disrupted because of the attack.

Ukraine says one of its citizens was killed in the attack. Vasyl Kyrylych, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, announced the death of the Ukrainian citizen in a brief statement on Twitter, without providing further details. Afghan officials did not identify the foreigner killed in the attack.

Ten other people, including six from the security forces, were reported wounded and more than 150 people, including 41 foreigners, were rescued from the hotel, Danish said.

The Taliban claimed the attack, which began around 9 pm on Saturday, saying five gunmen armed with suicide vests targeted foreigners and Afghan officials.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents initially planned to attack the hotel Thursday night but postponed the assault because there was a wedding underway and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties.

The attack unfolded almost six years after Taliban insurgents launched a similar assault on the property, which is not part of the Intercontinental chain of worldwide hotels.

The Interior Ministry said a private firm assumed responsibility for securing the hotel around three weeks ago.

The ministry says it is investigating how the attackers managed to enter the building.

During a press conference, Danish said that early investigations show that six insurgents entered the hotel from the northern side and stormed its kitchen. Two attackers were killed by Special Forces on the sixth floor of the hotel.

"We need to complete our investigation, but our initial reports show that the attackers were moved in to the hotel," said Danish.

Mumtaz Ahmad, a provincial telecommunication employee for Helmand province who survived the attack said "I was on my way from my room toward the reception, when I the elevator door opened, I saw two-armed suicide bombers. People were escaping and the attackers were firing at them."

Afghan security officials confirmed that 34 provincial officials were gathered at the hotel to participate in a conference organized by the telecommunication ministry.

A fire broke out at the hotel as the fighting raged, and the sound of explosions could be heard throughout the standoff. Live TV footage showed people trying to escape through windows on the upper stories.

Captain Tom Gresback, spokesman for NATO-led forces, said in a statement that Afghan forces were leading the response efforts. He said that according to initial reports, no foreign troops were hurt in the attack.

Neighboring Pakistan condemned the "brutal terrorist attack" and called for greater cooperation against militants. Afghanistan and Pakistan routinely accuse each other of failing to combat extremists along their long and porous border.

Afghan forces have struggled to combat the Taliban since the US and NATO formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014. They have also had to contend with a growing Islamic State affiliate that has carried out a number of massive attacks in recent years.

In the northern Balkh province, insurgents burst into a home where several members of a local pro-government militia were gathered late Saturday, leading them outside and killing 18 of them, said General Abdul Razeq Qaderi, the deputy provincial police chief. Among those killed was a tribal leader who served as the local police commander, he said.

In the western Farah province, a roadside bomb killed a deputy provincial police chief and wounded four other police early Sunday, according to Gen. Mahruf Folad, the provincial police chief.

The Taliban claimed both attacks.

In the western Herat province, a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying 13 civilians, killing all but one of them, said Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for the provincial police chief. No one immediately claimed the attack, but Walizada blamed Taliban insurgents, who often plant roadside bombs to target Afghan security forces.
Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul killing at least six people, including a foreigner, sparking a twelve hour fight with security forces

Kabul: Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul killing at least six people, including a foreigner, sparking a twelve hour fight with security forces that left terrified guests scrambling to escape and parts of the building ablaze.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the six-storey Intercontinental Hotel on a hilltop overlooking the Afghan capital. People trapped at the top of the building tied bedsheets together and climbed over balconies to escape the overnight assault.

One lost his grip and fell in dramatic television footage by Afghanistan's Tolo News station, which also showed black smoke and flames billowing from the top of the hotel.

Special forces were lowered by helicopters during the night onto the roof of the landmark 1960s building, with Afghan security forces killing four attackers in the hours-long assault, the interior ministry said.

"Five Afghans and one foreigner have been killed," interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP Sunday, adding around 150 people were rescued including more than 40 foreigners.

"The body of the foreigner, a woman, was recovered from the sixth floor as the last attacker was being killed," he added.

An official with Afghanistan's spy agency put the number of wounded at eight, while the interior ministry said six.

Officials said four gunmen burst into the hotel on Saturday night, opening fire on guests and staff and taking dozens of people hostage.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the latest assault in the war-torn capital via an email from spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. The interior ministry had earlier blamed the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network.

It followed security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners. Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians, with the Taliban and the Islamic State group both stepping up attacks.

It was not clear how many people had been inside the hotel, which was attacked by Taliban militants in 2011.

During the night special forces were lowered by helicopters onto the roof of the landmark building, Rahimi told AFP.

A guest hiding in a room said he could hear gunfire inside the 1960s hotel where dozens of people attending an information technology conference on Sunday were staying.

"I don't know if the attackers are inside the hotel but I can hear gunfire from somewhere near the first floor," the man, who did not want to be named, told AFP by telephone.

"We are hiding in our rooms. I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us."

His phone was switched off when AFP tried to contact him again.

'Fleeing like crazy'

Afghan Telecom regional director Aziz Tayeb, who was attending the IT conference, said he saw the attackers enter the hotel as he was walking towards the exit.

"Everything became chaotic in a moment. I hid behind a pillar and I saw people who were enjoying themselves a second ago screaming and fleeing like crazy, and some of them falling down, hit by bullets," Tayeb told AFP.

Local resident Abdul Sattar said he had spoken by phone to some of his friends who are chefs and waiters at the hotel and had been trapped inside.

"Suddenly they attacked the dinner gathering... (then) they broke into the rooms, took some people hostage and they opened fire on some of them," he told AFP.

Rahimi said the attackers were armed with small weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when they stormed the hotel, which is a popular venue for weddings, conferences and political gatherings.

The last major attack on a high-end hotel in Kabul was in March 2014 when four teenage gunmen raided the Serena, killing nine people including AFP journalist Sardar Ahmad.

The Intercontinental was previously targeted in June 2011 when a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people, including 10 civilians.

Security at the Intercontinental is relatively lax compared with other luxury hotels in Kabul.

Even before the attack was over, authorities were questioning how the assailants got past the hotel's security, which was taken over by a private company three weeks ago, Danish said.

"We will investigate it," he said.

A hotel employee told AFP that as he fled the staff living quarters located in a building next to the hotel he saw the new security guards running for their lives.

"They didn't do anything, they didn't attack. They had no experience," the man said on the condition of anonymity.
Pakistan strongly condemned a deadly terror attack at a luxury hotel in Kabul and called for cooperation among countries for effectively combating terrorism.

Islamabad: Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned a deadly terror attack at a luxury hotel in Kabul and called for cooperation among countries for effectively combating and eliminating the scourge of terrorism.

Gunmen stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul killing at least six people, sparking a twelve hour fight with security forces.

"Pakistan strongly condemns the brutal terrorist attack at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul last (Saturday) evening," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

"In our view, cooperation among the states is important for effectively combating and eliminating the scourge of terrorism," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of providing safe havens to militants who carry out terror attacks in Afghanistan.
The number of Syrians who have died trying to flee their war-torn country into neighbouring Lebanon during a snowstorm has risen to at least 13, the United Nations said on Sunday.

Beirut: The number of Syrians who have died trying to flee their war-torn country into neighbouring Lebanon during a snowstorm has risen to at least 13, the United Nations said on Sunday.

A group of Syrians, including children, had tried to enter neighbouring Lebanon late on Thursday through a smuggling route but were caught in a fierce storm. The Lebanese army and civil defence said on Saturday they had retrieved the bodies of 10 Syrians, including two children and six women.

But the toll has since increased. Lisa Abou Khaled, a spokeswoman for the UN's refugee agency, said at least 13 Syrians were confirmed to have died in the incident.

"The victims were trying to cross an arduous and rugged passage in freezing temperatures," the UNHCR said in a

statement. "Others in the group, including a pregnant woman, were discovered in time and assisted by nearby residents and the Lebanese Armed Forces and Civil Defence to reach hospitals before they froze to death."

A Lebanese army source told AFP that the toll had reached 14.

"The army retrieved a total of 12 bodies on Friday, and one person died at the hospital. Another body was found on Saturday, bringing the total to 14," the source said. Lebanon, a country of four million, hosts just under a million Syrians who have sought refuge from the war raging in their neighboring homeland since 2011.

Many live in informal tented settlements in the country's east and struggle to stay warm in the winter.

The UN's children's agency UNICEF said it was distributing blankets, warm clothes and heating fuel.

"More children could be among the dead as residents in the area and the Lebanese authorities continue to look for

people who are reportedly trapped in the mountainous in freezing temperatures and snow," a UNICEF statement said. "The brutal wars have to stop and we all need to step up our generosity and assistance for the most affected children. We have no excuse. We cannot continue failing children!"

In 2015, Lebanese authorities introduced new restrictions to curb the number of Syrians entering the country.

Lebanon and Syria share a rocky 330-kilometre border with no official demarcation at several points.
The Philippines said that it won't get embroiled in a fresh spat between the US and China involving Beijing's protest of an American warship passing near a Chinese-controlled shoal also claimed by the Philippines

Manila: The Philippines said Sunday that it won't get embroiled in a fresh spat between the US and China involving Beijing's protest of an American warship passing near a Chinese-controlled shoal also claimed by the Philippines.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr said that "the United States can take care of its own interest" and added, "we do not wish to be part of a US-China intramural" in the disputed South China Sea.

The Chinese government on Saturday accused the US of trespassing in its territorial waters when a US guided missile destroyer sailed near Scarborough Shoal to promote freedom of navigation in the disputed waters.

The Philippines also claims the shoal, which is a tiny, uninhabited reef that China seized from the Philippines in 2012 after a tense maritime standoff.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has revived once-frosty relations with China since taking power in 2016 and often criticizes US security policies. He has rejected planned joint patrols by the US and Philippine navies in disputed South China Sea waters along with joint combat exercises that could offend China.

His predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, backed a continued US presence in the region to serve as a counterweight to China.

Under Aquino, the Philippines brought its disputes with China in the South China Sea to international arbitration in 2013 and overwhelmingly won the case three years later. China refused to participate and ignored the decision.

Duterte has refused to demand immediate Chinese compliance with the 2016 arbitration ruling, which invalidated China's vast territorial claims to the South China Sea on historical grounds. He has promised, however, to take up the arbitration ruling with China at a still-unspecified time during his six-year presidency.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has carried out extensive land reclamation work on many of the islands and reefs it claims, equipping some with airstrips and military installations that have alarmed rival claimant countries and Western governments led by the United States.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Saturday that China would take "necessary measures" to protect its sovereignty after the USS Hopper sailed within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday evening without China's permission.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the US, Manila's treaty ally, did not notify the Philippines of its naval operation near Scarborough.

"We have no say over whatever the Americans do in the South China Sea. They do not inform us beforehand of their activities there," Lorenzana said.

Asked if the passage of the US warship in Philippine-claimed waters was a concern, Lorenzana said: "No, for as long as they are on innocent passage. International law allows innocent passage even in territorial waters."

The United States does not claim territory in the South China Sea but has declared it has a national interest in ensuring that the territorial disputes there are resolved peacefully in accordance with international law.

The US Navy regularly sails through the area to assert freedom of navigation.

Lieutenant Commander Nicole Schwegman, a spokeswoman for the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, said Saturday that such operations are "not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements." Instead, they aim to "demonstrate our commitment to uphold the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law."

Scarborough is known in Chinese as Huangyan Island and called Panatag or Bajo de Masinloc by the Philippines. It lies about 200 kilometres west of the main Philippine island of Luzon, and about 600 kilometres southeast of China.
Pope Francis denounced femicides and other gender-based crimes that have turned Latin America into the most violent place on Earth for women in Trujillo, Peru.

Trujillo (Peru): Pope Francis denounced femicides and other gender-based crimes that have turned Latin America into the most violent place on Earth for women, calling for legislation to protect them and a new cultural mindset as he visited one of Peru's most dangerous parts.

At a Marian prayer in the northern seaside city of Trujillo, Francis called women, mothers and grandmothers the guiding force for families. And yet, he said, in the Americas they are too often victims of murder and "many situations of violence that are kept quiet behind so many walls."

The first Latin American pope called for lawmakers to protect women and for a new culture "that repudiates every form of violence." His remarks came the same day large crowds marched throughout the United States and other countries in support of female empowerment.

Francis' use of the term femicide, the killing of women where the motive is directly related to gender, marked the second time in as many days that he has spoken out against "machismo" culture in Latin America. The region has the dubious honour of having the world's highest rates of violence against women occurring outside romantic partnerships, and the second-highest within.

Even though more and more countries in the region are adopting protective policies for women, female homicides are rising in Latin America with two in every five resulting from domestic violence, according to a November 2017 report from UN Women and the UN Development Program that called the phenomenon a "global pandemic."

In recent years women have taken to the streets across Latin America, including in Peru, to protest gender violence as part of the international "Ni Una Menos" or "Not One Less" campaign.

In the Peruvian Amazon this week, Francis denounced forced prostitution and the trafficking of women in the area, saying it pained him how they are "devalued, denigrated and exposed to endless violence.

"Violence against women cannot be treated as 'normal,' maintaining a culture of machismo blind to the leading role that women play in our communities," he said Friday. "It is not right for us to look the other way and let the dignity of so many women, especially young women, be trampled upon."

Francis' decision to directly address the issue followed a reticence to speak out last year when he visited Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican border city notorious for hundreds of killings of women that brought international attention to the problem.

More than 100 women died in eerily similar killings in the city across from El Paso, Texas, starting in 1993, although the serial or copycat nature of them tapered off a decade later.

At a 2016 open-air mass in Juarez, Francis made an emotional plea to recognise the "human tragedy" of the treatment of migrants but made only a passing mention of the women's killings. At the time he did not use the word "femicide," saying only, "And what can we say about so many women who have unjustly had their lives taken?"

Mothers of some of the Juarez victims had sought unsuccessfully to meet with Francis, and Saturday marked the first time he is known to have used the term "femicide" in public.

Central American countries have the highest rates of gender-based violence, but the issue is also a serious problem in Peru. More than 1,000 women died from gender violence in the South American country from 2009 through last October the vast majority murdered by a partner or relative according to a report by the Public Ministry.

Francis' comments came in his final event in Trujillo, where devastating floods last year killed more than 150 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.
Russia's foreign minister described a new US national defense strategy as 'confrontational' after Washington singled out China and Russia as growing threats

Russia's foreign minister on Friday described a new US national defense strategy as "confrontational" after Washington singled out China and Russia as growing threats.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected US suggestions that China and Russia were undermining international efforts to strengthen global security.

"It is regrettable that instead of having a normal dialogue, instead of using the basis of international law, the US is indeed striving to prove their leadership through such confrontational strategies and concepts," Lavrov told a news conference at the United Nations.

He spoke after US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis released in Washington the national defense strategy that identifies competition between big powers as a priority rather that fighting terrorism.

President Donald Trump and his administration worry that the US military is feeling the effects of years of budget shortfalls and atrophy, and needs a full reboot.

Lavrov suggested that the strategy reflected the military's campaign for "additional financial resources."

He added that Russia was "open for dialogue" to discuss military doctrines and noted that many in the US military brass understand the need for "strategic stability" that involves Russia working alongside the United States.

Mattis said Russia and China are seeking to "create a world consistent with their authoritarian models."

Lavrov recalled that Moscow was a founding member of the United Nations as the then-Soviet Union, contributing decades ago to a rules-based international system.
The Saudi-led coalition on Saturday announced the interception of a ballistic missile fired from Yemen in a fresh attack by Houthi militias targeting Saudi border cities

Riyadh: The Saudi-led coalition on Saturday announced the interception of a ballistic missile fired from Yemen in a fresh attack by Houthi militias targeting Saudi border cities.

Col Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman of the coalition involved in the war in Yemen from 2015, said in a statement that the attack targeted Najran city on Saturday at 12.38 pm, Xinhua reported.

He confirmed that the air force detected the missile that was shot from Saada city in Yemen towards Saudi Arabia. It was intercepted and destroyed before reaching its target.

"This hostile action by Iran-supported Houthi group proves the continued involvement of Iran in supporting the Houthi armed group with qualitative capabilities," Col Al-Malki said, while renewing his call for the international community to take more serious and effective steps to stop what he described as the blatant Iranian violations of continued smuggling and transfer of ballistic missiles and weapons to terrorist groups and outlaws in Yemen.

The cases of intercepted missiles have increased since last month in a clear indication that the war that left thousands of civilians, mainly from Yemen, dead has no signs of ending soon.
Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena said that he has set up an economic development council headed by him to manage the country's economy.

Colombo: Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena said that he has set up an economic development council headed by him to manage the country's economy as he vowed to take over its management from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP).

The announcement came as relations continued to worsen between the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and its main coalition partner UNP.

Sirisena had joined hands with the UNP and formed the government in 2015, defeating former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa's nearly a decade-long rule.

Wickremesinghe is the main minister in the government, managing the country's economy while the finance ministry is also held by a UNP minister.

Sirisena said that he has set up an economic development council to manage the economy.

"During the past three years, I allowed the UNP to manage the economy. Still people are faced with economic hardships.

From this year, I will take the economic management under me to grant people an economic relief," Sirisena said while addressing a poll rally in the southwestern region of Kegalle.

At the last week's Cabinet meeting, an angry Sirisena had walked out of the meeting charging that the UNP parliamentarians have begun criticising him.

Wickremesinghe and several other ministers persuaded Sirisena to return to the meeting.

The UNP became critical of him as he was using the findings of a probe appointed by Sirisena on the alleged scam in the issuance of Central Bank bonds in 2015 and 2016.

Sirisena on 3 January said that a commission he appointed to probe alleged irregularities in the sale of two treasury bonds has held former governor of the country's central bank Arjuna Mahendren guilty of leaking sensitive market information.

Making public the findings of the Presidential Bond Commission report on television, he said that the panel has also recommended the prosecution of the country's former finance minister Ravi Karunanayake on bribery charges.

In what was dubbed by the Opposition as the "biggest financial scam in Sri Lanka's history", the commission probed a series of rigged bond auctions, in February 2015 and March 2016, conducted by the central bank under Mahendran in which his son-in-law's company Perpetual Treasuries allegedly made thumping profits by buying securities at low prices.
A Syrian government bombardment killed 16 civilians across the besieged opposition enclave of Eastern Ghouta

Beirut: A Syrian government bombardment killed 16 civilians across the besieged opposition enclave of Eastern Ghouta, a monitor group said.

Eastern Ghouta has been under government siege since 2013 and its estimated 4,00,000 inhabitants are suffering severe shortages of food and medicine.

on Saturday, a barrage of Syrian artillery fire hit a market in the main Eastern Ghouta town of Douma, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"Nine people were killed, including a woman," the British-based war monitor said.

Another six civilians were killed in artillery fire on the towns of Hammuriyeh, Arbeen and al-Marj. Syrian air strikes killed a child in the town of Zamalka.

The United Nations has said some 500 people are in critical condition inside Eastern Ghouta and need to be evacuated for urgent medical treatment.

Twenty-nine patients, mainly children, were allowed out in December to get treatment under a deal struck between the regime and rebels, but several have already returned.

Eastern Ghouta was one of four "de-escalation zones" agreed under a deal last year between rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Iran and Russia.

But the opposition stronghold remains the target of intense air strikes and a crippling government siege.

Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests against the government but has since evolved into a ferocious civil war.
Thousands of protesters turned out across the nation for the second Womens March on Saturday, marking the first anniversary of US president Donald Trumps inauguration

Washington: Thousands of protesters turned out across the nation for the second Womens March on Saturday, marking the first anniversary of US president Donald Trumps inauguration with rallies aimed at channelling female activism into political gains in elections this year.

The coordinated rallies in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and about 250 other cities are a reprise of the mass protests that marked the beginning of Trumps presidency. Sister rallies were also planned in Britain, Japan and other countries.

We will make our message heard at the polls this fall, Emily Patton, a rally organizer, told thousands of demonstrators at the Reflecting Pool on Washingtons National Mall. That is why we are urging people to register to vote today (Saturday).

The rallies also come during what has been seen as a pivotal year for womens rights with the #MeToo and #TimesUp social media effort against sexual harassment and abuse that was born out of a string of scandals in Hollywood, Washington and elsewhere.

The Washington rally featured Democratic politicians from neighboring Virginia, including Senator Tim Kaine, who blamed Trump and Republicans for the shutdown of the government on Saturday.

The Trump shutdown is due to the inability of the Republican Party to do basic governing, like making a budget, he said to cheers.

Many of the protesters wore pink knit pussy hats, which were created for last years march as a reference to a comment made by Trump about female genitalia. The caps quickly became a symbol of womens empowerment and opposition to the new president in the early days of his administration.

We want to continue the fight to resist this president and the policies were against, said Sara Piper, 59, a geologist from Reston, Virginia.

Some critics said this years march lacked a focus. Targeting an issue such as immigration would have greater impact, said Shikha Dalmia, a senior analyst at the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank.

Beating the feminist drum just seems to me beside the point. Maybe they are trying to cast as wide a net as possible, Dalmia said by telephone.

Not as big as last year

One of the biggest marches is expected in New York, where 37,000 people had signed up on the marchs Facebook page. But the number of participants in this years rallies is likely to fall well short of the estimated 5 million who marched on 21 January, 2017, and made that one of the largest mass protests in US history.

In Chicago, thousands of mostly female marchers gathered ahead of a rally in Grant Park, carrying signs that read Strong women raising strong women and You cant cure stupid but you can vote it out.

Michelle Saunders, 41, a software saleswoman from Des Plaines, Illinois, came to the rally with her 14-year-old daughter Bailey. They attended last years march and anticipated that the crowd this year would not match the 250,000 that attended last year, but for them the message is just as strong.

A smaller crowd will not mean people are any less angry, Michelle Saunders said. We are unhappy with the current administration and what it stands for and want our voices to be heard.

Since last years march, women have become more vocal and that is a positive sign, said Cathy Mutz, 63, a retired nurse from Chanahan, Illinois.

I think change will come from the midterm elections, she said.

Organizers hope to build on the energy felt by Trump opponents after his surprise election victory in 2016 and channel it into gains for progressive candidates in Novembers midterm elections, using the theme Power to the Polls.

Organizers want to register one million new voters and get more strong advocates for womens rights into office.

Activists say Trumps policies rolling back birth control and equal pay protections have propelled many women into activism for the first time. In Virginia state legislative polls, 11 of the 15 Democrats elected were women.

A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on the marches.

The marches will be followed by more events on Sunday, including in Las Vegas, a key battleground state in the 2018 midterm congressional elections.

The voter registration campaign will target swing states held by Republicans, such as Nevada, and in districts considered a toss-up ahead of Novembers midterm elections.
Damascus on Sunday denied Turkey had informed it of its planned military operation against Afrin, a Kurdish-controlled enclave in the war-ravaged country's north.

Damascus: Damascus on Sunday denied Turkey had informed it of its planned military operation against Afrin, a Kurdish-controlled enclave in the war-ravaged country's north.

"Syria completely denies claims by the Turkish regime that it was informed of this military operation," a foreign ministry source told state news agency SANA. The assault, the source said, "is the latest move in Turkey's attacks on Syria's sovereignty".

"Syria strongly condemns the brutal Turkish aggression on Afrin, which is an inseparable part of Syrian territory." Turkey on Saturday launched a new air and ground operation aimed at ousting the powerful Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) from the Afrin region.

Ankara vehemently opposes the YPG because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey for three decades.

In comments to media, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his government was informing the Syrian government "in writing" about the Afrin assault. Afrin is a YPG-controlled enclave that juts out from Syria's Aleppo province and operates as an autonomous area, outside the control of Syria's government.

The regime has spoken out against the YPG's autonomous rule but has also lambasted Turkey's operations in Syria.

On Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad warned that Syria's air force could destroy any Turkish warplanes used in the new offensive.
British foreign secretary Boris Johnson called for US president Donald Trump to be welcomed to the UK, warning on Sunday that resisting a visit risked damaging his country's national interest.

London: British foreign secretary Boris Johnson called for US president Donald Trump to be welcomed to the UK, warning on Sunday that resisting a visit risked damaging his country's national interest.

A day ahead of Johnson welcoming his US counterpart Rex Tillerson to Britain for talks, Johnson said postponing any Trump trip would be acting against the UK's "single most extraordinary economic relationship".

"Donald Trump is the elected president of the world's greatest and most powerful democracy - and a country that also happens to be our closest ally," Johnson wrote in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

He said critics of a Trump visit were ignorant of Britain's economic interests.

"In opposing the visit of the president of the United States to this country, they risk actually damaging the national interest."

Johnson rejected claims that Trump was presiding over an "isolationist America".

He said Trump's administration deserved "respect and recognition" rather than "infantile denigration".
Amid mounting global pressure on Pakistan to act against Hafiz Saeed and entities linked to him, a UN Security Council team will visit the country this week

Islamabad: Amid mounting global pressure on Pakistan to act against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and entities linked to him, a UN Security Council team will visit the country this week for an assessment of Islamabad's compliance with the world body's sanctions regime.

The two-day visit of the UN Security Council's sanctions monitoring team will begin on Thursday.

"The monitoring team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee will be in Islamabad on 25 and 26 January ," a senior Pakistani official was quoted as saying by Dawn.

The UN monitoring team's visit is taking place amid increasing pressure on Pakistan from the US and India with respect to the inadequate implementation of the sanctions on Saeed and entities linked to him.

However, Pakistani officials, insist that the trip is a routine visit.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

On Friday, the US State Department said it has told clearly to Islamabad that Saeed is a "terrorist" and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, reacting strongly to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's remarks that there was no case against the Mumbai attack mastermind.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said: "He is listed by the UNSC 1267, the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is a designated foreign terror organisation."

"We believe that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Nauert had said.

Saeed, the chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

"The terms of reference of the monitoring team for Pakistan visit are not publicly known, but as per its general mandate it assists the 1267 Committee in keeping an eye on the freezing of the financial assets of listed persons and entities and checking provision of training and other material to them and their travel," the paper said.

The UNSC monitoring team intimates instances of non-compliance to the committee through its reports. At the same time it also advises and assists member states on

implementation of the regime.

Pakistan has remained under the Financial Action Task Force scanner over allegations by the US and India about the UNSC sanctions not being fully implemented, the paper said.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.
Hours after shuttering much of the US federal government, feuding Democrats and Republicans in Congress spent Saturday dodging blame for a paralysing standoff over immigration

Washington: Hours after shuttering much of the US federal government, feuding Democrats and Republicans in Congress spent Saturday dodging blame for a paralysing standoff over immigration and showed few signs of progress on negotiations needed to end it.

The finger-pointing played out in rare weekend proceedings in both the House and Senate, where lawmakers were eager to show voters they were actively working for a solution  or at least actively making their case why the other party was at fault. The scene highlighted the high political stakes for both parties in an election-year shutdown whose consequences were far from clear.

"The American people cannot begin to understand why the Senate Democratic leader thinks the entire government should be shut down until he gets his way on illegal immigration," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, hours after a last-chance Senate vote failed.

Democrats refused to provide the votes needed to reopen the government until they strike a deal with President Donald Trump protecting young immigrants from deportation, providing disaster relief and boosting spending for opioid treatment and other domestic programs.

Democrats feel "very, very strongly about the issues" said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, adding that he believes "the American people are on our side."

The fighting followed a late-night vote in which Senate Democrats blocked a House-passed measure that would have kept agencies functioning for four weeks.

Republicans began the day hopeful they might pick off Democratic support for a three-week version and bring the episode to a quick end. Democrats are insisting on an alternative lasting only several days  which they think would pressure Republicans to cut an immigration deal  and say they'll kill the three-week version when the Senate votes on it by early Monday.

The shutdown came on the anniversary of Trump's inauguration. As lawmakers bickered in the Capitol, protesters marched outside in a reprise of the women's march from a year ago. The president remained out of sight and canceled plans to travel to his resort in Florida for the weekend. He did tweet, making light of the timing by saying Democrats "wanted to give me a nice present" to mark the start of his second year in office.

Trump worked the phones, staying in touch with McConnell, while White House legislative affairs director Marc Short and budget chief Mick Mulvaney met at the Capitol with House Republicans. GOP lawmakers voiced support for the White House stance of not negotiating while the government was shuttered.

Tempers were short and theatrics high. Lawmakers bickered over blame, hypocrisy and even the posters brought to the House floor. While neither chamber voted on a measure to open the government, the House did vote on whether a poster displayed by Republican Representative Bradley Byrne of Alabama violated the House rules on decorum. The House voted to allow the poster, which bore a photo of Schumer and the quote "the politics of idiocy."

While Republicans blamed the breakdown on Schumer, Democrats increasingly focused their messaging on criticising Trump, whose popularity is dismal. Democrats were using his zigzagging stance in immigration talks  first encouraging deals, then rejecting them  to underscore his first, chaotic year in office.

"Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-O," Schumer said.

Short compared Democrats' actions to "a 2-year-old temper tantrum."

Republicans seemed content to hope additional Democrats will break as pressure builds and the impact of the shutdown becomes clearer.

In the late-night vote blocking the bill preventing a shutdown, five Democrats from states Trump won in the 2016 election voted to keep government functioning. In a sign that moderates are feeling pressure, more than a dozen centrist senators from both parties have been trying to craft an immigration and spending compromise that party leaders would embrace, but they've fallen short so far.

Republicans argued that Democrats were blocking extra Pentagon funds by keeping government closed and thwarting a long-term budget deal.

"I question if Senate Democrats are really united," Short told reporters. "We think there'll be more today and hopefully they'll continue to see that it's not wise to hold our troops hostage."

But pressure on Republicans could mount with the new workweek on Monday and the impact of the federal shutdown becomes more apparent to people.

While the Statue of Liberty  the nation's emblem of its immigrant past  and Philadelphia's Liberty Bell were closed on Saturday, visitors had access to other iconic national parks like Yellowstone. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke tweeted a photo of himself talking to students at the World War II Memorial in Washington, blocks from White House.

Social Security and most other safety-net programs were unaffected by the lapse in federal spending authority. Critical government functions continued, with uniformed service members, health inspectors and law enforcement officers set to work without pay. But if no deal is reached before Monday, hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be furloughed.

For leverage, Democrats were banking on Trump's wobbly presidency and the GOP's control of the White House, the House and Senate - a triumvirate that until now had never allowed a government closure to occur.

"Republicans in Congress plunged head-first into the Trump shutdown," Schumer told reporters. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, called Republicans "so incompetent and negligent that they couldn't get it together to keep the government open."

Which party's strategy would succeed remained open to debate.

Retired Senator Judd Gregg, a veteran of shutdown wars, said he believed Democrats believe "the more chaos they can create the better." He said Schumer's tough strategy was "a gross overplaying of his hand" and predicted Democrats would eventually relent.

Former Republican Nick Rahall, said both parties needed to be cautious.

"It's obvious that Democrats are playing to their base and Republicans are playing to their base," he said. "Everybody loses. It just feeds into the fed-up atmosphere of the American people."

Democrats have been seeking a deal to protect so-called Dreamers. Around 700,000 of them have been shielded against deportation by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which Trump halted last year. He's given lawmakers until early March to pass legislation restoring the protections, but he's demanded added money for his proposed border wall with Mexico as a price.
He wrote a book on the art of negotiation and was elected to office claiming he alone could end Washington gridlock, but President Donald Trump's latest attempt to broker a big, bipartisan deal has turned into a big mess.

The failure to find consensus on immigration and spending is a blow to Trump's presidency on the one-year anniversary of his inauguration  and perhaps more painfully, a blow to his brand as a wheeler-and-dealer. The funding feud, which led to a government shutdown at midnight Friday, is the second time Trump has dived into a negotiation and come up short on a top priority. As with failed talks about overhauling the nation's health system, Trump has again slammed into the difficulties of Washington's particular mix of tricky politics and complex policy.

"Negotiating in politics is a lot different than real estate," said GOP strategist Alex Conant. "In Washington, not everybody wants to make a deal. Trump's initial premise that politicians just needed to be prodded more to make a deal was always flawed. Nobody runs for Congress because they want to compromise their principles. They want to advance their agendas."

Democrats' agenda in this case is, chiefly, protection for the 700,000 young immigrants who may face deportation when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program expires in March. Republicans are seeking more time to talk and a long-term funding bill that with major increases for the Pentagon.

It's not been entirely clear what the president's agenda is. Over the past few weeks, he has expressed openness to extending the DACA program, but then rejected a bipartisan plan on that front. He fired off a tweet that appeared to reject the GOP plan for a short-term funding bill that would buy time for more negotiation, but the White House walked it back. He abruptly tried to cut a broad deal with Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader and a fellow New Yorker, and then backed off.

"I'm looking for something that President Trump supports," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters on Wednesday, just two days away from the shutdown deadline. "And he's not yet indicated what measure he's willing to sign. As soon as we figure out what he is for, then I would be convinced that we were not just spinning our wheels going to this issue on the floor, but actually dealing with a bill that has a chance to become law and therefore solve the problem."

Democrats have been less diplomatic: "Negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-O," Schumer said Saturday, gleefully recounting what he claimed was a blow-by-blow account of Trump's failed efforts to avert a shutdown.

The White House doesn't necessarily view the confusion as a problem.

In his most notable work, "The Art of the Deal," Trump boasted of his fickleness as a negotiator, describing it as a strategy. "I never get too attached to one deal or one approach. For starters, I keep a lot of balls in the air, because most deals fall out, no matter how promising they seem at first."

A White House official, who asked for anonymity to discuss private deliberations, said the White House prefers to keep the government open, but sees potential political upside in Democratic "overreach." Trump's team sees the shutdown as an example of the president's commitment to tough negotiation and believes Democrats will cave in, the official said in describing the strategy.

It is a familiar sentiment for presidents stuck in crises with Congress. During the 2013 shutdown, President Barack Obama predicted the confrontation would "break the fever" driving Republican opposition  ultimately to no avail.

Who bears the blame for the current debacle is difficult to predict. Some Republican critics of Trump said he might emerge reputation intact, should Democrats bear the brunt of the blame. "It's pretty clear Sen. Schumer wasn't going to be able to get to 'yes,'" said Mike Steel, a former aide to Republican House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan.

And many of Trump's core supporters aren't particularly interested in compromise. "He was elected for the 46 percent who voted for him," says William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who worked in the Clinton administration. "He was a mold-breaker, who wouldn't cow to conventional opinion."

But Trump, himself, has suggested he should be on the hook for the impasse.

In 2013, when he criticized Obama over another shutdown mess, he said: "Well, if you say who gets fired it always has to be the top. I mean, problems start from the top and they have to get solved from the top and the president's the leader. And he's got to get everybody in a room and he's got to lead."

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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
All banks are not created equal. Some bend over backward to help their customers, some are impersonal and hard to deal with, and some are downright predatory. Fortunately, there are records of the complaints consumers make against banks, and they can help steer us toward banks that are more customer-friendly.

Here are the results of a recent look at major banks and which ones received the fewest (and most) complaints.

The banks with the most and least complaints

You may be familiar with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which was created in 2010 by President Obama after being proposed by Senator Elizabeth Warren (before she was a senator). Its mission is to advocate for consumer rights and push for consumer-friendly legislation.

The agency's future is uncertain these days, with some in Washington in favor of eliminating it entirely, but for now it is still the repository of myriad consumer complaints about financial institutions. The complaints varied widely and related to a broad range of banking products and services, such as checking and savings accounts, student loans, virtual currencies, credit cards, credit reporting, mortgages, money transfers, vehicle loans, and much more.

The folks at LendEDU recently studied more than 200,000 complaints from 2017 in the CFPB's Consumer Complaint Database and ranked 57 national and regional banks by how many complaints they had received.

Here are the 13 that had no complaints:

That's the "nice" list. So which banks are on the "naughty" list? The table below lists the top 10 offenders. They're ranked by complaints per $1 billion of deposits, because the biggest banks naturally receive the highest volume of complaints, even if the majority of their customers are happy.

One thing you might notice is that the banks without complaints tend to be smaller ones. The largest one with no complaint is smaller than all but one of the top 10 offenders. The banks with the most complaints include many of the biggest banks in the U.S., such as Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America. Note, however, that all three of those did improve their standing on the list between 2016 and 2017. The largest offender, TCF Financial, had nearly twice the number of complaints per $1 billion in deposits as the No. 2 bank, SunTrust. It's the smallest bank by far on the list, making it clear that a small size doesn't guarantee customer satisfaction.

What to do

You needn't close out your bank account if it's on the baddie list, but you should pay attention to the service you're getting. If you're not happy with your bank, switching to a different one is worth considering. Consider smaller local banks, as well as credit unions.

Here are some things to look for when seeking the best bank or credit union for your needs:

Low fees or no fees. Banks make billions by charging you fees, many of which, including overdraft and ATM fees, can be avoided. Some banks charge monthly account "maintenance" fees, which you can avoid by direct-depositing a certain number of checks per month or by maintaining a certain minimum account balance.

Banks make billions by charging you fees, many of which, including overdraft and ATM fees, can be avoided. Some banks charge monthly account "maintenance" fees, which you can avoid by direct-depositing a certain number of checks per month or by maintaining a certain minimum account balance. Generous interest rates. We're in an environment of ultra-low interest rates, but that seems to be changing. So compare rates of any banks your considering and favor ones with higher rates. If interest rates are meaningfully higher in a few years, you'll benefit. Credit unions tend to have higher rates than for-profit banks, and online-only banks (ones with no brick-and-mortar locations) also often have higher rates, as they don't have branches to staff and maintain.

We're in an environment of ultra-low interest rates, but that seems to be changing. So compare rates of any banks your considering and favor ones with higher rates. If interest rates are meaningfully higher in a few years, you'll benefit. Credit unions tend to have higher rates than for-profit banks, and online-only banks (ones with no brick-and-mortar locations) also often have higher rates, as they don't have branches to staff and maintain. Access to a broad network of free-to-use ATMs. If you use ATMs a lot, you don't want to be charged for the privilege of accessing your money just because you're not near one of your bank's branches.

If you use ATMs a lot, you don't want to be charged for the privilege of accessing your money just because you're not near one of your bank's branches. Mobile and/or Web banking. These days, many of us do a lot of our banking online, including paying bills and even depositing checks. If that's a valuable feature for you, make sure any bank you're considering has robust online services.

It's a good idea to review your bank's offerings and compare them with other banks, even if you're not annoyed with your bank. You never know -- you may be even happier with another bank.

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The Latest on the government shutdown (all times local):

10:50 p.m.

As the Senate appears to inch closer to an agreement to end a shutdown, the White House says President Donald Trump won't budge on his demand that Democrats vote to reopen the government before negotiating on immigration policy.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders accuses Democrats of trying to distract from Trump's first-year accomplishments and calls on them to drop opposition to spending legislation. She says only then can leaders work together for bipartisan solutions on immigration changes.

She emphasizes Trump won't "negotiate on the status of unlawful immigrants" while Democrats, as she put it, hold the "government and our military hostage."

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9:30 p.m.

The government shutdown will continue into Monday.

The Senate will vote at noon on Monday on whether to cut off a Democratic filibuster of legislation to end the government shutdown.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said there is still no agreement to pass the stopgap funding bill.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set the vote after Schumer blocked a bid for an immediate vote Sunday night. McConnell said he intends to bring up free-standing immigration legislation in February.

Democrats have blocked a House-passed temporary funding bill to reopen the government's doors through Feb. 16. The pending Senate measure would last through Feb. 8.

A host of the chamber's more pragmatic members are pressing to resolve the shutdown mess. Schumer said there have been talks throughout Sunday with McConnell.

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4:30 p.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump has spoken with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate GOP Whip John Cornyn on the second day of a government shutdown.

The White House put out a brief statement Sunday detailing the president's activities, saying the administration was hard at work. Trump has also received updates from staff and has spoken to aides about the impact of the shutdown.

Chief of Staff John Kelly has spoken with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. And the director of legislative affairs, Marc Short, has spoken to Republican and Democratic members and staffers.

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1:40 p.m.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing back against President Donald Trump's calls to end Senate filibusters.

When filibusters of legislation are underway, it takes 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to halt them.

Republicans now control the chamber 51-49. But strong Democratic opposition and some defecting GOP senators have kept Republicans from getting the votes needed to end the shutdown  now in its second day.

McConnell has long defended the filibuster. He says Republicans will welcome it whenever they are returned to the Senate minority.

As the Senate began a rare Sunday session, the Kentucky Republican said: "I support that right from an institutional point of view." But he also said, "The question is, when do you use it."

Trump has made repeated calls this year to end that rule, and did it again Sunday in a tweet.

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11:30 a.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says that if Democrats want to protect young immigrants in the country illegally, they should vote for a short-term spending bill.

The Wisconsin Republican says, "Open the government back up and then we'll get back to negotiating."

The federal government entered the second day of a shutdown Sunday.

Appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation," Ryan says good-faith negotiations on an immigration deal are taking place, though Democrats take issue with that assessment.

As a citizen, Donald Trump criticized President Barack Obama during the 2013 government shutdown for failing to "lead" and getting everyone in the room.

Ryan says on the current shutdown, "you can't blame Donald Trump for the Senate Democrats shutting down the government."

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10:05 a.m.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is calling on Republicans to "sit down and talk" with Democrats on immigration in an effort to reopen the government.

The former Democratic presidential candidate said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that the reality is that it takes 60 votes in the Senate to get anything done.

He says, "What we should be doing is negotiating."

Sanders maintains that government funding legislation must provide legal status for the roughly 700,000 young immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children.

The White House has said it won't negotiate on immigration until Democrats vote to reopen the government.

Sanders is unapologetic about his own criticism of Republicans for shutting down the government in 2013, saying President Barack Obama wasn't going to repeal his health care law.

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9:55 a.m.

Vice President Mike Pence is blasting Congress for playing politics with military pay by failing to keep the government open.

Pence told U.S. soldiers stationed near the Syrian border on Sunday: "You deserve better." He says the soldiers and their families "shouldn't have to worry about getting paid."

Pence spoke to troops in the Middle East as Democrats and Republicans in Congress show few signs of progress on negotiations to end the government shutdown.

The vice president says President Donald Trump's administration will not reopen negotiations "on illegal immigration" until Congress reopens the government and until soldiers and their families receive "the benefits and wages you've earned."

Uniformed service members and law enforcement officers are among the essential government employees who will be working without pay until the federal government reopens.

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9:50 a.m.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul is calling the shutdown blame game "ridiculous on both sides."

The senator from Kentucky said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union": "It's gamesmanship and it's partisanship."

Paul was among a handful of Republicans who voted with most Democrats against the House bill to keep the government open. He says he's opposed to short-term fiscal bills.

Paul called on Republican leadership in both chambers of Congress to commit to a week of debate and a vote on immigration legislation in the next month, to win over Democratic votes to reopen the government.

But Democrats are insisting that long-term funding legislation include protections for roughly 700,000 young immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children  not just a vote on their status.

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9:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump says if the government shutdown drags on, Republicans should consider changing the rules in the Senate to make it easier to pass legislation without votes from Democrats.

But Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois says that would mean the end of the Senate as the Founding Fathers envisioned it.

The shutdown is now in its second day. Lawmakers are set to return to work on Capitol Hill later Sunday but there's no sign of a possible deal.

The Republican president is floating the idea of doing away with the 60-vote threshold to advance legislation and deny the minority party the chance to stall.

Senate Republicans now hold a 51-49 edge.

Durbin tells ABC's "This Week" that "we have to acknowledge a respect for the minority."

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9:20 a.m.

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney is defending himself from charges of hypocrisy in his attacks on Democrats over the government shutdown, given his own role at the center of the last fiscal clash in 2013.

Mulvaney said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union: "Everything that was in the bill Democrats support and have voted for previously." He says, "This is pure politics."

Mulvaney was a conservative member of the House in 2013 when a showdown over "Obamacare" funding led to the last shutdown.

Mulvaney reiterated Sunday that the administration won't negotiate with Democrats on immigration or a longer-term spending bill until they vote to reopen the government.

He says, "They need to open the government tonight or tomorrow and then we can start talking."

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12:45 a.m.

Feuding Democrats and Republicans in Congress are trying to dodge blame for a paralyzing standoff over immigration and showing few signs of progress on negotiations needed to end a government shutdown.

The finger-pointing played out in both the House and Senate, where lawmakers were eager to show voters they were actively working for a solution  or at least actively making the case the other party was at fault. The scene highlighted political stakes for both parties in an election-year shutdown.

Democrats refused to provide votes needed to reopen government until they strike a deal with President Donald Trump protecting young immigrants from deportation, providing disaster relief and boosting spending for opioid treatment and other domestic programs.

The Senate planned a vote by early Monday on a spending extension.
Mexico's anti-monopoly commission says it has found evidence of price-fixing by airlines on domestic airplane tickets.

The federal Competition Commission said Sunday that various airlines are not competing on prices for domestic flights and "may have reached agreements with the aim or effect of manipulating base prices."

The commission cited an investigation that ran from February 2015 and concluded in November. It did not mention how many or which airlines were involved. The companies will now be allowed to offer evidence before a ruling is made.

Such practices can result in fines of as much as 10 percent of a company's income in Mexico.

Mexico reserves domestic flights for Mexican carriers, but allows minority foreign ownership of them.
Lanvin and Paul Smith capped a masculine and utilitarian menswear season in Paris as Kenzo paid tribute to Irish singer-songwriter Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries, who died last week.

Meanwhile, design veteran Hedi Slimane was named the new creative chief at Celine.

Here are some highlights from Sunday's final fall-winter men's shows and the run-up to Paris Fashion Week for couture collections:

LANVIN'S UTILITARIAN CHIC

A constellation of bright lights that were fixed on stands around the runway gave Lanvin's display a dreamlike air.

The clothes at the Sunday morning show were more fixed on reality  with sneakers, hoods, hats, toggles and straps appearing on urban-looking and masculine winter looks.

The notable creative feature here was the cross-over styles. Sometimes asymmetrical, it worked well alongside designer Lucas Ossendrijver's signature use of layering.

A long coat with square pockets featured a flat cross-over lapel, alongside a partly-unzipped and oversized sleeveless coat in beige  that hung wonkily and possessed a carefree quality.

At times, styles that fused a Japanese and workmen's aesthetic demonstrated Ossendrijver's penchant for mixing vestimentary references.

Lanvin owner and enigmatic Taiwanese media magnate Shaw-Lan Wang  who's reportedly been behind the recent tumultuous creative changes at the house  clapped vigorously.

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PATRICK GIBSON TALKS "TOLKIEN"

French notables including Lulu Gainsbourg, the musician son of the late Serge Gainsbourg, and DJ Martin Solveig attended Lanvin's brightly lit show in the Palais de Tokyo. Actor Patrick Gibson of "The OA" and "The Tudors" fame was among the speckling of international faces.

Gibson posed for the cameras in sunglasses and a low-key, coffee-colored Lanvin coat that matched the coffee being served around him.

The 22-year-old Irish actor has wrapped filming for the upcoming biopic "Tolkien." It tells the true story of author J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote "The Lord of the Rings" after returning from the horrors of World War I.

"I think there's going to be a lot of interest. (Main actor) Nick Hoult did an amazing job portraying Tolkien," Gibson said.

"It shows the really human side. It doesn't feel like a biopic. It feels like a story about a regular person out of the framework of history. And that makes it real, (showing) his flaws, too," he said.

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FORMER SAINT LAURENT DESIGNER SLIMANE NAMED AT CELINE

Veteran fashion designer Hedi Slimane has been named the new creative director of the edgy Paris brand Celine.

Slimane, who gained critical and commercial success as Saint Laurent's designer during 2012-2016, will replace outgoing British designer Phoebe Philo, whose departure was announced in November.

In a statement Sunday, Celine parent company LVMH praised Slimane's "talent and his remarkable ability to anticipate and express in a unique way the evolutions and desires of his age."

French-born, Italian-Tunisian Slimane previously worked for LVMH as designer of Dior Homme during 2000-2007. He was credited with contributing to the influential skinny menswear aesthetic.

Calling Silmane "one of the most talented designers of our time," LVMH head Bernard Arnault said he was "particularly happy that Hedi is back within the LVMH Group."

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KENZO CHANNELS A COLORFUL EQUALITY

Kenzo, one of the biggest houses to go full on with the merger of men's and women's designs, went retro with the 40-piece Technicolor collection it presented Sunday.

The 1960s preppy received a shot of color in crisp, high-waisted check pants worn with a wooly V-neck tank top and contrasting turtleneck. The leopard print that appeared on flat-fronted jackets added a quirk.

The looks were defined by some serious color-blocking  which spawned beautiful statement shoes in leather and snake and a navy blue hooded sweater with a bateau neck and floral motifs.

The flower  a common theme in the Kenzo universe  cross-pollinated into the 46 women's styles. The strongest designs were a series of vibrant, multicolored floral gowns.

The figure-hugging fabric was ruched down the body along a horizontal hem to make it look like the wearer was ready to burst out.

For the confetti-fueled finale, The Cranberries' anthem "Dreams" blasted out in homage to Dolores O'Riordan, whose lyrics and vocals defined the band. The singer-songwriter died in London on Jan. 15 at age 46.

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PAUL SMITH'S 80S

It was the dramatic styles of the 1980s that were in vogue at Paul Smith's fall show.

The British designer stuck closely to suit- and coat-heavy looks for his smart collection that referenced the broad and angular shoulders ubiquitous during that dressy era.

Asymmetrical paneling on outerwear  such as a half-tartan, half-plain tailored coat  was a recurrent style and mirrored the days of the New Romantics.

Large architectural lapels or turned-up collars on long oversized coats also had the exuberant flourish of that decade's heady fashions.

The sober and beautiful color palette of myriad blues  navy, Cetacean, Cerulean, blueberry, turquoise  as well as purple and vermilion ensured the collection stayed tasteful.

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AGNES B. IS SALEABLE, RISK-FREE

Agnes B.'s perfectly saleable designs were dapper, but the collection ultimately played it safe.

For fall-winter, the French designer's best styles riffed on the retro suits of the 1960s.

Fitted gray and gray-blue woolen suits flared slightly at the jacket hem and were accessorized with a trilby hat.

They wouldn't have looked out of place on the James Bond of the Sean Connery era.

Jazzy shirts and ties in contrasting patterns added the contemporary lift that was also seen in a vivid royal blue hat and chic three-button jacket.

At times, the commercial garments looked out of place on a platform of high fashion.

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Thomas Adamson can be followed at Twitter.com/ThomasAdamson_K
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said on Sunday the federal government shutdownwhich is now in its second dayis impacting the No. 1 responsibility of the federal government: to defend the country.

Were asking young men and women to step forward and defend us without giving them what they need, Blunt told Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures. We should never want an American service person to be in a fair fight. We want them to have every possible advantage and they clearly are moving away from that long advantage they have had.

While active-duty members and critical support staff are required to work during the shutdown, their payments will be delayed until after the government reopens.

Illegal immigration has been the hotly-debated item prohibiting Democrat and Republican lawmakers from coming to an agreement to keep the government open. Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer in the Senate, refuse to agree to a deal unless there is continued protection of young, illegal immigrantsoriginally granted under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was signed into law by former President Barack Obama in 2012who were brought to the U.S. as children by their parents. Much of the finger-pointing by Republicans has been aimed at the New York Democrat, with many even calling the impasse the Schumer Shutdown.

There is no reason for this to have occurred and one of the lessons here is we need to get back to where we openly debate these appropriations bills and get them to the presidents desk one or two at a time, rather than every year have this issue, Blunt said, adding that Schumer made a decision here that he was going to have a shutdown over an issue that is clearly solvable that has nothing to do with appropriations.

Schumer met with President Trump on Friday, even entertaining the idea of the commander-in-chiefs proposed wall along the nations southern border with Mexico in exchange for the protection policies for Dreamers. However, the talks fell apart and no deal was made.

Negotiating with this White House is like negotiating with Jell-O. Its next to impossible, Schumer told reporters on Saturday.

.@SenSchumer: "Negotiating with this White House is like negotiating with jello, it's next to impossible." pic.twitter.com/bNNJHOckUA  Fox News (@FoxNews) January 20, 2018

The Senate is expected to vote in the early hours of Monday morning on legislation to reopen the government. Blunt said he doesnt think the Democrats can endure the shutdown much longer and that the issue of immigration should have an easy conclusion, with 70%-plus of Americans agreeing that Dreamers should be allowed to stay in the U.S.

But 70% of the American people also agree that the border needs more control and immigration needs more control  This is a foolish place that Democrats in the Senate have forced the country to and I think that theyll change their mind on this pretty quickly, the Missouri Republican said.
Scarlett Johansson, who slammed fellow actor James Franco in a speech at the Womens March in Los Angeles, is being called a hypocrite for previously defending Woody Allen and saying the child abuse allegations against the director were all guesswork.

I want my pin back, by the way, Johansson said on Saturday, in reference to the Times Up pin Franco wore at the Golden Globe Awards, which inspired five accusers to come forward and call him out.

However, now Johansson, who starred in Allens films Match Point, Scoop and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, finds herself feeling the heat after having praised the director and downplayed accusations of child abuse that have been leveled against him.

One month after Allens estranged daughter Dylan Farrow penned an open letter accusing him of sexual abuse in 2014, Johansson told The Guardian: It's not like this is somebody that's been prosecuted and found guilty of something, and you can then go, I don't support this lifestyle or whatever. I mean, it's all guesswork.

At the time, Farrow called out the Hollywood actors and actresses who have appeared in Allens films, which prompted a response from Johansson in the 2014 interview.

I think it's irresponsible to take a bunch of actors that will have a Google alert on and to suddenly throw their name into a situation that none of us could possibly knowingly comment on. That just feels irresponsible to me, Johansson said.

Allen has denied the allegations from his adopted daughter Farrow, 32, who claimed he sexually abused her when she was 7 years old. However, Farrows brother Ronan  who wrote a blockbuster expose for the New Yorker on the allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein  has supported her.

Fans reacted swiftly on social media to call out Johansson for the perceived double standard.

One wrote: Scarlett Johansson the biggest hypocrite that is therecalls out James Franco yet supports Woody Allen and would hem his pants if she had towow!

Congrats to Scarlett Johansson for calling out James Franco and the harmful cool girl narrative but you still havent denounced Woody Allen and apologized to Dylan Farrow, wrote another.

Although Johansson didnt directly mention Franco by name, a representative of hers confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that she was referring to him with her comments.

My mind baffles. How could a person publicly stand by an organization that helps to provide support for victims of sexual assault while privately preying on people who have no power? Johansson said in the speech.
The single father of five who wore a In Need of Kidney T-shirt to Disney World over the summer underwent a kidney transplant last week in New York.

Robert Leibowitz, 60, of New Jersey, never imagined how magical his familys vacation trip to the Magic Kingdom would be after securing a kidney from a stranger-- thanks to another strangers viral Facebook post about his special hand-made T-shirt.

Leibowitz suffered from chronic kidney disease and was going to dialysis three days a week. He had been in need of a kidney for three years, Inside Edition reported.

"I thought 'You know, if I can get one person who's my blood type to just respond and maybe that's my match...You know it's worth the $35 investment for the shirt,' Leibowitz told CBS News. This amazing couple, Rocio and Juan Sandoval, took a picture of it and said do you mind if I post it? Within the first week 90,000 Facebook shares. Three days walking around the park... my phone wouldn't stop ringing."

DAD'S PLEA FOR KIDNEY DONOR DURING DISNEY TRIP GOES VIRAL

Rocio Yanira Sandoval posted the photo of Leibowitzs T-shirt on her Facebook page.

Richie Sully, 39, a father of two from Fort Wayne, Ind., was one of those who saw the post.

I have an extra kidney, its not like I need them both, he told CBS.

He and Leibowitz were reported doing well after the surgery Thursday at New York-Presbyterian Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan.

"There are no words, no matter how much I say how much I appreciate," Leibowitz told NBC4 New York days before the surgery.

The station reported that Leibowitz plans to take his donor and Sandoval to Disney World to celebrate his fairy-tale ending.
A Utah State University student was reportedly rushed to a hospital Saturday after ingesting a Tide Pod, which has become a dangerous trend on social media as teens dare each other to eat the miniature, neon, detergent-filled pods.

Campus police initially called the incident a Tide Pod overdose, but Eric Warren, director of media relations at USU, told FOX 13 Salt Lake City the female student ingested a Tide Pod.

Utah State University walked back on its claim the Tide Pod ingestion by a female student was related to the social media craze. The school said in a statement to FOX 13 Salt Lake City, the incident was not in any way connected to a larger trend involving tide pods.

KWCH-TV reported the female was taken to a local hospital, but her condition was not immediately made available.

The incident comes after doctors warned people earlier this month not to eat the laundry pods due to health concerns. The warning was sparked by social media posts and online videos of people participating in the "#TidePodChallenge" that involves eating the pods and filming the reaction.

The challenge appeared to begin as a joke in an article in The Onion, a satirical news organization. In 2017, College Humor posted a satirical video of a man eating the pods because they looked inviting and delicious, USA Today reported.

DOCTORS WARN AGAINST EATING TIDE PODS IN LATEST SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGE

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, which compiles numbers on poison control calls, poison control centers in 2016 and 2017 handled 39 and 53 cases of intentional exposures, respectively, among 13- to 19-year-olds.

In the first 15 days of 2018 alone, the AAPCC said poison centers have already handled 39 such intentional cases among the same age demographic.

The laundry packet challenge is neither funny nor without serious health implications, AAPCCs CEO and Executive Director Stephen Kaminski said in a statement. The intentional misuse of these products poses a real threat to the health of individuals. We have seen a large spike in single-load laundry packet exposures among teenagers since these videos have been uploaded.

As the challenge picked up traction earlier this year on social media, Tide's parent company Procter & Gamble quickly took action. On Jan. 12, they released a cautionary video starring New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski scolding viewers of even thinking of snacking on Tide Pods.

YOUTUBE BANS TIDE POD CHALLENGE VIDEOS

A P&G spokesperson told Fox Business they are working with leading social media networks to remove harmful content from the web, and detailed actions taken to reduce accidental exposure to the product since its debut in 2012.

Each year laundry pacs have been on the market, we've taken meaningful steps to reduce accidental exposure," the spokesperson said. "We have co-led the development of industry standard since its initiation and taken actions including adding child resistant closures to the bags and tubs and adding bittering substances to the packets to deter accidental ingestion. We've also worked with organizations like Safe Kids Worldwide to educate parents and caregivers on safe use and storage."

YouTube has also stepped up, banning all challenge videos as they violate community guidelines.

YouTubes Community Guidelines prohibit content thats intended to encourage dangerous activities that have an inherent risk of physical harm, a YouTube spokesperson told The Daily Meal on Jan. 18. We work to quickly remove flagged videos that violate our policies.

Fox News' Kathleen Joyce and Jeanine Puhak contributed to this report.
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A member of the U.S. mens figure skating team got his costume in a twist because Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to lead the U.S. Olympic delegation to South Korea in February.

Adam Rippon, the 2016 U.S. mens figure skating champion, had an outburst  telling USA Today he would prefer not to shake the vice presidents hand before the opening ceremony.

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Mr. Rippon is believed to be the first openly gay Winter Olympian  and he took great umbrage at the vice presidents devout Christian faith.

You mean Mike Pence, the same Mike Pence that funded gay conversion therapy? Rippon snarled. Im not buying it.

Mr. Rippon, the poster child for tolerance and diversity, went on to say the vice president and the Trump administration do not represent his personal beliefs.

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I dont think he has a real concept of reality, Mr. Rippon said. To stand by some of the things that Donald Trump has said and for Mike Pence to say hes a devout Christian man is completely contradictory. If hes OK with whats being said about people and Americans and foreigners and about different countries that are being called s***holes, I think he should really go to church.

Sadly, Mr. Rippon did not bother to do his homework before attacking the vice president. It turns out he has long been adamant he never supported conversion therapy.

The vice president is proud to lead the U.S. delegation to the Olympics and support Americas incredible athletes. This accusation is totally false and has no basis in fact, the vice presidents spokesperson said. Despite these misinformed claims, the vice president will be enthusiastically supporting all the U.S. athletes competing next month in Pyeongchang.

The skater also said he will not be attending a post-Olympic celebration hosted by President Trump at the White House.

Lets just hope the snowflake can muster the decency not to stage some sort of protest during the Olympics.

Its one thing to embarrass yourself in USA Today  its another thing to embarrass an entire nation.

I will participate in no form of protest. Im representing myself and my country on the world stage, he reassured the newspaper. What makes America great is that were all so different. Its 2018 and being an openly gay man and an athlete, that is part of the face of America now.

Adam Rippon may know how to land a triple axel, but when it comes to civility and grace, hes skating on thin ice.
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Every year, I am saddened by the suffering detailed in Open Doors World Watch Lista comprehensive and authoritative report identifying the 50 countries where persecution of Christians is most severe. But this year, Im particularly grieved by violence suffered by victims who experience what one might call double persecution in that they are targeted as a result of both their Christian faith and their gender.

Christian women are arguably among the most vulnerable people in the world right now. This years data indicates there has been a dramatic increase in rapes, harassment and forced marriages in countries across the Middle East and Northern Africa in regions where Islamic extremists exercise control.

We have long known that womens rights are under-represented in societies whose local and national leaders are solely, or primarily, male. Due to cultural restrictions around gender, for example, women whose husbands are killed, disabled, or imprisoned may have difficulty finding gainful employment, owning property or representing their families interests in the local community. In fact, in the most regions dominated by Islam women may not even be able to travel, conduct business or attend medical appointments unless a male accompanies them. This creates serious educational, economical and political disadvantages.

But this year, in addition to the existing persecution trends women have long faced, certain data subsets are increasingly troubling. During the reporting period, for instance, Open Doors documented 2,260 women who were raped or otherwise sexually harassed, or forced into marriage to a Muslim under threat of death.

There are countless stories of how women, Christians specifically, are at increasing risk of being raped, assaulted, or coerced into forced marriage.

Open Doors has received reports from the field detailing how Christian minors in northern Nigeria are being forced to marry and convert to Islam. These human rights violations are particularly difficult to prosecute in this region because Sharia law is strictly enforced in Nigerias 12 northern states. And although technically these codes are meant to be applied solely to Muslims, the application of these laws has increased the discrimination Christians face in daily life.

Just as troubling are reports coming out of Egypt relaying how Muslim extremists are using conversion as a kidnapping tactic. One former trafficker described the manipulative plot employed to lure Christian girls into danger. Specifically, a radicalized Muslim man will tell a Christian girl he loves her and will even pledge to convert to Christianity for her. Once these women enter into romantic relationship, the man then urges the girl to escape with him. But what the women dont know is they are actually being kidnapped.

In one case, a 16-year-old Coptic Christian girl, Maat, was kidnapped by five Muslim men. They held her hostage and filmed her naked against her will. They then blackmailed the girl into marrying a Muslim extremist by threatening to release the video. Although Maats parents reported the incident to the authorities, the men responsible were not arrested.

Sadly this incident is only one of many. The former trafficker told World Watch List researchers that abductors are paid for each girl they bring in, and the value of the reward increases whenever the girl has a position. For example, when she is the daughter of a priest or comes from a well-known family.

Open Doors also tracks more publicly known kidnapping reports, such as the kidnapping of Nigerian girls by Boko Haram. For instance, we have followed the story of Esther*a teenage victim who reports that her experience in captivity continues to bring her hardship and suffering, even after being freed by the extremists.

While held hostage, Esther was tragically raped multiple times and pressured to denounce her faith. But her newfound freedom, which began in November of 2016, has been less celebratory than she dreamed. She sadly discovered her fellow citizens werent eager to welcome back Boko Haram women, much less the children these extremists fathered with their hostages. Instead, Esther has endured mocking and villagers have resorted to calling her baby Boko instead of addressing her by her real name.

There are countless stories of how women, Christians specifically, are at increasing risk of being raped, assaulted, or coerced into forced marriage. Women are sometimes sexually assaulted to bring shame upon them and to effectively isolate them as tarnished or impure. Tragically, in these regions, rape is wielded as a method to punish those who follow Jesus and to reproduce children who can be raised as radical Muslims, according to Sharia Law.

Martha, a trauma counselor who helps women like these heal from rape and sexual exploitation, reports that, due to cultural or religious biases against these women, most victims not only lose their dignity with rape, but also all of their earthly possessions.

These stories are inarguably tragic. But its important, too, to note these incidents and the datawhich denotes how six women are raped, sexually harassed or forced into marriage every dayare just the beginning. This figure only indicates the number of victims who had the courage to report their assaults. And, unfortunately, we suspect this data set indicates the problem is far more common and widespread than any of us would like to believe. Because despite the fact these women are part of the largest minority religion in the world, gender-based prejudice makes it difficult for them to seek help or justice after being exploited.

The problem is clear and growing: women are being targeted for assault due to both their Christian beliefs and their gender. They are, in essence, double persecuted. And because of that, they deserve double our attention, double our advocacy, double our prayers, and double our support. We are calling upon readers to take to social media to call upon world leaders to intervene for women suffering in the worlds most hostile regions by using the hashtag #doublepersecuted.
Day One of a government shutdown, filled with increasingly angry finger pointing from both Democrats and Republicans, appeared to produce little Saturday in terms of a potential solution for the impasse on how to fund the government.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insisted that a vote to break a Democratic filibuster on a short-term spending bill to reopen the government would happen by 1 a.m. Monday.

"I asked for consent to move up a vote on this bipartisan solution and end this craziness. The Democrats objected," McConnell said late Saturday, Roll Call reported. "That won't work forever. If they continue to object, we cannot proceed to a cloture vote until 1 a.m. Monday.

"But I assure you," McConnell added, "we will have the vote at 1 a.m. Monday, unless there is a desire to have it sooner."

After ending talks Saturday, the Senate planned to reconvene at 1 p.m. Sunday, Roll Call reported.

The shutdown kicked in late Friday into Saturday after Senate Democrats blocked a 28-day resolution to keep the government open. The bill would have funded the government, and included a six-year extension of funding for the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP). But Democrats rejected it, as it did not include a legislative fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

'Happy anniversary, Mr. President. You wanted a shutdown. The shutdown is all yours.'  Nancy Pelosi

That Obama-era program, which offered protection for illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, was repealed by President Donald Trump in September, with a March deadline for Congress to come up with a fix. While separate bipartisan immigration talks had been underway, Democrats demanded a DACA fix as part of the continuing resolution (CR) -- requiring Republicans to try in vain to cobble together the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

The subsequent 50-49 vote broke largely along party lines, with five Republicans voting no, and five Democrats voting yes.

On Saturday, although both the House and the Senate were in session, both sides seemed more focused on pushing their respective narratives about who was to blame for the crisis.

When McConnell, R-Ky, addressed lawmakers Saturday evening, he urged his Democratic counterpart, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, to withdraw his filibuster so that members could pass the short-term spending bill and reopen the government.

McConnell said the shutdown was not a crisis, but rather a manufactured crisis by the Senate Democrats.

Through Day One, Democrats pointed fingers at Republicans, arguing that they could not blame Democrats for the shutdown at a time when the GOP has control of the House, the Senate and the White House.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., took aim at Trump, saying he had earned an F for "failure in leadership." She said Republicans are "so incompetent and negligent that they couldn't get it together to keep the government open."

Happy anniversary, Mr. President, Pelosi said. You wanted a shutdown. The shutdown is all yours.

Schumer said on the Senate floor that in a White House meeting Friday, he offered Trump funding for a border wall with Mexico in exchange for a DACA fix. He claimed that Trump seemed open to a deal but that the president made further demands hours later that Schumer said were "off the table."

Republican leadership can't get its tumultuous president on board with anything, Schumer said. The breakdown of compromise is poisoning this Congress and it all comes down to President Trump.

Republicans, for their part, blasted Democrats for what they saw as holding the government hostage over illegal immigration. White House Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short accused Democrats of having a 2-year-old temper tantrum.

Trump accused the Democrats of holding our Military hostage over their desire for unchecked illegal immigration.

What's more, the White House pushed back against Schumer's account of the Trump meeting. Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said at a briefing that Schumer had in fact offered only $1.8 billion in funding for the wall, far short of the roughly $20 billion Trump wanted. Mulvaney said Schumer still told Trump that he was giving him everything he wanted.

Does it even become profitable to work with someone like that? Mulvaney asked reporters.

A sign of the bitterness of the blame game came from the White House comments line, where a voicemail blamed Democrats for users being unable to use the line.

Thank you for calling the White House, unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today because congressional Democrats are withholding government funding, including funding for our troops and other national security priorities, hostage to an unrelated immigration debate. Due to this obstruction, our government is shut down, the voicemail said.

As evening rolled around, there seemed to be little sign of a break. Fox News was told that a Senate Democratic caucus meeting resulted in a caucus more unified and locked in, with Democrats only willing to support a CR that would fund the government for a few days.

On the Republican side, Fox News was told that there was a good chance McConnell would try a vote on a CR that would fund the government to Feb. 8 -- less time than the initial 28-day CR.

The White House also buckled in, saying it would not negotiate on DACA until the government was funded.

The White House position remains the same, that we will not negotiate the status of 690,000 unlawful immigrants while hundreds of millions of taxpaying Americans, including hundreds of thousands of our troops in uniform and border agents protecting our country, are held hostage by Senate Democrats, Short said.

Fox News Joseph Weber, Ed Henry, Chad Pergram, Jenny Buchholz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vice President Mike Pence met with Egyptian leader Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo on Saturday on the first leg of a trip to the volatile Mideast.

Meeting at the presidential palace in Cairo, the two leaders discussed ways to combat the growing terror threat in the region.

Pence listened as el-Sissi cited the need to address "urgent issues," including "ways to eliminate this disease and cancer that has terrified the whole world."

Pence said that "we stand shoulder to shoulder with you and Egypt in fighting against terrorism," and that "our hearts grieve" for the loss of life in recent terrorist attacks against Egyptians, referring to a December attack against Christians where at least nine people were killed, and a November attack at a mosque in Northern Sinai where another 311 people were killed.

"We resolve to continue to stand with Egypt in the battle against terrorism," Pence said.

Pence arrived in Cairo hours after Congress and President Donald Trump failed to reach agreement on a plan to avert a partial federal closure. Pence went ahead with his four-day trip to the Middle East, citing national security and diplomatic reasons.

Pence is set to meet with Jordans King Abdullah II on Sunday and visit with U.S. troops in the region. He will also travel to Israel but he is not expected to meet with Palestinian officials.

His visit to the region came more than a month after Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a step that's enraged Palestinians. El-Sissi identified "the peace issue" as one of the most important issues in their discussions.

"We heard President el-Sissi out," Pence said. "He said to me about what he said publicly about a disagreement between friends over our decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."

Pence said he assured el-Sissi that "we're absolutely committed to preserving the status quo with regard to holy sites in Jerusalem, that we have come to no final resolution about boundaries or other issues that will be negotiated. ... I reminded President el-Sissi that President Trump said that if the parties agree, we will support a two-state solution. My perception was that he was encouraged by that message."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
HARRISBURG, Pa -- House Speaker Paul Ryan ordered an Ethics Committee investigation Saturday after The New York Times reported that U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan had used taxpayer money to settle a complaint arising from hostility toward an ex-aide who rebuffed his romantic overtures.

The story, published online Saturday, cites unnamed people who said Meehan, R-Pa., had used thousands of dollars from his congressional office fund to settle the sexual harassment complaint the ex-aide filed last summer to the congressional Office of Compliance.

Ryan's office said the allegations must be investigated "fully and immediately" by the House Ethics Committee, and that Meehan should repay any taxpayer funds used to settle the case.

Ryan's office also said Meehan is being removed from the committee.

The Times did not identify the accuser and said she did not speak to the newspaper.

In a statement, the four-term congressman denied that he sexually harassed or mistreated the ex-aide. He also said he had asked congressional lawyers who handled the case to ask her lawyer to dissolve the settlement's confidentiality requirements "to ensure a full and open airing of all the facts."

The accuser's lawyer, Alexis Ronickher, said Meehan had demanded the confidentiality provisions and is trying to victimize her client twice by revealing the woman's identity and litigating the case in the media.

She called it a "dirty political maneuver" and an effort to save his career by making it look like he's being transparent.
The Senate adjourned Sunday without reaching an agreement to end the government shutdown as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for both parties to "step back from the brink."

"The shutdown should stop today," McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor Sunday evening. "And we'll soon have a vote that will allow us to do that."

However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he and McConnell "have yet to reach an agreement on a path forward" to re-opening the government.

For most of the day, a bipartisan group of approximately 18 senators huddled to craft a compromise spending plan to present to their respective leadership teams. The group was expected to meet at 10 a.m. Monday, with a vote to break a Democratic filibuster on a short-term funding bill scheduled for noon.

The contours of the bipartisan proposal were still taking shape Sunday evening. In exchange for Democratic votes on a three-week spending measure, the GOP leadership in the Senate would agree to address immigration policy and other pressing legislative matters in the coming weeks.



Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said the potential deal would not secure an immediate vote on immigration tied to reopening the government, but lawmakers were seeking "an agreement that we would proceed to immigration."



The approach found advocates in Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has been trying to broker an immigration deal, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., both of whom rejected an earlier short-term proposal. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., another previous "no" vote, announced he would vote in favor of reopening the government Monday.



Seeking to win over holdout votes, McConnell pledged Sunday that the Senate would take up legislation on some top Democratic priorities, including immigration, if they aren't already addressed by Feb. 8.

Republicans have appeared increasingly confident that Democrats were bearing the brunt of criticism for the shutdown and that they would ultimately buckle. The White House and GOP leaders said they would not negotiate with Democrats on immigration until the government is reopened.

There were indications Sunday that Democratic resolve was beginning to waver, with growing worries that a prolonged shutdown could prove to be an electoral headache for the party just as they have grown confident about their prospects in November.

"I think they miscalculated on the shutdown," Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. "It's very unpopular and they're trying to find a way out of it."

"The American people cannot begin to understand why the Senate Democratic leader thinks the entire government should be shut down until he gets his way on illegal immigration."  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

During a meeting with reporters, Graham, R-S.C., warned Democrats to not "overplay your hand."

"A government shutdown is not a good way to get an outcome legislatively," Graham added.

Discussions took place in behind closed doors throughout the day with few outward signs of progress, as lawmakers took turns delivering animated speeches to near empty chambers to explain why the other party is to blame. McConnell and Schumer met off the Senate floor in the early evening, as many in quiet Capitol offices flipped their television screens to playoff football games.



McConnell opened the chambers rare Sunday legislative session, on the second day of the shutdown, by saying Schumer on Friday made the extraordinary and destructive choice to filibuster our bipartisan bill and guarantee the American people a shutdown of their federal government.

He also accused Schumer of making the decision to shut down the federal government for hundreds of millions of Americans because he didnt get everything he wanted in one meeting with President Trump.

The shutdown has centered on Democrats demand that any spending bill to keep the government fully operational include protections for illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children.

Schumer argued again Sunday that he offered a compromise immigration plan to Trump to avoid a shutdown, including billions for his must-have U.S.-Mexico border wall. However, he stopped short of repeating that negotiating with President Trump is like negotiating with Jell-O.

On Friday in the Oval Office, I made what I thought was a very generous offer to the president, the most generous offer yet, Schumer said Sunday on the Senate floor. The president must take yes for an answer. Until he does, its the Trump Shutdown.

Earlier Sunday, Trump suggested that Senate Republicans change chamber rules -- and resort to the nuclear option -- so that they could sidestep the 60 votes needed to stop the Democrats filibuster, then pass a long-term budget with a simple, 51-vote majority.

Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border, Trump tweeted. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.s! referring to continuing spending resolutions.

However, McConnell has said he's opposed to changing the rules.

The Senate Republican Conference opposes changing the rules on legislation, a McConnell spokeswoman told Fox News.

Later, on the Senate floor, McConnell sounded less unequivocal, suggesting he supported using a filibuster from an institutional point of view but the question is, when do you use it?

Coons was critical of Trump's tweet on Fox News Sunday, including its suggestion about the nuclear option, considering the 60-vote threshold has for decades provided the Senates minority party with some check on the majority partys power.

This is another example of President Trump throwing a tweet in the middle of bipartisan negotiations that are making progress, Coons said. I think Senator McConnell, the majority leader, in the end will have much more say about how the Senate is run than the president should.

Many Americans already have felt the impact of the shutdown, with weekend closures at national parks. But the full impact will be more evident Monday, when nearly 1 million federal workers are set to be furloughed without pay. In addition, many needed-but-non-essential government services with be curtailed because the government has no money to provide them.

Democrats have said their concerns about the spending bill go beyond protecting young illegal immigrants from deportation to include providing disaster relief and boosting spending for opioid treatment and other domestic programs.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, disagreed Sunday. Amnesty for illegals is more important, he told Fox News Fox & Friends.

His remarks were typical of the finger-pointing and blaming involved in the shutdown.

The GOP-controlled House passed its version of the spending bill before sending it to the Senate, where it has stalled.

House Republican leaders also met Sunday but only for about 15 minutes.

Too many people are hurt by this, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said afterward. We want to get this done.

The president canceled plans to travel to his resort in Florida for the weekend, which was to include a high-dollar fundraiser. And he instead has worked the phones, staying in touch with McConnell, while White House legislative affairs director Marc Short and budget chief Mick Mulvaney meet at the Capitol with House Republicans.

Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday that Trump wouldn't try to weaponize the shutdown to his political advantage like the Obama administration did in 2013.

Social Security and most other safety-net programs will not be affected by the lapse in federal spending authority. Critical government functions continued, with uniformed service members, health inspectors and law enforcement officers set to work without pay. But if no deal is reached before Monday, an estimated 800,000 federal employees will be furloughed.

On immigration, Democrats are seeking a deal to protect so-called Dreamers. About 700,000 of them have been shielded against deportation by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which Trump will end in March. He's given lawmakers until then to pass legislation restoring the protections, but he's demanded added money for his proposed border wall with Mexico as a price.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Justice Department has given various congressional committees nearly 400 pages of additional text messages between two FBI officials who were removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

One of the newly discovered messages, lawmakers said, appeared to indicate that Peter Strzok and Lisa Page knew that charges would not be filed against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as a result of the investigation into her email server -- before Clinton was interviewed by the bureau.

Strzok and Page were pulled off the probe last summer after it emerged that some of their messages to each other included anti-Trump content. Strzok, an FBI counterintelligence agent, was reassigned to the Bureau's human resources division after the discovery of the exchanges with Page, with whom he was having an affair.

According to a Saturday letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, the Justice Department provided 384 pages of messages to lawmakers on Friday. However, Johnson noted that additional texts sent between Dec. 14, 2016 and May 17 of last year were not preserved by the FBI's system.

One exchange between Strzok and Page, dated July 1, 2016, referenced then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch's decision to accept the FBI's conclusion in the Clinton investigation. Lynch's announcement came days after it was revealed that the attorney general and former President Bill Clinton had an impromptu meeting aboard her plane in Phoenix.

"Timing looks like hell," Strzok texted Page.

"Yeah, that is awful timing," Page agreed. In a later message, she added: "It's a real profile in couragw [sic], since she knows no charges will be brought."

Four days later, then-FBI Director James Comey announced that no charges would be brought against Clinton, even though -- as he put it -- her actions in regard to the private server were "extremely careless."

Another exchange from the day before referenced a change to Comey's statement closing out the investigation. While an earlier draft of the statement said Clinton and President Barack Obama had an email exchange while Clinton was "on the territory" of a hostile adversary, the reference to Obama at first was changed to "senior government official" and then omitted entirely in the final version.

'F TRUMP': TEXTS BETWEEN EX-MUELLER TEAM MEMBERS EMERGE, CALLING TRUMP 'LOATHSOME HUMAN,' 'AN IDIOT'

Last month, the Justice Department released hundreds of text messages that the two had traded before becoming part of the Mueller investigation. Many focused on their observations of the 2016 election and included discussions of the Clinton investigation. Republican lawmakers have contended the communication reveals the FBI and the Mueller team to be politically tainted and biased against Trump  assertions Wray has flatly rejected.

In Johnson's letter to Wray, he asked whether the FBI had any records of communications between Strzok and Page during that five-month window and whether the FBI had searched their non-FBI phones for additional messages. He also asks for the "scope and scale" of any other records from the Clinton investigation that have been lost.

A source on the committees receiving the texts told Fox News it was "outrageous" that the FBI had not previously indicated that the five-month gap in the messages existed. The source said it was incumbent on the FBI to prove that the missing texts do not constitute "obstruction" of congressional oversight or "destruction of evidence."

The source added that congressional investigators want to know if the Justice Department's inspector general has copies of the messages.

Fox News' Jake Gibson and Catherine Herridge contributed to this report, along with The Associated Press.
The government was last partially shuttered on Dec. 22, 2018 as President Trump and Democrats reached an impasse over a spending bill  particularly in regards to funding for border security.

Trump at the time warned the closure could drag on for a very long time. The shutdown ended on Jan. 25, 2019.

Prior to the partial shutdown, Trump had urged Senate Republicans to use the so-called nuclear option to pass a spending bill that includes enough funding for a border wall. The House scrambled to put together a package late that included the $5.7 billion the president wants but was unable to agree on a deal to fund the government by the deadline.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has often rebuffed calls to use the nuclear option, which would change Senate procedure to require only a simple majority to approve the spending bill.

TRUMP CLASHES WITH PELOSI, SCHUMER ON BORDER SECURITY IN EXPLOSIVE OVAL OFFICE MEETING

Fox News asked Marc Goldwein, senior policy director of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget  a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that educates the public on fiscal policy issues  to explain a government shutdown, and he answered seven basic questions about the process that Americans should know.

What causes a government shutdown?

A shutdown occurs when Congress and the president fail to sign into law 12 appropriations bills (which determine spending for specific government agencies) in order to continue providing funding for government operations.

How can you prevent a government shutdown?

To avoid a shutdown, members of Congress can give themselves an extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR). The temporary funding measure keeps the federal government open and allows lawmakers more time to negotiate the remaining appropriations bills.

The bar for a CR is pretty low. Youre not agreeing to anything new politically; its a no-brainer, Goldwein told Fox News.

How long does a government shutdown last?

As long as it takes. Congressional leaders from both parties have to reach an agreement to fund the government.

It usually takes a weekend for this to happen.

A LOOK BACK AT EVERY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN US HISTORY

Were talking days or weeks  not months, Goldwein said.

The federal government would be forced to shut down non-essential services." Who would be affected?

"Essential staff at top level agencies would continue working, but most federal employees whose jobs arent vital would likely be sent home," Goldwein said.

For example, those who work at national parks, monuments and museums would be told to go home.

"It doesnt feel awesome to be told youre not an essential employee. It's a little demoralizing to go home because youre not important," Goldwein added.

In the 2013 shutdown, roughly 850,000 employees were furloughed per day, according to the Office of Management and Budget.

But not everyone is required to take unpaid leave.

The president, presidential appointees and members of Congress are exempt. The Postal Service, the TSA and Air Traffic Control will also continue business as usual.

Americans will still be able to get their Social Security and Medicare benefits and food stamps. However, people expecting VA benefits, unemployment benefits, farm subsidies and tax refunds may experience delays.

Do federal employees still get paid?

Most likely. The problem: They're not sure when they'll get their money.

"Everyone loses from the government shutdown. An employee loses their paycheck at the time he or she needs it," Goldwein said. "Ultimately, were going to fund it anyway. Its kind of silly."

Federal employees typically receive back pay shortly upon their return, though, Goldwein says, nothing is certain. Every agency has their own contingency plan in the event of a shutdown.

How many times has the government shut down?

The government has shut down 20 times since 1976, the year Congress introduced the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budgets research. Half of the shutdowns occurred over a weekend.

Before 1980, the government didnt really shut down, Goldwein explained. A lot of others were over the course of weekends. I call them fake shutdowns.

Goldwein says there have really only been three significant government shutdowns in the history of the U.S.

Two occurred during the Clinton administration in the winter of 1995 to 1996. Former President Bill Clinton and the Republican Congress were at odds and shut the government down for a total of 26 days, Goldwein said.

The third occurred during the Obama administration in 2013 when a stalemate between the House and Senate led to a 16-day hiatus.

How much money can the country lose during a shutdown?

The 16-day government shutdown in 2013 cost the country $24 billion of lost economic activity, according to an analysis from ratings agency Standard & Poor's.

"The payroll cost of furloughed employee salaries alone  that is, the lost productivity of furloughed workers  was $2.0 billion," the Office of Management and Budget reported in 2013.

Goldwein says shutdowns "waste money" more than they "cost money."

"Were not going to spend more money. Were just going to spend it on worse stuff," he explained. "Instead of paying employees to work, were paying them not to work."

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2018's partial government shutdown cost the U.S. economy $11 billion "due to lost output from federal workers, delayed government spending and reduced demand," according to Forbes.

The Congressional Budget Office further noted the shutdown delayed $18 million in federal spending and led to the suspension of several federal services.

Fox News' Alex Pappas, Judson Berger, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
British and Canadian tourists were warned to stay inside their Montego Bay resorts in Jamaica after a spate of violence led officials there to deploy soldiers and declare a state of emergency.

The British government on Thursday advised its citizens visiting the tropical island that they should limit movements outside of resorts and exercise caution if traveling at night.

Police have said they will take a zero tolerance approach to crime in the parish of St. James, where Montego Bay is located, and nearby communities that have seen an increase in killings that officials blame on gangs and lottery scams.

On Jan. 19 Canada advised citizens visiting Jamaica to exercise a high degree of caution while traveling in the country.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said in a statement that extra steps were needed to bring the parish of St. James under control and restore public safety.

BRITISH AIRWAYS PILOT REMOVED FROM PLANE AMID FEARS HE WAS DRUNK

Travel to and from the airport or for excursions should be undertaken with organized tour operators, and transport should be arranged or provided by the resort hotels, the U.K. Foreign Office advisory states.

One tourist staying in Montego Bay with his wife told Sky News about the increased police and military presence.

He said: "We have seen an increased military presence going in and out of the resort, vehicle checkpoints and inside the resort we have seen police boats which have come up to the resort, said Daniel Blakey.

There were 335 murders recorded in 2017 in St. James, which includes the tourist destination of Montego Bay, reports the Jamaican Observer.

The latest State Department travel advisory issued Jan. 10 warns Americans to exercise extreme caution when traveling to Jamaica. It warns Americans not to travel to areas including some areas of Kingston and Montego Bay.

US CRUISE SHIPS WERE HEALTHY IN 2017, SAYS CDC, DESPITE HEADLINES

Violence and shootings occur regularly in some areas of Montego Bay, it says.

Violent crime, such as home invasions, armed robberies, and homicide, is common. Sexual assaults occur frequently, even at all-inclusive resorts. Local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.

The state of emergency gives police additional powers, including the ability to search and detain without a warrant and shut down businesses.

A curfew has been imposed in both St. James and St. Catherine parish, west of Jamaicas capital of Kingston.

Police in St. James also released photos of five men wanted in connection with various crimes, including murder.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A woman sailing on a Carnival Cruise Line ship from Florida fell from her cabins balcony and died.

The accident happened aboard Carnival Elation early Friday morning, when the woman plunged several decks below, according to a statement that Carnival Cruise Line spokesman Vance Gulliksen gave to the Miami Herald.

The ship was on a four-day Bahamas cruise from Jacksonville that departed on Thursday; the woman has not yet been identified.

The ships medical team responded immediately, but, unfortunately, she passed away, Gulliksen said in a statement.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased and her family, he said.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE PASSENGERS CONSIDER SUING AFTER SHIP SAILS THROUGH WINTER BOMB CYCLONE

Tampa resident Maureen La Bryer, whose daughter and son-in-law Megan and Matthew Burdewick are on the Elation, told the Herald that they texted her about the incident. The Burdewicks said their cabin was near that of the woman who fell.

We werent [allowed] off the boat to Freeport until they investigated it. They were taking pictures [and everything], Megan Burdewick texted her mother, according to text messages La Bryer shared with the Herald.

She added that, after the fall, there was blood everywhere.

In October, an 8-year-old girl fell over the inner railings of a Carnival Glory ship to her death.

The incident comes amid a spate of negative stories involving cruise ships.

On Jan. 2, about 200 passengers aboard a Sea Princess Cruise ship were sickened with a norovirus outbreak. Last month, more than 300 passengers on the Independence of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, fell ill with a stomach virus.
A U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter crashed in the predawn hours early Saturday while flying a routine training mission at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin in California.

Both the pilot and the co-pilot were killed, according to Lt. Col. Jason S. Brown, a spokesman for the Army at the Pentagon.

The cause is currently under investigation and next-of-kin notifications are ongoing, therefore we can provide no further details at this time, he said in a statement to Fox News.

The Apache gunship was flying a readiness training exercise at the time of the crash, according to a separate official.

The helicopter was attached to the Armys 4th Infantry Division based out of Fort Carson, Colorado. It had been sent to California as part of a regular training rotation in the California desert, the official added.

The crash occured hours after the government shutdown, but officials say that did not play a role in the accident.

The AH-64 Apache is armed with hellfire missiles, rocket pods as well as a 30mm chain gun.

In November, the head of Army aviation, Maj. Gen. William Gayler, told Congress his pilots flight hours were at their lowest levels in 30 years after years of budget cuts.

Friday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the militarys advantage over Russia and China has eroded, blaming in part the readiness of his forces after years of budget cuts and more than 16 years of continuous combat while Beijing and Moscow modernized their forces.

For too long, we have asked our military to stoically carry a success at any cost attitude as they work tirelessly to accomplish the mission with now inadequate and misaligned resources, simply because the Congress could not maintain regular order, Mattis said in a speech at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.

With no budget, U.S. military units will be deprived of valuable training opportunities, aircraft will remain on the ground, their pilots not at the sharpest edge, Mattis warned.

Last year twice as many U.S. troops were killed in non-combat aviation crashes compared to the year before.

Saturdays crash was the first known deadly accident for the U.S. military in 2018.
For the hundreds of thousands of people visiting New York City each day, a trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island became a nonstarter on Saturday because of the government shutdown.

As a result of the government shutdown, the National Park Service announced that both New York sites would be closed Saturday due to a lapse in appropriations. They are officially closed until further notice.

But in the interim, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he will find money in the state budget to reopen Lady Liberty at the very least.

Cuomo called the statue "a symbol of America" whose closure reflects a government trying "to kick our immigrants."

Visitors were instructed to contact the Statue Cruises company for refunds for both sites.

"My initial reaction is, they really kind of screwed up our day. We had a great day planned," said Dan O'Meara, a California firefighter who told The Associated Press he'd wanted to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

"But the next thing is, you know -- it's troubling that the people we voted in are not doing the job that they're supposed to be doing."

Despite the aforementioned closings, the Interior Department has vowed to keep open as many parks, monuments and public lands as possible until the government reopens for business. On Saturday Secretary Ryan Zinke tweeted that "we're working hard to make as much accessible as is safely possible."

Visitors to Yellowstone National Park, for instance, were still able to ski and ride snowmobiles Saturday. In Boston, people were still able to visit the U.S.S. Constitution, the 220-year-old warship anchored at the Charlestown Navy Yard. (The site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill was closed, however, according to The Associated Press. So, too, were iconic American landmarks like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia -- where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed.)

Likewise, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Yosemite National Park in California were open.
Hundreds of ballet dancers between the ages of 9 and 19 have been auditioning in Chicago at the Youth America Grand Prix regional semifinals.

Chicago is one of more than 20 North American cities selecting finalists to compete in the finals in April at Lincoln Center in New York City. Semi-finals have also been held in several other countries, including China, Japan, Korea, France and Mexico, among others.

On Friday and Saturday in Chicago, the students attended workshops, competitions and dance classes. The organization awards more than $250,000 a year in scholarships to send young dancers to leading schools and dance companies to continue their training.
Homicide detectives could use cadaver dogs to sniff for the remains of other children in the suburban California "house of horrors," according to a report.

A week after 13 children, ages 2 to 29, were found living in deplorable conditions in the Riverside County home, detectives have been in serious discussions to use the canines to search the home for any unknown children who may have been buried there, according to the syndicated news show Crime Watch Daily.

Detectives also were in talks about using DNA tests to confirm whether all 13 children were related.

'HEALTHY' PUPPIES FOUND IN CALIFORNIA 'HOUSE OF HORRORS' UP FOR ADOPTION

An email Sunday from Fox News seeking comment from case investigators with the Riverside Sheriffs Office was not returned. Crime Watch Daily said the sheriff's office would not confirm its report.

On Monday, a sheriff office spokesman responded, telling Fox News that investigators were not making any additional comments regarding the case. The spokesman said all inquiries should be made to the Riverside District Attorneys Office.

We will not be confirming or denying any actions that may or may not be happening in this ongoing investigation, John Hall, a spokesman for the prosecutors office told Fox News. That preserves the integrity of our prosecution and insures both sides receive a fair trial.

The parents of the children are facing up to a life in prison after being charged Thursday with torture, child abuse and unlawful imprisonment.

Louise Anna Turpin, 49, and David Allen Turpin, 57, pleaded not guilty. Each was ordered held in lieu of $12 million bail.

One of the children at age 12 is the weight of an average 7-year-old, Riverside District Attorney Michael Hestrin said. The 29-year-old female victim weighs 82 pounds.

The Turpins 17-year-old daughter escaped the home last Sunday and called 911, leading investigators to the residence.

PARENTS AT CALIFORNIA HOUSE OF HORRORS HAD 'GOD CALL ON THEM', FAMILY SAYS, AS DETAILS OF THEIR PAST EMERGE

Prosecutors said the girl had worked on her escape plan for two years. One sibling came along with her, but then turned around out of fear.

The 12 oldest children showed signs of severe malnutrition, including stunted growth.

The children were being homeschooled but lacked even basic knowledge such as what a policeman is, investigators said.

Prosecutors said they didn't know what motivated the Turpins to torture the children in such squalid conditions. The parents were quoted as saying that God called on them to have such a large family.

Prosecutors have said that over the years the children were mistreated, beaten and taunted with food and toys they could look at but not have.
Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the start of one of the most significant battles of the Vietnam War  the Battle of Khe Sanh.

Across the U.S., groups of Vietnam veterans will gather to commemorate the 77-day battle, in which some 6,000 U.S. Marines defended a small combat base from tens of thousands of North Vietnamese fighters.

Others are making plans to attend a reunion of Khe Sanh veterans scheduled for August in Washington, D.C.

One such gathering Sunday is planned in Oroville, Calif. Its organizer is Tom Horchler, 71, who served at Khe Sanh as a lance corporal with the 1st Battalion 13th Marines Headquarters Battery Motor Transport Section.

They say it was the Marines who fought there, Horchler told the Chico Enterprise-Record, but just about every branch of the service was there.

There are not many battles in history where guys from different branches fought shoulder to shoulder, he added, but Khe Sanh was one of them.

"There are not many battles in history where guys from different branches fought shoulder to shoulder, but Khe Sanh was one of them.  Tom Horchler, U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served at Khe Sanh

In Michigan, the Oakland Press reported that Chaplain Ron Rayner, 71, of Oakland County, is trying to reach local Khe Sanh veterans who can accompany him to the Washington event.

He and other members of Khe Sanh Veterans Inc. will participate that week in a washing of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

In Maine, Khe Sanh veterans Ralph Sargent and Evan Plourde told the Kennebec Journal they were making plans to attend the Khe Sanh commemoration in Washington.

Sargent, 82, was a gunnery sergeant in Khe Sanh  and, at 33, an old man among a group of guys in their 20s.

Plourde, 70, was a Marine private first class who carried an M60 machine gun during his time at Khe Sanh.

Plourde told the Journal about a brutal attack that occurred Feb. 23, 1968.

We were in our foxhole for hours, he said. When we came out and picked up the pieces, there were a lot of casualties.

Both men said they feel lucky to have survived the battle.

There was just somebody out there looking over me, Plourde told the newspaper. I sure wish that happened for the guys we lost.
For up to seventeen hours from Saturday night through to Sunday, scores were slaughtered, shot or hiding for their lives as six Taliban operatives stormed Kabuls luxury Intercontinental Hotel  with fingers pointing to an attack likely carried out with inside help.

According to multiple officials and sources on the ground, three of the attackers entered the luxury hotel through the VIP-only access gate, which is reserved for government officials and high-ranking diplomats only, in an armored SUV. Such an entrance requires a pre-clearance and a rarely-distributed VIP pass issued by hotel administration, one official said, and thus much of the hefty security measures  including additional scans and checks  are then bypassed.

Without having help from the inside, there is no way passing through four checkpoints would have been possible, Sanjar Sohail, a Kabul-based investigator and publisher of the Hasht e Subh newspaper, told Fox News.

The well-dressed attackers then were said to be able to enter the hotel through the kitchen  thus bypassing the standard body-scanning procedure  and launch their shooting rampage, seeming to know the layout of the hotel in detail.

The two additional assailants, who had been dining in the restaurant, then joined the shooting fray. Appearing calm and collected, according to eyewitness recollections, they politely finished their food before opening fire, reportedly killing two children. They then moved through the hotel room-by-room with the intent to kill.

They knew where foreign nationals were staying and avoided some rooms, one source said.

Reports of how many people died still varied widely on Sunday, with an Afghanistan government official saying more than 40 people were killed while other government spokespeople said only five civilians died.

Afghan police also suspected that the two diners had been in the hotel for days, but it was not clear whether they had a room booked or were hiding out in an undisclosed area.

They had access to rooms, the guest floors. They went through doors that have special access codes that are computerized, one Afghan law enforcement source said. It seems that they had no trouble using those codes.

Feroz Bashari of the Afghan governments Media and Information Center told Fox News the matter is under full investigation, and concurred that it appeared so far the attackers had inside help from the hotel.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid promptly claimed responsibility for the attack, claiming that they initially intended to strike on Thursday but postponed the onslaught to Saturday evening in a quest to minimize civilian casualties due to a wedding that was taking place during the initial target time.

INSIDE DEADLIEST TALIBAN ATTACK AGAINST AFGHAN TROOPS

The brutal attack on the hotel, popular with foreign journalists and diplomats, came as the security situation in the Afghan capital and country-wide has been crumbling, prompting the Trump administration to deploy more troops and more weaponry to combat the escalating violence.

Security specialists affiliated with prominent local private security company Kabul Balkh Safety & Security Company (KBSS), which took over security duties for the hotel from the Afghan government just 21 days ago, insisted to Fox News that all safety protocols and procedures were met, and that some of the weapons had been placed inside the hotel in advance of the attack.

The Taliban have become very skilled and using the internet and other devices for collecting intel, and it is easy for them to get fake identification cards, uniforms and vehicles prior to carrying out attacks, noted Ahmad Muslem Hayat, a security professional and former military attache at the Afghanistan Embassy in London.

AFGHANISTAN'S WAR HOSPITALS: CHILDREN LEFT FOR DEAD AMID ESCALATING VIOLENCE

More than 100 IT managers and information technology professionals were on-site for a Sunday conference, and many attendees are believed to be among the dead and wounded, along with high-profile members of the Peace Council for Kandahar who were meeting with other local leaders from Helmand province.

Karachi-based Afghanistan Consul General Dr. Abdullah Waheed Poyan was among the dead. He served as Afghanistans consul in Peshawar for two years before being rotated to the same role in Karachi last year. He was known for his tenacious diplomatic and efforts for peace between the two countries, a devoted academic and political analyst. During the Afghan war, Poyan escaped to the U.S.  where his family still lives  but he later returned to continue work in Afghanistan.

Several friends of Poyan claimed he also became a U.S. citizen, but the State Department was not able to immediately confirm or deny that. U.S. diplomats in Kabul are monitoring the situation and are in contact with local authorities to determine if any U.S. citizens have been affected, officials said.

Afghan intelligence sources told Fox News that Poyan was not liked by the Taliban, and the possibility that they accessed his name and room number, along with an additional guest list, was being heavily scrutinized.

The Afghan National Defense Security Forces led the response efforts, a U.S. military spokesperson at the Kabul Resolute Support headquarters  the name given to the NATO-led Afghanistan mission  told Fox News, adding that U.S. forces in the country provided hostage rescue advising assistance and were standing by to provide media evacuation assistance to the Afghan Security Forces on the scene.

We condemn the despicable attack on civilians at the Intercontinental hotel in Kabul. The terrorists responsible for this cowardly attack are enemies of Afghanistan. On behalf of the entire Resolute Support Mission, our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the innocent people murdered and wounded in this incident, General John Nicholson, Resolute Support commander told Fox News in a statement. The international community stands with the legitimate government of Afghanistan as it works to secure the Afghan people and build a stable and peaceful future for all Afghans.

All five attackers were killed, interior ministry spokesperson Najib Danesh said.

The Taliban, which had been in the midst of peace negotiations in Turkey this past week, also attacked the Intercontinental six years ago, killing 21.

Mir Jalalzai contributed to this report.
Germany's center-left Social Democrats are debating whether to enter coalition talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, and help break the political deadlock since September's election.

If the Social Democrats reject entering the talks, the only options left are for Merkel to form a minority government or for new elections.

Social Democrat deputy leader Malu Dreyer, the Rhineland-Palatinate governor, told delegates in Bonn on Sunday that since Merkel's Union bloc has indicated it wouldn't form a minority government, their vote will either be for entering talks on forming a new so-called "grand coalition" with the chancellor, or new elections.

Urging the delegates to vote for entering coalition talks, she told them "we can't force the Union into a minority government, that's an illusion."

The vote is expected later Sunday.
At least five civilians have been killed and six other people have been wounded as an attack on a hotel in Afghanistans capital entered its 11th hour Sunday morning.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, Reuters reported. It occurred at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul just days after a U.S. Embassy warning about possible threats to the citys hotels.

More than 100 people, including at least 16 foreigners, had been rescued -- but their nationalities were not immediately known, said Najib Danish, an Interior Ministry spokesman.

Some escapees were seen using tied-together bedsheets to climb down from the hotel's upper floors, while others were brought to safety by Aghan Special Forces personnel, Reuters reported.

The Intercontinental had been due to host an information technology conference Sunday, with more than 100 IT managers and engineers on site when the attack began, Ahmad Waheed, an official at the telecommunications ministry, told Reuters.

The bodies of at least four attackers were recovered, officials said, with Afghan Special Forces going room by room Sunday to make sure all the gunmen have been accounted for.

The gunmen stormed the hotel Saturday evening, triggering a shootout with security forces, officials said. Danish said the hotel came under attack around 9 p.m.

Abdul Rahman Naseri, a hotel guest, told Reuters he was in the hall of the hotel when the gunmen entered wearing army uniforms.

"They were shouting in Pashto (language), 'Don't leave any of them alive, good or bad. Shoot and kill them all,' one of them shouted,'' Naseri said.

"I ran to my room on the second floor. I opened the window and tried to get out using a tree but the branch broke and I fell to the ground. I hurt my back and broke a leg.''

Several armored U.S. military vehicles with heavy machine guns, as well as Afghan police vehicles, were seen close to the hotel, Reuters reported.

Despite its name, Kabuls Intercontinental Hotel is not part of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the news agency reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More than 40 people were killed after Taliban gunmen stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in Afghanistan's capital on Saturday, a government official told Fox News on Sunday.

The assault by six "heavily-armed" assailants pinned down security forces for more than 13 hours before the last attacker was killed, as guests were forced to flee the building while parts of the structure caught fire.

Some guests couple be seen shimmying down tied-together bedsheets from upper-floor windows, while others were rescued by Afghan forces. The heavily-guarded luxury hotel is popular among foreigners and Afghan officials.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said at a press conference among those killed included a foreigner and a telecommunications official from the western Farah province who was attending a conference. Six other people, including three security forces, were reported wounded and more than 150 people, including 41 foreigners, were rescued from the hotel, Danish said.

At least 11 of those killed were employees of KamAir, a private Afghan airline, Danish said at a news conference. KamAir put out a statement saying some of its flights were disrupted because of the attack.

"They were shouting in Pashto (language), Dont leave any of them alive, good or bad. Shoot and kill them all, one of them shouted."  Abdul Rahman Naseri. a guest at the Intercontinental Hotel

Six of those killed were Ukrainians, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who added that his office was working with Afghan law enforcement agencies "to clarify the circumstances of this terrorist act." A citizen from Kazakhstan also was among the dead at the hotel, Anuar Zhainakov, a spokesman for the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, told the Associated Press.

An Afghan government official told Fox News on Sunday bodies are still being discovered, and the final death toll may not be known for a while.

Abdul Rahman Naseri, a guest who was at the hotel for a conference, told Reuters he was in the hall of the hotel when he saw four insurgents dressed in army uniforms.

They were shouting in Pashto (language), Dont leave any of them alive, good or bad. Shoot and kill them all, one of them shouted, Naseri said.

TALIBAN CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEADLY ATTACK AT KABUL HOTEL

Witnesses said some areas of the building looked like a butcher's shop with blood everywhere, Sky News reported.

At the onset of the attack, gunmen shot at people who were having dinner in one of the hotel restaurants before breaking into guests' rooms. A fire eventually broke out at the hotel as the fighting raged, and the sound of explosions could be heard throughout the standoff. Live TV footage showed people trying to escape through windows on the upper stories.

Several people managed to escape to the hotel's outdoor pool area where they hid until being rescued by security officers.

Aziz Tayeb, who hid behind a pillar, said he heard blasts "one after another."

"I saw people who were enjoying themselves a second ago screaming and fleeing like crazy, and some of them falling down, hit by bullets," he said.

The Intercontinental is one of two main luxury hotels in the the country's capital and was to host an information technology conference on Sunday, according to Reuters. More than 100 IT managers and engineers were on site when the attack took place, Ahmad Waheed, an official at the telecommunications ministry, told the news agency.

The Taliban claimed the attack, which began around 9 p.m. Saturday, saying five gunmen armed with suicide vests targeted foreigners and Afghan officials.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents initially planned to attack the hotel Thursday night but postponed the assault because there was a wedding underway and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul had issued a warning to American citizens on Thursday, saying: "We are aware of reports that extremist groups may be planning an attack against hotels in Kabul."

The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, John R. Bass, condemned the attack, saying in a statement, "such violence has no place here or anywhere in the world" and that the U.S. Embassy is in "close contact with Afghan authorities, who are continuing to investigate the incident."

"Afghanistan deserves peace and security  not deliberate and murderous attacks on innocent civilians," Bass said. "My government and the people of the United States stand with the Afghan government and people in fighting terrorism and working to bring peace and security to Afghanistan."

The attack unfolded almost six years after Taliban insurgents launched a similar assault on the property, which is not part of the Intercontinental chain of worldwide hotels.

Capt. Tom Gresback, spokesman for NATO-led forces, said in a statement that Afghan forces were leading the response efforts. He said that according to initial reports, no foreign troops were hurt in the attack.

Afghan forces have struggled to combat the Taliban since the U.S. and NATO formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014. They have also had to contend with a growing Islamic State terror group affiliate that has carried out a number of massive attacks in recent years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The Latest on the Syrian conflict (all times local):

12:20 p.m.

Turkey's state-run news agency says Turkish ground troops have entered a Kurdish-held enclave in northern Syria and are advancing with Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces.

Anadolu Agency said the troops pushed into Afrin on Sunday, a day after Turkish jets pounded Syrian Kurdish targets in the region.

The Turkish military says its offensive, named operation Olive Branch, aims to rid the region of the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG.

Turkey considers the YPG a terror organization because of its affiliation to Kurdish rebels fighting in southeastern Turkey, and had been threatening to attack Afrin for weeks. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to expand the operation to other Kurdish regions.

The YPG is a key U.S. ally in the war against the Islamic State group.

___

10:20 a.m.

A Turkish official says suspected Syrian Kurdish fighters have fired rockets from across the border, slightly wounding one person.

Gov. Mehmet Tekinarslan says four rockets struck the town of Kilis early Sunday, hitting two houses and an office. He says Turkish artillery returned fire. The attack came as dozens of Turkish jets pounded the Kurdish-run enclave of Afrin in northern Syria.

Afrin is controlled by a Syrian Kurdish militia that Turkey views as part of the Kurdish insurgency in its southeast. The militia forms the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main U.S. ally against the Islamic State group in Syria.

The state-run Anadolu Agency says Turkey-backed Syrian forces have penetrated the enclave and are advancing.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says a Turkish ground offensive could begin Sunday.
A Turkish media report says Turkish troops conducting military operations in Turkey's southeast have been hit by an avalanche.

The Dogan news agency says at least two soldiers were killed and seven others were injured in the avalanche that occurred Sunday near the town of Hizan in southeastern Turkey's mountainous Bitlis province.

The agency said the soldiers were conducting operations against Kurdish rebel group the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

The report said three soldiers were missing in the avalanche.

Officials were not immediately available to comment.
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Before the shutdown, Tenney introduced the No Work, No Pay Act. It would require Congress to work without pay during a government shutdown. Members of Congress wouldn't receive their pay until the shutdown ends.

"If Congress fails to do its job they, too, should forfeit their compensation," she said. "The American people sent us to Washington solve problems, not create them. This is not time to hurt the people who elected us to serve them."

A separate bill has been introduced to pay military service members and employees performing national security-related duties within the Department of Homeland Security during a government shutdown. The measure would also block members of Congress from being paid for the duration of a shutdown.

"I oppose government shutdowns and urge Senate Democrats to end this shutdown immediately," Stefanik said. "In the meantime, it is unacceptable to allow our troops and national security personnel to forego their pay while those in the Senate responsible for this shutdown receive theirs."

The shutdown will likely continue for a second day. The Senate adjourned Saturday without action on legislation to end the stalemate. There wasn't any movement on a bill to fund government operations. There is speculation that a short-term funding bill is in the works, but an agreement hasn't been reached.

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Workers at a government-run homeless housing facility in Central Long Beach are calling on Los Angeles County to find a new operator for the site amid ongoing labor concerns.
The increase in accidental gunshot deaths by children handling a gun since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to a year prior. There have been at least 259 unintentional shootings by children since the beginning of this year which have resulted in 104 deaths, placing the nation on a trajectory to surpass the record set in 2017 of 383 accidental shootings by minors which caused at least 156 deaths.
On Dec. 7, 1941, at about 8 a.m. on a quiet Sunday morning, Hawaii was hit by an overwhelming surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. This incident became a pivotal moment in history and propelled the United States into World War II. Looking back, the Hawaiian people, the government and the nation as a whole were not prepared for the incidents that occurred on a date which will live in infamy.On Jan. 13, 2018, at about 8 a.m. on a quiet Saturday morning, an emergency alert was sent out to the Hawaiian public via multiple media channels. The message stated that another catastrophic attack was about to strike Hawaii. Thankfully, as we all know now, that message turned out to be a false alarm. Nevertheless, the Hawaiian people, the government and the nation as a whole were not properly prepared for the incident that occurred.There are numerous reports about the events that occurred in Hawaii on Saturday, Jan. 13.According to CNN, Hawaii had been running tests in order to prepare for a potential nuclear strike from North Korea since early December 2017, by testing sirens and performing other emergency management exercises. New York magazine described the events this way:The public reaction was all over the map, with some public panic reported. The LA Times told this personal story OK, an honest mistake was made. But why did it take so long to tell everyone that a mistake was made?According to The Huffington Post There are dozens of current articles offering potential lessons learned with many more to come. Here are some of my initial thoughts.First, and perhaps the most important lesson, is that much better system protections must be put in place nationwide to prevent such warnings from being inadvertently issued again. It was far too easy for this mistake to happen. Although this was human error, that Hawaii Emergency Management Agency staff member should never have been able to make that simple mistake. This was (at least partially) a system design mistake.All state and local emergency management agencies nationwide, as well as support groups (including private-sector technology partners), should be examining their people training, alert processes and system technology to drastically reduce the likelihood that such false alerts ever happen again. Politico elaborated on this lesson by saying that state emergency management systems need to make it much more difficult to have a false alert  just as the military has learned over decades in their exercises. They point out that no inadvertent missile launches or major false alarms have come from the military, since they have many more protections in place.Second, several potential cybersecurity lessons emerged from this incident, even though this false alert was caused by human error and not the result of a cyberattack. Business Insider ran this story about a picture from Hawaiis emergency management agency showing a password posted on a yellow sticky note by the computer.There was initial fear of false alerts being issued (or other actions occurring) as the result of a cyberattack or hacking incident, and these emergency management pictures do not instill more confidence.The system access to these mission-critical emergency management systems should be examined nationwide, along with security risk assessments being performed. Now that these systems and processes have been highlighted on global media, I have no doubt that hackers are trying to gain unauthorized access to cause harm.Third, Maryland counties highlighted the need to protect emergency alert contact information lists.While the cause in this particular incident was human error, it is also critical for states and local governments to protect their emergency contact information. As part of their 2018 legislative initiatives, both MACo and the Maryland Municipal League are introducing legislation to prohibit the release of an individuals personal contact information (street address, email address, or telephone number) under the Maryland Public Information Act where that information was solely provided or gathered to create an alert, notice, or news distribution list. This prevents residents from being spammed with unwanted messages, or worse, false alerts that are made to look like official notices. MACo believes this makes sense from both a security and privacy perspective.Fourth, the FCC and other state and federal organizations such as DHS are re-examining their communication processes and procedures for nationwide emergency alerts. All government agencies involved in emergency planning and response can benefit from this review process.This review should involve communication between organizations before, during and after such incidents. There are many other national plans that may also be affected, and this should prompt reviews of wider emergency planning and response efforts. For example, had this been a cyberattack, would the National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP) have worked well?This incident led to many questions being asked, such as: Should the president make an immediate statement? Who contacts who in such timely emergencies? Who needs to be contacted, and when? What steps should have been taken to respond after mistakes are made?Fifth, even though these events happened in many unwanted ways, this incident should be studied closely from various perspectives. What actually happened in detail? Who made what decisions, and when?AsHow can the federal government, state emergency management personnel, local response agencies and the general public make lemonade out of this lemon? By taking notice and ensuring that the same mistakes are not made again. Hopefully, this incident will be an alert-process wakeup call for the country. We must all respond appropriately.No doubt, the next mistakes (or human errors) will be different in various ways, so we must look broader than just one particular scenario. Many people all over the country (and world) are now asking: What if that happened here? What would we do? Hopefully, as NBC News points out, this can become a teachable moment for all of us.Finally, I realize that comparing this to the attack on Pearl Harbor will be viewed as a big stretch by many. Nevertheless, some of the similarities are striking. My hope is that the analogy will bring more action. Will we learn from history and better prepare? Only time will tell.Id like to close with this question: What will you do differently after this warning?
There was no red carpet, no envelopes, and no happy winners. But the first fake-news awards did have one celebrity, who picked all the recipients and announced them himself on Wednesday. Or at least he tried to.

President Donald Trump handed out what he modestly called the "Highly-Anticipated 2017 Fake News Awards" Wednesday night in an unceremonious ceremony held somewhere on the internet. Befitting the bitter and mocking tone of the occasion, the Republican National Committee website Trump linked to on Twitter to announce the awards, GOP.com, promptly froze and spat back an error message.

"The site is temporarily offline, we are working to bring it back up. Please try again later," it read.

When the website finally gurgled back to life an hour or so later, Trump's score-settling and shaming of the media began, echoing the score-settling and shaming of the media that Trump dishes out most mornings on Twitter. The winners included some of the news organizations that he once branded "the enemy of the American People" in one of his more infamous tweets. CNN was cited four times; the New York Times twice.

The rest of the list was filled out with Trump's accomplishments, giving the whole exercise a self-congratulatory air.

Late-night comics have mocked the cyber-ceremony for several weeks; Stephen Colbert even dubbed the awards "the Fakies" and campaigned for one via a Times Square billboard. Despite the comedy, the more disturbing element was the spectacle of a sitting president orchestrating another attack on the news media, a facet of Trump that delights his base but has unsettled even members of his party, such as Arizona Sen. John McCain.

The big winner - though of what it was unclear - was New York Times columnist and Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman, who predicted in 2016 that the stock market would be decimated by Trump's electoral victory. That column turned out to be very wrong - the stock market has been sizzling for the past year, as Trump has repeatedly noted.

But Krugman's errant call was both an opinion and a prediction, rather than news reporting, calling into question whether it belonged on a list intended to highlight, as Trump put it on Twitter, "the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media."

Trump may have been on firmer ground with his second pick, ABC News' Brian Ross, for reporting in December that during the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had directed campaign adviser and short-lived White House national security adviser Michael Flynn to contact Russian officials before the election. After the report caused a brief drop in the stock market, Ross corrected it, saying Trump had actually asked Flynn to initiate the contact after the election, when he was president-elect.

Perhaps in reaction to Trump's fury over Ross's mistake, ABC News apologized for the mistake, suspended Ross for four weeks without pay and reassigned him.

But contrition scores few points in Trump's media criticism playbook. Another of his winners on Wednesday was Washington Post reporter David Weigel, who inaccurately - or "FALSELY," in the awards' all-caps characterization - questioned in a tweet whether Trump had drawn a so-so crowd to one of his rallies in December. Weigel deleted the tweet shortly after he learned that the photos he saw were taken some time before the rally began; he also apologized for his inaccuracy.

No matter. Shorting a crowd count is apparently blasphemy in Trump's mind, and Weigel was taken to the woodshed. "Washington Post FALSELY reported the President's massive sold-out rally in Pensacola, Florida was empty," shrieked the awards page. "Dishonest reporter showed picture of empty arena HOURS before crowd started pouring in."

Trump's efforts to call out "dishonest" reporting carries its own heavy irony, of course. Trump himself has had a lifelong love affair with exaggeration and hyperbole, and a sometimes hostile relationship with facts.

As a real estate developer, he regularly inflated the number of floors in his buildings to make them seem larger and more impressive, and he occasionally posed as someone he wasn't to plant flattering stories about himself in the New York media. Before announcing his candidacy for office, Trump waged a long campaign calling into question President Barack Obama's birthplace, despite evidence that he was wrong.

As president, Trump may have set records for the number of dubious statements. The Washington Post's Fact Checker - which was somehow passed over for recognition by Trump on Wednesday - has tallied more than 2,000 false or misleading claims by Trump after less than a year in office, or an average of more than five questionable statements per day. This has led to suggestions that the president was surely qualified to recognize false reporting.
A federal district court judge has ruled that a lawsuit to block the potential sale of Plum Island in Long Island Sound can go forward.

"With this win, our leverage to protect the hundreds of acres of pristine dunes, bluffs, and coastal forest, and many at-risk species of wildlife on Plum Island just increased significantly," said Curt Johnson, president of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment and Save the Sound
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary 50 years ago when Air Force Capt. John M. Haug and his crew took off in a B-52 carrying four hydrogen bombs.

It was the height of the Cold War, the era of "Dr. Strangelove." The Stratofortress departed Plattsburgh Air Base in Upstate New York on Jan. 21, part of an ongoing airborne alert program under the Strategic Air Command and satirized by Stanley Kubrick's 1964 classic, subtitled "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb." The mission had a name the film's Gen. Buck Turgidson would have endorsed with a grin, "Operation Chrome Dome," but there was nothing humorous about the underlying rationale.

"The justification was the threat of a Soviet surprise attack," according to Hans M. Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. The idea was to protect the Air Force's capacity to respond to a nuclear attack by keeping a certain number of nuclear-armed bombers in the air at all times. As many as 12 planes loaded with nuclear weapons stayed in the air around the clock.

"They flew from their bases in the United States in formation via several routes that changed over the years into the Mediterranean, over Greenland and Canada, and into the Pacific," Kristensen wrote in an email.

Despite Haug's cataclysmic cargo - Kristensen estimates it packed a payload 293 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the end of World War II - there appeared to be no reason for alarm. Air Force bombers had been flying Chrome Dome missions since 1961. Haug's crew had trained together and included an extra pilot to allow the primary crew the opportunity to get some sleep during the 24-hour mission, according to an account of the flight published by the Air Force in early 1970.

The flight started uneventfully. An initial aerial refueling four hours into the mission went smoothly. An hour later, Haug ordered his co-pilot to get some shut-eye and brought the extra pilot into the now-vacant seat.

The trouble started a short time later.

Temperatures in the cabin grew uncomfortably cold. The airmen overcompensated by turning the heat up as high as it would go, leading to complaints that the plane was too hot, according to the Air Force. After the climate controls were reset to a cooler temperature, someone reported the smell of burning rubber. Haug ordered his crew to don oxygen masks as they looked for the source of the odor. They eventually found it - a fire under a metal box in the lower crew compartment.

Haug immediately radioed the U.S. air base at Thule, Greenland, located on the far northwest of the gigantic icebound island, for permission to land. Fourteen minutes after the fire was detected, the Air Force told the New York Times' Neil Sheehan, six of the crewmen successfully ejected from the plane. A seventh died. The abandoned bomber continued on its way before slamming into the ice-covered waters of North Star Bay, less than 10 miles southwest of Thule.

Search crews rescued the survivors from the bitter winter cold that hovered between minus 18 and minus 25 degrees, but the bombs were nowhere to be seen. "The condition or location of the weapons that were aboard the aircraft is still unknown," a National Military Command Center Memo noted on Jan. 22.

"We used up all our firefighting equipment, and we even tried to smother the fire, but the smoke got so bad that I had no choice but to bail out my crew," Haug said at an abbreviated news conference reported by the Times. Haug declined to answer when asked if he had ever flown over Greenland in a nuclear-armed B-52.

There was reason for his reticence. Long-standing Danish policy prohibited the presence of nuclear weapons anywhere on its territory - and the Danes were kept in the dark by the United States about the nuclear-armed flights over Greenland, Kristensen has written for the Nuclear Information Project.

Alarming as it was, the crash near Thule was not an isolated incident. In fact, by 1968, crashes of bombers carrying nuclear weapons had become old news.

Two years earlier, another B-52 carrying four hydrogen bombs crashed near the Spanish town of Palomares on Spain's southeast coast after colliding with a refueling tanker. One of the four bombs was recovered virtually intact, according to The Washington Post, but two others released plutonium when their explosive triggers detonated. A fourth bomb fell into the sea, prompting a search that involved thousands of uniformed personnel, millions of dollars and 20 ships that ranged from submarines to minesweepers.

The fourth bomb was eventually recovered, but radiation released by the damaged weapons required a U.S.-led effort to decontaminate 640 acres of topsoil in the farmland around Palomares, Tad Sczulc reported in the Times. Military personnel initially wore face masks and gloves as they removed the soil, according to Sczulc's account, and more than 1,600 tons of contaminated soil were sealed in steel drums and shipped to the U.S. for disposal.

In 1964, a B-52 carrying two unarmed atomic bombs crashed in western Maryland. In 1961, two nuclear-laden B-52s went down - one near Yuba City, California, and another north of Goldsboro, North Carolina. The bombs survived both crashes without detonating, but a 2013 report in The Guardian said researchers had found government documents indicating that safety controls on the North Carolina flight were inadequate. "One simple dynamo-technology low voltage switch stood between the United States and a major catastrophe!" according to the document.

In the aftermath of the Thule crash, policymakers - preoccupied by Vietnam and the seizure of the USS Pueblo by North Korea - assured each other that everything was under control. When Defense Secretary Robert McNamara briefed President Lyndon Johnson by phone on Jan. 22, his message was positive. "I am told by our people, inclusive of (Air Force Secretary) Harold Brown and others who are familiar in detail with nuclear technology, there's no danger from this," McNamara advised.

Preoccupied by the war in Vietnam, Johnson acknowledged McNamara with a brief "good" and the conversation immediately changed to the situation around Khe Sanh.

On the ice in Greenland, however, the situation seemed decidedly more serious. Air Force personnel battled subzero temperatures and the sunless Arctic winter to search for the wreckage and hunt for the bombs.

"Even if it had been decided to crash a Stratofortress and its thermonuclear weaponry deliberately, more rugged search and recovery conditions could hardly have been achieved," Sheehan wrote. "In this atmosphere, ears exposed for 10 minutes develop third-degree frostbite, and if left uncovered much longer, freeze entirely. "Ballpoint pens do not function, certain types of paper become brittle and crumble, and instrument batteries go dead in a few minutes."

The Air Force dubbed the recovery effort "Operation Crested Ice," but according to Sheehan, shivering cynics gave it another name - "Operation Dr. Freezelove." As the hunt for the bombs continued, searchers encountered radiation and located pieces of the weapons.

"The number of people involved" in the recovery effort, according to a short Air Force film, "grew from the original 68 to some 562 at the peak of operation." Trucks, bulldozers and other heavy equipment "plowed, piled up and loaded the contaminated crust and debris into large steel containers for storage, shipment and final disposition," according to the film's narrator.

The Danish government barred the local Inuit population from hunting within the crash zone or boiling meat with melted seawater. The Air Force eventually filled 67 25,000-gallon tanks with contaminated snow, according to Maj. Gen. Richard Hunziker, the Air Force commander who supervised the cleanup and recovery efforts.

On Jan. 28, the Air Force reported parts of all four bombs had been recovered as well as radiation levels that suggested the TNT components of the bombs had exploded during the crash, according to Sheehan. The cleanup continued - and the aftermath of the crash lingered for decades.

In the mid-1990s, as recounted by Kristensen, Denmark learned from declassified U.S. documents of the plane's real route and position at the time of the crash. Public outrage intensified when the Danish government discovered that, despite Danish policy, the United States had stored nuclear weapons in Greenland.

Events at Thule returned to the headlines in 2008 with a report by the BBC that - despite U.S. claims to the contrary - searchers were only able to locate three of the four hydrogen bombs. A Danish inquiry challenged the BBC's findings, but anxieties about potential nuclear contamination remained. In 2010, the Guardian's Stephen Pax Leonard wrote, unresolved concerns about nuclear contamination from the Thule accident represented one of several threats to the way of life of native Eskimo hunters.

While the Thule crash left political problems and environmental concerns in its wake, it resulted in a significant policy shift that would have no doubt disappointed the bomb-happy general of Kubrick's dark comedic masterpiece.

"The day after the crash," according to Kristensen, "the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered an end to the program of flying nukes."




Haiti - NOTICE : Call for expressions of interest, mini-grids





The National Regulatory Authority of the Energy Sector (ANARSE), a state body created by Decree on February 3, 2016, launches a Pre-Qualification Notice and invites private developers to express their interest in developing and operating mini and micro-networks based on renewable or hybrid energies.



Scenario :

The energy sector in Haiti is characterized by limited access to electricity. It is estimated that those who benefit from electricity in Haiti represent only one third (1/3) of the population. In rural areas, only five percent (5%) of households enjoy electricity. Electricity services are concentrated mainly in Port-au-Prince



The Haitian Government has decided to address this energy crisis. Achieving this result requires interventions in existing and non-existing grids. It is thus planned the establishment of mini and micro-networks that will operate primarily from renewable energy resources (solar, wind, hydro, biomass) in some cities to not only provide electricity necessary for domestic needs but also to promote economic activities and promote the emergence of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).



he Government wants to support the expansion of these models of mini and micro-grids, according to the current application scheme - public-private partnerships between municipalities and private operators - which has proved its worth. The Government intends to support such initiatives to ensure their long-term viability. It also intends to put in place the necessary conditions and incentives to promote private investment in renewable mini-grids and micro-grids. Priority will be given to areas not served by the State Electricity of Haiti (EDH) or powered from power plants providing electrical service limited to the population. These systems can be combined with renewable energy and privately operated by the private sector in a cost-effective manner.



Interested companies must provide information indicating that they possess the required technical and financial qualifications and relevant experience to perform these services.



Download the required criteria and documents of Prequalification (in fenech) : www.haitilibre.com/docs/AMI-Micro-reseaux-01-01-ANARSE-2018-1.pdf



Download the application form (in french) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Formulaire-de-Pre-qualification-Micro-reseaux.pdf



Expressions of interest in paper format should be submitted to: 4, Rue Marcadieu, Bourdon, Port-au-Prince, Haiti or in electronic version by email: appel@anarse.gouv.ht no later than February 28, 2018



Files submitted in paper format must contain a CD on which the electronic version can be consulted.



The submitted file must clearly indicate "Candidature de pre-qualification pour la realisation de travaux de developpement de mini et micro-reseaux en Haiti."



Visit the ANARSE website : www.anarse.gouv.ht/



HL/ HaitiLibre




















TrumpTax, Part 2

by Tom Yamachika, President, Tax Foundation Hawaii

One of the new, key components of Trump Tax is a provision important to the vast majority of small businesses. Practitioners may know it as the Section 199A deduction.

Under Trump Tax, corporations that used to see a maximum tax rate of 35% got that rate slashed to 21%. About 75% of businesses, however, are not taxed at the corporate rate. Instead, individuals who own them are taxed on the business profit at individual rates, which can go up to 37% (down from 2017s maximum of 39.6%, but not much). We need to remember that corporations are double taxed, in that they are taxed and then pay dividends which are then taxed to the recipients. But even allowing for double taxation, the corporations seem to get a big break here.

Trump Taxs answer to this anomaly is Section 199A, which tries to measure how much income has come from business operations and then gives the recipient a 20% deduction for it, which would give those earnings a benefit economically similar to a lower tax rate.

The individual tax rates were designed for most people who are wage earners. They earn money by providing their services to a business. Businesses that are service oriented, like law firms, accounting firms, or brokerage houses make their money the same way, and for that reason are not allowed the deductionat least they arent allowed it if they make enough money. The law provides thresholds and phase-in treatment so that those making smaller amounts of money can take the deduction as well, but those earning too much are out of luck.

Here's an example. Kenny, who owns a plumbing business, is married. His taxable income is $335,000, $300,000 of which is ordinary income that comes from the business after it pays wages of $150,000. Kenny might deduct 20% of the $300,000, or $60,000.

If Kenny instead owned an accounting firm, his taxable income is 20% of the way through the phaseout range, which for couples is $315,000 to $415,000. So, only 80% of his business income, or $240,000, is considered. He may be able to deduct 20% of the $240,000, or $48,000.

(Note that the actual law is quite a bit more complicated. There are limitations based on W-2 wages that the business paid, for instance, and others that are designed to take account of income already taxed at a lower rate such as capital gains. Those limitations dont kick in with the numbers in this example.)

Here in Hawaii, our focus over the years seems to have been to soak the individuals. Our top individual tax rate is 11%, second highest in the country, while our top corporate tax rate is 6.4%, which is much more on par with what other states are charging corporations.

In the upcoming legislative session, our lawmakers will be asked to conform our Hawaii income tax law to the federal changes that have taken place in 2017. One decision that they need to make is whether to conform to this provision, section 199A. Right now, our individual income tax law doesnt even attempt to distinguish between income that comes from a business and income that comes from wages. Because we have chosen to tax business income at a much lower rate if the income is earned in a corporation, we should seriously consider adopting section 199A here in Hawaii to give some relief to the 75% of businesses that are not in corporate form, especially the small businesses.
The Hawaii error and liberal hysteria

by Jed Babbin, Washington Times, Thursday, January 18, 2018

Murphys Law was written to describe how governments work. It was proved yet again on January 13 when an employee of the Hawaii Emergency Management System sent a cellphone alert that said, BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. The alert was false but until it was corrected almost 40 minutes later it terrified millions of residents and tourists.

Hawaiis liberal state government didnt fire the still unidentified employee who so richly deserved firing. Instead, it reassigned him (her?) to different duties. The left  immediately and instinctively  politicized the incident and, of course, blamed President Trump who had as much responsibility for the terrifying alert as he did for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Hawaiis Democratic congresswoman, Tulsi Gabbard, was among the first to blame the president. She said that Mr. Trump was taking too long to defuse the North Korean threat adding, Hes not taking this threat seriously. Theres no time to waste.

The Hollywood gang, exemplified by actress Jamie Lee Curtis, found a way to shout its hysteria in anti-Trump Tweets. She wrote, This Hawaii missile scare is on YOU Mr. Trump. The real FEAR that mothers & fathers & children felt is on YOU 

The worst, of course, was in a New York Times column penned by Max Fisher which stated that the Hawaii alert was evidence of how easily a nuclear war could result by accident. He argued that bold words in Americas defense, such as uttered by Ronald Reagan in 1981 and Donald Trump in 2017, made war more likely.

Mr. Fisher went completely off the rails by asserting that Mr. Trump and Kim Jong-un remain locked in 1983, issuing provocations and threats of nuclear strikes on push-button alert, gambling that their luck, and ours, will continue to hold.

Mr. Fisher apparently believes that accidental nuclear war could break out any moment and, by implication, that one way to avoid it is to take our nuclear arsenal off what he believes is its push-button alert.

Lets take a deep breath, set the record straight, and think about how our offensive and defensive nuclear systems are really managed. Fortunately, our nuclear arsenal is in the hands of calm, highly trained professionals. Its always possible that humans will make mistakes, but no American president including Donald Trump could or would launch a nuclear attack on a whim.

We dont know what nuclear weapons are at Kim Jong-uns immediate and unquestioned command. But every North Korean missile, probably less than five seconds after it is launched, is routinely spotted by one or more of our Space-Based Infrared Sensors (SBIRS) satellites.

As Aviation Week and Space Technology Magazine reported in 2015, the SBIRS satellites image the entire planet about every 10 seconds. Missile launches are detected almost instantly and within the first few minutes of its flight SBIRS determines the missiles type, projected burnout, trajectory and impact point.

SBIRS reports instantly to military commanders and triggers  as necessary  communications up the chain of command to the president.

Ground-based and sea-based radars also track the missile shortly after launch feeding information to commanders, the president and to missile defense systems ranging from Standard missile systems aboard ships to the Ground-Based Mid-course Defense system which have medium and long-range missiles capable of shooting down any missile aimed at the United States.

To be sure, our missile defenses are not foolproof: one or more missiles could slip through and hit the United States with a nuclear weapon. But our offensive nuclear weapons arent governed by a launch on warning policy which means that a president will have at least a short time, and possibly a considerably longer time, to determine how America should respond to such an attack.

At a conference last November, Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, described how such events would be handled even if a president gave him an illegal order to launch a nuclear attack. He said, I provide advice to the President. Hell tell me what to do, and if its illegal, guess whats going to happen? Im gonna say, Mr. President, thats illegal. Guess what hes going to do? Hes going to say, What would be legal? And well come up with options of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and thats the way it works. Its not that complicated.

Gen. Hytens calm professionalism is common among our nuclear forces, but not those of North Korea and too many other nations. The primary restraint on Mr. Kim and his regime is their commitment to self-preservation. Someday, by error, insanity or intentional act, that may not prove sufficient.

As President Reagan said in his 1983 speech announcing the Strategic Defense Initiative, Wouldnt it be better to save lives than to avenge them? Thats why we invest in missile defenses and must accelerate that investment to protect American lives, and those of our allies, from missile attack.

If any nuclear weapon were detonated in an American town or city, regardless of how it was delivered, life in America would change forever in terrible ways we cannot foresee. It should be our highest national priority to perfect our missile defenses to prevent that from happening.

---30---
Three years ago, in the spring of 2014, Helsinki Hospital first opened its doors for patients in central Helsinki. Serving both individual and corporate customers, the private hospital is built around a vision of timely and compassionate treatment with the patient at the centre of all planning. Today, the vision can be regarded as having been successfully translated into reality.

Helsinki HospitalBy minimising the administrative costs to next to nothing, and putting the patient in the centre of everything. Helsinki Hospital is taking healthcare to the next level.

Esa-Pekka Paivimaki, neurosurgeon and founding partner of Helsinki Hospital, was the chief engine for transforming the idea of a patient-centered hospital from dream to reality. He successfully engaged a number of respected doctors in the project, and soon Helsinki Hospital was running the largest private spinal surgery unit in the Nordics.

All departments in Helsinki Hospital are run with one key objective in mind: whenever possible, all necessary skills and services that a patient might need are to be found under the same roof. The wound care centre, for example, employs a plastic surgeon, an orthopaedic, a podiatrist and a wound nurse, who all consult each other on a regular basis. This is meant to maximise efficiency and minimise any potential hassle for patients.

We treat our patients as if they are the only patient we have, executive vice-president Heli Vahasilta says. Every day, the patients are given a menu with various foods from nearby restaurants, but if the patient really feels like eating something that is not on the menu, such as pizza or kebab, it can usually be arranged. Once, there was a patient who really felt like eating beef tongue, so Vahasilta arranged it.

Beyond focusing on patient experience, Helsinki Hospital works to ensure that all their medical procedures are conducted using the latest state-of-the-art technology. The recovery time for Helsinki Hospitals patient tends to be shorter than usual because of the minimally invasive surgeries that the brand-new technology allows. Sixty percent of lumbar spine patients are, for example, discharged on the day of their operation.

The hospitals reputation has attracted patients from as far away as the United States, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, as well as several top sports-people. Services can be provided in Finnish, Swedish, Estonian and Russian, and for patients with other linguistic backgrounds, interpreters can be arranged. The hospital can even sort out accommodation for foreign clients, as they have partnered with several hotels around Helsinki.

Some of our international clients ask us about levels of hygiene and cleanliness, Vahasilta explains. What they dont realise is that in Finland there is virtually no hospital bacteria and blood transfusions are highly secure. This is true for any hospital you would go to.

Beyond cleanliness, Helsinki Hospitals staff have a high medical ethics. Unnecessary tests or scans  potentially harmful  are not done unless they are absolutely necessary.

In the odd case that the patient has a problem that cannot be solved at Helsinki Hospital, the staff guides them to the right specialist and makes sure they get the best treatment available. One Russian patient, for example, had been told in her country-of-origin that she should have a big and complicated jaw surgery, but upon arrival at Helsinki Hospital, the doctors realised that she, in fact, needed a teeth alignment. She was immediately referred to an orthodontist and got the care she needed before her departure.

Another patient with oral cancer had been deemed untreatable in his home country. His daughter, who lives in Finland, brought him to Helsinki for a second opinion. The surgeons at Helsinki Hospital decided to perform a complicated surgery and rebuild his tongue. For a year prior to the surgery he could barely eat or speak, and now he is speaking and eating with an appetite. After losing all hope, he is now able to live an almost completely normal life.

There are no long waiting times for getting treated at Helsinki Hospital. An appointment with a specialist can, for example, be arranged within one to two days of booking, and if a surgery is necessary it could be performed within seven days of the appointment. 

Helsinki Hospital is located at Bulevardi 22 in Helsinki.
An alpaca farmer from Wayne County is vying for the Democratic nomination in the 24th Congressional District race.

Scott Comegys, of Palmyra, filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission last week. He will formally announce his congressional campaign Tuesday at the Palmyra Community Library.

He is the third Democrat to enter the race. Dana Balter, a Syracuse University professor, and Anne Messenger, a Manlius businesswoman, are the other candidates in the field.

Comegys said in an interview with The Citizen Friday that he is running for Congress because of his frustration with how the government is running. His comments came hours before Congress and President Donald Trump failed to reach an agreement to prevent a government shutdown.

"Congress is supposed to be made up of ordinary people and wouldn't it be better if we could get people that actually represented the actual people versus people who are trying to make this a career?" he said.

He criticized U.S. Rep. John Katko, the incumbent Republican in the race. Katko, R-Camillus, is in his second term as the 24th Congressional District's representative.

If Comegys wins the Democratic nomination, he will face Katko in the general election.
1 / 9 Lehi firefighter and paramedic Aubrey Freiberg helps fellow firefighters load a patient into an ambulance after they responded to a medical call Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, at Pointe Meadows Health and Rehabilitation in Lehi. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 2 / 9 Lehi firefighter and paramedic Aubrey Freiberg laughs as she helps prepare dinner with fellow firefighters Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, at Station 82 of the Lehi Fire Department. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 3 / 9 Lehi firefighter and paramedic Aubrey Freiberg vacuums as she and other firefighters clean Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, at Station 82 of the Lehi Fire Department. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 4 / 9 Lehi firefighter and paramedic Aubrey Freiberg works with fellow firefighters as they respond to a medical call Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, at Pointe Meadows Health and Rehabilitation in Lehi. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 5 / 9 Lehi firefighter and paramedic Aubrey Freiberg makes the bed of the ambulance gurney after she and fellow firefighters responded to a medical call Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, at Mountain Point Medical Center in Lehi. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 6 / 9 Firefighters Celeste Carter, left, and Aubrey Freiberg, with the Lehi Fire Department pose for a portrait at Lehi Fire Station 81 on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018. Karissa Neely, Daily Herald 7 / 9 Pleasant Grove firefighter Sarah Domyan at the top of the ladder of the Pleasant Grove Fire Department tiller. Domyan earned Firefighter of the Year in Pleasant Grove in January. Courtesy Sarah Domyan 8 / 9 Pleasant Grove firefighter Sarah Domyan during training at Saratoga Springs Fire Department. Domyan earned Firefighter of the Year in Pleasant Grove in January. Courtesy Sarah Domyan 9 / 9 Pleasant Grove firefighter Sarah Domyan poses with Pleasant Grove Fire Department Fire Chief Dave Thomas after being names Firefighter of the year for Pleasant Grove in January. Courtesy Sarah Domyan  

The Lehi Fire Department has a number of new recruits who started their shifts earlier this month, but two of them are a first for the department.

Celeste Carter, 23, and Aubrey Freiberg, 22, are the Lehi Fire Departments first full-time female firefighters. Fire Chief Jeremy Craft said having these two women on the team is important for the city.

I want to represent the diversity of our community. Having these two on staff, I believe it helps us provide better service to the community, he said. They 100 percent deserve their position. Theyve earned exactly what they got. Female firefighters are becoming more prevalent and I think thats a good thing.

The training and recruitment process is the same for women and men, and Carter and Freiberg are proud of where they are, knowing they were and are held to the same standard as other employees.

Thats what I demand of myself, and a good environment is all I need to thrive, Freiberg said.

Carters father is a firefighter in Salt Lake City, and she has wanted to be a firefighter since she was just a kid. For Freiberg, the choice came later in life, and fits with her love of the medical field. But both say its the perfect fit.

Its a challenging job, and you never know whats going to show up. I love all the different things you can specialize in, Carter said, explaining that firefighters get to work with motors, on big trucks, and can specialize in ice rescues, heavy rescues, even rope rescues. Its one of the few job opportunities where youll never get stuck. You can always grow. Its one of those jobs you can do a little bit of everything.

Neither Carter nor Freiberg has felt truly discriminated against yet for their gender. Carter joked that the only time she was singled out during training was because an instructor gave her advice on how to carry a large, heavy item  but the advice wasnt aimed at her gender. His advice was how to heft the item to compensate for her shortness.

Still, Carter mentioned that there is a lack of visibility in the field for interested females.

There are not that many mentors to reach out to. Thats hard. But everything else, its just people doing a job. I definitely think more women should be in the fire service. Its just not well-known this is a job for women as well as men, she said.

Pleasant Grove firefighter Sarah Domyan, 40, has been firefighting since 1996, working in Ohio, Wisconsin, the Salt Lake City area, and now here. She also loves the variety, challenge and excitement of the job, but shes had fight stereotypes in the business since day one.

Your experience depends on your co-workers, she said, explaining that shes come across different types of men in the service, and has struggled with the ones who see it as a macho thing, or judge other workers by how much they can bench press.

Shes been in some departments where the attitude seems to be: We dont think you can do this job because youre small and a woman, prove to us you can. Other departments are opposite, like her experience at Pleasant Grove Fire Department.

From day one, it hasnt been We dont think you can do this, prove us wrong. Its been, We know you can do this, now show us what you can do. You still need to prove yourself, but they believe in you, she said.

In fact, Domyan has only been full time with Pleasant Grove since April, but earlier this month she was named Firefighter of the Year for Pleasant Grove  an award voted on by her co-workers.

Its huge to me. It means a lot, she said of the award. Being a female in the fire service isnt always the easiest, but knowing they appreciate me, and see me as capable and meeting or exceeding expectations, means a lot. It really does.

Carter and Freiberg are also on this path, and one might expect them to earn accolades for their work as they progress in their careers. All three women realize they are an example to little girls, and other women  someone who can show others that firefighting can be a womans profession.

Everyone brings something different to the table, and it makes us a more well-rounded crew, Carter said.

These women join other unsung heroes around the county, women who quietly add to the ranks of other city fire departments. Among others, Orem, Saratoga Springs and Provo also count females on their teams. The Orem Fire Department employs two full-time female firefighters, and the Saratoga Springs Fire Department boasts one full-time and two part-time female firefighters. One of the Provo Fire Departments female firefighters has been with the department for 27 years and is a battalion chief, the other is a firefighter/paramedic and has been with the city for five years.

We need more females in the fire service. If youre thinking about it, go for it. Women are leaning into more jobs they didnt before. And with females and males together, were just stronger all around, Freiberg said.
MARTINSBURG, West Virginia  The civil case alleging The Church of Latter-Day Saints covered up allegations of child abuse by the son of local church officials continued Friday with the plaintiffs calling Cpl. Ryan Eshbaugh with the West Virginia State Police to testify.

Eshbaugh was the investigating officer for three separate cases, including the case in which Michael Jensen, 26, was convicted and sentenced in 2013 to 35 to 75 years in prison for sexually abusing two minors under the age of 5 at the time. He said two other alleged cases are labeled as pending at the West Virginia State Police.

The case involves nine families suing Jensens parents, Chris and Sandra Lee; the church; and church officials Steven Grow and Don Fishel.

Jensen was on a church mission in June 2011 when the parents of two new victims reported Jensen to the West Virginia State Police. These were both investigated by Eshbaugh.

Eshbaugh said he had contacted the churches Bishop Chris Vincent about the whereabouts of Jensen in order to question him. According to Eshbaugh, Vincent said he would make some calls to get Jensen back to West Virginia.

Eshbaugh said he was waiting on a call from the church because he had asked asked Vincent to let him know when Jensen returned, but never received such a call. He also said he had talked to Jensens mother, Sandra Lee Jensen, who did not know when her son was supposed to return.

Instead, Eshbaugh learned from one of the victims parents that Michael Jensen had returned home in March 2012. He then contacted Michael Jensen for an interview.

Ive been advised to respectfully decline, Eshbaugh wrote in a report about Jensens response to be interviewed. Eshbaugh testified, however, that he did not know who told him not to talk to the police. Jensen also said he did not have an attorney but would be seeking one, according to Eshbaugh.

During cross-examination, the defense questioned why Eshbaugh did not call the church and inquire about Jensens status for returning to West Virginia. They also questioned if it was unusual for a suspect who was accused of such allegations to act on his constitutional rights not to speak to the police.

A lot of times people talk to me, Eshbaugh said, however, he agreed that it is not unusual for individuals to decline.

Eshbaugh said he spoke to Sandra Lee Jensen twice when trying to get in contact with her son. At that time, Eshbaugh said, he made Sandra Lee Jensen aware of the allegations.

When questioned by the plaintiffs Friday, Eshbaugh said she did not seem surprised about the allegations against Michael Jensen.

Jurors were shown exhibit 200, which was a report from interrogations of the church. The document stated, At the request of the West Virginia State Police, the church  played no direct role in the investigation or prosecution of Michael Jensen.

Eshbaugh said that statement was false, and said no one told the church they could not talk to Jensen about the case.

Following investigation of the two allegations, including Child Advocacy Center interviews with the children, Eshbaugh said he recommended that charges be filed.

The defense told the jury during opening statements that the church cooperated by flying Jensen back to West Virginia early from his mission.

A statement, known as exhibit 330, from the church alleged the accusations were not covered up and said, when criminal charges were filed, the perpetrator was immediately released from his mission and sent home to face the legal process. And  local church leaders were instrumental in reporting the incident. According to Eshbaugh, who has been with the State Police for 13 years, both statements were false.

The plaintiffs closed questioning by asking Eshbaugh if he would ever accept money, aside from his police salary, to testify in a case. Eshbaugh said he would not.

Before moving to Martinsburg, the Jensen family lived in Utah where, at the age of 13, Jensen was arrested at his middle school and charged with two felony counts of sexual abuse for pinning two 12- and 13-year-old females against a wall and fondling them inappropriately and without consent, according to court documents. His charges were reduced to two misdemeanor counts of lewdness involving a child.

According to the defense, Eshbaugh did not request Jensens juvenile records from Utah until 2014, in a letter he sent to Chris Yannelli, a deputy Utah County attorney.

A handwritten letter  labeled as defense exhibit number 1361.001  from the plaintiffs attorney allegedly requested Eshbaugh to get the records. It was entered as evidence from the defense.

The case is expected to continue for six to eight weeks during which the jury will continue to hear witness testimony and review exhibits and facts that both parties have agreed upon to ultimately make its decision.
The Utah Legislature will convene for its 45-day session starting Monday. As usual, hundreds of bills will be submitted for consideration.

Here are a few key issues Utah County residents should be watching for:

Tax reform

Talk to almost any Utah County legislator, and theyll tell you tax reform is going to be the biggest issue to watch for this year.

Since the federal government passed a large tax reform bill, Utah legislators will be spending some time figuring out how that affects Utah.

A few proposals have been brought forward, said Rep. Jefferson Moss, R-Saratoga Springs, who sits on the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, though a consensus has yet to be reached on what the Legislature will do.

The general concept is trying to find a more fair tax structure, Moss said.

Legislators will also be figuring out what to do with the surplus from last year, with many legislators expressing a desire to see some of that money go back into the states rainy-day fund to shore the state up financially for emergencies.

Transportation

Multiple transportation issues are sure to make headlines as legislators make tough decisions on issues from the gas tax to how the Utah Transit Authority is governed.

A transportation task force discussed multiple issues over the summer, including making taxes that pay for roads more evenly distributed.

For example, how do we recover costs from road users who dont buy gas? said Rep. Kay Christofferson, R-Lehi.

Roads are primarily paid for via the gas tax, which isnt paid by certain users, such as those with electric vehicles, Christofferson said, and the task force discussed making some of that up via registration fees or by a per-mile charge.

We want UDOT to start looking at that technology and testing it out and that kind of thing, Christofferson said. I think well see that authorization to UDOT this year.

Utah Lake

Rep. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, has some plans in the works for a bill to research what can be done to restore Utah Lake.

Though the bill hasnt been numbered yet, McKell said it will basically provide a request from the Legislature to form a technical committee to consider what could or could not be done to restore Utah Lake.

That could include things as unique as islands and a community, McKell said.

Utah Lake has drawn negative attention the last two years for toxic algal blooms that have caused the Utah County Health Department to post warnings and even close the lake for a time period in 2016.

Murdock Connector

Northern Utah County residents can expect to see legislative approval of an east-west connector road connecting Highland to American Fork between State Route 92 to the north, and 300 North on the south.

Sen. Dan Hemmert, R-Orem, said he and Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, are working together on the legislation that authorizes the road.

That still wont be the end of the line, as the connector will still need approval from the board of the Utah State Developmental Center, whose property the road will run through.

The Legislature will not be dictating what kind of road it is, Hemmert said, because that will be dictated by funding ability.

Other issues to watch for
#frigate launching ceremony Navy launches new frigate equipped with anti-submarine torpedo The Navy was to hold a launching ceremony Wednesday for a new 2,800-ton frigate with improved anti-submarine capabilities. The new warship Pohang is the sixth of the country's F...
In April, it will be 50 years since the enigmatic Enoch Powell made his famous rivers of blood speech in Wolverhampton, railing against mass migration from India and the Commonwealth. As his shadow looms large over Brexit-bound Britain  immigration and Euroscepticism were the twin pillars of his ideology  his fellow Conservative, Prime Minister Theresa May, did something last fortnight that he would scarcely have approved of: she inducted children of Indian immigrants into her ministerial team, Rishi Sunak, Suella Fernandes and Shailesh Vara. (Alok Sharma was already in).

Powellism is at the heart of the ongoing cut and thrust of Brexit politics in London and Brussels, but Mays expansion of her team is part of her efforts to remove the perception that the Conservative party  in her own words at the 2002 party conference  is seen by many as the nasty party. The party had earned the tag over decades; in the eyes of the Indian and non-white communities this was mainly due to its policies on immigration. The 1.5 million-strong Indian diaspora has traditionally voted Labour, but assiduous wooing of the Indian vote by David Cameron since 2005 has won it dividends.

Claims of Indian voters now moving away from Labour in large numbers are exaggerated, but the fact is that the Conservative party has five Indian-origin MPs (the most recent Tory who held Powells Wolverhampton South West seat was a Sikh, Paul Uppal). In the 2017 election, Labour not only held on to its strongholds in constituencies dominated by the Indian/Asian vote, but also increased its vote share and added two more Indian-origin MPs to its earlier group of five. But of greater significance has been the election of the Conservative partys five Indian-origin MPs from seats that do not have large Indian/Asian populations.

Mays ministerial expansion is symbolically significant for the message it sends to young, aspirational voters in the Indian community, who have less patience with Labours welfare and other policies. It also reflects a larger reality: that in spite of the challenges of terrorism, xenophobia and racism, Britain is increasingly becoming comfortable with its multicultural society. The 51 non-white MPs elected to the House of Commons in 2017 still do not reflect the ethnic composition of the United Kingdom, but their election is a story of positive integration since the landmark 1987 election when five non-white MPs were elected for the first time in British parliamentary history (one of them was Keith Vaz).

The integration story was also reflected during recent elections: call it minority appeasement British-style, but it has become something of a rule that Conservative and Labour leaders visit Hindu temples and gurudwaras in the right attire, and get themselves photographed wearing a tika and holding a puja thali. As the Conservative leader before the 2010 election, Cameron would attend large Hindu gatherings, while May makes it a point to attend Indian community events in her constituency of Maidenhead; these are symbolic gestures, but were unthinkable in the days of Powell. And as evident in India and elsewhere in recent years and decades, symbolism and perception are central to electoral success.

May and her partys outreach to the Indian community runs deeper. Jeremy Corbyns Labour sees the Narendra Modi government from the perspective of human rights, while the Cameron and May governments have been distinctly closer to its world view. Cameron and May have also gone along with influential sections of the Indian community on the sensitive issue of introducing legislation to outlaw caste-based discrimination in Britain. There is clearly a conflation of world views between the Conservative Party and influential sections of the community, many of whom are also enthusiastic supporters of the BJP, as was evident during Modis November 2015 visit to London, when he and Cameron shared the stage at the packed Wembley Stadium.

It was May who appointed the first Indian-origin cabinet minister in British political history: Priti Patel. Her tenure as the international development secretary barely lasted six months. But her elevation to the high table of British politics and the recent appointment of Sunak, Fernandes, Vara and Sharma have already made waves. Political pundits in the mainstream British news media are already talking of them as future Conservative leaders, even potential prime ministers. That may or may not materialise, but the talk itself is a sign of the distance Britain has travelled since the days of Powell.

One of Powells memorable contributions was his belief that all political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at some happy juncture, end in failure, but he continues to be relevant in more ways than one, and the underpinning of Powellism in the days of Brexit may suggest that his career was anything but a failure.

Prasun.Sonwalkar@hindustantimes.com
Georg Baselitz, a provocative German artist who inspired a generation with challenging depictions of the Nazi era and the post-war division of Germany, is being honoured by a retrospective to mark his 80th birthday. Born Hans-Georg Kern in the German town of Deutschbaselitz in 1938, Baselitz gained worldwide fame in the 1970s with his portraits  often bizarrely showing his subjects upside down  which he painted in a neo-Expressionist style.

Seeing 60 years of ones own pictures is a difficult undertaking, Baselitz said at a news conference, marking the opening of the exhibition at the Swiss Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, near Basel. But I dont recognise it (the art) any more. And its almost as if I were to re-encounter myself now as a baby, I would not recognise myself.

Baselitz paints in a neo-Expressionist style. (Instagram.com/Gagosiangallery)

In a manifesto in 1961 when he was 23, he said he was swollen and bloated with memories of the Nazi era  his father had been a party member  and the aftermath of a divided Germany and the socialist East, which he fled in 1957. His early paintings in the 1960s, he said, were aggressive, wholly malicious, referring to works which at the time German prosecutors seized as lewd.

In later years, the uneasy portraits of the 1960s and 1970s evolved into sprawling works in dark and pastel tones, and he became famous for his upside down paintings  a quirk of presentation he has pursued to the present day. Bringing together some 90 paintings and 12 sculptures spanning from 1959 through the present day, the exhibit is open to the public from January 21 through April 29.

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Protests and threats of violence may have made things tough for Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmaavat, but trade pundits, exhibitors and even the audiences are excited to watch the much-awaited period drama in the theatres.

Owing to historical inaccuracies in Padmaavat that is headlined by Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh - states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana had initially called for a ban on the film.

But, much to the relief of the filmmaker and the distributors, the Supreme Court, earlier this week, allowed a country-wide release of the controversial movie on January 25.

There may be problems in certain parts of India. We have requested and advised exhibitors to approach police authorities to safeguard their property and the lives of the audience coming to the theatres.

We dont know their (protesters) line of action. So we have told the exhibitors to take note of the scenario and take decisions to screen the film in their areas accordingly, Nitin Dhar, former president and member of the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India, told PTI.

Dhar said the association has also written a letter to the home minister and the chief ministers of a few states requesting adequate security arrangements.

We understand that it is not possible to control so many cinema halls and other properties like shops, vehicles, etc but we have faith in the law enforcement agencies, he added.

The association, which covers states like Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka, has over 500 theatres under its ambit.

With advance booking on the way for Padmaavat, Dhar is believes the movie will do well.

Looking at the advance booking, the trade circle is hopeful that a decent number of people will turn up to watch the lavishly mounted magnum opus on the celluloid.

There is a strong buzz about the film. The response for advance booking is good. At the moment, select shows are open and going by that, the occupancy in the theatres should be over 65 per cent.

The cinema houses, too, seem ready with the security plan, Girish Wankhede, a trade analyst said.

Akshay Rathi, exhibitor and distributor, is in the middle of negotiations, locking the programming and bookings for the film.

The paid preview is happening on January 24 in IMAX 3D. The momentum built up by Tiger Zinda Hai will be carried forward by Padmaavat when it comes out on January 25.

The advance booking looks good and there is a great amount of anticipation for the film. We all have faith in the law enforcement agencies and are hopeful the situation will be taken care of, he said.

Rathi, hopes, the film will open to 75% occupancy in over 4,000 screens across India.

Padmaavat will be shown at the popular multiplex chain, PVR cinemas, that has 612 screens across the country, but senior officials are unwilling to divulge any details.

It is too early to speak about anything at the moment (advance booking response). We dont want to make a comment (on security at PVR), Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures said.

At single screen theatres too, the excitement is high.

Ahmedabad : Forensic experts examine the ticket counter of the cinema hall after it was vandalised in protest against the release of the film Padmaavat in Ahmedabad on Sunday. (PTI)

People are coming with enquiries on Padmaavat. We will be showing the film in Gaiety, Galaxy, Maratha Mandir and other theatres. We are hopeful the government and policemen will ensure a safe and secure environment for the audiences, said Manoj Desai, executive director of the theatres, said.

With the sword of protest and unrest hanging over Padmaavat, people in several pockets of India are divided over watching the film on the day of its release.

Binal Shah, a schoolteacher from Surat, said, I want to watch the film with my family. I dont know when we can all go. Lets see what happens on day one.

Sharing similar views, Hiral Kotecha, a Vadodara-based housewife, wants to see the film primarily for her love for historical movies and the leading lady, Deepika.

Gandhinagar: Members of Karni Sena set fire to a public transport to protest against the release of Padmaavat in Gandhinagar on Saturday. (PTI)

A 31-year-old housewife, Khushboo Shah, from Indore, is an ardent fan of both Ranveer and Shahid and is eager to see her two favourite actors share the screen.

I dont know much about Queen Padmavati and her life, whatever little I know is through the media. I want to see the film with an open mind, she said.

There are some sections of the society which are geared up to watch the movie, despite the Karni Senas threats, a Rajput group vehemently opposing the films release.

I will go to see the film. Not that I know the history or I am interested in cross checking it through the movie.

But I wouldnt want to skip a movie with my favourite actors in it just because someone is creating an environment of fear and forcing their views on everybody, Atul Jaiswal, an HR head from Mumbai, said.

Himesh Mankad, a CS student and a movie buff, will go to watch Padmaavat on the first day to catch the historical drama film.

I am hopeful that the law enforcement agencies would provide appropriate security. I have been waiting for Padmaavat ever since the trailer was out. I am happy that the long wait will come to an end this week.

In my opinion, one should watch the film and then, pass any judgement. Violent protests are no means of showing your displeasure towards a film, Mankad said.

The film, initially titled Padmavati, was slated to release on December 1 last year but was postponed as the makers were yet to get a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

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Now that India is flying as never before, the mores of travel have changed, and so has the landscape. Indians are quickly finding out that airports are not railway stations. We often land up in zany situations as a result, mainly on account of the unique way in which us Indians have been used to travelling.

Traditionally, we always packed our chutneys and oils of all kinds in our baggage, and got away with all that. We would only travel by the all-embracing bus or train, in those halcyon days. But these days unending queues at airports are an indicator of just how much we have begun to love air-travel.

Over the decades, Indian aunties and uncles had become accustomed to dumping all sorts of seemingly useful things into their luggage. Even bistar-bandhs or beddings and sleeping bags were permitted aboard those large-hearted long route trains in years gone by. Some families undoubtedly still carry on in the same vein, and a visit to any railway station is clear indication of this. There we can easily spot ladies and kids sprawled on none too clean floors. In evidence, surrounding them, are quaint objects like little boxes, potlis of clothes, milk cans, straw mats, little stools, dholaks, small suitcases, shawls, blankets, pet cats and even hens at times.

And when these families commence their lifelong tryst with air travel, they necessarily have to adapt to and adopt security linked dos and donts. Out go the little liquid-containing dohlus and sundry other basket-type containers. Also not permitted are unstructured items like hot water bottles and quilts which can be carried on to buses, but not on to planes!

Thus a new paradigm of travel has to be laid down for the Indian air traveller. And at airports, one finds enough evidence of the pressing need for this. The Sharmas and Khannas and Patels land up at airports with little time to spare and much to do, you see!

A non-busy onlooker would find it amusing to spot a family alighting from their taxi, arguing briefly, for want of time, with the cab driver over the fare and scurrying towards the entrance. The security person would raise his eyebrows a few times, waiting patiently, while the head of the family tries to find the ticket on his phone device, and the wife admonishes him in full public view for not being efficient enough. The tables are soon turned though, when the lady cannot find her photo-id, and the hubby starts growling.

Also not very pleased at this collective tardiness are the harassed looking passengers in the queue behind them. Thus the very act of entering the airport becomes one that necessitates stress management exercises by those involved!

The electronic kiosks and baggage screening points present another firewall of sorts to these hapless travellers. And of course the young lady duly appointed by the airline will assist them at both. Yet, no one would have bargained for the fact that the little darling of the family, the chubby looking Pintoo would need a pullover from the big suitcase since he would be feeling cold! Thus, the heavy case would be opened in full public view, with all kinds of tidbits spilling out, and the desired article being retrieved from it, thus causing a requirement of another round of screening, and further delay.

At last would the family reach the check in counter, with the airline staff making faces at their being late. And if their baggage turns out to be too heavy, which is quite a possibility, arguments would result and the already harried passengers would surely lose their tempers. Anything could happen after that!

Perhaps someone needs to organise mass training programmes for passengers and significant others. Even airport staff is often ill trained, and not adequately prepared to handle a bevy of difficult clients!

And not to forget the aspect of making ones way to an airport through maddening traffic. Somehow, railways stations are always more accessible and easier to approach. As George Winter said, If God had really intended men to fly, Hed have made it easier to get to the airport!

vivek.atray@gmail.com
The state budget could be a populist one as the BJP government gearing up for the 2019 general election is unlikely to introduce any new taxes, officials familiar with the development said on Sunday.

Finance minister Prakash Pant, however, refused to confirm or deny whether fresh taxes would be proposed in the the budget. We are yet to take a call on that issue, Pant said, adding that the budget 2018-19 could be people-friendly.

Pant gave that hint a day after he invited peoples suggestions for the budget during his interaction with them via Facebook.

Senior officials in the finance department, however, said the state government would not introduce fresh taxes or special taxes in the budget to be tabled in March.

Most old taxes will remain but no new taxes will be introduced in the proposed annual budget as the BJP will not take any such risks as it has to face crucial Lok Sabha elections next year, an official said requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Pant said the Centre in the Union budget 2018-19 to be presented in Parliament on February 1 might make some crucial budgetary allocations from the central pool for the projects to be taken up in the state.

In that context, he made several presentations before union finance minister Arun Jaitley in a pre budget meeting held with the latter in Delhi recently.

For instance, Pant urged the Centre to allocate a budget of 2,900 crore for construction of the long pending Jamrani Dam project to be built on the Gaula river.

We have also demanded that the Centre declare it (Jamrani Dam project) a national project, he said, adding that completion of the project would help resolve the potable water scarcity in Kumaons Bhabhar sub-region including Haldwani town.

Farm production in that sub-region would also get a boost as there would be ample water for irrigation following completion of that project.

Besides, Jaitley was urged to grant 310 crore for the upcoming ropeway project apart from the central funds for expansion of air ports.

The expansion of airports would be needed following the Centres decision to include this state in its regional air connectivity scheme, Pant said.

A separate annual allocation of 300 crore had been sought under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme to augment the potable water supply to rural areas.

Besides, we have also asked for a separate budgetary assistance for infrastructure like roads and bridges and buildings for schools and hospitals etc, Pant said, adding that such suggestions had also been made by people during his interaction with them via social media.

They also came up with suggestions for employment generation, he said, adding, in that connection the recruitment to some 3,500 posts lying vacant in different departments would be made.

To create employment opportunities in the private sector a number of skill development programmes will be initiated in the fiscal 2018-19, Pant said.

People will also be motivated to go for self employment under the centrally funded schemes like Mudra Banking or Startup India.

The finance minister hoped that the central government would make some really good budgetary allocations for the mountain states development.

We have a lot of hope from the union budget. Later, we will also present the state budget in the assembly by March 31.
Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat may be forced to rejig his cabinet soon as he is under pressure from the BJP brass to drop three ministers over non-performance, party insiders said on Sunday.

The grapevine has it that the BJP central leadership is also unhappy with the cabinet ministers making frequent trips to Delhi. BJP insiders, however, did not identify which of the three ministers of the 10-member cabinet could be dropped.

An insider, however, said the chief minister may be forced to drop his three ministers, which would necessitate a cabinet rejig.

It has been due since he took charge on March 18 last year following the BJPs landslide win in the assembly elections.

The CMs office though sought to scotch the rumours doing the rounds within the BJP about a possible cabinet rejig. It also refuted reports about the possibility that three ministers could be dropped.

We have no information about a cabinet rejig, said the chief ministers media-coordinator Darshan Singh Rawat.

He said he had no idea that three ministers could be dropped on the ground of inefficiency.

All ministers are carrying out their duties satisfactorily, he said, adding that the chief minister had, however, directed his ministers to speed up development works.

They have been asked to speed up works because the chief minister wants that the development should be visible on the ground ahead of the next (2019) Lok Sabha election, Darshan Singh said.

BJP state unit chief Ajay Bhatt expressed ignorance about a possible cabinet rejig or the possibility of three ministers being replaced.

We have no knowledge about a cabinet rejig or the ministers reported underperformance. The chief minister and I have not discussed those issues, he said.

Bhatt though did not rule out the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle being carried out ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.

A cabinet expansion is due and could be carried out this year itself, he said. Bhatt said carrying out a cabinet expansion or a reshuffle was only the CMs constitutional prerogative.

BJP insiders said Rawat was under pressure to carry out a cabinet rejig with most party legislators vying with one another for the ministerial berths.

Discontent is growing among many senior legislators who were left out in the race for the ministerial positions when the Rawat Cabinet was constituted last year, said one of the state BJPs senior office bearers.
No one can touch a woman without her consent, a Delhi court said and termed it unfortunate that women continue to be victimised by lecherous and sexually-pervert men.

The courts observation came while awarding five years jail term to Ram for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl.

Additional Sessions Judge Seema Maini awarded rigorous imprisonment to Uttar Pradesh resident Chavi Ram, who had inappropriately touched the minor at a crowded market in north Delhis Mukherjee Nagar in 2014.

The court said a womans body is her own and it is she who has an exclusive right over it and all others are prohibited to touch her body, without her consent, for any purpose whatsoever.

It also said right to privacy of women does not seem to be recognised by men and they do not think twice, before making untoward advances or satisfying their lust by sexually assaulting helpless girls.

Such perverts, get a sexual kick by assaulting the women, oblivious to the rights of privacy of the female gender including a female child, it said.

The court said Ram being a sexual pervert deserves no leniency and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him out of which Rs 5,000 would be given to the girl.

Apart from that the court asked the Delhi State Legal Service Authority to pay Rs 50,000 to the child.

In a free, fast progressing, technically-strong country like India, it is an unfortunate scenario that the female citizens, be it an adult or a small child, continue to be consistently victimised by lecherous and sexually pervert male folk, found in abundance in public places, especially crowded markets, public transports like buses and Metros and recreation joints like movie halls and theatres, the court said.

According to the complaint, on September 25, 2014, while the girl was with her mother at the market near Mukherjee Nagar here, Ram inappropriately touched the child and tried to molest her.

The minor immediately informed her mother and pointed to Ram after which he started running from the spot. He was caught by the mother with the help of passersby.

The man claimed he was falsely implicated in the case as the market was crowded and it was a case of misconception.

He claimed that the real offender ran away after committing the crime.

The court, however, rejected Rams claim and said it was clear that he was with a sexual intent, taking advantage of a crowded market place, wilfully touching the girl and thereafter trying to run away.
Delhi lieutenant governor, Anil Baijal visited the Bawana industrial area on Sunday morning where a factory fire resulted in the death of 17 labourers.

While police arrested the factory owner, Manoj Jain, the state government has ordered an inquiry into the lapses that led to the deaths.

Ten women and seven men died in the fire, police said. On Sunday, police and hospital authorities identified 11 bodies, while six remain unidentified.

Doctors said the 11 identified had 30-40% burn injuries while the others were completely charred.

The bodies are completely charred. We will try to identify them with their clothing or jewellery, or anything that is left. We can also do a DNA testing if there is any viability, but with bodies so charred, it is very difficult. After that, there are some protocols followed by the police, said Dr Punita Mahajan, medical director of Baba Saheb Ambedkar hospital, where the victims were brought.

The families of the labourers who died in the fire gathered outside the hospital.

Doctors also conducted post mortem on six identified bodies till Sunday afternoon.

Relatives have been informed and as soon as the bodies are identified, the post mortem is being done, health minister Satyendar Jain said.

The minister said strict action would be taken once the committee set up to probe the incident submits their findings.

A man and a woman, who survived because they jumped from the building, had been had been admitted to the nearest Maharshi Valmiki hospital. They have now been referred to Lok Nayak hospital for emergency orthopaedic surgery.

One of the patients has a hip bone fracture and another one has fractured the tibia (shinbone). Both will need emergency surgeries and would most likely be fitted with implants, said Dr JC Passey, medical director of Lok Nayak hospital. The two survivors had no burn injuries, he confirmed.

BJP MLA Vijender Gupta who was at the hospital said this was not the time for politics or blame game, but added that a special session of the assembly should be called to address the issue.

The government should answer our question, ask some of their own and arrive at a solution. The Delhi fire dept is not equipped as it should be. The inspections do not happen like it should. There should be enquiry into the incident and strict action should be taken against whoever is responsible, whether it is the government or the MCD. There should be zero tolerance for such incidents, he said.
The two-storey building in Delhis Bawana Industrial Area that caught fire on Saturday, killing 17 people, had just one exit. The building, which had a basement, had at least 30 workers with just two fire extinguishers, which, according to Delhi Fire Service officials, was grossly inadequate. The building also did not have a no-objection certificate from the fire department.

Ideally, there should be smoke detectors, alarms and water sprinklers in every floor of the building, including the basement. But none of it was there in the said building, said Atul Garg, additional director, DFS.

Garg said the building had just one exit but industrial guidelines for fire safety say there should be an alternative exit at the back of every factory building. Apart from this, the entrance to the terrace should also be kept open at all times so that occupants can be rescued in case of any mishap.

BLAZES THAT SHOOK THE CITY 2018

Jan 16: Factory gutted in fire in west Delhis Peeragarhi

Jan 15: Four people were critically injured after a fire broke out at a plastic factory in Sriniwaspuri 2017

Nov 18: A massive fire broke out in a plastic scrap market in Mundka

Oct 24: A major fire gutted numerous shops and godowns in Kamla Market area. No casualties

Oct 16: Close shave for six firemen as a building on fire collapsed in Mansarovar Garden

Sept 7: One dead after fire engulfed Haldirams factory in Noida

May 26: A 50-year-old man died in a fire at a plastic factory in Narela

May 22: A major fire in Chandni Chowk area gutted over 50 shops

March 26: One man was killed in a fire at a plastic factory in Narela

April 19: Six killed as a fire broke out in a Noida electronic goods unit

Feb 24: Two firemen killed in a fire at a restaurant in Vikaspuri Factory gutted in fire in west Delhis PeeragarhiFour people were critically injured after a fire broke out at a plastic factory in SriniwaspuriA massive fire broke out in a plastic scrap market in MundkaA major fire gutted numerous shops and godowns in Kamla Market area. No casualtiesClose shave for six firemen as a building on fire collapsed in Mansarovar GardenOne dead after fire engulfed Haldirams factory in NoidaA 50-year-old man died in a fire at a plastic factory in NarelaA major fire in Chandni Chowk area gutted over 50 shopsOne man was killed in a fire at a plastic factory in NarelaSix killed as a fire broke out in a Noida electronic goods unitTwo firemen killed in a fire at a restaurant in Vikaspuri 2016

Sept 30: Three killed when a plastic factory on fire collapsed in the middle of rescue ops in Narela

April 26: A huge collection at the National Museum of Natural History was destroyed in a fire April 12, 2013: Two kids died when a fire broke out in Bawana slums

Nov 20, 2013: Fourteen dead when a fire broke out in Nandnagari

April 28, 2011: 10 labourers charred to death in a major fire in Peeragarhi

June 22, 2009: Two killed in a fire at a slum in Karkardooma

May 31, 1999: 57 persons were killed when a fire broke out at Lal Kuan chemical market complex

June 13, 1997: 59 people were killed and 103 wounded when Uphaar cinema in Green Park caught fire

1992: Fire in Naya Bazar. Three houses collapsed. Three dead

1996: Three dead after transformer catches fire in Khari Baoli

1987: Four dead after fire in chemical godown in Gandhi Gali, Tilak Bazar

January 1986: A fire broke out at The Siddharth Hotel in Vasant Vihar killing 37 and injuring 39. It was later renamed Vasant Continental Three killed when a plastic factory on fire collapsed in the middle of rescue ops in NarelaA huge collection at the National Museum of Natural History was destroyed in a fireTwo kids died when a fire broke out in Bawana slumsFourteen dead when a fire broke out in Nandnagari10 labourers charred to death in a major fire in PeeragarhiTwo killed in a fire at a slum in Karkardooma57 persons were killed when a fire broke out at Lal Kuan chemical market complex59 people were killed and 103 wounded when Uphaar cinema in Green Park caught fireFire in Naya Bazar. Three houses collapsed. Three deadThree dead after transformer catches fire in Khari BaoliFour dead after fire in chemical godown in Gandhi Gali, Tilak BazarA fire broke out at The Siddharth Hotel in Vasant Vihar killing 37 and injuring 39. It was later renamed Vasant Continental

Other officials from the DFS suspect that the scenario will be similar across the 2100-acre industrial area and other industrial hubs such as Narela.

The tragedy that unfolded on Saturday was waiting to happen, officials said. From about 18,000 in 2016, the number of industrial units in Delhis Bawana Industrial Area has touched 51,697. But there is no record of any regular inspections that are to be conducted by agencies concerned  the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DSIIDC), MCDs and the fire department.

The problem starts right from the scratch, that is licensing. Factory licences are issued by the MCD. When HT sought to speak to the licensing officer, a spokesperson of North MCD said, The person who issues factory licence is very junior.

While both industries minister Satyendar Jain and North MCD mayor Preety Agarwal ordered inquiries, the latter suspected that the building might have had serious safety lapses. I have asked to find if this unit had got a factory licence, the mayor said.

Industrial zones such as Narela and Bawana were shifted out of the city to decongest Delhi and reduce pollution, but the move had a flip side. Kept away from daily sight, these industrial areas had been alienated over the years with agencies skipping regular monitoring and no accountability being fixed for safety lapses.

In Bawana, industrial units range from drugs and pharmaceuticals, petroleum-based products, chemical products, rubber products. In the absence of any random inspection, many units flout industrial norms, even as work continues unabated.
The building in Delhis Bawana industrial area where 17 people were killed in a fire on Saturday had been stocking fire crackers for Holi celebrations.

Businessman Manoj Jain who had rented the facility and was arrested late Saturday night, told police that most fire crackers were for use in wedding celebrations and stage shows. Police said the quantity of the crackers were more because Jain was storing it for sale in the run up Holi.

The fire which broke out in the basement of the three-storey building, trapping at least 30 employees, had only one exit in violation of the fire safety guidelines.

Taken on rent since January 1 inside the factory most labourers who died on Wednesday were employed to package the fire crackers brought from outside.

Deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) Rajneesh Gupta said Jain had taken the premises on rent on January 1.

Jain told us that he is the factory owner and was paying a monthly rent of Rs. 25,000 for using the building. He has denied that any firecrackers were manufactured inside and said it was only used for packaging of crackers he got from elsewhere, said Gupta. His claims are being verified, the DCP added.

Police said they are checking if the building had a license to store crackers. Fire officials said the building had not applied for a fire safety clearance.

DCP Gupta said most of the labourers died of asphyxiation. We have identified five workers who died. Investigation is on.

HOW IT HAPPENED 6.20pm Fire control room informed about fire at a firecrackers storage and packing unit in outer Delhis Bawana Industrial Area 10 fire tenders were dispatched to the spot. More were added later Over 15 fire tenders douse the blaze within three hours 4 charred bodies taken out of the factory 5 more bodies found during rescue operation 9.30pm eight more bodies were taken out from the factory Bodies were taken to Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital Fire control room informed about fire at a firecrackers storage and packing unit in outer Delhis Bawana Industrial Areafire tenders were dispatched to the spot. More were added laterfire tenders douse the blaze within three hourscharred bodies taken out of the factorymore bodies found during rescue operationeight more bodies were taken out from the factoryBodies were taken to Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital 17 Fire department officials confirmed the death of 17 persons. 10 women and seven men among the deceased 2 more such fire incidents were reported from the industrial area between 3.30pm and 7.30pm  Officials suspect that a short-circuit could have led to the blaze  They said that a blast in the unit due to presence of explosive items and other inflammable materials led to the casualties Fire department officials confirmed the death of 17 persons. 10 women and seven men among the deceasedmore such fire incidents were reported from the industrial area between 3.30pm and 7.30pmOfficials suspect that a short-circuit could have led to the blazeThey said that a blast in the unit due to presence of explosive items and other inflammable materials led to the casualties
The bodies of 11 out of 17 persons who died in a major fire on Saturday evening in a factory in Delhis Bawana have been identified and the establishments owner arrested, police said on Sunday.

The bodies of 11 victims - nine women and two men- have been identified, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said.

The deceased were identified as Baby Devi, 40, Afshana, 35, Sonam, 23, Reeta, 18, Madeena, 55, Rajjo, 65, Sukhda, 42, Khusna, 47, Soni, 21, Suraj, 20 and Ravi Kant, 18.

Gupta also said that a forensic team reached the spot to investigate the reason for the blast, while the owner of the plastic factory which was also used as a warehouse for fire crackers has been arrested.

Manoj Jain was taken into custody on Saturday night after a brief interrogation as police filed an FIR against him under sections for negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter, for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others under the Indian Penal Code and the Explosives Act, he said.

Jain runs the factory which he had taken on rent since January 1 this year, said Gupta, also said adding that as per an injured labourer, the packing of the crackers was being done in the factory.

Delhi industries and urban development minister Satyendar Jain told reporters that a probe committee has been formed and strict action will be taken after the report is submitted.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered a thorough probe into the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased.

He said it will be probed how licence was given to the establishment and who gave it and also how the incident happened.

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Tiwari also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the victims of the incident.

Gupta said the fire in Bawana Industrial Area was reported to the Police Control Room around 6:20 pm, following which 10 fire tenders rushed to the spot. The blaze was doused after three hours.

The victims were trapped in the basement and the first and second floors when the fire spread from the basement to the floors above, the officer said.

He said seven of the deceased were women aged between 20 and 35 years.
In a big blow to Delhis ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), President Ram Nath Kovind approved the Election Commissions recommendation to disqualify 20 party MLAs for violating the law against holding office of profit, a government notification said on Sunday.

These 20 MLAs, including Delhis transport minister Kailash Gahlot, were parliamentary secretaries in the government, a post that the EC said can be considered an office of profit.

Rashtrapati Bhavans decision came a day before the Delhi high court is scheduled to hear the appeal of six AAP legislators against the poll panel on Monday. But on Sunday, the party quickly changed its tactics. Spokesperson Raghav Chadha said: We will file a fresh petition in the high court challenging the governments notification on disqualification.

It was learnt that Kovind signed the file before leaving for a two-day trip to Gujarat on Sunday morning.

The speed at which the President delivered a 120-page order raises suspicion about many institutions. Wish the same speed while the President and the lieutenant governor sit on legislations passed by the Delhi assembly, said Saurabh Bhardwaj, another AAP spokesperson.

Learnt that @rashtrapatibhvn found disqualifying 20 AAP MLAs so beneficial to the national interest that he did so on a Sunday, a holiday! Hope High Court/Supreme Court intervenes and sets aside all such barbaric and anti-democratic decision of Modified Rashtrapati and CEC!  Adv. Somnath Bharti (@attorneybharti) January 21, 2018

Arvind Kejriwals AAP, which swept the Delhi elections in 2015 and came to power with 67 MLAs in the 70-member assembly, is now reduced to 46 MLAs. One legislator, Jarnail Singh, had quit from the assembly last year to contest elections in Punjab.

Chief minister Kejriwals party still has enough MLAs to run the government, but it might be more vulnerable now with fewer seats.

The party has gone through internal rift, dissent and even disqualification of four ministers during its short stint in politics.

They (BJP-led Centre) have victimised us by imposing fake cases on our MLAs. They conducted CBI raids on me and didnt get anything and today they declared 20 of our MLAs disqualified, Kejriwal said at a function in Najafgarh on Sunday.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari welcomed the disqualification, saying the President has made a major contribution towards protecting democratic values.

The Congresss Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken demanded chief minister Kejriwals resignation and alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission helped the AAP by delaying the disqualification process.

All eyes will be on the Delhi high court now. Constitutional experts said the court has the power to set aside the Election Commissions recommendation.

In case the court does not quash or stay the decision, fresh elections will have to be held in the 20 assembly seats.

The President didnt apply his discretion but did what the EC recommended. All such decisions and recommendations are always subject to legal scrutiny. The high court retains the power to turn it down, said TK Vishwanathan, former secretary general of the Lok Sabha and former law secretary.

According to the government notification issued by the ministry of law and justice,  having considered the matter in the light of the opinion expressed by the Election Commission of India, I, Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, in exercise of the powers conferred on me under section 15(4) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, do hereby hold that the aforesaid 20 Members of Delhi Legislative Assembly stand disqualified for being members of the said Assembly.

The appointment of the respondent MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries by the GNCTD bypasses and frustrates the objective sought to be achieved by Section 15(1)(a) of the GNCTD Act, 1991 and is also against the principle of legislative oversight of the Government which is the basic tenet of Parliamentary form of Democracy, the EC said in its exhaustive recommendation to the President.

In June last year, the poll panel said the AAP MLAs did hold de facto the office of parliamentary secretaries. The party reacted then by saying it respected the ruling and hinted that it might challenge it in court.

A parliamentary secretary assists a minister, and the office comes with perks as well as a measure of political influence. Often, MLAs who cant be accommodated in the government are appointed to the post. AAP has maintained that the MLAs did not draw any financial remuneration.

The controversy dates back to the weeks after the party won a majority in the Delhi assembly elections and appointed the lawmakers as parliament secretaries in March 2015.

As protests over the appointments grew, the Kejriwal government sought to shield the MLAs by excluding the post of parliamentary secretary from the ambit of office of profit laws.

But former President Pranab Mukherjee refused to approve it, and referred a private petition in the matter to the Election Commission. Separately, reacting to another private petition, the Delhi high court struck down the posts of parliament secretary in September 2015.

List of 20 AAP MLAs who have been disqualified S.No. MLA Constituency Ministry/Department 1 Adarsh Shastri Dwarka I&T 2 Alka Lamba Chandni Chowk Tourism 3 Anil Vajpayee Gandhi Nagar Health 4 Avtar Singh Kalkaji Gurdwara elections 5 Kailash Gehilot Najafgarg Law 6 Madan Lal Kasurba Nagar Vigilance 7 Manoj Kumar Kondli Food and Civil Supplies 8 Naresh Yadav Mehrauli Labour 9 Nitin Tyagi Laxmi Nagar Women and Child and Social Welfare 10 Praveen Kumar Jangpura Education 11 Rajesh Gupta Wazirpur Health 12 Rajesh Rishi Janakpuri Health 13 Sanjeev Jha Burari Transport 14 Sarita Singh Rohtas Nagar Employment 15 Som Dutt Sadar Bazar Industries 16 Sharad Kumar Narela Revenue Ministry 17 Shiv Charan Goel Moti Nagar finance 18 Sukhbir Singh Mundka Languages & Welfare of SC/ST/OBC 19 Vijendar Garg Rajinder Nagar PWD 20 Jarnail Singh Tilak Nagar Development (With PTI inputs)
Protests against the release of controversial movie Padmaavat reached NCR as 15 people were arrested after the DND toll plaza in Noida was vandalised by people claiming to be from Shri Rajput Karni Sena and other fringe groups.

In Gurgaon, several rallies and protests were organised by the groups members who burnt effigies of the movies producer-director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

The incident took place when the supporters of many fringe groups were heading towards the malls in Noida to protest the release of the movie in the multiplexes there. When intercepted by Noida Police, the crowd disbanded into groups and around 150-200 of them headed towards the DND Flyway. These protesters then proceeded to create ruckus at the now-defunct toll plaza of the Delhi-Noida-Direct Flyway at around 3pm on Sunday, Noida officials said.

We have arrested 15 persons for vandalism which took place at the DND toll plaza. These men from various fringe groups like Bajrang Dal, Karni Sena, Kshatriya Sena, Hindu Vahini and many others were armed and were in their personal cars and bikes, said Arun Kumar Singh, superintendent of police (city).

In Gurgaon, the protestors blocked traffic at Sohna Road and MG Road around noon, officials said.

We visited all the cinema halls on MG Road and Sohna Road. We handed them a memorandum asking them not to screen the movie Padmaavat. It was a peaceful protest as we wanted to put our point across that we will not allow the movie to be screened in Gurgaon, said Jitender Singh Chauhan, who claimed to be the national executive member of the Karni Sena.

If the movie is screened at Gurgaon theatres, we will intensify our protest. On Sunday, there were only 800 of us, but if the movie is shown then we will gather over 5,000 protestors. Bhansali has distorted historical facts in the movie, which is unacceptable, said Devender Raghav, district president of Karni Sena from Bhondsi.

Founder-patron of Karni Sena, Lokendra Singh Kalvi, said, I dont endorse the vandalism that took place at DND flyway, but authorities need to understand why this happened. Why is nobody blaming Bhansali for creating such a mess by provoking people through his movie?

Kalvi said he would be heading to Delhi on Monday to look into the incidents. He is also likely to meet Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior politicians.

I am coming to Delhi and will also be going to Lucknow as we want all the states to support us in getting this movie banned, added Kalvi.
LOreal Paris latest advertisement campaign for its hair care line, Elvive, features a hijab-wearing model. In the advert, the model, Amena Khan, a British beauty blogger, is seen donning a pale-pink headscarf, better known as a hijab. She is heard saying, Whether or not your hair is on display, doesnt affect how much you care about it.

The advertisement had a diverse cast of women with different hairstyles, donned in neutral colours with soothing block backgrounds. Khan said in an interview to a leading magazine, How many brands are doing things like this? Not many.

She further noted, Theyre literally putting a girl in a headscarf  whose hair you cant see  in a hair campaign because what theyre really valuing through the campaign is the voices that we have. With this campaign, LOreal has joined the list of brands like Nike and CoverGirl that are featuring Muslim women in their advertisements and promoting diversity.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
A 34-year-old man from Sushant Lok 1 tested positive for the H1N1 virus on Sunday, making him the first case of swine flu in the city this year.

The patient was admitted to a private hospital in Sector 38 on Friday with reported symptoms of high fever, cough and severe body ache. He was advised to take an H1N1 test by doctors at the hospital. The test results were positive, the health department officials confirmed.

It is mandatory for every hospital to share with the health department details of patients suffering from swine flu.

Dr SS Saroha, deputy civil surgeon at the Civil Hospital, said, We have received information that a patient, admitted to a private hospital in Sector 38, has tested positive for H1N1. According to the information we have, the said patients condition is improving with the treatment being given. We have told the hospital to regularly share his details with us.

All hospitals in the district have been put on H1N1 alert after Gurgaon reported the first swine flu death of the year last Wednesday.

Last week, 43-year-old Bhupander Yadav, from Alwar in Rajasthan, was admitted to the same private hospital in Sector 38 in a critical condition. He was found to be suffering from H1N1 and died in the hospital, the health department confirmed.

After Yadavs death, the health department directed all hospitals to test all suspected patients for swine flu to they get correct, and timely treatment, and also to ensure the virus does not spread to others.

On Saturday, the health department had asked all private hospitals and test centres to not charge more than 4,500 for an H1N1 test. The establishments were also warned that if they do not comply to the set price limit, they would face action, chief medical officer at Gurgaon Civil Hospital BK Rajora had said.

Since the first case of swine flu was reported in 2009, the virus has resurfaced from time to time in the city. According to the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation, swine flu is now in its post-pandemic stage and needs to be treated like any other seasonal flu.
A frozen unidentified object that crashed into a wheat field Saturday morning at Fazilpur Badli village in Pataudi subdivision of Gurgaon district was suspected to be a meteor until it turned out to be human excreta that had possibly fallen from an aircraft.

A solid ice cube like object said to be about eight kilogram in weight fell from the sky with loud thud in the wheat field of a man named Balwan. Villagers soon gathered around the spot and informed sarpanch and also called the police and local administration.

The suspicious object had caused a one-foot deep hole in the ground and had broken into pieces on impact. It also began melting after two hours. The police informed the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to investigate the matter since people began speculating it as a meteor.

We reported the matter to the police forensic lab for investigation, said Vivek Kalia, estate officer (EO-Huda) also in charge of Pataudi sub division.

The object remained a subject of huge curiosity for the area residents who turned in large number to have a look.

SP Bhan, senior IMD official collected samples from the spot, said, It was not meteor of course because meteor is a solid object and cannot melt. The object we found there was as transparent as ice and it could be ice or human excreta. After chemical analysis of the object we can be sure of what it was.

Karan Singh, SHO Fazilpur, said, It fell away from residential areas in the green wheat field. No doubt it could have hurt someone if it had fallen on a person. It might be an ice cube that fell from the sky, meteor or human excreta which can be confirmed only after examinations.

But IMD officials, the police the district administration say prima facie the suspicious object seems to be human excreta.

The locals were frightened initially and till IMD team reached and confirmed it was not meteor.

In October 2016, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar had issued notices to the Ministries of Environment and Forests and Civil Aviation and CPCB, seeking their replies following a complaint of dropping of human excreta turned into ice cube by a Delhi resident who had complained about disposal of excreta by airplanes in Vasant Kunj and adjoining areas.

According to a senior Air India executive, plane toilets store human waste in special tanks normally disposed after landing but leaks occur often in the air at times injuring people.
Actor Scarlett Johansson launched a scathing attack on actor James Franco at the Los Angeles Womens March on Saturday. She called him out for supporting the Times Up initiative publicly but privately preying on people who have no power.

How could a person publicly stand by an organization that helps to provide support for victims of sexual assault while privately preying on people who have no power?, she said in a speech to the 500,000-strong crowd gathered in downtown LA to protest US President Donald Trump and to support womens rights. I want my pin back, by the way, she added after a pause.

James Franco and several other actors wore a Times Up pin to the Golden Globe Awards on January 7. He won the Best Actor in a Comedy award for his film The Disaster Artist. Shortly after, as many as five women (aspiring actors and one he had a consensual relationship with) accused the actor of sexual misconduct. Franco denied all allegations.

Scarlett Johansson attends Women's March Los Angeles 2018 on January 20. (AFP)

While Johansson didnt take Francos name in her speech, her representative confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that she was indeed talking about him. She is also one of the original 300 members to sign on to Times Up, an initiative to provide aid to victims of sexual crimes.

Johansson also talked about her own experiences in her speech. Suddenly I was 19 again and I began to remember all the men who had taken advantage of the fact that I was a young woman who didnt yet have the tools to say no, or understand the value of my own self-worth. I had many relationships both personal and professional where the power dynamic was so off that I had to create a narrative that I was the cool girl who could hang in and hang out, and that sometimes meant compromising what felt right for me, she said.

James Franco (L) poses with his brother Dave Franco backstage after winning the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for The Disaster Artist. (REUTERS)

Of her own behaviour, she said she had previously felt the need to be polite to the powerful in order to get along. It allowed me to have the approval that women are conditioned to need, she said. But no longer.

Stressing that her new motto is about no more pandering, she said she would no longer feel guilt or shame over rebuffing men who behave inappropriately towards her.

If a person isnt saying yes but they arent saying no, how can anyone feel justified to make that decision for them?, she said.

Since the Golden Globes, actor Aziz Ansari has also been accused of sexual assault. He too wore a Times Up pin to the ceremony.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
At least four workers were killed and nine others injured on Sunday in a blast at a chemical plant located on the outskirts of Vadodara, a senior official said.

The blast at a chemical plant of the GSP Crop Science Pvt Ltd led to a huge fire in the premises, a police official said.

The blast occurred around 5.30 am in the filter plant of the company, located in the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) area at Nandesari near Vadodara.

Four of the firms employees were killed in the mishap, Vadodara district collector P Bharthi said.

The injured persons were admitted to different hospitals, she said, adding that two of the injured were reported to be serious.

We have ordered an inquiry into the mishap, she said.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known.

The fire fighters took around two hours to douse the blaze, a police official said.

The machinery and equipment in two plants of the company were damaged in the incident. The firms units located in the surrounding areas were asked to shut down, a fire brigade official said.
Families of six Indians who are allegedly being tortured by their employers in Malaysia have approached the Ministry of External Affairs to bring them back to India.

The six men from Hyderabad alleged that they ran away to the Indian Embassy after they were tortured by their employers.

My father was duped by an agent and he left for Malaysia. Earlier an agent approached him and offered a good job in Malaysia, saying the pay would be 25 thousand to 30 thousand and food and accommodation would be seen by the company, Aijaz Ahmed Khan, son of one of the victims Anees Ahmed Khan, told ANI.

.@SushmaSwaraj Madam, Please rescue six persons of Hyd cheated & stuck up in Malaysia.They are unable to travel back as their passports are not being given to them. (2/2)@vijaypdwivedi @ProtectorGenGOI@hcikl @KTRTRS @TelanganaDGP @hydcitypolice pic.twitter.com/qDjr3ALpBQ  Amjed Ullah Khan MBT (@amjedmbt) January 20, 2018

According to the son, after landing in Malaysia, Khan realised that there was no job.

They took my father to a Steel company. The agent also took Rs one lakh from us to send my father. There were lots of problems but he adjusted. They were not providing him food as well. It has been almost three months my father staying there, said Khans son.

Khans son said that they have requested External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj to rescue them, adding that the six men are now staying in the Indian Embassy without passports.

Families of other victims have told the same story, saying that a few agents on the pretext of jobs took their family members to Malaysia, but havent received any salary from the past three months.

Its been three months but they didnt receive salary, due to continuous torture our brothers ran away from the company and approached Indian embassy, my brothers were asking to their employers to hand over passports but the employers are ignoring that, said the brother of another victim.
Achal Kumar Jotis six-month tenure as the chief election commissioner that ends on Monday was mired in controversy. As the head of the poll panel which is mandated to conduct elections to the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies, Joti came under attack by the Opposition for the Commissions decision to defer polls in Gujarat instead of clubbing it with those in Himachal Pradesh, and more recently, for the recommendation to the President to disqualify 20 MLAs of the Aam Admi Party for holding an office of profit.

The Opposition parties accused Joti, who served as principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stint as Gujarat chief minister, of partisanship, when the Commission under his charge decided to defer the polls in Gujarat, after accepting the state governments request for more time to complete relief and rehabilitation efforts after floods ravaged the state.

Interestingly, the Congress was all praise for the poll panel when it disqualified the votes of two Congress rebel lawmakers in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls. It over ruled the returning officer who had declared the votes valid, even though they had showed their marked ballot papers to the rival candidates of the BJP. The ECs decision eventually saw Congress MP Ahmed Patel win a closely contested election.

The Gujarat government announced a slew of sops in the run up to the polls, including zero-interest loans up to Rs 3 lakh for farmers, permanent jobs for sanitary workers, and infrastructure projects. The Congress alleged that the BJP government appeared to be putting pressure on the EC. Its spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had tweeted at the time that this seemed to be to facilitate the announcement of sops by the prime Minister on his October 16 visit to the state.

More recently, Delhis ruling Aam Aadmi Party has accused the commission of not following the due processes before recommending the disqualification of its legislators who were accused of holding an office of profit.

A 1975- batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, Joti has maintained a steadfast silence on the accusations levelled against him by the AAP. The party has alleged the Commission headed by him defied the "principles of natural justice", and did not hear the MLAs' case before making a recommendation to the President. ECs recommendation to the President is binding.

Officials who have worked with Joti since he joined the election commission in 2015 said that during his term in office he streamlined the e-filing system for maintaining official records and also pushed for transparency in payments.

He was the first CEC who wrote to the authorities to ensure that the para military forces who are deputed for election work are taken care of; whether it is ensuring good food, accommodation and special travel facilities for them or making certain that their dues are paid in time, said one official, not wishing to be named.

Another official said, Joti who likes the minutest details to be put on record, was keen to implement the electronic filing system before his term ended.

Though the commission had reservations about the use of electoral bonds in campaign financing, Joti recently commented that it was a step in the right direction, prompting the opposition to dub it as a volte-face.

Joti also courted controversy when after allegations surfaced that he had not vacated a government bungalow in Gujarat after moving to the Commission. He told Hindustan Times in October that he paid rent for the bungalow after joining the poll panel in Delhi as he was not allotted a family accommodation in the Capital.
Rajput groups across the country demanding a ban on Hindi film Padmaavat dug in heels on Sunday, holding rallies and forcing wary state governments to ponder over security measures ahead of the movies release on January 25.

In Rajasthan, at least 200 Rajput women marched with swords in Chittorgarh town for a Swabhimaan (self-respect) rally and ratcheted up the pressure with memorandums to ban the film or give them permission to end their lives.

Marching under the banners of Jauhar Kshatrani Manch, Shri Rajput Karni Sena and Jauhar Smriti Sansthan, the women gave government officials memorandums addressed to the President, Prime Minister, Rajasthan governor, and chief minister.

They gave us the memoranda seeking a countrywide ban on the film, said Suresh Kumar Khatik, sub-divisional officer of Chittorgarh.

Rajasthan government has indicated it would file a review petition on Monday in the Supreme Court against the top courts order that stayed the decision of some states to ban the films screening.

The protesters allege filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansalis movie hurts the sentiments of the Rajput community as it distorts history of Rajput queen Padmini. Bhansali has denied the charges.

Incidentally, the womens Swabhimaan rally started from Jauhar Sthal in Chittorgarh fort, where queen Padmini and 16,000 other Rajput women are said to have committed jauhar (self-immolation) in the year 1303, preferring to die rather than be captured by Alauddin Khilji, then Muslim king of Delhi.

Bhansalis Rs150-crore movie is based on Padmavat, a poem written by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi about 500 years ago, which gives an account of a Rajput queen of Chittor choosing to kill herself rather than be captured by Khilji.

Historians are divided over whether the queen ever existed. Many Rajputs believe she did exist and accuse Bhansali of portraying her in a bad light.

The Jauhar Smriti Sansthan launched a two-day seminar titled Padmini Ek Vastavikta in Chittorgarh to bring out the historical truth about Queen Padmini.

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena threatened to shut the doors of Amer and Nahargarh forts in Jaipur to protest the films release. To protect Rajput pride, we will shut the doors of our forts, said Mahipal Singh Makrana, president of the Karni Sena, who also called the SC order a fatwa (ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognised authority).

On January 18, the Supreme Court stayed orders by four states banning Padmaavat, paving the way for the films nationwide release.

Makrana had earlier urged soldiers of Rajput, Sikh and Jat regiments not to pick up arms for a day in protest against the film. You defend the country throughout the year. For one day, defend the honour of your sisters and daughters, he had urged the soldiers of what he called the Kshatriya regiments.

The Rajput body also called for a janta (public) curfew across the country on January 25. Members of Karni Sena, which is spearheading the campaign against the film for more than a year, also met cinema hall owners and urged them not to screen the film.

Bus services suspended in north Gujarat

The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) suspended its bus services in northern parts of the state following violent protests against Padmaavats release.

GSRTC secretary KD Desai said, Owing to the attacks on state buses in some parts of north Gujarat yesterday, we have temporarily suspended our operations for Gandhinagar, Himmatnagar, Mehsana and Banaskantha. The services for other destinations, such as in central and south Gujarat, are on as per the schedule.

Desai said though they tried to resume the service in Gandhinagar in the morning, some people targeted a bus at a village in the district. Thus, we have decided to halt the operations. We are in constant touch with police and will resume the service as soon as the situation becomes normal.

Desai said the decision was taken while keeping in mind the safety of passengers, as troublemakers were coming on motorcycles and fleeing after throwing burning objects on buses.

Protests in Gwalior

Kshatriya Mahasabha leaders and workers staged a demonstration in Gwalior and presented roses to cinema hall owners, requesting them not to screen Padmaavat, but warned them of consequences if they did.

We took to the streets and staged our protest in a Gandhian way. However, if the cinema hall owners dont pay heed to our request and go ahead with release of the movie, they will be responsible for any situation, said Ramkumar Singh Sikarwar, district president of Kshatriya Mahasabha, Gwalior. We will stage our protest on January 24 again, he added.

On Saturday, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said the government might move the SC to ensure the movie is banned in Madhya Pradesh.

UP theatre owners pin their hope on govt for security

Various Rajput and Hindu bodies staged demonstrations across Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP government is yet to take an official stand on the movies release.

Har woh cinema ghar jalega jisme Padmaavat chalega (All cinema halls screening Padmaavat would be set on fire), chanted Rajput youths protesting in Lucknow Hazratganj area.

Protests were held in Noida outside some multiplexes, while in Shamli and Gorakhpur, effigies of Bhansali and the films actors were torched.

Our youth are talking to cinema hall owners on the issue. We respect the Supreme Court, but at the same time, the society is feeling hurt at the manner in which our sentiments have been hurt by the cinematic depiction of the character of a queen who is revered by Rajputs, said Pratapgarh MP Harivansh Singh, the national chief of All India Kshatriya Mahasabha.

UP police said the Supreme Court order left little scope for doubt about the films release. Its a categorical order and we will do what the honourable court has ordered. As far as protests are concerned, we will persuade protesters not to take the law into their hands, said Anand Kumar, UPs additional director general (crime and law and order).

Cinema hall owners hoped the government would ensure security for the films screening.

We are confident the government will deploy adequate security outside our theatres and multiplexes, said a theatre owner who did not want to be named.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanaths office and home department officials were not immediately available for comment on cinema hall owners being pressured not to screen the film.

(With inputs from Ahmedabad, Gwalior, Lucknow and agencies)
The Tripura Board of Secondary Education has rescheduled the exams for class 12 to avoid a clash with the upcoming assembly elections.

The exams, which were scheduled to begin on March 5, will now commence on March 8. The class 10 exams will commence on March 6, as earlier scheduled, without any changes.

The state goes to polls on February 18 and the results would be declared on March 3. The entire elections process would be completed by March 5.

As the election process would be over by March 5, the Board has rescheduled exams of class 12 to avoid an overlap. Few other papers would be conducted in different dates. Till now, there is no change in class 10 exam schedule, said TBSE president Mihir Kanti Deb.

This year, around 55,000 candidates would appear for Class 10 examinations while nearly 27,000 students are eligible for higher secondary examinations, he said.

A group of students activists had demanded the Board to reschedule the exams two days ago due to the polls.

Students would face vehicle problem on the day. So, to avoid this problem, we have demanded to reschedule the board exams. We are happy with the latest decision of the TBSE , said Vikki Prasad, a youth leader.
The Delhi High Court has said it would not allow the use of solar control black films in cars, which have been banned due to security reasons.

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar also refused to strike down a law prohibiting use of black films for windscreens and side glasses of four wheelers, saying it was in larger public interest.

It, however, said it was neither passing any order nor was it inclined to give any relief on the plea seeking direction to authorities not to take any step against the petitioner for using solar control black film in his car as he was suffering from a disorder caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays.

The court said there are technologies available, by which an individual, who is suffering from the rare genetic disorder caused by UV rays, can easily protect himself.

The decision to enforce the ban on the use of the tinted glasses beyond permissible limits is in public interest, so we are not going to interfere with it, the bench observed.

The bench has now fixed the matter for April 4, by when it has asked 30-year-old petitioner Vipul Gambhir, to file his rejoinder to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways reply opposing his demand.

While citing the Supreme Court judgement in this regard, Advocate Farman Ali Magray, appearing for the ministry, submitted that there are alternative preventive measures that can be taken by such persons to protect themselves from UV rays.

Persons suffering from a rare genetic disorder caused by UV rays can use cream, sun-shed, protective clothing and other amenities available in the market, the ministry said.

The ministry was responding to the plea by Gambhir, who is suffering from xeroderma pigmentosum, a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder of DNA repair in which the ability to repair damage caused by UV light is deficient.

He has said that due to his disease, doctors have advised him to use solar control film since his condition had deteriorated due to exposure to UV radiation.

Concerned over rising instances of criminals using black films for windscreens and side glasses of four wheelers, the Supreme Court in April 2012 had directed the states and Union Territories to strictly enforce the ban on the use of the tinted glasses beyond permissible limits.

Manufacturers may produce vehicles with tinted glasses which provide for 70% visual light transmission (VLT) for safety glasses on windscreen (front and rear) and 40% VLT for side glasses, the apex court had then said.

Subsequently, a committee was constituted to discuss the issue relating to exemption on security grounds to certain categories of protectees from the apex court order banning the black films on the vehicles.
The widespread and largely unsupervised use of biometrics for everything from accessing university classrooms to identifying sea-faring fishermen along Indias coasts has resulted in the proliferation of public and private databases that could compromise the integrity of Indias Aadhaar-based authentication system.

Ordinarily, the existence of these biometric databases would not scare me, said Subhashis Banerjee, Professor of Computer Science Engineering at IIT Delhi. But given the UIDAI uses biometrics for authorising transactions, these databases are a risk.

In effect, the real database problem for Aadhaar is not as much with its database but with these other databases.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the agency responsible for the Aadhaar programme, did not respond to HTs request for comment.

Earlier this month, The Tribune reported that Aadhaar numbers and demographic information could be purchased for as little as Rs 500.

The UIDAI insisted that the biometrics of over 1 billion citizens were secure in the Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) maintained by the agency.

Thats true, but the existence of independent biometric databases means the information the UIDAI holds under lock and key is also scattered among scores of government departments, many of whom have little conception of data security.

Repeated government directives to seed databases with Aadhaar numbers has only worsened this threat, two senior IT administrators said.

This is because any biometric database that seeds Aadhaar numbers, by default, has the same information as UIDAIs CIDR for those particular Aadhaar numbers.

Thus far, there have been no public reports of hackers stealing Indian biometric stashes, but in 2015 hackers believed to have ties with Chinese security agencies stole 5.6 million fingerprints from the servers of the Office of Personnel Management, the human resource department of the US government.

50 million prints

From 2012 to 2016, the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) of India gathered 50 million biometric records to issue identity cards for workers and their family members, according to project documents reviewed by HT.

The ESIC then switched to Aadhaar-based authentication, and had linked 10 million Aadhaar numbers to their insurance database by 31 July 2017, according to a reply to a Lok Sabha question.

This means a server in the ESIC office on Delhis outskirts, and its backup in Hyderabad, hold a database that integrates Aadhaar numbers with biometrics and demographic details, effectively mirroring a portion of the UIDAIs top secret CIDR.

In an interview, Mr. Sanjay Sinha, Additional Commissioner at the ESIC, said the database was safe, and encrypted. But databases must be continuously upgraded to stay secure. The ESIC system was built by Wipro in February 2009 under a five-year agreement to maintain it.

When the agreement expired in 2014, ESIC signed a maintenance contract with Railtel Corporation of India, a subsidiary of the Indian Railways, Mr. Sinha said. This means the corporation no longer receives security upgrades from Wipro, and relies on Railtel to secure a system they havent built.

Databases galore

The ESIC is not the only organisation to unwittingly build a slice of the CIDR.

Gujarats ration card project captured the biometrics of 7 million residents. This database is being seeded with Aadhaar numbers as well, a senior IT official in the state said, implying that the Gujarat government has their own abbreviated version of the UIDAIs CIDR as well.

Meanwhile, the fingerprints of 2.1 million coastal fishermen are stored in the National Marine Fishers Database built by a consortium of public sector companies.

The enumeration of fisherman by conducting many number of camps in fishing villages has been completed, a spokesperson for Bharat Electronics Limited, the consortium leader said, The data collected has been converted to smart cards and issued to fishermen through state authorities.

BEL did not explain how the information was stored, but a 2012 order by the Central Information Commission notes that the data is the proprietary information of the Registrar General and that these PSUs will take all care to safeguard the confidentiality of this information.

These 2.1 million fingerprints would probably be held by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, an official said.

Who knows what they know about data security, the official observed, seeking anonymity as the matter is deemed too sensitive to discuss with the press.

From database to fingerprint

Biometrics are protected by encryption and by condensing fingerprints into templates obtained by using software to extract unique features of a given print.

But encrypted data needs decryption keys, which may be leaked if a database is accessed by multiple users.

Templates do not offer total security either.

There was a misconception that a template cannot be inverted, but that is not true anymore, said Anil Jain, Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan State University. It is possible to use a template to reconstruct a fingerprint to a high degree of accuracy.

The reconstructed fingerprint, Prof. Jain has shown, can be used to build spoof fingerprints that fool most biometric readers.

Meanwhile the ESIC continues to sit on its enormous archive of fingerprints. We cant just delete the data, said an ESIC official. That will happen as and when we get the appropriate orders.
The Gujarat poll outcome has instilled the belief in Congress workers that the BJP can be defeated, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said on Sunday and exuded confidence that the party would emerge victorious in the 2019 general elections under Rahul Gandhis leadership.

Patel, who had won the Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat last year in a close contest, also said the poll verdict in Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state was a moral victory for the Congress as the BJP, which had talked about getting 150 seats, was wrapped up under 100.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed so many meetings and used all sorts of tricks from bringing Pakistan...to even saying that someone in Pakistan wants me to be the chief minister, but failed to polarise the voters, Patel told PTI in an interview.

Gujarat poll results have boosted the morale of Congress workers, not only in Gujarat but all over India, and given them the belief that the BJP can be defeated, the 68-year-old leader said.

The Assembly election outcome would definitely help the Congress party in the 2019 elections, he said.

The way Rahul Gandhi has campaigned in Gujarat, his hard work and the way he drew huge crowds were very encouraging and helped us win the seats we finally did, said Patel.

The BJP won 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, its tally dipping from 115 in the last elections.

Had the BJP not used their gimmicks, they would have been defeated in Gujarat, Patel claimed.

He said the Congress was constantly improving and would do well in the upcoming state elections this year.

The young and dynamic party president, Rahul Gandhi, would lead the Congress to victory in the 2019 polls, he held.

Asked if Gandhi, who took over as the party chief last month, would build a new team, Patel said, The Congress president is consulting seniors; he is using youngsters also.

He has a slot for everyone. He knows where to utilise whose expertise, the veteran Congress leader said.

On whether the Congress would stitch up an alliance for the 2019 elections, Patel said the ultimate goal was to defeat divisive and communal forces.

We are prepared to take the support of like-minded parties, but it is too early to talk of alliances. Congress president and senior leaders will decide later, said Patel, who served as Sonia Gandhis political secretary for about 15 years during her time as Congress chief.

Asked if the Congress was going through its worst phase electorally, Patel said, When Soniaji had taken over, the Congress was (in power) in a few states; similarly under Rahul ji, we will get more states. Its a question of time.

On the BJP projecting itself as championing the cause of Muslim women and the Mehram issue, Patel said women could proceed for haj without mehram (male guardian) because of a change in rules in Saudi Arabia.

Talking about the triple talaq bill, which has been passed by the Lok Sabha and is awaiting the Rajya Sabha nod, he said the Congress had demanded that the bill be forwarded to a select committee, so that all its provisions could be scrutinised.

Asked if the Congress was guilty of causing too many disruptions in Parliament in recent times, Patel said the party was only raising genuine issues.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Sunday Pakistan, where ancient Indian civilisation thrived, didnt call itself Bharat because the word exuded a Hindutva flavour.

Hindutva was the fuel that sustained India whose strength was diversity, the RSS chief said at the Luitporiya Hindu Sammelan, a confluence of Hindus living on the banks of river Brahmaputra in Guwahati.

Bharat will exist as long as Hindutva, the countrys essence, exists. Ancient Indian civilisations prospered in present day Pakistan, which did not name itself Bharat because the Bharat word radiates Hindutva, Bhagwat said.

The RSS conclave, said to be its biggest in the Northeast, comes a few weeks ahead of polling in three states of the region. Tripura votes on February 18 and Meghalaya and Nagaland on February 27.

The RSS is the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

India forgot its enmity with Pakistan on August 15, 1947 but Pakistan has not, he said as he went on to explain Hindutva as a philosophy beyond Hinduism.

Indias uniqueness lies in its diversity. Every Indian has the same feelings despite the diversity. It is Indias tradition to go along with everyone, every community, every religion, and every region. India teaches the world through its behaviour and way of life. The world calls it Hindutva, he said.

Bhagwat also urged parents in the region, which is home to a large number of tribes and also a considerable Christian population, to be a part of Hindutva.

Mere sympathising with the Sangh will not do. Mothers have to send their sons to Sanghs shakhas so that they can learn our vision, he said.

Apart from Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his ministerial colleagues, the event attracted at least 20 tribal kings, tribal chieftains and religious heads from across undivided Assam, which refers to the post-Independence map of the state that included Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram.

Political rivals viewed the Bhagwat show as an attempt by the BJP to mobilise support ahead of assembly elections. The BJP is keen on winning these states after Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

The RSS programme is nothing but pushing the BJP brand of communal politics, former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said.
The ministry of home affairs will hire Air India aircraft to facilitate travel of personnel of central armed police forces, Intelligence Bureau and the NDRF serving in remote areas of the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir from home and place of postings, an official said.

An amount of Rs 109.84 crore has been sanctioned by the ministry to offer the air services to the security personnel during the first seven months of 2018 by hiring the Air India planes.

Priority will be given to those personnel availing the facility for the first, second and third time respectively and those going on temporary duties, subject to availability of seats, a home ministry official told PTI.

Air services were introduced a few years ago by the ministry for limited sectors but the scheme has now been expanded with new sectors, enhanced frequency and aircraft with more seats.

The Air India is expected to deploy its narrow-body jet Airbus A319 which has around 144 all-economy seats.

The sectors in which the air service will be available are: Delhi-Leh-Delhi, Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu-Delhi, Delhi-Dibrugarh-Guwahati-Delhi, Kolkata-Imphal-Kolkata, Kolkata-Agartala-Kolkata, Kolkata-Aizwal-Kolkata and Kolkata- Silchar-Kolkata.

The service will end a major grievance of the personnel of the CAPF like CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, Intelligence Bureau and National Disaster Response Force deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast as they have to spend at least six days of their leave only in travelling, another ministry official said.

The official said though the scheme has been approved until July 31, it will be further extended for the whole year and subsequent years too.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday India has shown it can attack its enemies not only on its soil, but also in a foreign territory, if need be.

Singhs remarks come almost a month after 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.

The operation was seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel by a Border Action Team of the Pakistan Army in Keri sector Rajouri district.

A few months ago, Pakistan, in an act of cowardice, attacked and martyred 17 of our jawans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi consulted all of us on this serious issue, and the Indian Army entered the Pakistani area and killed the militants, Singh said at a public meeting here.

Indias image in the world has become that of a strong nation and we have given a strong message to the world that we can attack our enemies not only on our soil, but also in their territory. India has developed this power, he said.

Singh said India wants to maintain a friendly relationship with Pakistan.

But Pakistan is not mending its ways, Singh said.

I want to assure you that our government will not let India to bow its head, he said.

The home minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the countrys economy is moving ahead at a fast pace.

..and now even the global economists and experts accept this, he said, adding that Indias prestige in the global arena is rising rapidly.

Singh was addressing a meeting of Bharatiya Railway Maal Godaam Shramik Sangh.

The railway maal godaam shramik have, for the past few generations, been sweating and giving the Railways a good income. However, despite this, they do not have any identification card, nor do they get any treatment facility in any of the Railway hospitals, said Rajnath.

He said he would take up the issues and problems of the labourers in the railway sector with their representatives and the railway minister.
Eight men were killed and another was critically injured when a truck slammed into their SUV at Jardaha in Jharkhands Dumka district, around 280 km northeast of Ranchi early Sunday morning.

Police said the injured person was taken to Sadar hospital Dumka in critical condition. Chief minister Raghbuar Das expressed grief over the road accident. He directed the officials to ensure proper treatment of the injured.

This is the second major road accident in Jharkhand in a week. On January 14, thirteen people including five women and four children were killed after a speeding truck rammed into an auto-rickshaw at Palamdipa area of Jharkhands Gumla district.

The victims were job aspirants were on way from Dumkas Rasikpur area to Deoghar appear in a recruitment exam conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), said Taljhari police station in-charge Narayani Prajapati.

The JSSC is conducting the examination for the post of panchayat secretary across the state at all district headquarters. The first session of the examination was scheduled from 8:30am on Sunday.

Prajapati said that the empty truck which was coming from Deoghar at high speed when it collided with the SUV in which at least nine students were travelling, near Tool Room and Training Centre (TRTC) in Jardaha area around 5:45 am in the morning.

Students of TRTC immediately rushed to the spot for rescue. However, six people died on spot while two were declared dead in the hospital, he said, adding, police reached the spot within 15 minutes of the incident.

The police were trying to identify the deceased. The bodies were brought to the hospital for postmortem, Prajapati said.

The truck driver is said to have fled after the accident.

Cases of road accidents are on rise in Jharkhand. The state had registered 4,905 cases of road accidents in 2014, which increased to 5,162 in 2015, according to the National Crime Bureau Records (NCRB). Fatalities increased to 2,893 in 2015 from 2,546 in 2014.
Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has examined suggestions from stakeholders to bring transparency in allocation of sensitive PILs to judges and is likely to bring in the public domain soon the system he is going to adopt for it, sources close to him said on Sunday.

They said that the listing of two petitions demanding an independent probe into the death of CBI special judge B H Loya before a bench headed by the CJI manifests that all issues, including allocation of cases, raised by the four seniormost judges in their controversial January 12 press conference, are being considered.

The Loya case petitions will come up for hearing on Monday.

The sources said that Justice Misra has held deliberations with fellow judges and also taken into account the suggestions put forth by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and a clear-cut roster system is likely to be followed in the apex court for allocation of cases.

The apex court registry is very likely to upload on its website the decision of the CJI on allocation of matters. The system will be brought in the public domain as to who will hear what categories of cases, a highly placed source told PTI.

When contacted, SCBA President Vikas Singh said there was a demand from the bar to follow the roster system of allocation of work prevalent in the Delhi High Court.

We are quite hopeful that the CJI in all likelihood is going to accept our suggestions and all misunderstanding that has come out in the open after the press conference of the four judges can be resolved, Singh said.

He said that a system for allocation of cases identical to that in the Delhi High Court is followed in the Bombay High Court.

During the press conference, the four judges -- justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph -- had raised various issues, including the allocation of important and sensitive PILs, and questioned the manner in which the CJI was allocating them to a particular bench.

The PILs in the Loya case was one of them which was being heard by a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra who later recused himself from it.

The list of the top courts business for January 22 had on January 19 shown that it has been referred to an appropriate bench and late in the evening the website showed that it will be heard by a bench headed by the CJI.

Sources said that some of the judges who are the future CJIs -- justices S A Bobde, N V Ramana, U U Lalit and D Y Chandrachud -- have been holding parleys with the CJI to resolve the crisis that hit the judiciary after the January 12 presser.

They also said that the judges who have been having talks with the CJI for bringing the house in order were also not happy that the four seniormost judges went public with their grievances.

After January 18, there was no meeting between the CJI and the four judges as Justice Chelameswar was out of the national capital on a scheduled visit to Chennai and Bengaluru.

There is a likelihood that the CJI and the four judges would meet on Monday before the court commences hearings, the sources said.
Maharashtra ranks fifth among states that have lost maximum forest areas to encroachers. Of the states 61,579 square kilometre (sq km) of forests, which is a fifth of its geographical area, encroachers have taken over 670sq km  more than the area of Greater Mumbai, which is 603sq km.

The data on forest encroachments was submitted by the Union environment ministry in Rajya Sabha last month.

Nationally, encroachments cover 13,612sq km of nearly 7,64,000-lakh sq km forest cover  23% of the countrys land. The forest area encroached nationally is roughly 10 times the size of New Delhi (1,400sq km).

Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka and Odisha have the largest stretches of encroached forest lands, followed by Maharashtra.

Diversion of land for cultivation and other purposes continues to be the most serious threat to forests. The conversion of forests to farms and other uses leads to biodiversity loss and man-animal conflicts, thereby altering the natural balance, said experts.

Read more | Maharashtra to involve coastal villages protect states mangrove forests

Our idea has always been zero tolerance to encroachment. However, we are facing three main concerns when it comes to this issue in Maharashtra  increasing agricultural practices by tribal settlements, construction of religious structures, and increasing urbanisation near tier I and II cities.

This is not only eating into the habitat of animals but changing the natural biodiversity of forests, said Shailesh Tembhurnikar, additional principal chief conservator of forest (conservation), Maharashtra forest department, in-charge of encroachment removal in the state.

Most cases of forest encroachment in Maharashtra in 2017 was reported from Mumbai Metropolitan Region, data from the state forest department showed.

With 49,463 cases from Thane spread across 973 hectares, and 33,850 cases from Mumbai spread across 6,170 hectares, the two districts had the highest number of cases in the state.

However, area wise, the maximum encroachments were from Dhule with 15,076 cases spread across 207 sqkm, followed by Gadchiroli with 8,969 cases spread across 103 sq km. The data on forest encroachments was submitted by the Union environment ministry in the Rajya Sabha in December, 2017.

Environmentalists said that encroachments cut forest corridors that animals use to move from one forest area to another.

There needs to be a detailed study about the forms of encroachment across different forest areas in India. We are fast losing protected spaces and wildlife habitats. Encroachments around rivers will affect the river flow for years. It is our responsibility to preserve what remains of these areas, said Ravi Singh, secretary general and CEO of World Wildlife Fund (India). The forest department and the political leadership are fighting this issue but efforts need to be escalated, he said.

Read more | 13.5 hectares of mangroves in Mumbai to be free of encroachment by May 2018

The environment ministry blamed states for not protecting forest areas. It is the responsibility of states governments to ensure forest encroachments are removed at the earliest, said an official from the ministry.

State forest departments said that claims to land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) pose as the main hurdle in clearing encroachments.

Virendra Tiwari, chief conservator of forest, Maharashtra, said the FRA allowed tribal communities and villages within protected forests to carry out agricultural practices.

Prior to this, the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, did not allow any encroachment, said Tiwari. He added that most encroachments are from the time before FRA came into existence. There are several cases where the FRA is being manipulated. The entire process to hear claims is extremely lengthy, he said.

Last month, the state forest department headquarters in Nagpur issued orders to the chief conservator of forests in every district to create a list of encroachments in their jurisdiction. The idea is to document the number of encroachments on a year-on-year basis and ensure their speedy removal, said Shailesh Tembhurnikar, additional principal chief conservator of forest (conservation) who is in-charge of encroachment removal in the state.

We are in the process of building a stronger network not only to remove encroachments, but also to fight wildlife crimes, said the official from the ministry.

In Mumbai, where human settlements are closing in on the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, work is under way to create a boundary wall around the forest. Similar plans have been devised for forest areas around Pune and Nagpur, said Tiwari, adding that this will also control the proliferation of religious shrines that become footholds for new settlements.
Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra on Sunday said the country urgently needs to evolve and promulgate a National Security Policy under which a ministry of national security affairs should be established. He also underlined the need to have a separate central service, called the National Security Administrative Service, whose cadre should man central security organisations.

He was delivering the 12th RN Kao Memorial Lecture at the headquarters of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the countrys external intelligence agencies. Vohra, who was a secretary in the ministries of defence and home and rose to become principal secretary to Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, has been J&K governor for the last nine-and-a-half years.

Arguing for a National Security Policy, Vohra said the majority of states have been unable to establish efficient intelligence agencies and maintain well-trained police forces in adequate strength and they remain perennially dependent on the Centre for central forces and the army for restoration of normalcy.

There must not be any further delay in promulgating a well-considered National Security Policy, which is founded in unambiguous Union-states understanding to work together for collectively safeguarding the countrys unity and territorial integrity, he said.

Vohra further said that there is a fundamental necessity to ensure that all security management-related departments and agencies be manned by personnel trained and equipped to handle these tasks. So the government should establish the National Security Administrative Service whose constituents should be selected on the basis of a pan-India competitive exam and they should be trained in various areas of the national security administration system.

Vohra said that appointments in home and defence ministries and other security organisations have traditionally been made from generalist cadre. Many of those deployed in important agencies do not have prior experience of managing security.

Serious personnel related problems have been surfacing in the functioning of central intelligence agencies, particularly in the R&AW, he said.

Vohra argued for a separate ministry of national security affairs, which should deal with issues related only to management of internal security. Currently, the home ministry deals with many other issues, including that of internal security.

He touched upon the issue of improvement in criminal justice system, saying courts should improve their disposal rates. He raised the issue of integrity of subordinate judicial services, adding, In the past years, allegations have been raised against those who man the higher judiciary, including up to the august level of the Chief Justice of India.
Just over a week after Odisha police arrested the manager of a private bank on charges of transporting Rs 50 lakh in cash to the house of one of the richest MLAs of the state without proper documents, it ordered freezing the legislators bank accounts.

On January 12, police in Keonjhar had arrested the manager and two other staff of IndusInd Banks Joda branch while they were transporting the cash to the house of independent MLA Sanatan Mahakud.

Keonjhars superintendent of police Rajesh Pandit said the bank management has been asked to temporarily freeze the five current accounts of Mahakud, MLA from iron ore-rich Champua. The five accounts are said to have a total sum of Rs 165 crore.

The accounts were ordered to be frozen under section 102 of CrPC. We got to know that Mahakud was using his money to create law and order problems in the district, said Pandit. We would also write to other banks for temporary freeze of the accounts.

Since last month, Mahakuds outfit Sana Sena has been creating law and order troubles in the district resorting to hold-ups on national highway toll gates to setting fire to the office of a ministers son. Police have lodged cases against Sana Sena and Mahakud.

Though the independent legislator has been summoned to the police station, he did not show up citing his poor health.

With declared assets worth Rs 51 crore and his wifes Shantilatas as Rs 18 crore, Mahakud was one of the richest candidates in Odisha in 2014 assembly election. Mahakud, formerly a truck driver who transported iron ore is suspected to have made his money during the mining boom in Odisha between 2004 and 2008.

Mahakud recently announced that he would form a new political party named Jana Samrudha Party which would contest in all 147 assembly constituencies of Odisha.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Saturday the state government would approach the Supreme Court to stop the release of the controversial film Padmaavat.

Speaking to reporters after a programme here, Chouhan said: We would once again knock on the apex courts doors.

He didnt elaborate.

In November, after meeting Rajput community leaders, Chouhan had announced that the film would not be allowed to release in the state.

The Supreme Court has stayed the orders/notifications issued by the Rajasthan and Gujarat governments prohibiting the screening of Padmaavat, and restrained other state governments from issuing similar orders.
Jana Sena founder and Tollywood actor Pawan Kalyan said on Sunday he would visit the Hanuman temple in Kondagattu near Karimnagar on Monday and announce his political programme.

Kalyan, however, said he would announce his plan of action for the next three days, as he has not yet decided the exact mode he would adopt to reach masses.

I will have darshan of Lord Hanuman tomorrow (Monday) and announce the programme for the next three days from there. I will announce the schedule for every three or four days. I have not decided whether I would undertake padayatra (foot march) or a roadshow or any other means to meet people, the actor told reporters in Hyderabad.

He said his main agenda for Telangana is to meet the party workers.

The plan of action would depend on the feedback from them, he said, adding that there wont be any public meetings but only the Jana Sena cadre meetings.

Political analyst and former MLC Nageswar ruled out Pawan Kalyans impact on Telangana, saying there is no political space for the actor in the state.

Nageswar also said the actor may be trying to consolidate and sustain his fan following through these activities and people of Telangana are unlikely to own him in politics as he is considered to be from Andhra Pradesh.

In a separate development, Polish ambassador to India Adam Burakowski met Kalyan on Sunday and requested his cooperation to promote his country as an ideal place for Telugu film shootings.

Kalyan, who floated Jana Sena ahead of the 2014 polls, had extended full support to the TDP-BJP combine back then.

However, Kalyan of late started accusing the BJP of not honouring the promises, especially the grant of special category status, the saffron party had made to the people of Andhra Pradesh.

He had caused a flutter after he met Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on New Years eve at the latters camp office in Hyderabad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday it was a myth that people wanted freebies. They wanted honesty and it was the responsibility of the Centre to understand their needs and aspirations, Modi said, as his government gets ready to presents its last full budget in less than two weeks.

Budget is the property of Parliament. It falls under the ambit of our finance minister, so I dont want to interfere in that. But those who have seen me as chief minister and also as prime minister, the common man doesnt want all these things He doesnt demand sops and freebies. It is our myth and I trust the common man of the country. We run the government, take decision to fulfil their needs and aspirations, the Prime Minister said in an interview to a private news channel.

It was for the people to decide if they wanted populism, which reflected the political culture of the Congress, or a break from it so that the country could go from strength to strength.

To a question on rural distress, Modi said it was the duty of the Centre and states to work together to find solutions to farmers problems.

This criticism is justified. We cant deny this... Some of our attempts and measures in the past have instilled confidence, especially Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, he said, referring to the crop insurance scheme.

In what has been the central theme of his partys political attack in the last three years, Modi said the Congress-mukt Bharat (Congress-free India) slogan was not against the opposition party or electoral outcomes but it was against the culture that had come to represent the party.

Congress has spread itself as a culture throughout the country... casteism, dynasty, corruption and exploitation, treachery and keeping complete control over power. All this became a part of Indian political culture whose main pillar was the Congress, Modi said.

For a healthy democracy, it was necessary that the Congress party, too, was freed of the Congress culture, he said.

The comments come ahead of a string to state elections. Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura vote in February. Later in the year, assembly elections are due in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the BJP and the Congress are directly pitted against each other.

These polls will be the first that the Congress will fight under Rahul Gandhi who took over as the party chief on December 16.

To a question if his equation with other world leaders had contributed to isolate Pakistan internationally, Modi said Indias foreign policy was independent of its neighbour.

If you think Indias foreign policy is based on Pakistan, then this is a grave injustice to India. Indias foreign policy is based in the context of India, Indias foreign policy is based in the context of its relations with the world, he said.

It is issue based, our foreign policy is not based around one nation and it shouldnt be. And if you think we are doing so much hard work around the world to isolate one nation, then that is wrong. This is not our work.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to all chief ministers, asking them address the challenge of tuberculosis in a mission mode and review the progress of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) at least every quarter.

He urged them to closely monitor key performance indicators such as case notification (including from private sector), treatment success rate and active case finding.

He said tuberculosis is the biggest killer among all infectious diseases and about 29 lakh new TB cases are reported every year.

About 4.20 lakh people, mostly poor, die annually due to tuberculosis, leaving lakhs of children orphaned. Economic loss on account of TB in India is about Rs 20,000 crore per annum, Modi wrote in the letter.

We cannot allow such human tragedies, for a disease which is treatable and for which drugs and diagnostics are available in the public health care system, the letter read.

The PM wrote the government was committed to eliminating TB by 2015, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals for which the health ministry was implementing the RNTCP with new vigour.

The RNTCP has taken several new initiatives like daily regimen, universal drug susceptibility testing, active case finding in vulnerable groups and cross reference between HIV and TB cases to help us address the challenge posed by TB, he wrote.

It is incumbent upon us to address this challenge in a mission mode. I request you to kindly review the progress of the programme at least every quarter and closely monitor key performance indicators like case notification (including from private sector), treatment success rate, active case finding and HR vacancy, he said.

The government is planning to give Rs 500 a month to tuberculosis patients, irrespective of their income level, to help them buy nutritious food and compensate them for travel expenses until they are cured.

The Expenditure Finance Committee has approved the proposal and sent it to the Mission Steering Group, a health ministry official had said earlier.

The ministry recently rolled out the daily drug regimen to combat the disease across the country.

Under the new treatment policy, patients are given fixed drug combinations  three or four drugs in a single pill  daily, instead of thrice a week (intermittent drug regimen).

Dosage is determined according to the patients body weight. Previously, it was same for all adults.

Also, children suffering from tuberculosis wont have to take the bitter tablets anymore as they will be replaced with easily-dissoluble and flavoured drugs.

Since 1997, under the RNTCP, patients were being administered drugs thrice a week. The daily treatment regimen is likely to be more effective with lesser relapses and it is expected to reduce drug-resistance with greater compliance.

The WHO revised its TB management guidelines in 2010, recommending that the daily drug regimen be adopted under the RNTCP.
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday imposed restrictions in parts of the Srinagar city to prevent protests against the killings of 55 people on January 21 in 1990.

The separatist camp had called for protest march on the 28th anniversary of Gaw Kadal Massacre in which 55 people were allegedly killed and many injured, when security forces opened fire upon on people who were protesting against the harassment by the government forces during nocturnal house-to-house raids in downtown area.

The incident had shaken the Valley evoking widespread anger against the then Governor Jagmohan who was running the affairs of the state under the governors rule.

Restrictions under section 144 CrPc will remain in force today (Sunday) in areas under seven police stations including Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, MR Gunj, Safa Kadal, Maisuma and Kralkhud, a statement said.

Contingents of Central Reserve Police Force and state police in full riot gear have been deployed in areas placed under restrictions and other law and order sensitive places.

Rolls of razor fitted concertina wire have been placed at traffic crossings to disallow vehicular movement. Pedestrian movement is being allowed only in emergencies from and into these areas.
The assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana may be 15 months away, but prominent political parties in both the states are already trying to outdo each other in wooing voters.

Even as opposition parties make high-flying promises in a bid to wrest power, the ruling ones are introducing new welfare schemes with little consideration of their impact on the public exchequer.

The YSR Congress, the main opposition in Andhra Pradesh, has come out with a mini-manifesto that promises nine different kinds of sops aimed at various sections of the society. Its president, YS Jaganmohan Reddy, has already hit the road with a 3,000-km-long padayatra to highlight them.

One such promise is that of the YSR Rythu Bharosa, which would entail spending Rs 50,000 on each of the 6.6 million small and marginal farmers in the state. The total estimated cost of this scheme is Rs 33,000 crore.

Another promise made by Reddy is the YSR Aasara scheme, which involves the waiver of loans amounting to Rs 15,000 crore for 89 lakh self-help group women. He also announced hiking the amount of social security pensions being paid to various sections of people  senior and differently abled citizens, weavers and widows  from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. At present, the government spends Rs 5,000 crore towards paying pensions to around five million people.

Reddy has also vowed to reduce the age limit for payment of old-age pension to SC, ST, OBC and minority community women from 60 to 45 years, if voted to power. Among the other promises made by him are reimbursement of tuition fee for all students below poverty line (expected to cost the state exchequer Rs 3,000 crore), and alcohol prohibition across the state. Andhra Pradesh earns nearly Rs 14,000 crore from liquor sales every year.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party is also trying to woo voters using similar means despite the dire financial straits the state is in. Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, after waiving crop loans worth Rs 24,000 crore in four instalments, has announced a new scheme that would enable the replacement of existing agricultural pump sets with new energy-efficient equipment at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore.

Besides this, Naidu is keen on implementing a promise made before 2014  paying unemployment allowance ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month to jobless youngsters  at a budget of Rs 500 crore. Also on the cards is the provision of Rs 25,000-40,000 in financial assistance to newly wed couples belonging to the backward classes at a cost of Rs 300 crore.

The situation is similar in neighbouring Telangana.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi, headed by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, has already come out with two major schemes  round-the-clock free power supply for the agriculture sector and financial assistance of up to Rs 8,000 per acre every year to each of the 77 lakh farmers in the state. They are likely to cost the state exchequer as much as Rs 12,000 crore annually.

Telangana Congress president Captain N Uttam Kumar Reddy, for his part, has decided against holding back on pre-poll promises. He has declared that crop loans of up to Rs 2 lakh will be waived off in one go if the party is voted to power. The scheme is expected to cost the exchequer Rs 35,000 crore in funds. He has also promised unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 to each unemployed graduate.

Economists, however, are far from impressed by their tactics.

There is nothing wrong in political parties promising and implementing welfare schemes, but only if they are able to mobilise resources for the same. If they take loans to implement them, the burden will only fall on the people, said K Laxminarayana, senior economics professor at the University of Hyderabad.

Former legislator K Nageshwar said it was wrong to assume that people believe all the pre-poll sops promised to them. They go by the governance of the present government rather than promises made by the opposition, he added.
The Naga Hoho, an apex Naga tribal body, on Sunday objected to the holding of elections in Nagaland next month before the insurgency issue in the state was resolved and indicated that it may ask political parties to boycott the polls.

A delegation of the Naga Hoho, which has been camping in the national capital for the last few days, met several central leaders, including home minister Rajnath Singh and voiced their opposition to the polls before a peace pact between the Centre and the Naga rebel group NSCN-IM.

All tribals, civil society, political leaders have come together and said in once voice that they want a solution to the Naga issue before elections, Naga Hoho president Chuba Ozukum told PTI in Delhi.

The 60-member Nagaland Assembly will go to polls on February 27.

Asked about their course of action, Ozukum said: We will be compelled to ask candidates not to contest the polls.

At any cost, we do not want polls. The people of Nagaland want solution not elections, he said.

The Naga Hoho president said the home minister told them the Centre would continue its peace initiative in Nagaland, and asked them to cooperate in the election process.

The home minister said the central government is committed to finding a political solution, he said.

Ozukum said the Naga Hoho would take a final decision on its stand after consultations with political leaders and other civil society groups.

Earlier this month, the Naga Hoho had conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that for the Naga people a Naga peace accord was more important than elections and therefore, it had become imperative to defer polls for peace and tranquillity.

Expectations for a lasting peace have soared in insurgency-hit Nagaland after the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) entered a framework agreement in 2015.

The NSCN-IM has been engaging in peace talks with the Centres interlocutor since 1997, when it announced a ceasefire agreement after a bloody insurgency movement that began shortly after the countrys independence.

The insurgent groups key demand to integrate the Naga- inhabited areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur has already been rejected by the central government.

President Ram Nath Kovind had in November 2017 said Nagaland was at the threshold of making history as the final agreement on the issue would be arrived at shortly.

Nagaland governor PB Acharya had on September 19 said the vexed Naga issue would be resolved within the next few months.
A day after a Class-12 student allegedly shot dead his school principal in her office in Yamunanagar on Saturday, conflicting accounts about the 18-year-old have emerged, with the school management calling him a spoilt brat while his neighbours vouching for his sincerity and good manners.

The boy was arrested after he allegedly pumped four bullets on the face and chest of Ritu Chhabra (46), principal of Swami Vivekananda Public School, with his fathers licensed .32 bore revolver.

Police said he went to the school during a parent-teacher meeting (PTM) around 10.30am and forced his way into Chhabras office to teach her a lesson as she used to punish him in front of his fellow students over his poor academic performance and low attendance.

Chhabra succumbed to bullet injuries at a private hospital.

The boy, who turned 18 on January 10, has been charged with murder. His father, a financier, is a resident of Yamunanagar towns Hamida locality.

Yamunanagar superintendent of police (SP) Rajesh Kalia said the boy was not good in his studies.

The police on Sunday produced the boy and his father in the district court. While the student was sent to two-day police remand, his father, who was booked under the Arms Act, was sent to two-day police custody.

The news of the boy killing his principal has left his friends and neighbours shocked.

No doubt, he was a pampered son of a businessman, but he was affable and polite. There might be something that drove him to take this extreme step, said one of the familys neighbours.

How could he murder his principal? It is unbelievable and shocking, said Ravi Kumar, a neighbour. He is a very good boy and always greeted his elders by touching their feet. He used to go to the temple everyday, said Vikram Pandit, another neighbour.

Kamal Kamboj, president of Swami Vivekanand Society that runs the school, said, There were some issues with this boy. First, he used to come on a Bullet (Royal Enfield) bike against school rules and he was scolded for this. Another was about his low attendance and also he never took his teachers and studies seriously.

Kamboj said, Our staff said he never cared what the teachers would say. He was a pampered son of a rich man.

A school staff member said, The principal had also warned him against bringing mobile phone to the school.

School principal cremated

The body of school principal Ritu Chhabra was cremated by her family members on Sunday morning. Her husband Rajesh Chhabra said the incident has shaken his family, especially his sons. The family members said Ritu was teaching economics in the school for the past 17 years and was promoted as principal in June 2014.

The police have locked the school till January 22 and will be opened after they complete the investigation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will learn the technique of making processed olive leaf tea from Rajasthan. During Netanyahus visit to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on January 15, the Israeli PM was served olive tea made in Bikaner.

The olive tea was produced by Rajasthan Olive Cultivation Limited (ROCL), a joint venture between the Rajasthan government and Israeli partners.

Netanyahu praised the olive tea and took information about its processing and production.

Its a matter of pride for us that the Indian President welcomed the Israeli PM by serving olive tea. We had brought the olive saplings from Israel and today the Netanyahu is saying that Israel will learn the technique of making processed olive leaf tea from us, Rajasthan agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini said.

He said that chief minister Vasundhara Raje had gone to Israel along with a team of agriculture experts in 2008 and after returning she decided to start cultivation of olive in Rajasthan. The first olive plant was planted at Dhidhol government farm in Bassi on March 20, 2008. Olive has been sown in seven agro-climatic zones in the state on an experimental basis and it proved successful.

Saini said despite olive not being a traditional crop of Rajasthan, the state has been successful in producing and processing olive.

In order to double the income of olive growing farmers, the state government decided to use olive leaf to make processed olive tea. The agriculture department signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Olitia Foods Pvt Limited.

The agriculture minister said that olive tea has medicinal benefits and helps in treating serious diseases such as cancer. Olive tea has antioxidants and also helps diabetics.
A man runs a campaign in Kota to save the girl child, and he does it in a way that promotes communal harmony.

The organisation of Surendra Rathore (35) gifts a copy of the Ramayana through a Muslim to a Hindu family where a girl child is born. A Hindu presents a copy of the Quran to a Muslim family on the birth of a girl child.

Rathore, a small agricultural trader who runs the organisation -- Nayi Pahal Sansthan -- in Kota, leads rallies to the houses of the families where baby girls are born. Volunteers of the organisation and schoolchildren participate in the rallies.

Lokesh Meghwal (28) of Banjara Colony was pleasantly surprised on Saturday when Rathore and volunteers visited his house. They presented garlands, sweets, and clothes for Meghwals wife and her newborn girl child.

A Muslim man handed over a copy of the Ramayana, an ancient epic poem with lord Ram as its hero, to Meghwals wife. When the country is witnessing incidents that disturb communal harmony, the initiative of Nayi Pahal Sansthan is inspiring, Meghwal said.

Anwarul Hasans family in Kota was cheerful when the volunteers offered sweets, clothes and garlands to his wife who gave birth to a baby girl recently. A Hindu volunteer handed over a copy of the Quran, the holy book of the Muslims, to Hasans family. The organisation is conveying the save girl child message and spreading communal amity, Hasan said.

According to 2011 census data, India recorded 939 girls for 1,000 boys. Rajasthan registered 888 girls per 1,000 boys. According to official data, the states sex ratio-at-birth figures improved in subsequent years. The numbers for 2015-16 stood at 929 girls per 1,000 boys.

Sex ratio is skewed in India. My organisation has been campaigning for the girl child for the last couple of years, said Rathore. I have a daughter and do not want a son; my daughter has inspired me for the drive.
Women from the Rajput community in Rajasthans Chittorgarh took out a Swabhimaan rally in protest against Sanjay Leela Bhansalis film Padmaavat on Sunday and wrote to the President of India demanding permission to end life.

Meanwhile, the state government in all likelihood will file a review petition on Monday in the Supreme Court against the apex courts order that stayed the decision of some states to ban the screening of the film. The film hurts the sentiments of the Rajput community as it allegedly distorts history regarding Rajput queen Padmini, a charge the filmmaker has denied.

In Chittorgarh, around 200 women of Jauhar Kshatrani Manch, Shri Rajput Karni Sena and Jauhar Smriti Sansthan, marched from Jauhar Sthal in Chittorgarh fort, where queen Padmini is said to have committed Jauhar in the year 1303 along with 16,000 other women, to Jauhar Bhawan in Gandhi Nagar area of the district and demanded that a countrywide ban be placed on the film, Suresh Kumar Khatik, sub divisional officer (SDO) of Chittorgarh said.

They gave us a memorandum addressed to the President, prime minister, Rajasthan governor and the chief minister and said that if the film is not banned, they should then be granted permission to end life, said the SDO.

The Jauhar Smriti Sansthan also organised a two-day seminar titled Padmini Ek Vastavikta that began on Sunday in Chittorgarh to bring out the historical truths about Padmini. Around 35 historians from different parts of Rajasthan were invited to read papers on queen Padmini to establish her existence, Lokendra Singh Chundawat, the organising secretary of the seminar, said.

Besides, the Shri Rajput Karni Sena said on Sunday that they will shut the doors of Amer and Nahargarh forts in Jaipur to protest the release of the film. To protect the Rajput pride, we will shut the doors of our forts, said Mahipal Singh Makrana, president of the Karni Sena, who also called the order of the SC a fatwa (religious decree).

On Saturday, Makrana had urged the soldiers of Rajput, Sikh and Jat regiments to lay down their arms for a day in protest against the film. You defend the country throughout the year. For one day, defend the honour of your sisters and daughters, he had urged the soldiers of the Kshatriya regiments.

The Rajput body also called for a Janta Curfew across the country on January 25 wherein the film hall owners shall voluntarily not screen the film. Members of Karni Sena, that is spearheading the campaign against the film for over a year, also met cinema hall owners in the state urging them not to screen the film.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena members requested the cinema hall owners at the Triton Mega Mall not to screen Padmaavat.
Rajasthan will start exporting 4,000 MW renewable energy (solar and wind) to other states within one year once an integrated power evacuation system is completed, a senior official said.

Presently, a transmission line for 765-KV Bhadla-Bikaner grid sub-station (GSS) is being set in the state, which will be linked to the Green Corridor that connects Moga in Punjab to Banaskanta in Gujarat. Once the work on 765 KV GSS line is completed in about one year, it will be linked to the Green Corridor. It will enable Rajasthan to start inter-state export of 4,000 MW clean energy (solar and wind) through the Banaskanta-Chittorgarh-Ajmer-Bikaner-Moga line, RRECL managing director BK Dosi said.

The linking to the Green Corridor is crucial, as discoms in Rajasthan will only be able to lift a part of total solar and wind power generation once ultra mega solar projects get commissioned by March 2019. Out of 4,000 MW, the 2,255 MW Bhadla solar park, once fully commissioned, will supply 750 MW exclusively to Uttar Pradesh.

Work on a number of solar projects in Rajasthan is in full swing, as the zero interstate transmission charges will be applicable only for those projects that are connected to grid by December 2019, Dosi said.

According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) data, the anticipated load-generation of Rajasthan corresponding to financial year 2021-22 indicates that the state would be in surplus by 5,030 MW.

The system planning and project appraisal division of CEA has envisaged that there would be requirement of at least five 765 KV transmission lines. The mega solar parks in Rajasthan are coming up at Bhadla (Jodhpur), Parewar (Jaisalmer), Fatehgarh (Jaisalmer), Pokaran (Jaisalmer) and Pugal (Bikaner) with big names including Adani, IL&FS, and Essel Infra setting up projects.

At present, the clean energy from Rajasthan is being evacuated through two 400 KV GSS and nine 220 KV GSS. Since Rajasthan will not be able to absorb the quantum of envisaged solar and wind power generation, it would have to be transmitted to other parts of the country, but that will require robust transmission infrastructure and development of inter-state transmission system.

Once fully operational, the Bhadla solar park will generate 2,255 MW, making it one of the largest solar parks in the world. The park, being developed in four phases, is currently generating 746 MW and phase 3 of 1,000 MW is under implementation.
A biker was allegedly punched and kicked to death in Kolkata on Saturday because he did not bribe the civic police volunteers who caught him driving without a helmet.

Eyewitnesses told the police Soumen Debnath (49) was stopped by some civic police volunteers at a busy intersection in North 24 Parganas district. The volunteers allegedly asked for bribe and kicked and punched Debnath when he refused to pay. On seeing local people rushing to Debnaths rescue, the volunteers fled while Debnath was taken to a local hospital where he died.

The incident took place at around 11am and rocked the crowded Madhyamgram area, located about 25km to the north of Kolkata. People blocked Jessore Road for several hours demanding action against regular traffic police personnel as well as civic volunteers who receive a fixed monthly honorarium from the government. Asking for bribe from bikers and goods vehicle drivers was a routine affair, they alleged.

In the afternoon, the district police arrested Soumen Roy, a civic police volunteer, and charged him with murder. We are examining footages caught on security cameras. If others are involved they will be booked too, said Abhijit Banerjee, additional superintendent of police.

Debnath, who used to work for a private company, was the sole bread earner in his family. He is survived by his parents, wife and two daughters. While his younger daughter is a student of Class 8, the elder is pursuing a masters degree in science.
For Mumbais Stephanie Lobo, travel means heading to the best patisserie in town and trying out their finest desserts. So, when she was in Paris, she couldnt get enough of the macarons and in San Francisco, she tasted the cruffin (croissant + muffin, duh!). So, when Lobo decided to quit her 9-to-5 marketing job, she started a home bakery called Pixie Mojo, Andheri, Mumbai in 2012.

Today, 33-year-old Lobo has gone a step ahead and moved out of her home kitchen to a Michelin starred one. Shes now part of the patisserie team at The Chester Grosvenor in Cheshire (England), a hotel which counts celebrities like Beyonce and Prince William and Kate Middleton on its frequent visitors list.

Watch: Stephanie Lobos Bakewell Tart

Going big

Lobo moved to the UK in 2015 with her husband. It was tough to find a job in a kitchen as a novice, self-trained baker. I would chase chefs across restaurants and hotels with my bakes for them to try. I would chat up with them and ask them if they were looking for people, she says. After two years of pop-ups, stages and working at a French restaurant called Chez Jules, Lobo managed to bag the Michelin starred gig. Ask any chef and theyll tell you that it would be a dream job.

Though Lobo was always interested in baking, she never thought of doing it professionally until people started paying her for baking cakes. I would always do the office catering, bake brownies for meetings and Christmas parties. At one point, people were offering me money and thats when I decided to set up Pixie Mojo, says Lobo, whos done marketing for Vogue, India and the STAR network.

Coffee panacotta and cinnamon sugar doughnut.

Life in the kitchen

Over the years, she honed her skills by googling recipes, perfecting them in her kitchen and trying out newer bakes. When I started baking from home, I would always refer to Paul Hollywoods books and look up recipes by Nigella Lawson. So, it was another dream come true, when I got to spend a day shooting with Hollywood himself last year. Because of his books I started my business and he was quite fascinated to know that there was someone in India who was following his recipes.

Lobo with Paul Hollywood at The Chester Grosvenor in England.

Lobo spends up to 16 hours in the kitchen perfecting desserts like Pavlova, tarts and the classic British puddings. Shes mastered over 30 different kinds of desserts and 14 types of breads. Though I havent been to a culinary school, I feel like I am equally good compared to my colleagues. Even my head chef says so, thats got to be something, right?

Bakewell Tart by Stephanie Lobo. (Aalok Soni/HT)

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Paul Bocuse, one of the greatest French chefs of all time, died on Saturday aged 91 after a long battle with Parkinsons disease. Dubbed the pope of French cuisine, Bocuse helped shake up the food world in the 1970s with the Nouvelle Cuisine revolution and create the idea of a celebrity chef.

French President Emmanuel Macron led tributes, calling him a mythic figure who transformed French cuisine. Chefs are crying in their kitchens across France.

He was one of the greatest figures of French gastronomy, the General Charles de Gaulle of cuisine, said French food critic Francois Simon, comparing him to Frances wartime saviour and dominant postwar leader. A giant in a nation that prides itself as the beating heart of gastronomy, Bocuse was Frances only chef to keep the Michelin food Bibles coveted three-star rating for more than four decades.

Paul Bocuse. A hero to me from my earliest days as a cook. A great, great chef who was very kind to me. To have spent time with him was an honor and a dream come true . Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/RxDCZwHhHq  Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) January 20, 2018

The heart of his empire, LAuberge de Collonges au Mont DOr, his fathers village inn near Lyon in food-obsessed southeastern France, earned three stars in 1965, and never lost a single one. Monsieur Paul, as he was known, was named chef of the century by Michelins rival guide, the Gault-Millau in 1989, and again by The Culinary Institute of America in 2011.

A great upholder of tradition as well as an innovator, several of his trademark dishes at the Auberge remained unchanged for decades including the black truffle soup he created for French president Valery Giscard dEstaing in 1975, who named him a commander of the Legion of Honour.

LAuberge du Pont de Collonges, Bocuses main restaurant in Collonges-au-Mont-dOr which was both his birth and death place. (Wikimedia Commons )

Lover of food, wine and women

Born into a family of cooks since 1765, Bocuse began his apprenticeship at the age of 16 and came to epitomise a certain type of French epicurean  a lover of fine wine, food and women. He slept in the same room where he was born, and managed to maintain a relationship with his wife Raymonde and at least two lovers.

I love women and we live too long these days to spend ones entire life with just one, Bocuse told the Daily Telegraph in 2005. Polygamy was part of his huge appetite for life, he insisted. Married to Raymonde since 1946, he also shared his life with Raymone  with whom he had a son Jerome, also a chef  and Patricia, who looked after his image for the last 40 years. There is one for lunch, one for tea, and one for dinner, he once joked, explained how he lunched with Raymonde, spent his afternoons with Raymone and took Patricia on business trips.

Bocuse became a driving force behind Nouvelle Cuisine in the 1970s, sweeping away the rich and heavy sauces of yesteryear in favour of super-fresh ingredients, sleek aesthetics and innovation. The term was invented by Gault-Millau to describe food Bocuse helped prepare for the maiden flight of the Concorde airliner in 1969. Slashing cooking times, paring down menus and paying new attention to health, Nouvelle Cuisine was a craze that fizzled out but left a lasting legacy.

Le Nord, one of Bocuses chain of brasseries in central Lyon. (Wikimedia Commons )

It was a real revolution, said Simon. They coined a concept that came at exactly the right moment  at a time when gastronomy was a bit dull and heavy and not sexy at all. Personally, Bocuse preferred to eat more hearty traditional fare. I love butter, cream and wine, he said, not little peas cut into four.

And he drew the line at Nouvelle Cuisines extreme minimalism, saying the label was more about the bill than what was on the plate.

Great showman

Good cooking for me is when you lift up the lid and it smells delicious, and you reach for a second helping, Bocuse wrote a few years before his illness struck. His status as the giant of haute cuisine owed as much to his showmanship and business sense as it did to his culinary genius. His cuisine was built around the classic French repertoire, said Simon. But people came for the emotion, for his banter, his sense of humour.

I work as if I will live till Im 100 and I savour each day as if it was my last, Bocuse once declared as he proudly displayed the French cock American GIs tattooed on his shoulder when he fought alongside them during World War II.

US chef Anthony Bourdain, author of the bestseller Kitchen Confidential, tweeted an image of the tattoo in homage to a great, great chef... a hero to me from my earliest days as a cook. He wasnt a pain in the arse  unlike some who reckon they are great chefs, Simon said. And he always played the part, greeting people with a smile.

Even though he paved the way for todays celebrity chefs, he poked fun at their newfound status, joking in 2007 that maybe its time they went back into the kitchens. Theyve had enough air.

In 1965, Bocuse left his own stove for Japan, the first of many trips to promote French culinary know-how around the world. From his travels he picked up a flair for marketing, going on to launch an international range of Bocuse branded products and a successful chain of open-plan brasseries, setting up catering schools and competitions. He also gave his name to the worlds top international cookery competition, the annual Bocuse dOr. In 2007, more than 80 top chefs flew to France from around the world to celebrate his 81st birthday and his legacy.

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It never fails to amaze me what kind of happiness a small triangular snack can bring to our lives. All it needs is a bit of stuffing, a casing of maida, some oil and you have a delicious samosa.

I dont belong to that school of thought which says a samosa is a samosa is a samosa. You get all kinds of samosas in Delhi. In some parts of Old Delhi, youll find some delightful keema samosas. Jalebiwala in Dariba is known for its crispy samosas. The fillings are also of various kinds. Janta Sweets in Multani Dhanda offers moong dal samosas, while a shop in Kolhapur Road near Delhi University sells small samosas filled with peas.

Some of the best samosas are to be found under a tree behind Scindia House. The samosas fried by Duggal in Mayur Vihar Phase 2 have become so popular that people come from long distances just to try them out. And the Bengali singaras of Annapurna are of a different kind altogether, with a stuffing of diced pieces of potatoes tossed with peanuts.

But I wanted to visit a special samosa shop that hard-core samosa lovers of Delhi swear by. This is a shop in Paharganj called Sri Bankey Bihari Samosa Wallah. The address is 3177-79 Sangtrashan , Paharganj.

I went there after some 15 years, so I got a little confused. But the samosa shop is so well known that all I had to do was ask a panwallah. Oh, Bankey Bihari, he said, and gave me precise directions to whats clearly one of Paharganjs landmarks.

Sri Bankey Bihari Samosa Wallah also sell gulab jamuns and shakkar parey. (HT Photo)

The shop was opened in 1960, and is now run by the grandson and great grandson of the entrepreneur who set shop in Delhi after the Partition. Sanjay Soni and Sunny open the shop at 6 am, and bring the shutters down only at around 10 pm or so.

Whats special about the samosa there is the fact that it is crisp, has a light stuffing of potatoes, and comes with a melange of tastes. The potatoes are flavoured with a pinch of garam masala, green coriander leaves, green chillies and just a hint of red chillies.

It is served with a runny aloo-chholey gravy. On top of this goes a dollop of a tart chutney, and some sweet saunt. The tart and sweet tastes go well together, and complement the lightness of the sabzi. And in the midst of all this is the crispy and crunchy samosa. Each serving is for Rs 12.

Whats special about the samosa at Sri Bankey Bihari Samosa Wallah is the fact that it is crisp, has a light stuffing of potatoes, and comes with a melange of tastes. (HT Photo)

The samosas are fried at the back of the shop. Cauldrons of aloo-chholey sabzi are placed on a counter in front. They also sell gulab jamuns and shakkar parey. There is ample space inside for people to stand and eat. But the place is so popular that its a big crush.

I had one samosa  and loved it. I enjoy samosas of all kinds  especially the mini minced meat and cauliflower floret ones that we make at home. But the large newly fried samosas, with their soft potatoes fillings, are a particular favourite of mine.

Like Arnie, Ill return. And phooey to the three men who jostled me and ran off with my mobile phone when I was walking down Paharganj. They may keep it  I had the samosa.

Recipe: Phulkopir singara, as made at home

Cut cauliflower florets and potatoes into small pieces. Saute in a bit of oil, temper with salt, turmeric and cumin powder. Add some shelled peanuts and stir. Keep aside. Make little balls of dough with maida, softened with ghee. Roll one ball out and halve. Take one half, stuff it with the florets and potatoes, seal the ends with wet fingers, into a triangular shape. Each samosa should be about an inch long. Fry and serve hot.

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In the fall of 2017, The Most Rev. Salvatore R. Matano, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, met with the pastors of the Catholic churches in Auburn and northern Cayuga County: St. Marys, St. Alphonsus, Holy Family, SS. Mary & Martha (St. Francis/St. Hyacinth), Sacred Heart/St. Ann and Our Lady of the Snow Parish (Weedsport, Port Byron and Cato). The bishop asked that a pastoral planning process be put in place. The pastors formed a planning team with representation from each parish, as well as the Catholic school.

The topics for pastoral planning were as follows:

 Assess ministry needs

 Assess administrative needs

 Consider the realignment of staffing and ministries to meet ministerial and administrative needs

 Determine the types and availability of volunteer leadership and the training that will be needed

 Gather information and assess usage and projected capital repairs of buildings, other than churches

 Connect the Catholic schools (St. Joseph and Tyburn) more directly to the parishes and work to enhance recruitment, fundraising and financial resources.
The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has sought the transfer of the case of Metro 3 car-shed construction in Aarey from the divisional bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Pune to its principal bench in Delhi.

In June 2015, NGOs Vanashakti and Aarey Conservation Group filed a petition with the NGT seeking that Aarey be considered a forest. This was in response to MMRCLs decision to construct a car-shed in the area.

The MMRCL confirmed that they sought the transfer. Since a substantial part of the hearing is already completed, the respondents including MMRCL and the state government have requested for the continuation of the hearing before the same bench in Delhi for the sake of convenience, said a spokesperson from MMRCL.

The principal bench issued an order on January 12 to applicants, which was received on Saturday and made public by Vanashakti on Sunday. Proceedings before the western bench of NGT are stayed until further orders, read the order passed by Justice UD Salvi and expert member Nagin Nanda.

NGT Delhi has listed the matter on February 1, and the petitioners can seek the transfer back to the western bench.

Stalin D, director, NGO Vanshakti, said, We [petitioners] cannot afford proceedings in Delhi. The cost of travelling will be at least Rs50,000 for each visit, excluding the lawyers fees, compared to the Rs5,000 which was being spent in Pune. We will tell NGT Delhi the same.

MMRCL has public money to squander but we dont have it. This is a cheap tactic employed to harass the applicants. In any case, MMRCL has already damaged the plot and is working with scant respect to the petition in NGT, he added,

He said the permissions to start work at Aarey has still not been granted to MMRCL. When MMRCL is still awaiting approval of temporary work on the 3-hectare plot for a casting yard, where is the question of them getting the approval to destroy 30 hectares? The 3-hectare plot was given to them on a conditional basis but the civic bodys tree authority has not given any permission yet and the matter is before NGT, said Stalin.

MMRCL reiterates that there has never been a stay or restraining order against MMRCL issued by the NGT and it is not there in existence even today. The depot work has already started at Aarey, said MMRCLs spokesperson.
The Devendra Fadnavis-led delegation, set to represent Maharashtra in the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos in Switzerland, started their journey on Sunday.

The chief minister, who is attending the forum for the second time in three years, intends to promote the state as the most favourable destination for investment in the country.

Fadnavis will be accompanied by Praveen Pardeshi, additional chief secretary, chief ministers office (CMO); Bhushan Gagrani, managing director of Cidco; and Sanjay Sethi, CEO, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.

The delegation will discuss investment opportunities with global giants such as Coca Cola, Deutsche Bank, and ArcelorMittal, among others.

According to the press statement made by the CMO, the WEF platform will be utilised to seek support for the ongoing infrastructure projects in Maharashtra.

Currently, infrastructure projects worth Rs5.96 lakh crore are under implementation by the state government, and account for 45% of the countrys foreign direct investment.

The delegation is part of a team comprising six union ministers, two chief ministers led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and more than a hundred Chief Executive Officers from various companies in India.

This includes Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, and union ministers Arun Jaiteley, Piyush Goyal, Suresh Prabhu, and Dharmendra Pradhan.

Fadnavis visit to Davos has assumed significance against the backdrop of Magnetic Maharashtra, the global investors summit slated to be held in Mumbai between February 18 and 20.
Over the years, campus placements have witnessed many changes in the city. Until a few years ago, more students were opting for job experience over higher education and now, the placement department of every college is finding more and more students inching towards entrepreneurship and start-ups. City institutes are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that no matter what their choice post-graduation, students are well-equipped to handle any situation that comes their way.

Entrepreneurship is not as easy as it seems but over the years, more students are showing interest in it and our Career Development Cell is on it, through the year, said Dinesh Panjwani, principal, R D National College, Bandra. He added that various sessions including interactive dialogues with those who are doing well in their chosen career path are organised through the year. Something as basic as your attire while approaching investors or finding the right partner are things we focus on and students are very appreciative of such programmes, he added.

Bhandups NES Ratnam College of Arts, Science and Commerce recently organised a one day start-up festival for college students from across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been encouraging India to transform itself from a nation of job seekers to a nation of job creators and it is so nice to see young students coming up with interesting and non-perishable ideas, said a spokesperson for the institute. This is third year that the college has held this festival and this year too, participating students came from a range of institutes from cities such as Jaipur, Delhi, Pune, Nagpur, Hyderabad and Aurangabad. Through this fest, these aspiring student entrepreneurs get to interact with and get mentored by industrial leaders, capital investors as well as successful business owners, said principal Nithya Narayana.

Recently, HT had highlighted the growing demand for graduate students in various finance and capital organisations with undergraduate students from city colleges bagging as much as Rs12.5 lakh per annum through campus placements. The placement officers of various colleges are noticing a growing yearning among students to start their own venture and seek help with the same.

Theres a considerable rise in the number of students preferring to start their own venture, and they are very confident with their ideas especially because they have spent a lot of time zeroing in on their ideas. While many are open to taking risks immediately after graduation, a large number of students are also opting to work in the industry for two years to build their profile and network and then dive headlong into their own venture, said Haseena Sayed, coordinator of the E-Cell and Placement Cell at Jai Hind College, Churchgate.

An undergraduate student of St Xaviers College in Dhobi Talao has received one of the highest annual packages this year -- Rs12.5 lakh. At the same time, however, the number of students from the institute wanting to start their own venture after graduation has also increased, officials said. Almost 70% of graduating students this year have opted for jobs immediately after college to either use this work experience to later head for a higher education degree abroad, or to use this job experience in order to start their own venture later on, said Soni George, placement coordinator at the institute.
The Indian scientific community criticised union minister Satyapal Singh and demanded a retraction of his statement that Charles Darwins theory of evolution of man was scientifically wrong and needs to be changed in school and college curriculum.

In a letter, which has turned into an online petition, the scientists wrote: We urge you to retract the reported speech at the All India Vedic Sammelan with immediate effect and issue a clarification about the Ministrys policy towards teaching the theory of evolution

Read: Darwins theory wrong, nobody saw ape turning into man: Minister Satyapal Singh

Singh, while talking to reporters at the event in Aurangabad, on Saturday, had said, Since the man is seen on Earth he has always been a man. Nobody, including our ancestors, in written or oral, have said they saw an ape turning into a man. No books we have read or the tales told to us by our grandparents had such a mention.

As on 7pm Sunday, the letter that will be submitted to Singh had more than 2,000 signatures, including that of distinguished scientists from national and foreign research institutes.

When a minister working for Human Resource Development (HRD) in the country makes such claims, it harms the scientific communitys efforts to propagate scientific thoughts and rationality through critical education and modern scientific research. It also diminishes the image of the country at the global level and reduces faith of the international historical research community in the genuine research by the Indian researchers, reads the letter.

Science educators said the Indian scientific community can longer keep silent on ill-informed statements because it affects the scientific temper of the country.

Read: No boy will marry girl who comes to mandap in jeans: Minister Satyapal Singh

In the past, we have ignored these kinds of statements. Many Indians have a poor understanding of science since our education system emphasises on rote memorisation. So as scientists if we dont protest against these statements, people think it is true, said Aniket Sule, researcher, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education. If ministers and policy makers make such statements, what is future of our country?

Excerpts from the letter

-It is factually incorrect to state that the evolutionary principle has been rejected by the scientific community. On the contrary, every new discovery adds support to Darwins insights.

-Statements such as humans did / did not evolve from monkeys is an overly simplistic and misleading representation of evolution. There is plentiful and undeniable scientific evidence to the fact that humans and the other great apes and monkeys had a common ancestor.

-You have also supposedly claimed that Vedas contain answers to all questions. Such an exaggerated claim cannot be substantiated with the evidence available and is an insult to the genuine research work on history of Indian scientific traditions. Vedic traditions through the Mimamsa discipline, teach us ways of analysing Vedas through rationality and logical reasoning. Your claims are at odds with the very traditions you claim to uphold.

To letter scientists wrote

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScxGQJMz-zswINv5WgHyD9L_9EcE6O8TDjq-JswM4m6axbOTw/viewform
The Ghaziabad police on Sunday arrested a gang of eight mobile snatchers who allegedly murdered two persons in two separate incidents in the district.

Police said the gang members did not hesitate in killing their targets who resisted the snatching attempt.

Masuri police, along with a team of crime branch, arrested eight persons from near the Masuri rail bridge on Sunda morning and recovered six knives, a mobile phone and Rs3,200 from their possession. The eight accused have been identified as Naeem, Wahid Shahrukh, Gulfam, of Dasna; Israil and Aakil, of Meerut; Salman, of Bulandshahr and Aslam, of Sahibabad.

Superintendent of police (rural) AK Maurya said Naeem was the leader of the gang and is named in 10 cases of murder, robbery and dacoity. Two recent cases of murder on December 30 and January 12 in the district have also been cracked with the arrest of the gang, he said.

In an incident on December 30, Lokesh Srivastava, a 2nd-year student of BSc (biotech) at IMS, was murdered in Dasna. He was from Etah and lived in a hostel. The incident took place when he was on his way to Nainital to celebrate New Year and had just withdrawn Rs1,500 from an ATM. The police said the gang tracked him, attacked him near the Dasna flyover, stabbed him and took his possessions.

In the other incident on January 12, Arvind Yadav and his friend Yatish Kumar were heading home when they were stabbed several times by unidentified men. The incident took place outside a house in Sector 12 area of Vijay Nagar. Yadav suffered severe injuries and was declared dead at the hospital. Kumar was rushed to another hospital for treatment.

The locals had told police that they saw three men get into an altercation roadside and one of them was waving a knife. Eyewitnesses had told the police that one of them was inflicting blows on the duo and he had fled the spot.

Maurya said the call details and location of the phone of one of the victims led to the arrest of the gang as one of the criminals was using it.

The police said the gang members would start targeting their victims around 8pm every day from Dasna to Sector 62, Noida along the National Highway-24. They would tell their families that they worked in the night shift and would distribute the sale proceeds of the robbed mobile phones among themselves. Each one of them would get over Rs20,000 per month as their share, the police said.

Police said they operated mainly near Dasna flyover, Lal Kuan, ABES cut, Vijay Nagar bypass, Jal Nigam Road, Samrat Chowk, Behrampur and CISF cut.
The stamps and registration department of Gautam Budh Nagar has started issuing notices to builders who have offered possession of flats to homebuyers without executing the registration of property.

As per the notice, the builder cannot offer possession without execution of registration because the government loses huge revenue. In the notice, builders are directed either to provide a list of all flat buyers who have shifted into flats without registration or face legal action.

The builders have been directed to provide the list in 15 days along with a copy of the agreement to sale (or lease).

The notice also states that the builder will also specify the reason as to why the registration is pending and why they had allowed illegal possession of flats.

Once they (builders) submit a list of the buyers and the reason for not executing the registration, we will decide on the action to be taken against the builders or the buyers. We have, from January 18, started issuing notices to builders, who have illegally offered possession to buyers. The notices will be sent to all those who have violated norms and offered possession with executing the registration, SK Singh, assistant inspector general of the UP stamp and registration department in Noida, said.

According to Section 13 of the UP Apartment (promotion of construction ownership and maintenance) Act, 2010, a builder cannot allow possession or transfer of ownership right without executing the registration of the flat.

Officials said that the government is losing out nearly Rs700 crore in stamp fee due to non-execution of registry of the flats.

We charge 5% of total flat cost as the stamp duty. Now, since the buyers are not getting registration executed, we are bearing a huge loss in the revenue annually, Singh said.

A committee headed by the then additional district magistrate (finance) in 2016 had carried out a survey, which found that around 25,000 homebuyers have occupied flats in various group housing complexes flouting norms. These 25,000 flats are located in Noida and Greater Noida, the survey revealed.

The district administration said if homebuyers are facing problems in getting flats registered because of a delay at the builders end in obtaining occupancy certificates, then they can buy the stamps to evade action. They have an option of buying stamp papers of the value of the duty payable by them even if the builder has not obtained an OC. They can use this option, Singh said.

To begin with, the department has issued a notice to Amrapali Sapphire housing complex located in Sector 45. The department has issued such notices in the past too but there was no follow through.

All housing projects violating norms will be issued notices in the time to come, Singh said.

Shiv Priya, director of Amrapali Group, said, We have submitted our resolution plan to revive our stuck housing projects in the ongoing case in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has issued notices to all stakeholders on January 17. Buyers, as well as the stamps department, should wait for some time. There will be a solution to all issues once the case is settled. The notice by the stamps department will be of no value once the SC notice is served.
Theres more to this than meets the eye. The allegation that the police attempted an encounter on VHP leader Pravin Togadia, who has been extended Z-Plus security cover, sounds far-fetched. Togadia claims he will go public with evidence to back his allegations at the right time.

If you so desire, you could keep waiting for the right time. But to me the spectacle appears to be an outcome of the tendency embodied by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its allied organisations that get hyperactive the moment the BJP comes to power. They get anxious to implement their agenda of right-wing Hinduism as early as possible. Suddenly self-styled gau rakshaks think they are free to slit peoples throats in the name of the cow.

These people forget that the Constitution nurtures the values of secularism and coexistence. Governments are formed with a pledge to protect the same Constitution. They dont even remember that in present-day India you cant run the government under the cloak of religion. India is an emerging economic superpower. To spread its wings wider, we need the cooperation of other countries, which is impossible wearing the cloak of fanatical politics. Another reason why these people are disgruntled is that people who used to be on the same page till yesterday suddenly became part of the government. This is the beginning of the awkwardness in relationships. They feel that from swayamsevaks (volunteers) their friends have become the government, while they are left alone with the mission. This dichotomy of mission and political supremacy has created a problem in Indian politics even earlier.

You may remember the AB Vajpayee era. Relations between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the government had become tense even in those days. Not just Togadia, but Ashok Singhal, his senior in the VHP, an RSS affiliate, was noticed making adversarial statements then. Despite coming from the sangh himself, Atalji was friends with people from all walks of life. He advocated the politics of consensus. Representing the party in Parliament for a long time and staying in Lutyens Delhi had left an impact on his appearance, demeanour and character. He was a Lutyens man clad in a dhoti-kurta.

However, Narendra Modi has practised most of his politics outside the Capital. He considers that his strength. That is why he stays away from what he perceives as the Lutyens class. Please remember that Modi has always been close to the sangh and he has never concealed his belief in Hindutva. Apart from this, there is a considerable difference between then sangh chief KS Sudarshan and the new chief Mohan Bhagwat. While maintaining the basic values of the sangh, Bhagwat has given it a few contemporary touches in sync with todays sensibilities.

That is why in close to four years of governance, no crack in the relationship between New Delhi and Nagpur, the headquarter of the RSS, has become public. As far as the VHP is concerned, to understand the context of Togadias complaint, we need to turn our attention to Gujarats politics of at the beginning of this century.

That was a time when Togadia and Modi used to spend a lot of time together. Both were big advocates of hard Hindutva, but as soon as he took over as chief minister of Gujarat, Modi realised the need to rein in his outspoken friend. If he hadnt done so, it would have undermined Modis agenda for development. This is why, even if Togadia roared everywhere else in the world, he had to tread softly in Gujarat. Togadia became even more critical after Modi took over as PM. Now the question wasnt about a state, but the nation. Is the present explosion a repercussion of that? It is another matter that the reverberations of Togadias explosion paled in front of another blast the same evening. The Centre had changed the direction of news headlines by revoking the subsidy extended to Haj pilgrims. If you want, you can search for politics in this.

Those present at the press meet organised in Ahmedabad included the prime ministers staunch opponent Hardik Patel and state Congress chief Arjun Modhwadia. Some people think that the screenplay for this press conference was scripted by another political party, but I believe otherwise. Everybody is opportunistic in politics, but not everyone knows how to create opportunity.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan

letters@hindustantimes.com
Political rivalries are seldom buried for good.

The festering feud between Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa and chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who had upstaged the Majha chieftain in November 2016 as state Congress chief, erupted again on Saturday as Bajwa went ballistic against his own partys government in Punjab.

In a 45-minute interview in Chandigarh with Hindustan Times, Bajwa was scathingly critical of Amarinders governance and pitched himself as the voice of growing rumblings in the party rank and file. Excerpts:

Q: The Congress government in Punjab will complete its one year in March. How do you look at its performance so far?

Bajwa: The party cadres helped us win elections. But they are feeling completely neglected. It is a top-heavy administration with unbridled powers to bureaucrats. For instance, Suresh Kumar. He may be an upright officer. But an IAS officer becomes chief secretary after 34 years. But, a retired bureaucrat takes over his (chief secretarys) powers. As the high court ruling said, if he (Suresh) takes a wrong decision, who will be held accountable? He could have been roped in as an adviser. Suresh was sitting over files of all departments. He was running the show. He had unbridled powers. Will Suresh have to contest elections? There were lobbies in the chief ministers team playing against each other.

Q: What course-correction will you suggest?

Bajwa: The time has come for the chief minister to rejig his ministry and overhaul the administration. I would advise him to induct first-timer MLAs too in his cabinet and groom them as deputy ministers. Even he was a first-time MLA of the Akali Dal when he was made minister in the Barnala government in 1985. Two-time and three-time MLAs can be inducted as ministers of state. The cabinet has no representation for districts such as Ludhiana and Jalandhar. Sardar saab (CM) has 34 departments with himself; bureaucrats are running these. He needs to decentralise completely. Like an appraisal of staff every year, non-performers in the ministry should be weeded out. If he allots the 34 departments to other MLAs, people can meet them. He should dispense with all OSDs and advisers. No OSDs are needed and he can have just a few advisers. On the list released by Sukhpal Khaira (leader of opposition) on the proposed appointments to Punjab Public Service Commission and information commission, why are people like former IGP Lok Nath Angra being given a PPSC post ? Why should a biographer of the CM be made information commissioner? Such posts are for committed workers. It was decided that those whose claims were overlooked in elections will be given chairmanships. That did not happen.

Q: Are party workers not heard?

Bajwa: Not even MLAs! Many have told me how they used to sit outside the office of Suresh Kumar for hours. According to protocol, an MLA is senior to even a chief secretary. Rather, the officers should be going to MLAs.

Q: What about poll promises?

Bajwa: The CM has today appealed to farmers not to go on agitation and (said) there is no money to waive their entire loans. There were many lapses in the scheme. Because there was no political input. Who made the government? The party, not bureaucrats. Now that they realise undeserving farmers have got the relief, they are proposing self-declarations.

Q: Has the debt waiver scheme not had the desired result?

Bajwa: Yes. That is why the CM met MLAs later. Because it has not had desired result. If you let bureaucrats decide everything, you will go for a six. Even on drug issue, Congress promised to hold those behind it accountable. That is why the CM made the special task force (STF). He made ADGP Harpreet Sidhu join him after leaving his job at the Centre. But he has not been given the manpower he needs. There is some kind of tussle between him and DGP Suresh Arora. Now the high court has asked the STF to probe the role of Bikram Singh Majithia (former Akali minister) in the drug trade.

Q: Why is the government going soft on this?

Bajwa: The CM needs to answer. But it is time for overhaul of the entire police, legal and civil set-up. Has the advocate general (Atul Nanda) ever won a single case? Professionals should come, not coteries. Before elections, Captain himself said there were 30,000 false cases of vendetta against Congress workers during the Akali regime. Then, why is the same police set-up in place?

Q: But he has set up Mehtab Singh Gill Commission to probe vendetta cases.

Bajwa: When government changes, the civil and police administration is changed. This message has not gone down the line. It is the public perception. After all, the same police administration was there when false cases were being slapped on Congressmen.

Q: Why did it take so long for the CM to drop Rana Gurjit Singh from his ministry?

Bajwa: (The resignation by Rana) is a clear indication from the Congress central leadership  the party has always acted against allegations of corruption, even if it had to pay a heavy political price. In the 2G scam case, A Raja (DMK leader) was asked to resign, and now the court has cleared him. In the Adarsh Society case, the party made its sitting Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan put in his papers. He too has been cleared by the courts. Ask the Akalis and BJP, there are hundreds of corruption charges against them. Have they resigned? It is (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi who has upheld the principles of probity. I am feeling sorry for Rana. He was my good friend at one point of time. Had he resigned earlier, he may have bounced back by now. He has not only damaged his own image, but also of the party.

Do you feel Captain Amarinder should have acted earlier?

Bajwa: Rather, Rana should have acted earlier.It is the party high command that prevailed. The CMs own statement says Rana had resigned on January 4 and Rahul will decide.

Q:How has the Rana episode affected the governments image?

Bajwa: It has definitely dented the image. We got near two-thirds majority in Punjab. We came (to power) on the promise to end corrupt practices and give a clean and honest government. Punjab kol ajj den-len nu kuch nai hega. Je asin aapni chhavi hi saaf rakh jande te lokan di sympathy saade naal turi reni si (Punjab today has nothing to give or take. It is in a financial mess. If we had kept our image clean, we could have been getting public sympathy). People still want to stand with Congress. They voted for us in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll and the municipal elections. They have still not forgotten the misrule of the Akali-BJP regime. We need to pull up our socks. If you dont take action against ministers, how can you stop the MLAs? And how can you then curb the bureaucracy?

Q: Before elections, Captain played an emotional card, saying it will be his last election. Now, he wants to run another innings. Why?

Bajwa: His close advisers seem to have told him that the succession battle has started, and that before the ground slips from under his feet, he should declare that he is firmly in the saddle and can go for re-run; so that there is no question mark. To stop people and bureaucracy from aligning with his successors, he has done it. He felt he was losing to the perception that he is retiring after this term.

Q: In his previous term as CM (2002-07), he was accused of being inaccessible? Have things changed now?

Bajwa: As a Rajya Sabha member, I am mostly at Delhi. I cant say if he is inaccessible or not. But he has never extended any invite to MPs. He has had no interaction with us in the last 10 months. The states MPs can raise many important issues in Parliament. We could have told the Modi government that Punjab, despite its precarious finances, has waived loans of poor farmers. We could have also asked the BJP government at the Centre to help us. But nobody tells us anything.

Q: Is this disconnect only with you, or with other MPs too?

Bajwa: I dont think he has called any of them. If you organise a meeting, you can galvanise the MPs.

Q:But in the first meeting of MPs convened by the CM, none of the Congress MPs turned up.

Bajwa: Rather, it was he who did not turn up. We were informed by his office that the CM would take the meeting. But later he asked minister Brahm Mohindra to chair it. According to protocol and past precedents too,we said that if the chief minister is not coming, we are not coming either.

Q: There are murmurs of coterie around Amarinder

Bajwa: This is what I also hear. I have not come to ever meet him. Neither has he tried to meet or called me. So I did not have to go through any coterie. There is a complete disconnect with me.

Q: Why is this disconnect?

Bajwa: He is the CM. If there is a disconnect, it is the CMs job to call us and talk to us.

Q: Why is nobody else in the Congress speaking about it?

Bajwa: Who wants to lose his job? Nihang Singh kinne ku honde ae partiyaan wich (How many daredevils are there in a party)? Who will speak in fear? Many are first-timers. It will take some time.

Have you told high command?

Bajwa: They are totally briefed; totally aware of everything.

Why is it so important for the Congress government to course-correct in Punjab?

Bajwa: In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress wants to dislodge Narendra Modi under all circumstances. For that, we have to increase the number of seats. Your cadre has to be completely charged. But is there any Congressman on the list of appointments as information commissioners and PPSC members? Tusin saare Patiale-waleyan nu hi banayi jana e (Will you keep appointing only Patiala residents)? Kanwaljit Lalli, a former MLA whose Adampur constituency was reserved, could have been appointed. What reputation does this IG Angra have? All appointments are being done on whims and fancies. Koi mere naal padheya, mere othe vyahaya, mere naal regiment ch reha  ehi kari jande ne (Someone studied with me, is married in Patiala, or someone from my regiment  those seem the criteria now).

Q: It seems the bad blood between Captain and you persists.

Bajwa: Had there been bad blood, would I have got six seats in assembly elections? We won five of the seats and helped him form the government. My younger brother (Fateh Jang Singh Bajwa) is an MLA. Is he not with him? The reciprocation has to come from him. He now has the powers. I came to his oath-taking ceremony too. I just had the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha (segment) to me. They had promised it to me, but gave it to someone else. But

I helped Sunil Jakhar win because I wanted the party to win. Yet, I am not subservient to Captain. Ki main darbar de bahar talliyan kharkanda phiran (Should I go about chiming bells outside his darbar)? That, I will never do; and he knows that. The gaps grow this way and cause damage. Everyone has self-respect. I have never compromised with Badal. Have you ever seen me in the Punjab secretariat or at CMs residence? If he (CM) held out his hand to us, it would have helped him.

Q: Why is there disconnect between party and govt?

Bajwa: Did a single person who fought false cases against Congress workers make it to the list of legal officers? The workers are disillusioned.

Q: Do other leaders also share your sentiments?

Bajwa: Yes. 110%!

Q: What are implications of the Rana-Suresh episode?

Bajwa: Its a wake-up call. The CM has to get his act together.

Q: You demanded CBI probe into the Bhola drug case. Do you think Amarinder government is going soft on Akalis?

Bajwa: He talks of no vendetta. We are talking of justice to the people of Punjab. Those who looted Punjab for 10 years have to be made accountable for acts of omission and commission. Bikram Majithia should have been booked a long time back.

Q: Why has Captain not expanded his cabinet?

Bajwa: We are not running the government... just passing time. Its like a car that gets some fuel every few kilometres! There is no representation of important areas such as Jalandhar and Ludhiana. It is the mindset. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has kept no portfolio with himself. The CMO should monitor all departments. Giving power to a politician who is answerable to the people and party cadres is a hundred times better than giving power to bureaucrats who are neither answerable to the people nor sensitive to their problems.
The Punjab government on Saturday said it cannot extend the debt waiver scheme to all farmers or waive more than Rs 2 lakh due to lack of support from the Centre coupled with bad finances inherited from the Akali dispensation.

Appealing the states farming community to shun protest, chief minister Amarinder Singh, in a release, said his government could not afford to waive any more of their debts at the present juncture, but was committed to alleviating all their woes at the earliest.

He said his government had waived more debts of its farmers than other states.

Citing the examples of Maharashtra (upto Rs 1.5 lakh waiver), Uttar Pradesh (upto Rs 1 lakh waiver), Rajasthan (upto Rs 50,000 waiver), Madhya Pradesh (upto Rs 1 lakh waiver) and Karnataka (upto Rs 50,000 waiver), the Congress leader pointed out the extent to which his government had stretched itself to fulfil this important promise of the ruling party to the farming community.

Singh also appealed to the farmers not to be misled by the opposition parties and some Kisan unions, who were spreading false propaganda on the issue of farm debt waiver.

Considering the financial problems which my government had inherited from the Akalis, and also considering the lack of support on the issue from the central government, it is not possible, at present, to extend the debt waiver scheme to more farmers or to waive more than Rs 2 lakh, the chief minister said in the release.

The thrust, he said, was on helping small and marginal farmers, adding that all farmers would eventually be covered under the debt waiver scheme once the states economy started stabilising.

Singh clarified that the state exchequer had a debt of Rs 46,000 crore when he demitted office after his earlier stint in 2007. He said his government was reeling under a debt trap of over Rs 2 lakh crore when the Congress took over from the SAD-BJP government last year.

This has prevented the Congress government from the full implementation of its farm debt waiver promise in one go, he said.

Nevertheless, of the 10.25 lakh farmers eligible to be covered under the debt waiver scheme announced by the Amarinder Singh-led government in its maiden budget, 5.63 lakh farmers are slated to benefit in the first phase itself, the release said, adding that the state government had somehow managed to generate Rs 2,700 crore for the first phase.

Noting that his government was promptly addressing all concerns of the farmers, the chief minister referred to the recent decisions to introduce self-certification and exclude income tax payee government employees and retired pensioners to ensure that only real beneficiaries got the advantage of the scheme.
A day after the body of Ajit Jains driver was recovered from the railway tracks in Zirakpur, police have booked the businessman for abetment to suicide. No arrest has been made so far.

Armed men had robbed Rs 1.5-crore jewellery from Jains house in Sector 33, Chandigarh, on January 9. His driver Avinash Yadav had alleged police harassment in the suicide note recovered along with the body on Friday.

Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Rampal, railway police post in-charge in Lalru, said Jain has been booked under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaint of Yadavs son Pankaj.

When questioned why no action has been recommended against the UT police that is probing the loot, Rampal said: We have gone by the statement of the victims son.

However, Patiala station house officer (SHO) Vimal Kumar, under whom the Lalru post falls, said: We have not given clean chit to anybody. We will examine the role of all people, including cops.

Yadav, 50, a resident of Wadhwa Nagar in Zirakpur, had started working for Jain about three weeks before the robbery. In the suicide note, he claimed innocence and said he was afraid of police torture.

Pankaj said Yadav was feeling ashamed ever since he was being questioned by the police. My father was questioned on Jains behest. He is responsible for his death, he alleged.

The torn and blood-stained note was found in the deceaseds wallet along with his Aadhaar card, driving licence and some cash.

The suicide note will be examined by an expert to check its authenticity, said the SHO.

Cremated after autopsy

The railway police handed over Yadavs body to his family after the postmortem on Saturday.

Heart-rending scenes were seen during his cremation in Manimajra.

Yadavs daughter Sarita, who was inconsolable, said she had never imagined to see his fathers mutilated body.

Pankaj, who is the complainant, said he had been telling his father to give up work as now he too was earning well.

But he was getting bored at home. Someone recommended him to Ajit Jain and he joined work while I was abroad, he said. Pankaj said his father hugged him a night before the suicide.

I am a soft target, says Jain

Claiming that he has been falsely implicated in the case, Ajit Jain said he is a soft target.

I am the victim. The loot took place in my house. Now, I am being falsely implicated for abetment to suicide, said the businessman who owns cold stores in Lalru.

Jain said police had taken a list of all his employees, relatives and friends to verify facts in the case.

The probe is just in the preliminary stage. Why would I ask police to torture anyone? he said.

Jain said he would consult his lawyers for further course of action.
Sepoy Mandeep Singh, 23, killed in unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the Krishna Ghati sector in Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday, was cremated with full state honours at his native village Alampur in punjabs Sangrur district, on Sunday.

As Mandeeps body arrived, a pall of gloom descended on the village. His father Gurnam Singh and younger brother Jagdeep Singh, 20, lit the pyre. Emotions ran high as people raised slogans like Pakistan Murdabad, and Indian Army Zindabad.

Former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Lehra MLA Parminder Singh Dhindsa and Lehra sub-divisional magistrate Bikramjit Singh Shergill also attended the cremation. Many army officers and police personnel were also present.

Punjabis sacrifice their lives for the country, but this is a difficult time for the family. We are proud of Mandeep, said Bhattal.

Mandeep had joined the 22 Sikh regiment around three years ago and was to visit home on leave in February to make arrangements for the wedding of his sister. He is survived by parents and two siblings  an elder sister and brother Jagdeep, who wants to join the army.
A team of the Special Task Force (STF) of Mohali police arrested Pawan Kumar, a sub-inspector with the Haryana police, and two others after 1-kg drug in the form of ICE (scientific name, Crystal methamphetamine) was found in their car, on Sunday.

The drug found on the trio, in their Hyundai i20 when stopped on the Patiala-Dakala Road, is a stimulant that speeds up messages travelling between the brain and the body. The other two accused are Ajay Kumar, of Siana village near Mahendragarh and Karamjeet Singh, of Nansu village, near Patiala.

The drug was meant for sale in Patiala and other parts of the state. We will soon find out the supply chain of the contraband, said investigating officer of the case, ASI Ram Darshan, adding that the three had been remanded in three-day police custody.

In the recent past, the STF has booked and arrested five personnel of Punjab police, one from the Chandigarh Police and a sub-inspector of Haryana Police.
An outlet of Zara, an apparel brand, in Elante Mall, Industrial Area, landed itself in soup after it charged Rs 500 extra from a customer during a sale season in December 2016.

The aggrieved customer had moved the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum and on Saturday the forum directed Inditex Trent Retail India Pvt. Ltd, the distribution company of Zara, to refund the extra amount to the customer, along with a compensation of Rs 6,000.

Complainant, Pardeep Kumar, a resident of Manimajra, had purchased two shirts from the store on December 9, 2016. He said that on returning home he was surprised to find that an amount of Rs 4,480 was debited from his account, instead of Rs 3,980the discounted price.

On checking the bill, Pradeep found that the store had charged him Rs 2,490 for a shirt against Rs 1,990 that was mentioned in the price tag. He then approached the store on December 10, 2016, and requested it to refund the amount and issue a fresh bill. However, the store refused to do so.

Thereafter, Pradeep moved the consumer forum and claimed that the stores action amounts to deficiency in service and use of unfair trade practices.

In their written reply, Zara Inditex Trent Retail India have not disputed the error. However, they said it was a human error while pasting the price tag on the label of the T-shirts with no malafide intentions and the payment of the actual price was made by the complainant without any force. The company also denied allegations that it tried to cheat Pradeep or have charged an amount more than the MRP.

After listening to the arguments, the consumer forum opined that it is a clear negligence on part of the company for not settling the petty issue of refunding Rs 500 to the complainant despite realising their mistake and thereby force him to indulge in unnecessary litigation.

The consumer forum directed Zara Inditex Trent Retail India to pay Rs 3,000 as compensation for causing mental agony and harassment to Pradeep and another Rs 3,000 as cost of litigation, besides refunding Rs 500 that was charged extra on purchase of two T-shirts.
Prabhas is undoubtedly one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. If theres one question the nation wants to know the answer to, itd definitely be when the leading man of the widely popular Baahubali franchise will tie the knot. Amid rumours that the 37-year old star is dating actor Anushka Shetty, with whom he has shared screen space on multiple occasions, Prabhass uncle and popular Telugu star Krishnam Raju has confirmed that his nephew will get married this year. The news, however, doesnt come as a surprise to many because Raju has said this on a few occasions over the last few years. Talking to reporters in Hyderabad on the occasion of his birthday on Saturday, Raju said: Every time I meet the press, Im always asked when will Prabhas get married. Im slightly ashamed to answer the question now. But he will get married this year. He intends to.

In 2016, Prabhas promised his uncle hed get married as soon as he completes the shooting of Baahubali 2. He promised me he will get married by the year-end. He even asked us to search a suitable bride for him, the veteran said. Prabhas, too, on several occasions had said that his uncle would search a girl for him and that hell enter wedlock when the time is right. Meanwhile, reports keep emerging every now and then that Prabhas and Anushka are in a relationship. When Hindustan Times recently caught up with Anushka, she rubbished these reports, describing her relationship with Prabhas as purely Platonic. I do come across these reports. I have a good laugh and move on. Neither of us (Prabhas) pay too much attention to these things. Prabhas is a good friend, she said.

On the career front, Prabhas is currently shooting for multi-lingual action thriller Saaho, which marks the southern debut of Shraddha Kapoor. Being directed by Sujeeth, the film also stars Neil Nitin Mukesh in a pivotal role. Being made on a lavish budget, the films first teaser was released along with Baahubali 2 and it was extremely well received. The film is being shot simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Saaho is expected to deliver a triumph of scale, size, and spectacle. A UV Creations production, the film is being bankrolled by Vamsi and Pramod. A major chunk of the budget is being spent on extravagant action sequences which will be films biggest highlight. The film, gearing up for release in 2019, has music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

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The West Bengal government is planning to promote theme-based packages for foreign tourists who wish to know about the culture and traditions of the people here. Besides jazzing up the Durga Puja celebrations  which happen to be a major crowd puller  the state tourism department is preparing a bridal tourism package to showcase the rituals of Bengali marriages to foreigners and seek their participation in the event.

The bridal tourism package will offer foreigners a chance to witness the colourful rituals of a Bengali marriage. They will find it interesting as they are not accustomed to anything like this three-day long gala at Bengali homes, said West Bengal Tourism Minister Gautam Deb.

The nitty-gritty of the package, such as ways to connect the tourists to the households where marriages would be held, are being chalked out at the moment, Deb said. The guests will be able to witness from close quarters the haldi or gayey halud ceremony (turmeric smearing), exchange of garlands, and sindur daan (vermilion ritual). The tourists will also get a taste of the lavish Bengali spread at the wedding and the reception ceremony, he said.

At a recent meet with travel operators from different parts of the globe, including the US, UK, Russia and Australia, the minister had promised a unique experiences for tourists. The state tourism department is currently working on a plan to offer a diverse portfolio of niche products  cruises, adventure, wellness, medical and education, besides homestays.

We have decided to support theme-based tourism products, and encourage maximum private sector participation, while ensuring standard services by all tourism players in the state, Deb said.

West Bengal ranks fifth among the Indian states in terms of foreign tourist arrivals, ahead of Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala, the minister noted. The tourism sector of the state has created around 5,00,000 jobs over the past few years, the minister said, adding that West Bengal is home to almost all major hotel and hospitality, health resorts, and restaurant chains.

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As midnight neared on Friday and the US government barrelled towards a shutdown, Republicans and Democrats sought to apportion blame for the deadlock with a battle of social media hashtags.

By the time the deadline had passed without a deal and exhausted senators returned home to bed, #TrumpShutdown was fast becoming the top trending item on Twitter worldwide.

In an early indication of who was being held responsible for the impasse in Washington, at least among users of the social networking site early on Saturday, that hashtag beat competitors including #DemocratShutdown and #GOPShutdown.

This will be called the #TrumpShutdown, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer tweeted after government funding expired. There is no one who deserves the blame for the position we find ourselves in more than President (Donald) Trump.

Many who shared the hashtag decried a lack of leadership from the Republican president, in sharp contrast to his self-crafted image as a dealmaker who would make Washington work.

As both parties exchanged online blows, some of Trumps supporters, including White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, sought to push the hashtag #SchumerShutdown.

A year into Trumps presidency, Sanders wrote on Twitter, Democrats could not shut down the countrys booming economy, so they shut down the government instead.

This is the behavior of obstructionist losers, not legislators, Sanders tweeted. Do your job Democrats: Fund our military and reopen our government #SchumerShutdown.

By Saturday afternoon the hashtag #TrumpShutdown had been used some 2.6 million times on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, according to social media analytics platform Talkwalker. That was roughly double the 1.3 million mentions of #SchumerShutdown during the same period.

The hashtag #GOPShutdown appeared about 236,000 times, Talkwalker said, compared with approximately 107,000 uses of #DemShutdown or some variation of that.

Republicans control both the House of Representatives and Senate. With negotiations due to resume among lawmakers, Trump himself took to Twitter on Saturday to tell his nearly 47 million followers that the Democrats were holding the military hostage because of what he said was their desire for unchecked illegal immigration.

Cant let that happen! Trump tweeted.

By early afternoon on Saturday, the top-trending hashtag in the United States was #WomensMarch2018, for the weekend rallies reprising mass protests that marked the beginning of Trumps presidency. It was followed by a more bipartisan #governmentshutdown2018.

Some saw the online hashtag duels as a distraction from an avoidable crisis roiling the worlds most powerful government.

I hope this debacle ends soon, and with it the annoying shutdown hashtag battle to assess blame, tweeted David Axelrod, who was senior adviser to former President Barack Obama.
Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul killing at least six people, including a foreigner, sparking a twelve hour fight with security forces that left terrified guests scrambling to escape and parts of the building ablaze. (Live updates)

Afghan security forces killed four attackers during the night-time siege, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told Tolo News, during which people trapped inside the landmark hotel were seen climbing over balconies to escape.

The attack is over, he said.

Five Afghans and one foreigner have been killed, interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP, adding around 150 people were rescued, including more than 40 foreigners.

Desperate victims try to flee to safety as #Kabuls Intercontinental Hotel burns during overnight siege. pic.twitter.com/a3DPkVzEO7  TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) January 21, 2018

The body of the foreigner, a woman, was recovered from the sixth floor as the last attacker was being killed, he added.

But an official with Afghanistans spy agency told AFP the attack was not over yet with attackers still shooting on security forces.

Dramatic images broadcast on Afghanistans Tolo News showed thick black smoke and flames billowing from the top of the six-floor hilltop Intercontinental hotel -- which is not part of the global InterContinental chain.

Several people could be seen climbing over a top-floor balcony using bedsheets to escape, with one losing his grip and plunging to the ground.

Officials said four gunmen burst into the hotel on Saturday night, opening fire on guests and staff and taking dozens of people hostage.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest assault in the war-torn Afghan capital, which followed a series of security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners.

It was not clear how many people had been inside the hotel, which was attacked by Taliban militants in 2011.

During the night special forces were lowered by helicopters onto the roof of the landmark building, Rahimi told AFP.

A guest hiding in a room said he could hear gunfire inside the 1960s hotel where dozens of people attending an information technology conference on Sunday were staying.

I dont know if the attackers are inside the hotel but I can hear gunfire from somewhere near the first floor, the man, who did not want to be named, tolf AFP by telephone.

We are hiding in our rooms. I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us.

His phone was switched off when AFP tried to contact him again.

Fleeing like crazy

Afghan Telecom regional director Aziz Tayeb, who was attending the IT conference, said he saw the attackers enter the hotel as he was walking towards the exit.

Everything became chaotic in a moment. I hid behind a pillar and I saw people who were enjoying themselves a second ago screaming and fleeing like crazy, and some of them falling down, hit by bullets, Tayeb told AFP.

Local resident Abdul Sattar said he had spoken by phone to some of his friends who are chefs and waiters at the hotel and had been trapped inside.

Suddenly they attacked the dinner gathering... (then) they broke into the rooms, took some people hostage and they opened fire on some of them, he told AFP.

Rahimi said the attackers were armed with small weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when they stormed the hotel, which is a popular venue for weddings, conferences and political gatherings.

The last major attack on a high-end hotel in Kabul was in March 2014 when four teenage gunmen raided the Serena, killing nine people including AFP journalist Sardar Ahmad.

The Intercontinental was previously targeted in June 2011 when a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people, including 10 civilians.

Security at the Intercontinental is relatively lax compared with other luxury hotels in Kabul.

Even before the attack was over, authorities were questioning how the assailants got past the hotels security, which was taken over by a private company three weeks ago, Danish said.

We will investigate it, he said.

A hotel employee told AFP that as he fled the staff living quarters located in a building next to the hotel he saw the new security guards running for their lives.

They didnt do anything, they didnt attack. They had no experience, the man said on the condition of anonymity.
Hundreds of thousands of Greeks in the northern city of Thessaloniki rallied on Sunday to protest against the use of the name Macedonia in any solution to a row between Athens and Skopje over the name of the former Yugoslav republic.

Greece says the name Macedonia implies a territorial claim over its own northern region of that name. The two countries agreed this month to renew efforts to settle the 25-year old row, which has blocked the ex-Yugloslav republics attempts to join NATO and the European Union.

Both countries say they hope to reach an accord by June.

Witnesses on Sunday said about 300,000 people had gathered in Thessaloniki - the largest city in Greeces Macedonia - many from regions across the country. It was one of the biggest protests in Greece in recent years.

They waved Greek flags, held banners reading There is only one Macedonia and it is Greek! and chanted the national anthem as they rallied around the statue of Alexander the Great in the centre of the city and along its seaside promenade and port.

Greece has agreed that until the dispute is resolved, the country whose population is about 2 million, can be referred to internationally as FYROM - Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. That is the name under which it was admitted to the United Nations in 1993.

Macedonia declared independence in 1991, avoiding the violence that accompanied much of the breakup of Yugoslavia. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who took power last May, pledged to accelerate the countrys bid to join the EU and NATO and to work on resolving the name dispute.

Talks last week that were mediated by United Nations diplomat Matthew Nimetz, did not produce concrete results but some name suggestions were put forward for negotiation, according to local media.

Settling the issue would be hailed as a success by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, whose left-right coalition first came to power in 2015. So far, the issue has strained relations with his coalition ally, the right-wing Independent Greeks party which objects to the use of Macedonia in any agreed name.

Its totally groundless historically and absurd to seek the exclusivity of Macedonia, Tsipras told Ethnos newspaper.

But it is not unreasonable to have the term Macedonia included in a compound name, with either a geographical or a chronological qualifier, for all uses, to make absolutely clear that nobody claims other peoples land or history.

A poll last week showed that a majority of Greeks do not want Macedonia used in any solution.

We wont surrender the name Macedonia no matter if the rest of the planet surrenders it, one of the organisers, surrounded by clerics, told a cheering crowd.
A British woman who married and gave birth under the Islamic State regime in Syria has become one of the first so-called jihadi brides to be arrested on her return to the UK, a media report has claimed.

The 27-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested at Heathrow Airport under terrorism laws when she landed from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, earlier this month, The Sunday Times reported.

Her two-year-old son, whose nationality remains unclear, has been taken into the care of the state.

Scotland Yard has released the woman on bail while it continues its investigation.

The UK authorities are working on a series of measures to tackle cases of such IS brides and children returning to the UK following the terrorist groups defeats in its Syrian and Iraqi strongholds last year, the report said.

Aqsa Mahmood, a 22-year-old Pakistani-origin suspected IS recruiter from Glasgow, has been stripped of her British citizenship to prevent her returning to Britain.

The UK Home Office argues that Mahmood has not been made stateless because she is eligible to apply for citizenship in the country where her parents were born, which is Pakistan.

A similar order has been made against another British woman who fled Syria at the end of 2016 after her husband, a prominent British figure in IS, died in a battle.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave birth to two children, now aged one and three, in the war zone, which means they have no nationality, the report said.

All three remain stranded in Turkey.

The UKs social services departments have been drawing up plans to take into care British children known to have travelled to Syria and Iraq with their families, should their parents bring them back home.

More than 100 British women are thought to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the terror groups.
The people of trouble-torn Afghanistan deserve peace, but there is still a long way to go before the countrys government and people achieve the goal of building a more stable and prosperous nation, Britains minister for Asia Mark Field has said.

On Saturday, gunmen stormed Kabuls Intercontinental Hotel, leaving at least six people dead. The attack, claimed by the Taliban, ended after a 17-hour battle.

Field said in a statement to the UN security council: (There) is still a long way to go before Afghanistans government and people achieve their goal of building a more stable and prosperous country.

(Ultimately)the solution to long-term peace and stability lies not within the military, but in a peace process that is Afghan-led and Afghan-ownedAfghanistan continues to face a number of significant challenges in 2018, but this is also a year of real opportunity.

Mentioning the forthcoming meeting of the Kabul Process for Peace and Security Cooperation, Field said it took vision, courage and leadership to begin a conversation with an adversary after years of violence and bloodshed.

However, the time is now surely ripe for that conversation. The people of Afghanistan deserve peace. So we urge President (Ashraf) Ghani and the government to use the meeting to reach out to the insurgents and to try to launch a credible peace process.

The United Kingdom, Field said, will continue to support the peace process. He also said London has committed up to 750 million for four years up to 2020 to help support the Afghan governments work to improve security, to reduce poverty, and to increase broad access to health and education.
Pope Francis brought down the house, or more precisely the church, on Sunday when he addressed cloistered nuns who were given special permission to leave their convents to see him.

At the start of his last day in Peru Francis addressed some 500 nuns, known as contemplatives, who usually live a life of prayer and rarely leave their convents except for medical reasons.

Seeing you all here an unkind thought comes to my mind, that you took advantage (of me) to get out of the convent a bit to take a stroll, he said, drawing roars of laughter from the nuns, many of whom were elderly.

Later, in his talk to the nuns gathered in a Lima church, he sent a long-distance greeting to four cloistered nuns in his native Buenos Aires. He thanked them for their prayers for him and added, The rest of you arent jealous, are you?

Nooooo, they shot back, like schoolgirls to a teacher.

He also urged them not to succumb to gossiping in their convents, comparing it to terrorism - something he regularly tells priests and nuns on his global travels.

You know what a gossiping nun is? he asked. A terrorist.

The nuns laughed again.

Because gossip is like a bomb. One throws it, it causes destruction and you walk away tranquilly. No terrorist nuns! No gossip, and know that the best remedy against gossip is to bite your tongue, he said.

Trying to make his appeal local, he joked that gossiping nuns were worse than the terrorists of Ayacucho.

Ayacucho was the epicentre of the Maoist-inspired Shining Path uprising that fought the Peruvian state in a conflict that left 69,000 people dead or missing in the 1980s and 1990s.

Bands of remnant rebels still operate in the Andean area around Ayacucho and have moved into drug trafficking, occasionally attacking military and police convoys.

Some Peruvians did not find it funny, comparing a gossiping nun to members of a guerrilla group, especially on a pastoral trip aimed at unifying a politically divided Peru, and turned to social media to call the comments insensitive or disrespectful.

An editor of a local online newspaper said on Twitter he thought the cases of sex abuse by Catholic priests had more to do with terrorism than gossiping nuns.

Like Chile, which was the first country on the popes tour, Peru has also been hit by sexual abuse scandals.

Earlier this month, the pope ordered the takeover of an elite Catholic society whose founder is scheduled to go on trial in Peru this year for sexual abuse of minors.
A day before Donald Trumps Jan. 12 ultimatum to fix the Iran nuclear deal, European powers met Irans foreign minister to show support for it, but the effort failed to soften Trumps aversion to the accord, US and European officials said.

The gathering in Brussels may even have reinforced the U.S. presidents antipathy, according to three U.S. officials involved in the discussions.

Trump instead gave the European allies, Britain, France, Germany, and the U.S. Congress 120 days to come up with a tougher approach on Tehran or see U.S. sanctions reimposed, they said.

With Trump warning of a last chance for the worst deal ever negotiated, Britain, France and Germany have begun talks on a plan to satisfy him by addressing Irans ballistic missile tests and its regional influence while preserving the 2015 accord that curbed Irans nuclear ambitions for at least a decade.

It is hard to say what might mollify the Trump administration, which is split between those who would like to tear up the agreement and those who wish to preserve it and which has said inconsistent things about its demands to keep the accord, U.S. and European officials said.

Under U.S. law, Trump must decide again whether to renew the U.S. sanctions relief every 120 days, giving Congress, as well as U.S. and European diplomats, until mid-May to see if there is a way to finesse the issue.

But the Brussels meeting has left European powers wary that whatever they agree, it may not be enough.

Were going to work in the spirit that were ready to talk about everything, from the nuclear accord to Irans ballistic missiles, said a senior European diplomat. But we want to compartmentalise the subjects; were not going to mix them.

At stake is not just an historic accord negotiated - before Trump took office - by the United States, China, France, Russia, Britain, Germany and the European Union, and one that Europe sees as its biggest diplomatic achievement in decades.

A collapse of the nuclear deal could see a breakdown in the relations between the United States and Europe that have underpinned the Wests security since World War Two, European diplomats and the senior U.S. official said, and could confirm Europes fears that it can no longer count on U.S. leadership.

Britain, France, Germany and the EUs foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, are adamant that the deal cannot be renegotiated, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also ruled that out this month, speaking at the United Nations.

Initial contacts between the three European powers in Washington, European capitals and at the EUs headquarters in Brussels suggest that Paris, London and Berlin will present a package of measures to the United States to allay Trumps concerns about Iran but that do not reopen the nuclear accord.

BALLISTIC THREAT

The strategy could include threatening Iran with targeted economic sanctions if it does not agree to curtail its ballistic weapons arsenal, which the West believes contains longer-range missiles potentially capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

European diplomats favour creating a high-level working group with Iran to discuss the missile issue, while reminding Trump that NATOs ballistic missile defence shield in southeastern Europe will boast a new site in Poland this year.

Washington wants U.N. nuclear inspectors to be able to visit military sites as part of the International Atomic Energy Agencys verification of the nuclear deal. The IAEA says it does not distinguish between military and non-military sites and has repeatedly said Iran is honoring its commitments under the deal.

Diplomats say the IAEA has not yet inspected a military site, and if Washington wants it to do so it needs to provide new information showing that this is necessary.

For its part, Iran has said its military sites are beyond the IAEAs purview and repeatedly denied that its nuclear programme has military dimensions, namely to develop bombs.

Another part of the potential European strategy is pressure on Iran to rein in Middle East proxies such as Hezbollah, and to stop arming Houthi fighters combating government forces in Yemens war, which has devastated the country.

There is discussion to push Iran to embrace U.N-backed peace talks for Syria, where Tehran is sharply at odds with the West in its support for President Bashar al-Assad and whose departure the United States and its EU allies have long sought.

That could dovetail with U.S. legislative efforts to change the nuclear deals so-called sunset provisions as they expire from 2025, so that if Iran were eventually to launch a nuclear arms programme, U.S. sanctions would kick in again.

In the U.S. Congress, the leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are working with the White House to write legislation they hope can meet Trumps demand to eliminate the disastrous flaws in the pact.

Presented the right way, it could be just enough to allow Trump to claim a diplomatic victory and sign legislation from Congress, said a senior EU diplomat.

Mogherini will brief EU foreign ministers on Monday, while U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet his British and French counterparts in London and Paris this week on a trip where Iran will dominate many conversations, an aide said.

RAGING DISAGREEMENTS

While Britain, Germany and France appear united, Mogherini has so far been unwilling to consider EU sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missiles to avoid jeopardising the nuclear deal.

Iran already rejected a call in November by French President Emmanuel Macron for talks on its missiles, saying they were solely defensive in nature. Their concept of dialogue is to explain that they are right, a Western diplomat said of Iran.

Britain, France and Germany also face a divided U.S. government - current and former U.S. officials said it is unclear whether Trump wants to save the pact or has set the Europeans and Congress an impossible task, giving him an excuse to end the deal and for someone to take the fall.

There are these raging disagreements within the (Trump) administration,  said a former U.S. official. While one group wants to keep the agreement, the other wants this outreach to the Europeans and the Congress to fail and to be able to blame it on them.
Gunmen in army uniforms who stormed Kabuls Intercontinental Hotel late on Saturday and battled Afghan Special Forces through the night killed more than 30 people and wounded many more, although the final toll of dead and wounded may still be higher.

Wahid Majroh, a spokesman for the ministry of public health, said that 19 bodies had been brought into city hospitals, with six identified as foreigners.

However, a senior Afghan security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media, said the death toll was over 30 and might climb higher. The dead included hotel staff and guests as well as members of the security forces who fought the attackers. (Highlights)

All five attackers were also killed, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said.

The raid was the latest in a series of attacks that have underlined the citys vulnerability and the ability of militants to mount high-profile operations aimed at undermining confidence in the Western-backed government.

More than 150 guests were able to flee as parts of the building caught fire, with some shimmying down sheets tied together and dropped from upper-floor windows and others rescued by Afghan forces.

Local airline Kam Air said around 40 of its pilots and air crew, many of whom are foreigners, were staying in the hotel and as many as 10 had been killed. Local media reports said the dead included Venezuelans and Ukrainians.

Zamari Kamgar, the airlines deputy director, said it was still trying to locate staff.

Policemen block the road to the Intercontinental Hotel during a deadly attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo)

The Taliban, which attacked the same hotel in 2011, claimed responsibility for the attack, its spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.

A statement from the interior ministry put the blame on the Haqqani network, a group affiliated with the Taliban that is notorious for its attacks on urban targets.

Abdul Rahman Naseri, a guest who was at the hotel for a conference, was in the hall of the hotel when he saw four gunmen dressed in army uniforms.

They were shouting in Pashto (language), Dont leave any of them alive, good or bad. Shoot and kill them all, one of them shouted, Naseri said.

I ran to my room on the second floor. I opened the window and tried to get out using a tree but the branch broke and I fell to the ground. I hurt my back and broke a leg.

Even after officials said the attack was over, sporadic gunshots and explosions could be heard from the site.

Thick smoke

As day broke on Sunday, thick clouds of black smoke poured from the building, an imposing 1960s structure set on a hilltop and heavily protected like most public buildings in Kabul.

The Intercontinental is one of two main luxury hotels in the city and had been due to host an information technology conference on Sunday. More than 100 IT managers and engineers were on site when the attack took place, said Ahmad Waheed, an official at the telecommunications ministry.

Danesh said a private company had taken over responsibility for security at the hotel three weeks ago and there would be an investigation into possible failings, just days after a US embassy warning of possible attacks on hotels in Kabul.

Several armoured US military vehicles with heavy machine guns could be seen close to the hotel along with Afghan police units as Special Forces manoeuvred around the site.

Hotel manager Ahmad Haris Nayab, who escaped unhurt, said the attackers had got into the main part of the hotel through a kitchen before going through the hotel, with many guests trapped in their rooms.

The senior security official said that the attackers had moved directly from the first floor to the fourth and fifth floors, suggesting the attack had been carefully prepared, possibly with inside help.

When the sixth floor caught fire this morning, my roommate told me, either burn or escape, said Mohammad Musa, who was hiding in his room on the top floor.

I got a bed sheet and tied it to the balcony. I tried to come down but I was heavy and my arms were not strong enough. I fell down and injured my shoulder and leg.

US warning

Although US and Afghan officials say the Taliban has been forced onto the back foot after the United States increased its help to Afghan security forces and stepped up air strikes last year, security remains precarious across the country.

In separate incidents on Sunday, eight people were killed by a roadside bomb in the western province of Herat and 18 members of local militia forces were killed at a checkpoint in the northern province of Balkh.

As pressure on the battlefield has increased, officials have warned that the danger of attacks on high-profile targets in Kabul and other cities would increase. The insurgents have carried out dozens of such attacks over recent years.

After repeated strikes on Kabul, notably last May when a truck bomber killed at least 150 people outside the German embassy, security has been further tightened.

Large areas of central Kabul are already closed off behind high concrete blast walls and police checkpoints but the ability of the assailants to get into a well-protected hotel frequented by both government officials and foreigners demonstrated how difficult it remains to stop them.

The attack, just days after a UN Security Council visit to Kabul to allow senior representatives of member states to assess the situation in Afghanistan, may further weaken confidence in the government.

President Ashraf Ghani ordered an investigation and said militant groups were being helped by neighbouring countries.

As long as the terrorist groups have secure protection and safe haven, the region will not find security, stability, he said in a statement.

US ambassador John Bass said the embassy was in close contact with Afghan authorities.

Such violence has no place here or anywhere in the world, he said in a statement.
Turkish attacks in the Afrin region of northern Syria killed ten people on Saturday, mostly civilians, a spokesman for the Kurdish militia which controls the area said.

Seven civilians were killed, including a child, as well as two female fighters and one male fighter, said Birusk Hasakeh, spokesman for the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin, adding that the child was an eight-year-old boy.

The YPGs political branch, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), said earlier on Saturday that 25 civilians had been wounded in the Turkish bombing.

Ankara also said there were casualties but all of them were Kurdish militants.

Afrin, a hilly region that falls in Syrias northern Aleppo province, is home to more than a million people including displaced families.

Turkey and allied Syrian rebels on Saturday began an air and ground operation, dubbed operation Olive Branch, aimed at ousting the YPG from the Kurdish-majority pocket.

The launch came despite warnings that the operation could be militarily tough against an already battle-hardened foe and complicate relations with both Washington and Moscow.

Russia on Saturday said its troops were withdrawing from the Afrin region, where they had been stationed to manage a buffer zone between Kurds and Turkish-backed rebels and also train Kurdish fighters.

In a statement issued late Saturday, the YPG said it would hold Russia responsible for these attacks just as much as Turkey.

Russia will be responsible for all massacres carried out in the Afrin canton, the YPG said.

Turkey vehemently opposes the YPG because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers Party, which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey for three decades.
Tensions mounted on Sunday at refugee camps in Bangladesh holding hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims over an operation to send them back to Myanmar, from where they have fled following a military crackdown.

Dozens of refugees stood holding cloth banners opposing their transfer as United Nations Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee visited camps along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border over the weekend. Some refugee leaders said Bangladesh military officials had threatened to seize their food ration cards if they did not return.

Under an agreement signed last week, Myanmar is set to receive Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh at two reception centres and a temporary camp near their common border starting on Tuesday and continuing over the next two years.

The refugees refuse to go back unless their safety can be guaranteed and Myanmars grant their demands to be given citizenship and inclusion in a list of recognised ethnic minorities. They are also asking that their homes, mosques and schools that were burned down or damaged in the military operation be rebuilt.

Over 655,500 Muslim Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military cracked down in the northern part of Rakhine state in response to militant attacks on security forces on Aug. 25. The United Nations described the operation as ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, which Myanmar denies.

Rohingya elders told Reuters that Bangladeshi army officials have called or met them over the last two days, asking them to prepare lists of families from their camps for repatriation. Four of them said they were among more than 70 camp leaders  representing thousands of refugees  who met army officers at the Gungdum camp on Saturday.

When we said we cannot provide the lists because people are not ready to return, they asked us to bring their WP cards, said Musa, a leader at the Gungdum camp, referring to relief cards provided by the U.N.s World Food Programme.

Rashedul Hasan, a spokesman for the Bangladesh army, said he was not aware of army men threatening to take away food cards.

Hundreds of refugees queue up at relief centres across the camps each morning to collect food using the cards. These centres are managed by the Bangladesh army.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has repeatedly said Rohingya returns need to be voluntary.

UNHCR has not been part of discussions (on repatriation) to date, but has offered support to engage in the process to ensure that the voices of refugees are heard, Caroline Gluck, a senior protection officer for the agency, said by email on Saturday.

The pace of returns should be determined by the refugees themselves.
Donald Trumps first anniversary as US president was marred by chaos Saturday as lawmakers traded bitter recriminations over a government shutdown while mass demonstrations erupted in cities across the country.

The famed Statue of Liberty was among the federal sites that were shuttered on Saturday. But the real impact of the shutdown wont be fully felt until Monday morning, when hundreds of thousands of public sector workers are set to stay home without pay.

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell on Saturday night tried to head off that possibility, setting a key vote for a funding measure for 1:00 am (0600 GMT) Monday.

I assure you we will have the vote at 1:00 am on Monday, unless there is a desire to have it sooner, he said in a statement.

Highlighting the deep political polarization, crowds estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands took to the streets of major US cities to march against the president and his policies.

This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present, Trump, who is in Washington instead of celebrating at his Mar-a-Lago resort as originally planned, wrote on Twitter in reference to the shutdown.

Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border, he tweeted, later accusing the opposition party of holding our Military hostage.

The impact of the shutdown would be felt acutely if it lasts into the coming work week.

Essential federal services and military activity are continuing, but even active duty troops will not be paid until a deal is reached to reopen the US government.

- Holding pattern -

There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. In the last one in 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave.

Were just in a holding pattern. We just have to wait and see. Its scary, Noelle Joll, a 50-year-old furloughed US government employee, told AFP in Washington.

Joll was also affected by the 2013 shutdown, but this one feels a lot more ominous, she said.

A deal had appeared likely on Friday afternoon, when Trump -- who has touted himself as a master negotiator -- seemed to be close to an agreement with Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer on a measure to prevent the expulsion of undocumented migrants who arrived in the United States as children.

Protesters, part of a 500,000 strong crowd, during the Women's Rally on the one-year anniversary of the first Women's March, when millions marched around the world to protest US President Donald Trump's inauguration, in Los Angeles, California on January 20, 2018. / (AFP)

But no such compromise was in the language that reached Congress for a stop-gap motion to keep the government open for four more weeks while a final arrangement is discussed. And Republicans failed to win enough Democratic support to bring it to a vote.

Congress reconvened for a rare Saturday session, where leaders of both sides were meant to hammer out their differences to prevent the shutdown from stretching into Monday. Instead, they traded accusations of responsibility for the shutdown.

Schumer said trying to negotiate with Trump was like negotiating with Jell-O.

Its impossible to negotiate with a constantly moving target, he said. President Trump is so mercurial its been impossible to get him to agree to anything.

Meanwhile, McConnell said Schumer took the extraordinary step of preventing the legislation from passing and thus plunging the country into this totally avoidable mess.

Were dysfunctional right now, said Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, who voted in favor of the funding measure on Friday night.

If we cant open the government back up and work through our differences, it would be a travesty.

Tomorrow this should come to an end. The true, unacceptable silliness that we go through must stop.

- Anti-Trump protests -

Democrats have accused Republicans of poisoning chances of a deal and pandering to Trumps populist base by refusing to fund a program that protects 700,000 Dreamers -- undocumented immigrants who arrived as children -- from deportation.

Republicans have a tenuous one-seat majority in the Senate, but on Friday needed to lure some Democrats to their side to get a 60 vote supermajority to bring the motion forward. They fell ten votes short.

The measure brought to Congress would have extended federal funding until February 16 and reauthorized for six years a health insurance program for poor children -- a long-time Democratic objective.

But it left out any action on the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, that affects Dreamers.

White House officials insisted there was no urgency to fix DACA, which expires March 5.

Protesters, part of a 500,000 strong crowd, raise their hands during the Women's Rally on the one-year anniversary of the first Women's March. (AFP)

As US lawmakers wrangled over government funding, protesters turned out in cities including Los Angeles, New York and Washington to express their opposition to Trump, and their support for womens rights.

Protestors hoisted placards with messages including Fight like a girl and A womans place is in the White House and Elect a clown, expect a circus.

The president meanwhile posted a deadpan tweet referencing the rallies protesting his policies, urging people to get out there and celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months.

Later Saturday, he tweeted again about the unprecedented success for our Country, in so many ways, since the Election.

Hollywood celebrities were among those who turned out to the protests.

We have a racist in the White House, we have a sexist in the White House and we have a pathological liar in the White House who is tearing away at the fabric of our democracy, actor and producer Rob Reiner said at a rally in California.
Turkish ground forces advanced into northern Syrias Afrin region on Sunday, Ankara said after launching artillery and air strikes on a US-backed Kurdish militia it aims to sweep from its border.

The Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia, supported by the United States but seen as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, said it had repulsed the Turkish forces and their allies after fierce clashes.

Intense Turkish artillery fire and air strikes continued to hit some villages, the YPG said, and fierce battles raged to the north and west of Afrin against Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies, said Birusk Hasaka, the YPG spokesman in Afrin.

Turkey opened a new front in the nearly seven-year-old Syrian war on Saturday when, under what Ankara has called Operation Olive Branch, Turkish artillery and air strikes pounded YPG positions in Afrin.

Turkey is targeting the US-backed fighters at a time when ties with ally Washington appear close to breaking point.

Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has carried out a deadly, three-decade insurgency in Turkeys mainly Kurdish southeast. The United States is backing the YPG in Syria, seeing it as an effective partner in the fight against Islamic State.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the Turkish military, NATOs second-largest, would create a 30-km (19-mile) safe zone in the region, according to broadcaster HaberTurk.

Our jets took off and started bombing. And now the ground operation is underway. Now we see how the YPG ... are fleeing in Afrin, President Tayyip Erdogan said. We will chase them. God willing, we will complete this operation very quickly.

Around 25,000 Free Syrian Army rebels are taking part in the operation with the goal of recapturing Arab towns and villages seized by the YPG almost two years ago, a rebel commander said.

Major Yasser Abdul Rahim said the rebels did not seek to enter the mainly Kurdish city of Afrin but encircle it and expel the YPG, which controls it.

A main goal of the military operation was to recapture Tel Rifaat, a town southeast of Afrin, and a string of Arab villages the YPG captured from rebels in February 2016, driving out tens of thousands of inhabitants, Abdul Rahim told Reuters.

ROCKET HITS TURKISH TOWN

A rocket fired across the border from Syria hit the Turkish border town of Reyhanli on Sunday, killing a Syrian national and wounding 32 people, broadcaster NTV reported the towns mayor as saying. CNN Turk said three rockets in total had been fired across the border towards Reyhanli.

Erdogan said some of Turkeys allies had provided the YPG with 2,000 plane shipments and 5,000 truckloads of ammunition, comments that appeared to be aimed at the United States.

The attacks follow weeks of warnings against the YPG in Syria from Erdogan and his ministers. Turkey has been particularly outraged by an announcement that the United States planned to train 30,000 personnel in parts of northeast Syria under the control of the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters anyone who opposed the action in Afrin was siding with terrorists and would be treated accordingly.

He said Ankara expected France to support Turkeys operation, after France asked Ankara to act with restraint and said it would call an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army rebel factions had captured a Kurdish village with no resistance and were clearing landmines, a Turkish official said.

The YPG said it had repulsed the Turkish forces.

All the Turkish militarys ground attacks against Afrin have been repelled so far and they have been forced to retreat, Nouri Mahmoudi, a YPG official, said. Since the morning, the combatants have exchanged shelling and clashed along several frontlines around Afrin, he said.

Thousands rallied against the attacks in the border town of Amuda in northwest Syria, vowing to stand against Turkish occupation, according to a local witness.

The Turkish military said it had hit targets including hideouts used by Kurdish militants. The YPG said Turkeys strikes killed some civilians and accused Turkey of striking civilian districts and a camp for displaced people in Afrin.

Western governments have largely urged calm, with the United States saying the focus should be on fighting Islamic State in Syria.

Russia, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war, will demand in the United Nations that Turkey halt its operation in Afrin, RIA news quoted a member of the Russian parliaments security committee as saying on Saturday.

TRAINING CAMP

At a training camp near the border, about 200 fighters from the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army factions drilled on a parade ground, some in different khaki-coloured uniforms, some in jeans. Lieutenant-colonel Mohammad al Hamadeen, a rebel spokesman, said a ground offensive was due to begin within hours against the YPG.

The military operation started this morning with the invasion of the northwestern areas of Afrin. And they will start in the eastern area of Afrin, he told Reuters.

A Reuters reporter on the outskirts of the northern Syrian town of Azaz, under the control of Free Syrian Army factions, heard several blasts and saw smoke rising from a hill to the west, where a fighter said the YPG were.

There were no signs of conflict in the town itself, where life appeared to continue as normal with traffic on the muddy, potholed roads and uniformed rebel police at the main roundabouts. At a car repair workshop on the outskirts of the town some men were fixing a gun-loaded vehicle.

On Saturday, a Pentagon official said: We encourage all parties to avoid escalation and to focus on the most important task of defeating ISIS (Islamic State).

Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency reported that four rockets fired from Syria hit the border town of Kilis overnight, damaging houses. Turkish security forces retaliated, it said.
One of the UKs leading state-funded schools which had hit the headlines as one of the first to impose a ban on the hijab for girls under eight has been forced to reverse its decision after widespread criticism.

St Stephens School in Newham, east London, had been planning to extend the ban to girls under 11 later this year but has chosen to withdraw the plans.

The schools uniform policy is based on the health, safety and welfare of our children. The school has taken the decision to make changes to this policy with immediate effect and this follows on from conversations with our school community, the school said in a statement.

We will work with our school community to continue to review this policy going forward in the best interests of our children, it adds.

Arif Qawi, the chair of governors of the school who had recently called on the UK government to take a firm stand on young children wearing the hijab and fasting during Ramadan, resigned from his post on Friday.

According to The Sunday Times, the resignation followed offensive messages posted on social media against him and the schools Indian-origin principal Neena Lall.

Now the head-teacher needs to go. Kick her out and force her to wear hijab. Let her see what forcing means, one of the messages against Lall reads.

Under the UKs Department for Education guidelines, uniform policy is a matter for individual head-teachers and their governing bodies.

The school, with a majority of pupils from Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds, had urged the UK government to issue clear guidelines on the issue of hijab-wearing and religious fasting relating to very young pupils to prevent a backlash from parents.

The department should step up and take it out of our hands and tell every school this is how it (fasting) should be... the same for the hijab, it should not be our decision. It is unfair to teachers and very unfair to governors. We are unpaid. Why should we get the backlash, Qawi had said.

Amina Lone, co-founder of the UKs Social Action and Research Foundation who has campaigned for young girls not to have to wear the hijab, warned that after his resignation other schools in the country would find themselves under pressure if the Department for Education did not issue clear guidelines.

These issues are not going away, she said.

The Department for Education said it is a matter for individual schools to decide how to accommodate children observing Ramadan, and to set uniform policies.

But we would expect them to consider the needs of their pupils, and to listen to the views of local parents, a spokesperson said.

In November 2017, St Stephens School had topped a prestigious primary schools league table published by The Sunday Times annually. It was listed as the best school in England in the Schools Guide 2018 for a strong teaching record.
A Sikh man was asked to remove his turban by a woman in a Canadian club who threatened to rip off the head covering and heckled him with racist remarks, according to a media report.

Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal was playing pool with friends at the Royal Canadian Legion, a Canadian ex-service organisation that includes people who have served in military, when the management approached the group and asked him to remove his patka as it was its policy to remove any headgear out of respect for the veterans, CBC News reported.

However, religious garments are exempted from the legions policy banning head coverings.

The incident took place on Wednesday at Tignish town in Canadas Prince Edward Island.

A video of the incident purportedly shows a woman threatening to rip off the head covering in response to being filmed and a patron at the bar making an obscene gesture while saying the garment must be removed because it is the law.

Legion president Stephen Gallant later said that he plans to apologise to those involved as religious garments are exempted from their policy, the report said.

Gallant said there was some confusion over whether the headdress was a religious garment, and the membership has met to clarify the branchs policy regarding head coverings.
Protestors took to the streets en masse across the United States, hoisting anti-Donald Trump placards, banging drums and donning pink hats for a second Womens March opposing the president -- one year to the day of his inauguration.

Hundreds of thousands of marchers assembled in Washington, New York, Chicago, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles and other cities nationwide, many donning the famous pink knit pussy hats -- a reference to Trumps videotaped boasts of his license to grope women without repercussions.

Protestors hoisted signs emblazoned with slogans like Fight like a girl and A womans place is in the White House and Elect a clown, expect a circus.

The Los Angeles mayor said estimated turnout in the city was 500,000, while New York police estimated about 200,000 protesters.

Ron Booth of Westminster, Colorado is dressed as "A Captain America" pumps his fist during the Denver's Women's March at the Civics Center Park in Denver. (AFP Photo)

In Manhattan, a diverse crowd descended on Central Park West, the avenue that borders the citys beloved park and arrives at the foot of the Trump International Hotel -- part of the magnate-turned-commander-in-chiefs real estate empire.

We live in an alternate universe -- it is so bad, said Althea Fusco, 67, who traveled to the city from upstate New York with two neighbors.

I see an erosion of democracy, she said.

Speakers at the New York rally included activist and actress Rosie Perez and entertainer Whoopi Goldberg, who emphasized that we are here to say -- as women -- were not taking it anymore.

Throngs of demonstrators paraded in Los Angeles, where actress Natalie Portman was among the celebrities pumping up the crowd: Because of you the revolution is rolling.

The marches aim to build on the movement launched last year when more than three million people turned out nationwide to voice opposition to Trump.

Protesters hold up signs near the White House after the Women's March on Washington. (AFP Photo)

The weekend of demonstrations is aimed at translating enthusiasm into political action with the theme Power to the Polls -- a message designed to drive voter registrations and maximize womens involvement in the 2018 midterm elections.

The president meanwhile posted a deadpan tweet referencing the rallies protesting his policies, urging people to get out there and celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months.

Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March, he wrote.

Many of the demonstrations indeed took place under sunny skies but marchers in Park City, Utah -- where the annual Sundance Film Festival is underway -- braved chilly temperatures and steady snow to make their voices heard, led by celebrities including activist and actress Jane Fonda.

People rally downtown for the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago, Illinois. (AFP Photo)

This years edition of Sundance took on a political bent in light of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct, a campaign that has rippled through Hollywood and beyond since scores of actresses levelled sexual assault allegations against disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Crowds in the North Carolina city of Charlotte heard an address from its first black female mayor, while Washington protestors rallied at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial and marched to the White House, speaking out on a raft of issues ranging from immigrant protections to racial equality to sexual assault.

We feel like our work isnt done and that theres so much more that we need to fix, said Tanaquil Eltson, 14, who also participated in Washingtons 2017 march.

Demonstrators participate in the Women's March for Truth in St Louis, Missouri. (AFP Photo)

I know the world around me isnt happy colours; its scary. But Im excited to be able to fix it, she said, clad in a red and blue Superwoman outfit.

Her mother Vitessa Del Prete, a retired US army lieutenant colonel, pointed to the recent flood of sexual abuse and harassment allegations against powerful men that has galvanized women to fight back against injustice.

Ive lived through decades of sexual harassment issues and its getting better -- but its nowhere near where it needs to be, the 51-year-old said, sporting a Wonder Woman costume in coordination with her daughter.

Issues that face women are just not being represented well enough in our country, so its a privilege to be able to get out here and try to do something from a citizen standpoint.

More than 300 towns and cities had organised anniversary marches and rallies. Other protests are set for Sunday, notably in Las Vegas, as well as in several European cities including Berlin.

People gather at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool to rally before the Women's March. (AFP Photo)

We cannot rest, said Pam Morris in Washington. We have to keep energised until we overcome this administration.

We cannot get worn down. We have to be here.
The woman, 27, was arrested after landing in Heathrow on a flight from Ethiopia

Thought to be the first case of a returning mother whose child was born into ISIS

MI5 previously said around 850 extremists from Britain travelled to Middle East

As ISIS flushed out, UK counter-terror police bracing itself for jihadi bride influx

A suspected jihadi bride who returned to the UK having given birth to a child under Islamic State rule in Syria has been bailed after she was arrested at Heathrow. The woman, 27, whose identity has not been revealed arrived on a flight from Addis Ababa and was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5 of the Terrorist Act 2006. It is thought this is the first case of its kind involving a mother and a child born into the ISIS regime. MI5 has previously said around 850 extremists from Britain travelled to the Middle East as ISIS took control of pockets of Syria and Iraq. And as the terror group is flushed out of its former strongholds, many of its militants with British passports are returning home with their families. The mother is the latest in a string of arrests made by British counter-terror police bracing itself for an influx of jihadi brides. Among the blacklisted British citizens still thought to be living within ISIS territory are Omar Hussain, a former Morrisons supermarket security guard-turned jihadi recruiter from High Wycombe, Aqsa Mahmood (pictured), a Glaswegian who went to Syria to marry an ISIS fighter aged 20, and London-born Muslim convert Grace Dare, whose ISIS husband Abu Bakr has since been killed The child, who is younger than two-year-old, has been taken into care, according to the Sunday Times. It is understood the woman flew from Ethiopia in an attempt to cover her tracks, but counter-terror officers were waiting at the airport for her when she landed. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'She was detained under PACE and taken to a south London police station, where she currently remains in police custody.' While the inquiry continues, the boy has been taken into care as counter-terror police continue to crack down on Britain-bound terrorists.

Last year, ministers stripped more than 150 jihadists of their citizenship and banned them from Britain, as intelligence chiefs warned they may return from war-torn Syria and unleash a new wave of attacks.





Many of those returning were trained in the use of explosives and firearms as they took part in ISIS's bloody rampage.





Time is running out for the government to act before ISIS falls, as it can only strip citizenship of those who will not be left stateless.





In May, security sources said around 350 ISIS fighters had already come back to the UK from Syria and estimate another 300 could yet return.





Among the blacklisted British citizens still thought to be living within ISIS territory are Omar Hussain, a former Morrisons supermarket security guard-turned jihadi recruiter from High Wycombe, Aqsa Mahmood, a Glaswegian who went to Syria to marry an ISIS fighter aged 20, and London-born Muslim convert Grace Dare, whose ISIS husband Abu Bakr has since been killed.





Former British punk rocker Sally Jones, 49, left her home with her son to join ISIS in Syria and is on the Pentagon's kill list.





She was killed in an airstrike in June but the future of her son Jojo, who appeared in ISIS' sick propaganda videos, is unclear.








Security forces will outnumber visitors at Davos this week, with airspace restrictions and 5,000 armed personnel turning the Swiss ski resort into a fortress for the World Economic Forum.

Noting that Switzerland is part of the western world, considered anti-Islam by the jihadists, and is therefore also a possible target of terrorist attacks most likely by radicalised individuals in Switzerland, an additional 5,000 armed personnel have been deployed for civil support duties to support the services and equipment provided by the 26 cantons in Switzerland to the Canton of Graubunden, where Davos is located.

The annual meeting will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and UK Prime Minister Theresa May, along with 70 other heads of state, 38 global CEOs and 3,000 delegates and members of the media.

The airspace over and around Davos has been declared a no-fly zone, with aerial policing measures on standby from January 22 to January 27. Civilian aircraft and private jets will be allowed to fly through a restricted airspace after identification, while helicopters ferrying the powerful, rich and famous to and from Davos will be controlled by the Swiss Air Force and the federal office for civil aviation.

Air traffic restrictions will apply to a radius of 25 nautical miles (around 46 km) around the centre of Davos, with similar restrictions over border areas in neighbouring Austria and Italy. The restrictions also apply to all airspace users, including civilian aircraft, private jets, helicopters, paragliders, drones, and model airplanes, among others.

Due in particular to the activities and planning by Islamic State, the terrorist threat in Switzerland remains high. The most likely threat comes in the form of attacks requiring minimum logistical planning, carried out by individuals or small groups, a statement on the Federal Council website read.

Only people with security clearance and delegate passes can enter Davos and neighbouring Klosters, with high and visible police presence, intensive reconnaissance and police checks ensuring those without valid permissions are kept out.

Groups planning protests against capitalist globalization and Trumps charismatic strongman politics need to apply for an authorisation to hold a demonstration at least 48 hours before the planned event.

Around 2,500 delegates from business, politics, research and culture and 500 media personnel from 90 countries began arriving at Davos on Sunday for the WEF annual meeting. Modi will deliver the opening address of the event, while Trumps speech will close it.

This year, the meet focuses on international security, environment, global economy, and divisions within societies amid heightened geostrategic competition.
Hundreds gathered in Houston on Saturday to march for the second year in a row for women's rights.

The second Women's March in Houston got underway at 9:30 a.m. with a walk from Buffalo Bayou Cistern on Allen Parkway to City Hall, where a rally was scheduled for 11 a.m. Mayor Sylvester Turner was scheduled to speak.

Some women wore pink hats, others carried signs that read "Make America Think Again" and "Time's Up." Before the march, Laura Moser, founder of the Daily Action, organized a rally where women voiced their concerns on issues that hadn't changed since last year.

"This is just as historic a day as last year, " Moser said to the women gathered.

Kandice Webber, of Black Lives Matter Houston, urged women to consider the plight of minority women marching around them.

"Its time for us to start checking our privilege, it's time for us to start checking our biases," said Webber.

Now Playing: Houston women march for solidarity Video: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

Mayor Turner said he hopes to see a woman elected president in his lifetime.

"The glass ceilings that existed in this country must be no more," Turner said, adding "let's elect a whole lot of women to positions of power!"

Women's marches were happening in cities across the country today, with the largest set for Las Vegas. Last year, massive rallies were held in the aftermath of the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has faced allegations of sexual harassment. More than 20,000 women marched last year in Houston.

As Saturday's march got underway, chants began, such as "We want a leader, not a creepy tweeter."

But activists stressed that the march is about more than the controversial president.

"We march because women are still "less than" in America," wrote former Mayor Annise Parker and Robin Paoli in a recent Chronicle editorial. "Men make more money, hold more elected offices, lead more companies, make more laws, are quoted more frequently and have more screen time in movies. Are men that much worthier than women? No. Women are just as worthy as men, but women are not treated with equity, so we persist and march for equal rights under law."
The family room in Fowler and Lucy Carter's Tanglewood home is just about as perfect as a room can be.

Comfortable sofas and chairs sit around leather ottomans used as a coffee table.

On one side, a sizable TV is hidden in a cabinet; with the flip of a switch it lifts up, taking what appeared to be the cabinet's top up with it. Above the cabinet is beautiful modern art, the result of a three-year search for the perfect piece.

Built-in shelves along another wall display an eye-popping collection of blue-and-white pottery. Platters, pots, bowls and vases all back up to pretty green walls that show off the colors and patterns in a way no other could.

One look and you'll consider collecting the pottery just so you can display it in the same way.

In each room of this thoughtfully designed home, you could step back and wonder: How could this have been put together in any other way?

Needing more space

When Lucy was pregnant with the couple's first child, they were living in a 1,400-square-foot bungalow with just two bedrooms. It was a cozy first home, but they knew they needed more space.

They fell in love with the sprawling canopy of trees and friendly neighbors in Tanglewood and in 2009 bought a 5,000-square-foot 1950s-era ranch-style home.

By the time Lucy was pregnant with their third child, they knew that the home needed more updates, and the configuration of space didn't quite suit their needs. They wanted to stay in the same place, just not in the same house.

So the Carters demolished their home and built one that would fit into the neighborhood without looming over neighbors. It would provide more square footage on a second floor to keep the scale of home versus green space.

New book: William Cannady captures changes in life in tome about his four homes.

They called on Dillon Kyle Architects - Kyle is a distant relative and has designed homes for several people in Fowler's family - for help. Soon, Sandy Lucas of Lucas Eilers Design Associates came on board for the interior design work.

As a group, they embarked on a long list of questions about the home, its yard, its garage. How will they live there - and, more important, how can the home accommodate their changing needs?

"(Kyle) does, in a good way, teach you what would be a better version of your idea," Fowler said of the guidance he and Lucy got from their architect.

Though many families forgo formal spaces such as living rooms and dining rooms in favor of more open and casual floor plans, the Carters wanted a traditional home. They would eat together regularly in a formal dining room and have formal spaces where adults could gather without interference. Likewise, the children would have their space, too, so friends and toys could all have their own place.

At the front of the new, 7,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home are formal living and dining rooms. The living room serves a number of purposes, the most recent of which was to hold a Christmas tree surrounded by hundreds of gifts.

The Carters host their big family holiday event, a Christmas Eve party where 100 people spanning four generations gather for food and fun. Off the dining room is a bar, accessible from two sides. It can be closed off or opened for full use during small gatherings, big family events or even fundraisers they host for River Oaks Baptist School, the Joy School or Houston Methodist Hospital, among others.

Big bold windows are a common thread in homes designed by Kyle.

"Almost every client wants lots and lots and lots of light. They are very driven by the need for their house to be open and bright and fresh," Kyle said. "I really like lots of glass, especially glass that goes from the floor to the ceiling - and I love the way it ends up turning out."

It was Kyle's idea to hide the TV in the adult family room. He said there's often an issue between where a TV should be and where furniture should be or how to have a large TV without making it the focus of the room.

The solution is to hide it - and that's what Kyle did. Knowing that when the home is being designed is important because the lift that elevates the TV gets mounted to the slab, which has about an 18-inch drop beneath the foundation to hold the TV.

Defining style

Clean, timeless and classic were how the Carters described their style to Kyle and Lucas. Once the conversation turned to furnishings, though, it was clear that the couple wanted to sit on, walk on and look at things that were fairly traditional.

There were family pieces to be factored in: art, antiques a baby grand piano that had belonged to Lucy's great-grandmother.

Some existing furniture was reupholstered - one pair of chairs got an elegant monogram treatment - and even artwork was reframed with updated looks.

Decisions about flooring shifted from concrete to a combination of wood and limestone for a warmer look that worked better with skirted chairs and sofas.

New things brought in eclectic touches: a brass demilune console in the foyer and an ironstone end table in the family room.

Honoring history: Restoration of Heights bungalow earns Good Brick award.

And though it may be the green-backed bookcases that made Lucy's china collection pop, soft blues dominate in this home.

Blue shows up in window treatments - draperies and shades - throughout and takes a playful turn in bold wallpaper in a powder room. Kitchen cabinets were painted blue, and cabinets in the nearby bar were painted a slightly lighter shade, which they nicknamed "Fowler blue."

Fowler went to culinary school and had dreams of being a chef before he went to work for the family business, Black Stone Minerals, where he's director of new ventures. So he had a lot to say about the kitchen's footprint.

The long center island has a marble top, and perimeter counters are topped with black walnut. He insisted on Wolf SubZero appliances and a Scotsman icemaker. They use a dual gas/electric range, have two dishwashers - which Lucy says is "the best thing ever" - and a super-organized pantry.

A screened-in porch allows for outdoor dining when the weather is nice, and there you'll find the "big daddy of grills," Fowler's Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet grill.

Though a fair amount of the furniture in the home is new, the pieces they brought with them were looked at with a new view.

"People can have preconceived notions about a console that was in the dining room all their life. It might take on a totally different use when we put it someplace else," Lucas said. "Being able to look at those things with a fresh eye can have a big impact."

Coordinated effort

Looking back, the Carters feel they took the right approach, selecting an architect, interior designer and even a landscape architect - Thompson & Hanson - together at the start.

"If you can pick them all before you're too deep into planning, they can problem-solve together. It's costly, but it saves heartache and saves money on the back end," Fowler said.

The Carters, both 37, also love how calm their home can feel, even though they have three children who are 8 and younger.

"It's a quiet and tranquil place, even with the noise and chaos of the kids. It feels calmer than any place we've ever lived," Lucy said.

In the evening, after they put the kids to bed, they take glasses of wine outside. With fans going, they hear a slight hum of Loop 610 in the background.

They barely can tell they're in the hustle and bustle of a great big city.
WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders in both parties refused to budge publicly from their political corners Saturday on the first day of the government shutdown, avoiding direct negotiations and bitterly blaming each other for the impasse in speeches. President Trump joined the fray with a series of charged tweets.

But private glimmers of a breakthrough were evident by late Saturday, as moderate Democrats and Republicans began to rally behind a new short-term funding proposal to reopen the government through early February.

That plan could include funding for storm-ravaged states, reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program - and an implicit agreement to hold votes at some point in the coming weeks on a bipartisan immigration deal, according to senators involved in the discussions.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., vowed on the Senate floor late Saturday to take up a new spending plan by Monday morning, or sooner, that would keep government open through Feb. 8 but would not contain a solution for "dreamers," undocumented immigrants who were brought into the country as children.

"He wants to keep the government shut down until we finish a negotiation on the subject of illegal immigation," McConnell said of his Democratic counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. McConnell then repeated himself: "Shutting down government over illegal immigration."

The moderate senators, meanwhile, are trying to reach a deal on immigration in hopes that, after the three-week spending deal is approved, McConnell would allow it to come up for a vote alongside a longer-term spending plan.

Democrats, however, remained intensely opposed to a short-term spending measure, frustrated by Republicans' refusal to meet their demands on immigration while government is closed. At issue for Democrats is the fate of thousands of young immigrants eligible for protection from deportation under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump canceled the program in September, and it is set to expire in March. Lawmakers are scrambling to enact a legislative solution.

Democrats also questioned the ability of the negotiating group to reach an agreement that can pass the Senate and House and also earn Trump's approval.

"The conversation that needs to take place is the conversation at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where the president of the United States brings in the four leaders from Congress," said Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Del. "We can come up with the best compromise in the world. The key is how to get it through the House and the way to do that is for the president to provide the air cover that he has not so far provided."

Lawmakers in both chambers were scheduled to return to work Sunday afternoon.

McConnell and Schumer did little in public Saturday besides trade insults in brief speeches on the Senate floor or on television.

"Do you know what number CR this is? This has been going on for six months," Schumer told CNN, using the legislative term for a short-term spending deal, a continuing resolution. "This is the fourth time. They can't get it done and they just use these CRs."

McConnell hunkered down in his office and played phone tag most of the day with Trump, updating him on where things stood and projecting an air of confidence that he was in a strong position, according to GOP senators.

There were no substantive talks between Schumer and McConnell. The real effort at bridging the divide was a bipartisan collection of roughly 20 senators from the less ideological corners of their respective caucuses. That group met and was trying to advance deal that would open the government for three more weeks and set up a series of votes on competing immigration proposals. However, several Senate Republicans said that McConnell was in no mood to give Schumer any assurances to open up the government.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., are leading the moderate group, with Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., both of whom have worked closely with Schumer on immigration issues in the past, serving as go-betweens for the two parties. The duo shuttled back and forth between Schumer's and McConnell's offices on the second floor of the Capitol trying to create peace, but they left for dinner shortly after 6 p.m. with no solid agreement with either leader.

It's unclear whether there is enough bipartisan support for the immigration proposal being offered by Flake and Graham - or for one that Senate conservatives are also drafting. One danger for everyone involved: the possibility of no resolution to the immigration standoff three weeks from now, leaving Congress and Trump back in the same spot where they are now.

So far, Trump, McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have refused to consider Democrats' demands until there is a bipartisan agreement to reopen the federal government.

"Senate Democrats shut down this government, and now Senate Democrats need to open this government back up," Ryan said in a midday speech.

And Trump weighed in on Twitter: "Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!"

Saturday marked the straight day that the moderate senators had hunkered down in Collins' office. Collins led a similar bipartisan group in working to resolve the last shutdown in 2013.

Moderates are "trying to find a pathway forward," Manchin said.

Democratic leaders, meanwhile, made their case for blaming Republicans for the shutdown. As thousands of women gathered along the Mall in Washington to protest Trump's first year in office, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stood at a news conference at the Capitol pointing at a poster depecting a Trump tweet from last May calling for a "good shutdown."

"Happy Anniversary, Mr. President," Pelosi said. "Your wish came true. You wanted the shutdown? The shutdown is all yours."

Trump, who marked the first anniversary of his inauguration on Saturday, canceled plans to visit his resort Palm Beach, Florida, for a weekend of celebrations. His scheduled trip to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland this coming week was also up in the air, according to an aide.

At the White House, a phone line for comments directed callers to voice mail with a message slamming Democrats.

"Unfortunately we cannot answer your call today because congressional Democrats are holding government funding, including funding for our troops and other national security priorities, hostage to an unrelated immigration debate. Due to this obstruction, the government is shut down," a woman's voice said on the message.

The White House said it supports the Feb. 8 plan, eliminating a potentially significant hurdle to its enactment. But simmering tensions between Trump aides and Schumer, who said Saturday that negotiating with the president was like negotiating with "Jell-O," underscored the delicacy of the moment.

Schumer and Trump had met privately on Friday afternoon, giving some lawmakers hope their discussion would advance a deal to avoid a shutdown altogether.

Schumer left the meeting buoyed, telling others that Trump seemed willing to strike a deal on a days-long funding extension in exchange for concessions such as border wall funding. But by midnight, he complained to his members that Trump had suddenly reneged on the possibility.

The White House told a different story. Briefing reporters at the White House on Saturday, budget director Mick Mulvaney disputed Schumer's claim that he offered Trump his desired border wall funding during their meeting.

"Mr. Schumer has to up his game and be more honest with the president of the United States if we are going to be seeing progress," Mulvaney said.

Schumer spokesman Matt House fired back on Twitter that Mulvaney was not present for the meeting was "not telling the truth" about what happened.

Democrats pushed for a shutdown to spite Trump for his accomplishments, White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short argued to reporters.

"Their reaction is, 'Because we can't beat them, what we're going to do is shut down the government," he said in a news briefing Saturday.

There was little productive activity on the House and Senate floors.

McConnell sought to bring up the four-week spending bill that failed Friday night; Democrats blocked the attempt. Democrats asked to vote on a bill guaranteeing federal workers their back pay for the period of the shutdown; McConnell objected, saying they deserve a full funding bill.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee who objected to McConnell's attempt to revive the short-term bill, questioned McConnell's embrace of the GOP proposal to extend funding of the Children's Health Insurance Program.

"He sounded like Marian Wright Edelman last night, the founder of the Children's' Defense Fund, with his newfound interest in the children's' health plan," Wyden said in an interview. "It sounds like I'm listening to Ted Kennedy talk about health . . . I've never heard of this being a priority [for Republicans]."

In the House, lawmakers prepared for a possible deal by debating a special rule allowing them to consider any bill that passes the Senate on the same day. The debate devolved into a shouting match over displaying disparaging photos of other members - such as Schumer - on the floor.

- - -

The Washington Post's Elise Viebeck and Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report.

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Video: Senators on both sides of the aisle remarked about the government shutdown on Jan. 20. Sen. Robert P. Casey (D-Pa.) expressed optimism but said the Senate "had a lot of work to do."(Jordan Frasier,Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

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BERLIN - Thousands took to the streets of European capitals, among them Berlin, Paris and London, on Sunday as part of the global "Women's March" movement.

One day after large crowds attended protests across the United States and all over the world, including in Rome, Sydney and Buenos Aires, it was northern Europe's turn. While those who marched rallied against a number of issues - such as the gender pay gap or perceived injustices in the Middle East - they all appeared to share a common dislike for President Donald Trump. The number of rally participants worldwide was lower than the millions who took to the streets a year ago, but the "resistance" against Trump still drew hundreds of thousands.

Under the slogan "Time's Up," speakers such as women's rights activists Helen Pankhurst were invited to raise more public awareness for persistent gender inequalities and the global #MeToo movement in London on Sunday. Hundreds attended the rally.

In Berlin, about 500 people - including Americans, Germans, Palestinians, Israelis and Finnish citizens - turned up at a rally near the iconic Brandenburg Gate, waving banners against xenophobia and misogyny.

"I'm an artist living in Berlin, and I'm here because most museums are run by men, and we female artists can't get in. We are devalued and struggling," said protester Melodie Ebner." It doesn't matter what country we are in - women are more than 50 percent of the global population, and we need to get out of the house and on the street."

"I hope the protest will show the world that we are here and ready to fight for these issues," Emelie Sederholm, a 23-year old Finnish citizen now living in Berlin said.

Others also voiced concerns about what they perceived to be a weakening of the global "resistance" against Trump and his policies.

"Last year there were about five times as many people here," said Jeremy Pine, 39, from Florida. "We're here today to protest a lot of different issues - poor governance of the U.S. administration, misogynistic behavior, xenophobia, and Trump's agenda to take away rights from nonwhite people all over the world. Populism is on the rise globally."

Pine also referred to the rise of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party that has steadily gained support in recent years. After the far right here had been restricted to the political sidelines for more than half a century, the rise of the AfD in general elections last September allowed it to gain access to parliament as the first far-right party in contemporary German history.

Still, Berlin is a role model for many here, especially as U.S. leadership is waning. With a year of Trump's "America First" agenda, the United States' role in the world has dramatically changed. The top-rated global power in the world is now Germany, outranking the United States for the first time in a recent Gallup poll. Whereas confidence in U.S. leadership has fallen from 48 percent to 30 percent within the past year, approval with German leadership remains unchanged at 41 percent.

"We protest the politics of Trump and his shameless sexist behavior. For him only money is important. His America-first politics is very dangerous," said Husein Chawick, 65, who also attended the rally to protest the recent imprisonment of Ahed Tamimi, a 16-year old Palestinian activist.

Ten-year old Bodhi Werner-Salsbury, his brother, Indigo, and his parents were echoing that sentiment. The family moved to Berlin from Fort Collins, Colorado, only half a year ago, but kept watching developments unfold back at home with dismay.

"We have Muslim relatives, so Trump's ban on Muslims is personal for us," the 10-year old said.

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Video: Protesters gathered for a second Women's March across the globe on Jan. 20.(Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)

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WASHINGTON - Sen. Robert Casey Jr., a Pennsylvania Democrat facing re-election this year in a state that narrowly voted to put Donald Trump in the White House, was the sort of senator Republicans hoped would vote against their bill to fund the government late Friday.

Casey obliged - and his likely 2018 opponent, recruited by Trump, wasted no time accusing him of voting to "put illegal immigrants over health insurance for our kids."

But Casey scoffed at the barb, accusing Republicans of cynically adding an extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program to the bill for political leverage - all for a spending deal that doesn't provide a long-term road map for military spending, the opioid crisis or "dreamers," the young immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.

"They don't give a damn about these kids," Casey said. "If they gave a damn, they would have gotten it done in September, or October, or November, or December ... now, suddenly, they have a newfound love for CHIP?"

As the blame game launched following the shutdown of the U.S. government at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, it quickly and ferociously began playing out on perhaps the most contentious battlefield of the 2018 midterms: the Senate races where Democrats are seeking re-election in states that Trump won.

Now Playing: Progress remains elusive and the government shutdown remains in effect. Video: KTVU

Six such Democrats voted against the spending bill in the Senate late Friday. But the vote divided the party, with five Senate Democrats, all from Trump states, voting to avoid a government shutdown - and setting up a fight over what Republicans have tried to brand "the Schumer Shutdown," after Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y.

At 12:38 a.m. Saturday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent out an email blast against Casey, whose leading opponent, Rep. Lou Barletta, is considered a top prospect for helping the GOP pick up a Senate seat.

"Bob Casey had to choose between doing what's best for Pennsylvania and playing partisan games, and he chose the latter," NRSC spokesman Bob Salera wrote in the blast. "By voting against extending CHIP, critical funding for our troops and programs families rely on, Casey is once again proving that his loyalty lies with his liberal colleagues in Washington, not with Pennsylvania."

The NRSC sent a nearly identical attack against Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. And Debbi Stabenow, D-Mich. And Bill Nelson, D-Fla. And Jon Tester, D-Mont. And Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.

And even before the vote Friday, the American Action Network, a group aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced a national TV ad buy accusing "the Pelosi liberals" of "jeopardizing funding for our troops and jeopardizing funding for health care for millions of American children."

Democrats, who knew the attacks were coming, have responded with videos and online ads that point to the president's 2013 and 2017 quotes about how a shutdown might be good for Republicans. Priorities USA, a Democratic super PAC, started a seven-figure digital ad buy targeting swing seats, showing images of foreign threats and worried families.

"What's President Trump up to?" asks a narrator in the ad. "He says our country needs a good government shutdown."

Yet some Democrats also quietly conceded that the impasse - if it is seen as a fight over immigration - holds risks for vulnerable senators, even if they voted to keep the government open.

One worrisome data point: A super PAC allied with Senate Democrats commissioned a poll in 12 battleground states in early December 2017, and it found that in more conservative states, blame for a shutdown would be split between Trump and Republicans and Democrats in Congress. But when interviewers asked respondents about a shutdown that might be tied to the legal status of dreamers, Democrats absorbed more blame.

The poll was conducted by Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group on behalf of Senate Majority PAC.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has played a key role in keeping off the table a deal over Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that gives protection to dreamers. He was one of many Republicans promising to make the impasse painful for Democrats. Five days before the vote, Cotton tweeted that a shutdown over the DACA issue would backfire on Democratic senators up for re-election "in places like W.Va., Ind., Mo., N.D., & Mont.," referring to the five states on the 2018 map where Trump won landslides.

"They ignored the needs of millions of Americans who rely on the federal government for important services," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said early Friday morning. "They held all this hostage over the completely unrelated issue of illegal immigration."

On Friday, just four of the senators cited by Cotton voted to adopt a Republican funding bill that did not deal with DACA. Tester voted with the majority of Democrats, while new Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., who does not face voters until 2020, backed the bill on the grounds that it would extend CHIP.

Less clear was how powerful the backlash might be within the Democratic base. At a closed-door meeting of Democratic senators Friday night before votes, nobody rose to say that the party's strategy put his or her seat at risk, said two people in attendance.

Meanwhile, the liberal Indivisible Project, which was founded by Capitol Hill veterans and boasts thousands of local chapters, has focused its efforts more on holdout Democrats from blue and purple states, such as senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, both of whom had voted to keep the government open in December - but not this time.

Similarly, United We Dream, a group advocating for dreamers that has organized months of in-person protests in states and on the Hill - including sit-ins at senators' offices - made a subtle shift in January, focusing on reluctant Republicans and thanking Democrats as they came on board.

"The Republicans are trying to isolate us, as part of a white supremacist strategy to isolate people of color," said Greisa Martinez, director of advocacy and policy at United We Dream. "That's not hyperbole - we heard the (vulgar) language that the president used last week."

Meanwhile, Democrats assembled the votes to block the House bill, with their 2018 candidates coming up with multiple reasons to join in. Kaine, whose shutdown-averse state is home to the largest concentration of federal workers in the country, had praised the short-term spending bill in December as a "solution that avoided brinkmanship." But with imminent deals on hurricane relief or DACA, he said, "enough is enough."

Kaine rejected Republicans' characterization that Democrats will own the shutdown, saying his vote merely amps up the pressure to finalize a budget.

The five holdout Democrats - Jones, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Claire McCaskill of Missouri - did earn some enmity from liberal groups. Justice Democrats, founded in 2017 to threaten primary challenges to "corporate Democrats," tweeted photos of the five and promised to "replace them in 2018." After Donnelly announced his yes vote for the GOP bill, Jesse Myerson, an organizer with the liberal Indiana group Hoosier Action, tweeted that "in order to beat the Republicans this year he will need PEOPLE who are ENTHUSIASTIC enough about him to CAMPAIGN for him."

Yet there's little evidence that the holdout Democrats are at risk of primary defeats.

Of the four up for re-election this year, only Manchin has an opponent who has filed a campaign finance report. As of Sept. 30, challenger Paula Jean Swearingen had $59,783 on hand, while Manchin had $4,131,896.

Manchin said at least 9,000 children in West Virginia are on the verge of immediately losing their CHIP coverage, and about 50,000 in his state are covered by the program. "I hear from them and their families all the time. But if you explain and you tell them the argument on DACA, what's happened and what it means, they're very sympathetic."

The groups working most closely with Democrats had few complaints. In December, they had been frustrated, but held at bay, when 18 Democrats voted for a short-term spending bill that did not extend DACA. On Friday, when asked about their colleagues who were likely to hold out, the Senate's liberals said that activists had already succeeded in moving a critical mass of Democrats to their position.

"When we began opposition to these (spending bills), I was one of seven," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., shortly before the vote. "The next time we did it, we had 30. Now we're above 40. I think we're making progress on this issue."
Before my kids could walk, I dragged them with me to the polling place on Election Day to vote. When they got older, they even got to push the button. Afterward, they got a sticker they could show their friends.

The goal is to model civic duty in the hopes that someday, they'll be good citizens, and good voters. And hey, even if they show up most of the time, they'll be doing better than many Texans in a state that rivals Washington, D.C., for the lowest voter turnout in the nation.

Why don't Texans vote? We can blame it on apathy and disinterest in a state where redistricting has stamped out competitive races. Whatever the reason, Texas, at this point, simply doesn't have a culture of voting.

I'm trying to establish that culture, or habit, in my kids. But what about other young people? Lack of participation is devastating in a democracy. Don't we Texans have a responsibility to instill that civic duty in our young people? I believe so. But how far should we go?

That's the question at the heart of a controversial opinion issued last week by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

It left some voting advocates scratching their heads and others concerned that it would discourage fledgling efforts to get young people to the polls.

"It's disappointing," said Linda Cohn, Houston-area president of the century-old nonpartisan League of Women Voters, which leads registration efforts at naturalization ceremonies and elsewhere and produces quality, nonpartisan voter guides. "Civic engagement is a proven pathway to a better community.

"You can never have too much of it."

The opinion, issued at the request of state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, seemed to cast doubt on whether there is any "educational purpose" in school districts busing eligible students and employees to polling places to vote. In the absence of such purpose, the opinion stated, "a court would likely conclude that the transportation serves no public purpose of the school district" and therefore violates the Texas Constitution.

Now, Paxton's ruling is nonbinding. And even if it did have some power, it's not actually telling districts they can't bus kids to vote.

Unprincipled principals

The risk, though, is that it might have a chilling effect on promising efforts in Texas to improve abysmal voting turnout. One of the leaders of those efforts has been Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, a Republican appointee whose Project V.O.T.E. encourages superintendents to sign a pledge to help cultivate lifelong voters among students.

"The future of our great state and our democracy depends on it," Pablos wrote in a letter to superintendents.

The pledge has been signed by superintendents across the state, including Richard Carranza of Houston ISD, Charles Dupre of Fort Bend ISD, and Wanda Bamberg of Aldine ISD.

Pablos' efforts were in response to revelations that only 14 percent of public high school principals followed a requirement in state law to distribute voter registration applications to their students turning 18 that year.

When it comes to voter apathy, we start 'em out early in Texas.

Then, a nonprofit educators' group decided to take on the mission as well, pushing schools to encourage students to vote, and also public school employees, who could model the behavior and set an example. The group, Association of Texas Professional Educators, urged educators through its website, Texaseducatorsvote.com, to consider providing transportation to the polls, to sign a pledge to create a "culture of voting" and even suggested participants be rewarded. Dozens signed up.

Enter Bettencourt, the senator, who says he was concerned about the political motivations of ATPE.

"I am concerned about the legal implications of coercing government employees to ascribe an oath to a particular political viewpoint, as well as compelling the speech of government employees regarding the display of 'I voted' stickers," Bettencourt wrote in his December request for an opinion. "The Texas Constitution prohibits the collection or expenditure of public money for anything other than public purposes."

Yes, but isn't civic engagement a public purpose? And what is coercive about letting teachers with voting stickers wear jeans or enjoy some other minor benefit? Bettencourt also asked the attorney general about laws against districts spending money on political ads designed to influence voters, suggesting ATPE was engaging in that behavior, but I did not see any political advertising or endorsement on the resolution, nor on the group's website.

Playing politics

The only hint of an ideological agenda was a list of reasons ATPE gave on its website for educators to get out and vote.

"The people you elect decide:" it went on, "How much to fund public schools. How much time, money, and attention is spent on standardized testing. Whether to support or undermine public education. Whether to privatize education in Texas."

Personally, I see nothing wrong with reminding public school employees how their votes affect public schools. But I guess we've reached the point where even advocating for public education as we know it can be construed as political.

Bettencourt accused the website of linking to partisan groups. I didn't see any Friday. But even the Texas secretary of state links to partisan groups: all major parties, so voters can inform themselves.

For its part, ATPE provided a full-throated defense of its program to the Texas attorney general, but it's unclear if the response was even considered. Paxton's opinion was issued the first business day following the deadline for submission of stakeholder briefs, the group said.

Bettencourt, meanwhile, acknowledged he does think voting is educational, and he does support registration drives that follow the law. He bristled when I asked if he had any partisan motives in challenging the ATPE program.

"Everybody can have their opinion in government," Bettencourt told me. "As the economic conservative, I don't want to pay for it. And I don't think the vast majority of people want to, either."

Bettencourt, a former Harris County election official, seemed to learn something from the AG opinion: that "educational purpose" would be a valid legal reason for districts to bus kids to the polls. Did that change his mind on the program, at least in regards to the kids?

"It's something I've marked for further study," he said late Friday.

Eliminate voter apathy

He still opposes employees getting a ride to the polls, no matter if they're modeling the behavior we want to see in our future generations.

"The real problem is, once you start, where do you stop?" he said.

The same can be asked about voter apathy. It doesn't stop if we do nothing. Some folks in this state are trying to do something. We should let them.

No opinion from the Texas AG, or from Bettencourt, has dissuaded me from believing their efforts are vital for the young voters, to the public in general, and to the future of this state we love.
Five bayou city schools are worthy of being considered some of the best in the nation, according to state education officials.

On Wednesday, the Texas Education Agency nominated 26 schools to compete in the running for the national Blue Ribbon honor, an award that recognizes schools for their exemplary progress and student achievement.

Of the 26 schools, five hail from the Houston-area: Challenge Early College High School (HISD); DeBakey High School for Health Professions (HISD); East Early College High School (HISD); Alief Montessori Community School (charter) and Arrow Academy-Liberation Academy (charter).

SHOCKING: Heat map shows how Houston schools continue to be segregated

Dever ISD's Devers Elementary School in Liberty County was also nominated.

The U.S. Department of Education will decide the national winners in September.

Of course, if your alma mater or child's school didn't make the list, don't feel left out  there are plenty of excellent schools in the Houston-area.

Children at Risk, a nonprofit organization that studies Texas' public education system, recently released its annual rankings for the Lone Star State's best elementary, middle and high schools.

PRETTY PENNY: The best private high schools in Houston

The rankings, created using data from standardized test scores and student achievement, can serve as a handy evidence-based tool to narrow down the cream of the crop in Houston's public education.

See Houston's top elementary, middle and high schools above.

Fernando Ramirez is a reporter for Chron.com and the Houston Chronicle. You can read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93.
Houston ISD officials said Saturday the district will need to cut about $200 million from its 2018-19 budget to bring spending in line with an increasingly gloomy financial outlook.

In an equally momentous move, Houston ISD officials also proposed far-reaching changes to how the district operates its magnet and school choice systems, some of the boldest moves to date by second-year Superintendent Richard Carranza.

Still reeling from Hurricane Harvey, Houston Independent School District officials revealed at a board meeting Saturday that the district is facing a double whammy: A multimillion-dollar, state-mandated "recapture" payment requiring districts with high property values to "share the wealth," and an expected drop in enrollment and tax revenue because of the devastating storm, which severely damaged schools and delayed the start of classes by two weeks.

Now Playing: HISD plans to reopen four school on Monday Video: Fox 26 Houston

The proposed cuts come at an inopportune time, with the district battling to stave off a potential state takeover because of 10 chronically under-performing schools.

Although the measures outlined Saturday are preliminary and could change significantly before HISD's board votes on them, officials acknowledged that the district is entering an uncertain time.

"It's a sea change for HISD," said Rene Barajas, the district's chief financial officer. "But at the end of the day, from a budgetary perspective, we're still going to get the job done. It's just going to be harder."

Leveling out staffing

District officials said about 44 percent of necessary spending cuts could come from schools, while about 56 percent could be from central administration, maintenance and operations.

Among the biggest proposals: Centralizing school funding and standardizing staffing based on student-to-staff ratios.

HISD: Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones elected board president amid many challenges

Barajas proposed scaling back the practice of giving schools a pot of money each year through per-unit allocations, known as the PUA system. As the funding system exists now, each school is given a certain amount of money by the district, and principals have almost complete discretion to spend that money on staffing, programs and other needs and wants. Under the proposed new system, each school would have set staffing levels based on student-to-staff ratios, which would be paid for by the district's central administration rather than the school's checkbook.

For example, at the middle-school level, each school would have one teacher per 30 students and one counselor per school or for every 500 students. Now, there is no codified staffing system for the district, and some schools have as many as 15 assistant principals while others have one or two.

The staffing standardization would mean the district's largest schools, such as Bellaire and Lamar high schools, could see a large number of teachers cut, while under-enrolled schools such as Kashmere High would likely see cuts on a smaller scale.

Barajas recommended centralizing schools' substitute teachers, athletics departments, special education, career technical programs and campus stipends. That would save schools and the district money, he said.

District officials also called for cutting about $116 million from spending on central administration, operations and facilities.

Barajas said HISD's budget situation is the result of a perfect storm  growing recapture payments, a projected loss of tax revenue due to lower property values after Hurricane Harvey, fewer students (also due to the hurricane) and a slew of other issues. And though Houston ISD can lessen the amount it owes for "recapture" because of the storm, the district still stands to lose more than it will gain because of potentially lower tax revenues, thanks to hundreds of thousands of flooded buildings. He said it's as if HISD lost $10 in local taxes but its recapture payment was only $2 less.

"That means I'm still short $8," Barajas said.

Deep cuts loom

Houston ISD Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby said that in his 20 years with the district, he's never seen cuts so deep that they would affect every level of the district.

"This is a different kind of cut. We've had cuts where we had to cut food service staff because of a shortfall, but we always had a way we could get out," he said. "We always had CFOs who could come in say, 'We'll help you this time but won't help again,' and they would go in fund balance or the superintendent's account.

"But now there is no fund balance, there is no superintendent's account to go to for this, because there's never been a cut at this level," he said.

Andy Dewey, executive vice president for the Houston Teachers Federation, said it seems to make sense to change the way schools are funded and to standardize some positions instead of giving principals power and little oversight to make those decisions. But he worried about what potential staffing cuts could mean for classrooms.

"I want to see how the new funding system will affect our biggest schools like Bellaire and Lamar," Dewey said. "We can't go back to 40- and 45-kid class sizes in high school. If that's going to happen, it has to be looked at."

He also said the district should be ready for a "major battle" when it comes to changing magnet programs, although he initially agreed with some potential changes, such as creating feeder pattern magnets and more closely examining which programs are attracting students and which are not.

The proposed changes to magnet and school choice systems arose from the recommendations of a study committee composed of magnet and neighborhood school principals, parents, university experts and district staff, according to Mark Smith, HISD's chief student support officer.

CHRONICLE INVESTIGATION: Houston ISD's special education numbers still low despite changes

Under the current magnet system, schools have significant freedom to create magnet programs and fund them as they see fit. There are about 115 different magnet programs and schools throughout the district, and at many of the most sought-after magnet schools  including the High School for Performing and Visual Arts and DeBakey High School for Health Professions  there are far higher rates of white and affluent students than are enrolled across the district.

Two types of magnets

The proposed new system would create two types of magnet schools: unique magnet campuses that enroll students from across the district, and feeder magnets that would establish magnet programs in elementary, middle and high schools that feed into one another.

It calls for creating four school choice/magnet quadrants. Each geographic quadrant would offer schools with the same magnet themes, perhaps including but not limited to performing and visual arts, dual language, early college, career technical programs and special education programs.

There would be an elementary, middle and high school of each magnet theme in each quadrant.

Vanguard programs and schools, including Carnegie Vanguard High School, would lose their magnet designation and would become schools and programs of choice. That means they would lose their additional magnet funding, although the state already gives schools extra money for every gifted and talented student they educate. Carnegie Vanguard High would continue to offer open enrollment to students from across the district and would still likely offer transportation to all its students.

Smith said the committee also recommended giving some preference to students from economically disadvantaged families and neighborhoods when considering admissions to the districts' most sought-after open-enrollment magnet schools, and suggested eliminating many academic and test-score requirements that students must clear before they can be entered into a magnet or school choice lottery.

Ultimately, the potential changes would likely cut the number of magnet programs and schools district-wide from about 115 to about 85 and would codify a system for reviewing, starting and ending magnet programs and schools.

Smith said student applications for magnet programs may need to be reopened in March for students who applied to magnet programs that may cease to exist come August.

Carranza shelved plans to drastically cut magnet funding in 2016 after facing pushback from some parents. He said that proposal was flawed because his administration had failed to get feedback from parents and did not do a good job of communicating how the changes would affect existing schools and programs.

He stressed that the committee's recommendations are far from final and that the district will reach out to parents and school communities in the coming months to get feedback and tinker with their ideas.

"We never went in with a lens to destroy magnets  that's not our goal," Carranza said. "Our goal take a serious look at our portfolio of schools, identify areas that need improvement and start a conversation with the board to see what needs to change to ensure equitable access."
It's been four years, but the FBI still wants to arrest an allegedly violent pimp who's a wanted fugitive for aiding a sex trafficking ring that amassed millions by brutally forcing women and girls to sell themselves in Houston cantinas.

The madam who ran the gritty establishment, Hortencia Medeles-Arguello aka Raquel Medeles Garcia, or "Tencha," is now serving a life sentence and 13 other defendants have been convicted for aiding the operation, but Alfonso "Poncho" or "El Grenas" Diaz-Juarez--who is believed to be one of the most violent members of the crew--has eluded arrest.

Federal agents are offering $50,000 for information that leads to his capture.

"I don't believe he's in the United States," said Alfred T. Tribble Jr., an FBI supervisor who oversees the human trafficking unit for the Houston area. "It's going to take an international law enforcement effort to capture this individual."

Diaz-Juarez has ties to Mexico, Texas and Florida, officials said. He is a Mexican national.

Tribble described him as ruthless, the type of criminal known among law enforcement as a "guerrilla pimp" because he inflicts violence on victims.

"He beats women and has been very vicious," he said.

Diaz-Juarez is being sought for conspiring with other to commit sex trafficking and harbor undocumented immigrants.

He was indicted in October 2013, Diaz-Juarez, a Mexican national, was indicted with 13 other co-conspirators for running an international sex-trafficking organization.

The sex-trafficking scheme he is alleged to have helped ran from 1999 through 2013. Women and girls were brought to the cantina brothels with the help of "padrotes," or pimps. The victims were forced or coerced to performing commercial sex acts in a warren of locked back rooms

Diaz-Juarez is accused of using force or violence to punish and control these young women prostituted in the Houston area and harboring undocumented immigrants.

Federal agents issued a warrant for his arrest on Oct. 10, 2013. But six months before then, in April 2013, he was released from Harris County Jail after a conviction for a similar crime.

He had been serving time for compelling prostitution - a state crime associated with human trafficking. A criminal complaint from 2010 alleged he'd repeatedly threatened and beaten his victim, even while she was pregnant, and held her infant son hostage to force her to sell herself in a cantina for nearly two years.

"The defendant forced her to prostitute herself at La Costenita Bar until she was 5 to 6 months pregnant (June/July 2008). She then was returned to the bar in March of 2009 by the defendant and forced to prostitute herself under the same threats of bodily injury, actual physical violence and the holding of her infant son until she returned with the monies that she obtained," the criminal complaint says.

In January 2013, Diaz-Juarez was sentenced to one year in the Harris County case. He got a plea deal and that offense was reduced to a misdemeanor. By April of that year, he was released from jail.
ROBERT MACPHERSON/AFP / Getty Images

A 30-year-old was beat in the head and stabbed during an argument in Alief early Sunday, according to Houston police.

Officers responded to the 8300 block of Leawood around 1 a.m. Sunday and found a wounded man inside a relative's home.
Psychiatrist and Buddhist scholar Mark Epstein marries his religion and his therapeutic practice in a new book that may be particularly fitting for these fraught social and political times: It's about the ego, which he calls the main ingredient of identity.

In the book, "Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself," Esptein writes about how Buddhism and psychiatry, which both deal with the ego, can help people find equanimity between their inner and outer lives. He elaborates on the therapeutic potential in Buddhist practices in facing the indignities, traumas and fears threaded through everyday life.

Psychiatry, he says, helps people "make sense of their internal conflicts and unconscious motivations, to relax against the ego's perfectionism." And Buddhist meditations teach people "to watch their own minds without necessarily believing everything they think."

Q: Why focus on the ego now? Is this the most ego-driven public square ever?

A: Probably not although it certainly seems that way. It is one of those times when the underside of the ego - insecurity, self-judgment and narcissism - is on full display. But ego is essential to us. If we didn't have an ego, we'd be psychotic. The ego is the main ingredient of our identity - how we think about ourselves. It is our executive function. It's about managing or controlling things, how we mediate between what is inside us and the demands of the outside world.

Q: President Trump, reacting to critical comments on his state of mind in Michael Wolff's new book, "Fire & Fury," describes himself as a "stable genius." What do you think of another book in which 27 mental health experts assessed him as a "dangerous case"?

A: I agree with one of my former professors, Allen Frances, who says it is risky to diagnose from afar. But I disagree with someone who said Trump has "a kind of emotional intelligence." That is a misunderstanding of the term. "Emotional intelligence" is the ability to check your ego at the door so you can relate to the inner experience of another. It's the opposite of narcissism where you are propping yourself up all the time. Watching the president is watching the insecure ego racing to destroy any kind of criticism and prop itself up.

Q: Don't we all do that, to a certain degree? Is meditation the escape route from those reactions?

A: "Getting over yourself" means not completely identifying with self-judgment. The ego judges others and judges one's self. It doesn't go away.

But we cannot buy into it every time. We can have a sense of humor. We can take a backwards step. Meditation is a way to do that.

Q: Why do you call Buddhism a religion, when some people call it a philosophy, and describe meditation as a "spiritual" act?

A: Buddhism has been called the most psychological of the world's religions and the most spiritual of the world's psychologies. "Spiritual" to me is anything that takes your own personality, out of your own ego, that puts you in touch with an element of mystery in the lives we lead.

Q: Would this conflict with being Jewish or Christian? (Epstein describes himself as culturally Jewish.)

A: I don't see conflict between Buddhism and the idea of letting go of yourself and letting God or Christ into your heart. The inner, subjective maneuver is very similar. Instead of identifying wholeheartedly with your own little ego, you are able to put it aside and make room for another energy, call it God or Christ, to take over. I know from my patients in 12-step programs how powerful that little maneuver can be. But it's not a one-time action. It's always up to us to work diligently, patiently, nonjudgmentally with ourselves over time.

Q: After decades as a Buddhist, you describe yourself as cold, cranky and aloof at times and yet cheerful and hopeful as well. What do you have hopes for?

A: For Oprah after the Golden Globes, for the world, for the planet, for my family, for my own little thread of consciousness. I'm always looking for the balance between faith and despair. And I have faith in the psychological way of faith - that even our most destructive impulses don't have to take us down and can be used in some kind of way productively. I'm basically an optimistic person even in the midst of so much fear.
Thousands of men, women and children took to the streets of downtown Houston on Saturday to call attention to the plight of women in America, the burgeoning #MeToo movement and President Donald Trump and his administration's policies and attitudes.

Some wore the same pink-eared hats as last year, but many held signs hailing new causes during the second Houston Women's March held in downtown Houston.

Carolyn Canville was among the throng gathered near the Sabine Street bridge before the march began. Holding a sign that read, "The sharks are coming for you," directed at Trump, the 60-year-old said it was hard to keep track of the controversies the president had created since the first march last year.

"How can you count them?" said Canville. "There's so many every day. The latest one, calling those countries an expletive. That was so embarrassing and coming from the president of the United States. It's horrendous."

Women's marches took place in cities across the country Saturday, but the largest was planned for Las Vegas on Sunday. In 2017, massive rallies were held in the aftermath of the inauguration of Trump, who has faced allegations of sexual harassment from more than a dozen women. Robin Paoli, the founder of the Houston Women's March, estimated that more than 20,000 people attended on Saturday. A Houston police spokesman was unable to confirm that figure.

Some women's signs pointed to growing movements from 2017 and news from as recently as Friday night, with ones reading "Me Too" and "The new 1st anniversary present is a government shutdown."

A diverse group of Texans, old and young, composed the thousands who marched through city streets. Rain drizzled on marchers early in the day and intermittently while participants made speeches.

As the group marched toward City Hall, chants echoed of "Black Lives Matter," "Donald Trump has got to go!" and "My Body, My Choice."

Kandice Webber, a Black Lives Matter Houston leader, urged women during a pre-march rally organized by Daily Action founder Laura Moser to make sure the current women's movement was inclusive of all minority women. She noted there is a Black Women's March planned for March at Emancipation Park.

"It's time for us to start checking our privilege; it's time for us to start checking our biases," said Webber.

Annalice Sandiero, a 16-year-old student at YES Prep Southeast, held a sign written in Spanish that read "A beautiful woman doesn't remain quiet." She was marching for the first time for her undocumented parents and cousins who are affected by uncertainty over the future of DACA, a federal program that grants legal status to immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.

"In the Latino community, there's a lot of machismo. For women to stand up and talk about issues that are important, it's not very common," said Sandiero. "I think as a Latina, I should fight against it and speak up."

'Be angry and lead us'

Rosalie Hyde, 68, said she felt hopeless about the current state of the country. She participated in a women's march in 1968 and is now watching a new movement concerning women being open about sexual assault through the hashtag #MeToo.

Hyde said she has worked as a therapist for 30 years with women who have been sexually abused.

"I hope we can get some women leaders who can speak out, can get the microphone and be angry and lead us," said Hyde. "We need leaders for the movement to keep going."

Bradley Sutton, 24, and Dexter Riley, 35, two men from the Energy Corridor, were marching for the first time to show their support for women and minorities.

"It's really about being a part of something that's bigger than just yourself and tapping into different resources so that you can try to make a difference," Riley said.

No glass ceilings

As the march finished in front of City Hall, the crowd roared when Mayor Sylvester Turner took the stage to tell the women that he would continue to support them in future marches.

"The glass ceilings that existed in this country must be no more," Turner said, adding "Let's elect a whole lot of women to positions of power!"

Turner added that he hopes to see a woman elected president in his lifetime.

"I hope that the energy will not go away," Turner said. "I hope the fire will continue to burn."

Canville had the same hopes as she stood among the crowd before the march began. She said she is proud to see the movement has sustained since last year.

"In a way I want to thank Donald Trump, because he's caused this to happen," she said. "This country is going to move in a direction that it needs to move in."
AUSTIN -- Two leading Democrats running for governor on Saturday called for universal background checks for Texas gun buyers, a move surely to run afoul of Republican supporters of the Second Amendment.

During an afternoon forum during an AFL-CIO political committee convention, both Houston entrepreneur Andrew White and former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez said they support the universal checks to keep people from buying guns who would be dangerous to have them.

"Why should I be able to buy a gun without a background check?" White -- who has said he is a firm supporter of the constitutional right to bear arms -- told the audience, calling it "common sense" change in current law.

They were the only two of nine Democratic candidates who were invite to speak to the meeting. Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy opened the forum by saying that Republican Greg Abbott, never a close friend of unions, was not invited.

Union leaders are expected to endorse one of the two candidates.

Speaking to the Houston Chronicle after the program, Valdez and White said Abbott should be pushing harder to get the Republican-controlled Congress in Washington to approve the next allocation of Harvey recovery funding.

Amid partisan bickering over a budget deadlock that shut down the federal government, Congress failed to approve the next installment of $81 billion in disaster relief funds -- some of which is destined to come to Texas.

"You'd think the Republicans could talk to them selves and get it done," White said, echoing comments from Valdez that Abbott needs to push harder with legislative leaders in Washington to get Texans the next installment of badly needed relief funding.

In the past two months, as the relief funding bills have been delayed and stalled, Abbott has expressed increasing frustration with Congress for not approving the money.

"This election is one of the most important in our lifetimes," White told the crowd, noting that the retirement of House Speaker Joe Straus -- a moderate on some issues who is credited with blocking passage of the bathroom bill among other controversial issues -- will leave much-more-conservative Republicans like Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

"I'm the candidate who can beat Greg Abbott," White said, blasting the governor and other state GOP leaders for being "part of the Donald Trump school of government."

Valdez, a San Antonio native and daughter of migrant farm workers, said she is the candidate who will stand up for average Texans. "I have fought for and will continue to fight for the common folk," she said.

During a question-and-answer session that came after they made brief speeches, both were asked how they stand a chance at winning when Abbott has more than $43.3 million in his campaign war chest and Republicans have won all statewide offices for two decades.

In their first few weeks of campaigning, White has reported he raised about $219,000 and Valdez reported raising $46,000 -- small amounts compared to the millions that previous Democratic Party gubernatorial candidates have raised, with just eight weeks to go before the Democratic primary election.

Both insisted they can win.

"Is someone trying to buy the (election)?" Valdez responded to Abbott's record fund-raising haul.

Valdez said the upcoming primary "is all about energizing the base" and not so much about having large sums of campaign cash on hand. White said Democrats need a candidate for the general election "who can convince the reasonable Republicans to vote for a Democrat" -- noting that many of those Republicans probably used to be Democrats.

"Is someone trying to buy the (election)?" Valdez responded to Abbott's record fund-raising haul.

The candidates' comments mostly drew light applause from the friendly crowd, a change from past years when the conventions gave rousing support to Democratic candidates.
After Hurricane Harvey killed dozens of people and swamped hundreds of thousands of homes, Houston leaders declared that major flood-control improvements could be put off no longer.

Projects discussed for decades would be fast-tracked. The case for widening bayous, building new reservoirs and taking other measures to fortify Houston against extreme weather now was unassailable. Congress would provide the necessary go-ahead, and the money.

That was the rhetoric. The political reality has proved far messier.

In December, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an $81 billion disaster relief bill that laid the groundwork for an overhaul of the aging Addicks and Barker dams, construction of a third dam and reservoir, and completion of dozens of miles of widening and deepening local waterways.

Today, however, funding for post-Harvey infrastructure is snarled in immigration, border security and other unrelated issues. Its prospects were dealt another blow this week, when the Senate postponed action on disaster relief indefinitely amid budget negotiations aimed at averting a government shutdown.

Now, the region's leading politicians, through a mix of arm-twisting and diplomacy, are trying to steer the flood-control money through the partisan minefield. They worry that its chances dwindle with each passing day.

"The more time that goes between a disaster and the appropriations, the more challenging it's going to be to get funding," said Russ Poppe, executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District. "There's 100 senators, and only two of them are from Texas. You have to start looking at politics in Washington to get something to shake loose."

READ: Congress eyes legislation that could boost Houston flood control efforts

Republican Senator John Cornyn, the Senate majority whip, told reporters Friday that the disaster relief provisions were "hostage" to political debates over the immigration status of children."

"People are still hurting and they need the help that the House has voted on, $81 billion, and we need to get that money in the hands of the people who deserve it," Cornyn said. "Right now, all that's being held up."

Federal aid has played a critical role in the development of Houston's flood control system. After devastating floods in the 1920's and 1930's, the government designed and built a system of dams, reservoirs and channelized bayous - including Buffalo Bayou, White Oak Bayou and Brays Bayou.

Today, federal dollars help push through projects such as the revamped Brays Bayou project, or a $379 million widening, deepening and straightening of Sims Bayou. The federal government paid about $254 million of that project's cost, and flood control officials, based on computer models, estimate 6,500 buildings did not flood during Harvey because of the improvements.

Harvey prompted calls for further federal investment in flood control.

Hopes were raised when the House passed a more than 180-page disaster relief bill for victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Maria and Irma and the California wildfires. The bill, which has languished in the Senate, focused on housing for displaced families reimbursements to local governments dealing with recovery efforts and community development money.

Tucked away on P. 21, was language giving the go-ahead for upgrades to Houston's flood protection system. The bill provided $75 million for six feasibility studies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and gave priority to areas that have had "multiple disaster declarations in recent years," giving an advantage to counties like Harris County.

A feasibility study would assess possible improvements to Addicks and Barker dams, built in the 1940s.

Both dams were stressed to their limits by Harvey's record deluge. To prevent a dam failure during the storm, the Army Corps released massive amounts of water from the swollen Addicks and Barker reservoirs into an already flooded city, inundating thousands of homes.

Deepening the reservoirs to increase their capacity or constructing relief canals or pipelines are among measures that have been proposed to ease the pressure on Addicks and Barker. Also on the list is a third dam and reservoir, a proposal that has become a rallying point for Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and other local officials.

READ: Officials patched and prayed while pressure built on Houston's dams

Before any such large-scale project, the Army Corps first would have to conduct a feasibility study to assess the condition of the existing dams, the flow of storm runoff across the region and how the rapid development of recent decades have affected both.

Local leaders unsuccessfully have sought Congressional support for the study for several years as Corps money is distributed in a highly competitive process that pits such projects as harbor deepening or wetland restoration across the country against one another. The House bill's language tilted the playing field toward Houston.

"It gives Addicks and Barker a leg up in terms of moving to the top of the line," said Michael Strachn, a senior adviser at Dawson and Associates, a government relations firm that focuses on water and other infrastructure projects.

U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, who sits on the House Committee on Appropriations and helped write the House disaster relief bill, said the way representatives wrote the language "narrows the choices down pretty significantly to Harris County, because of the multiple flooding events we've had from the Tax Day floods and the Memorial Day floods."

The same language gives priority to $10.5 billion in construction funding for the Corps, money that could pay for improvements to Brays Bayou, Hunting Bayou, White Oak Bayou and Clear Creek. Flood control projects on all four waterways are in varying stages of completion, in part due to constrained federal funding.

"We certainly can work with the House bill that was passed," Poppe said.

Now, it's uncertain whether Houston will receive any additional funding in the foreseeable future.

"There are at least several moving parts that have either directly or indirectly to do with the ability of the federal government to respond to Harvey and the other disasters," said Strachn, a former chief of the Corps' legislative affairs branch who also served as deputy chief of staff for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Culberson said he was working with Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to ensure the Senate takes up the bill.

"I am confident that any changes made in the Senate will only improve upon the work of the Texas and Florida delegations to provide the vitally needed federal resources to our communities as we continue to recover from these devastating storms," Culberson said.

Ciara Matthews, a spokeswoman for Gov. Greg Abbott, said Abbott has "received repeated assurances" from members of Congress that it will fund the third dam and reservoir and that the funding will come in the next few weeks, Matthews said.

"If, Congress refuses to provide Texas the funding that is needed, Gov. Abbott will strongly advocate for the use of state funds for the third dam and reservoir," she said.

As time goes on, prospects of disaster relief funding dim.

"If you have another disaster, the most recent disaster gets all the coverage and the focus and the attention," said U.S. Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston. "We've had Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the fires in California, and now we have the mudslides because of the fires."

Emmett said he and other officials are "laser-focused" on getting disaster relief for the area. He said he has been talking mainly with Culberson to convey local officials' concerns because he sits on the appropriations committee and "because he's the right person in the right place to be doing it."

"Members of Congress always try and get their priorities into whatever bill is moving. There is always a trade off," Emmett said. "That's something I don't even worry about. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen."

Emmett also is looking to the state's $10 billion rainy day fund. Emmett said a roughly $500 million investment in planning and construction third reservoir, for example, would require only 5 percent of the rainy day fund. The investment likely would be spread over several years, instead of spending $500 million all at once.

A third reservoir likely would be built northwest of the city, possibly in Harris County or Waller County or a combination of both, where there is enough open land to use as reservoir land.

"I'm suggesting that the state of Texas use their rainy day fund and say 'Look, we will put up the money for the third reservoir,'" Emmett said. "That way we're not even subject to what goes on in Washington."

State legislators would have to vote in favor of using the fund.
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The Smart Cities Marketplace at CES 2018 is activating awareness about the growing significance of this connected ecosystem . Located in Tech East in the Westgate this week, CES attendees can experience the technologies and the solutions in this burgeoning environment.

By why are smart cities so beneficial? Here we present four of the biggest benefits  and examine some of the threats.

1. The Trains Run on Time

Dont thank Mussolini-style fascism, thank smart infrastructure. Hitachi has developed train technology that gets real time feedback on routes and can optimize for the fastest path if several are open. And if the trains arent on time, your real-time transit app will keep you posted about its arrival or possible workarounds.

2. The Air is Cleaner

A major component of the smart city push is an effort to improve sustainability. That means cities are increasingly adopting efficient technologies, like LED lighting, but also using sensors to control infrastructure (like heating and cooling systems) more efficiently. The next wave is much tighter integration built around a smarter electric grid, Dominique Bonte, VP of research at ABI Research predicted. Well have more micro-grids, solar panels and head pumps. Today, theyre viewed in isolation, but they can help each other, Bonte says. A smart grid can automatically allocate energy from devices that dont need it to devices that do, in real time. Your electric car can draw power from a smart grid, but also deliver power back to the grid when its batteries are full.

3. Theyre More Secure and Resilient

Cities face a multitude of threats, both natural and man-made. Smart city technologies like networked surveillance cameras powered by artificial intelligence will be able to ingest thousands of gigabytes of video data in real time, perform machine vision and object detection on those feeds and identify potential trouble spots. Smart city technology will also help cities bounce back quicker from natural disasters. Bonte points to Tokyo, which has unused Wi-Fi capacity set aside in the event that an earthquake or tsunami destroys existing network infrastructure. The same de-centralized micro-grids and solar panels that reduce pollution will also minimize power interruptions after storms and other natural disasters.

4. Theyre Innovative

Smart cities are often marked by close public-private partnerships and partnerships between universities and other stakeholders, Atkinson says. As technology is deployed and the other benefits sketched above are realized, more companies and startups will want to do business in a given smart city, Atkinson says.

Smart City, Smart Threats

As cities embrace interconnected and networked technologies, they open the door to new threats. Chief among them is the security of their infrastructure.

Security hasnt been a massive roadblock yet to the rollout of smart city technology, but its potentially the biggest roadblock, Eric Woods, research director at Navigant Research said. Between poorly designed devices, naive users and an increasing complicated supply chain, keeping smart cities safe from cyber threats is a major challenge.

That said, one important thing to know about cities is that they are very risk-averse, Woods said. To date its been more of a challenge to convince city officials to embrace smart technology than it is stopping a mad and irresponsible rush to deploy the technology without adequate safeguards, he adds.

Smart cities will be just as vulnerable as corporate America when it comes to data breaches and cyber-attacks, Stephanie Atkinson, founder and CEO of Compass Intelligence predicted. There is no such thing as 100 percent pure safety but cities will need to have plans in place and hold vendors accountable when and if things go bad, she added.

There are also concerns about privacy. While many citizens are becoming inured to surveillance cameras, they may not be comfortable with next-level face detection algorithms tracking, recording and analyzing their stroll about town. What cities will do with this and other personal data they collect is another looming issue, Woods said. Well see this region-by-region, essentially a negotiation between city and citizens around the right way to use this data, Woods notes.

Source: https://www.twice.com/industry/smart-cities-the-good-the-bad-ces-2018




iciHaiti - FLASH : Draft concession contract for Radio Stations





Jean-David Rodney, the Director General of the National Council of Telecommunications (CONATEL) informs that following discussions with media associations in the summer of 2017, the owners of radio stations under the supervision of the Council, that as part of the process of legalization of radio stations regularly installed in the country, a draft concession contract has been drawn up.



Download the draft contract : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/CONCESSION-RADIO-8-dec-17.pdf



Radio stations are invited to send their comments on this draft concession contract to CONATEL by 30 January 2018. CONATEL will then consolidate the received recommendations in order to have a concession contract reflecting the comfort of all stakeholders of the sound and television broadcasting sub-sector.



The regularly established stations will be invited thereafter to sign this concession agreement, in accordance with the provisions of articles 59 and 60 of the decree of October 12, 1977 granting to the Haitian State the monopoly of telecommunications services, for the purpose of obtaining the status of legal station in a harmonized ecosystem.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21411-haiti-notice-moratorium-on-the-granting-of-fm-radio-frequencies.html



IH/ iciHaiti


















Senator Bernie Sanders has commented that US President Donald Trump is a pathological liar.

The erstwhile presidential candidate was asked on MSNBC to sum up the first 12 months of Mr Trumps term.

Mr Sanders joked: Has it really only been one year? I thought it was about 16 years.

Recommended Donald Trump has spent a quarter of days as President at golf clubs

He said that Mr Trump was an embarrassment to the country and that he lied on the campaign trail about what he would do while in office.

Mr Trump ran on a populist campaign, health care for everybody, hes going to stand up to Wall Street, hes going to stand up to the drug companies  he lied, said Mr Sanders with frustration in his voice.

Mr Sanders commented that the US is no longer respected around the world as it had been under former President Barack Obama and previous administrations because of Mr Trump.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

He said regard for the US is down lower than it has ever been.
Having strong arms is no easy feat.

From your triceps to your palms, there's a lot of muscles to put to work.

Now that we've tackled stretching and leg exercises, we asked New York University physical-therapy professor Marilyn Moffat, who also wrote the book Age Defying Fitness, to help guide these tips.

To keep things simple, she gave us the best exercises for your arms that you can use virtually anywhere with minimal equipment. No weights required.

These workouts are great on their own but they're even better in combination, so feel free to mix and match. Repeat or hold each exercise until it gets to be too much, building up at your own pace. And remember: If you have any unusual pain or problems with the exercises, please stop doing them and consult a physical therapist.

1. Let's get started in a plank. A standard plank works more than just your arms, but it's key to activating everything from your forearms to your deltoids.

The workout also builds your lateral core Shutterstock (AP)

For a modified plank, go onto your forearms. You'll still feel the exercise along your arms. It might be worth using a yoga mat for this one.

If you want to take your plank to the next level, lift up one leg for a few seconds. Then do the other one.

My wrists always feel the pressure from planks (which, Moffat said, is the correct response). To counteract the pressure, it's important to spread out your fingers as wide as possible to more evenly distribute your weight.

2. Side planks. In addition to feeling this along your obliques, both arms should be feeling activated.

Modification: To tone down the workout, place your forearm and top leg on the ground, still reaching that top arm up (ideally straighter into the air).

3. Chair push up. Grab a chair  ideally near a wall for safety  and position yourself as if you're about to sit on the edge.

Instead of taking a seat, put your arms on the chair and lower yourself down below its edge. For all of these, start with two repetitions to see how you feel, and then try to get up to 8-12 repetitions before you get too tired.

While down, keep your elbows back and close to your sides, not spread out to the left and right. Your back should also be straight and closer to the chair (and pull your neck back even farther than how I have it so it's in line with your body). Repeat these chair push-ups, increasing the amount you do every time.

Modification: For a different feel, place your legs straight out in front of you, moving up and down.

Pushing up is the hardest part. Remember to keep your arms close to your sides.

Second modification: If you really want to push your arms to the extreme, place one hand on the chair and hold the other out in front of you. Repeat with the other arm.

4. Reverse chair push up.

You can also use the chair to do modified push ups. Moffat said she prefers the modifications, as a way to get your body moving that's feasible for everyone. This can also be done standing up or against a wall.

5. Toes on the chair. Placing your feet on the chair, lower yourself down through a push-up position. This push-up modification might be my favourite.

The exercise helps build overall body strength Shutterstock (AP)

Be careful not to over-extend your back on this one. Once you're lowered down, push back up to straight arms.

6. Reverse plank.

Ditch the chair and go for a reverse plank on your forearms, putting your body in a full diagonal with your head back and in line with your body. This one you should really feel along your triceps.

7. Burpees. Turning over, add some motion with a modified set of burpees  no vertical jump required.

Modification: Instead of jumping into the pose, bring each leg up toward your hands one by one. This should still give the arms a good workout.

8. Arm circles. To finish up, go into arm circles, both clockwise and counterclockwise. Be sure to continue your circles in one direction until your arms are thoroughly tired before reversing the direction.

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Read the original article on Business Insider UK.  2018. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
Theresa May is being warned by the head of the CBI that time is running out to make progress on Brexit and remaining in a customs union with Brussels is the best option for British business.

Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the business organisation, will stress that urgent progress is needed on agreeing a transitional deal with the EU by the end of March and the framework for the future trading relationship with Brussels must be set out by October.

Businesses are deeply apprehensive about the current uncertainty and there has been too much ideology, too little urgency in the negotiations, she will say in a speech on Monday.

The Prime Minister has ruled out remaining in the single market and customs union after Brexit and is seeking a bespoke deal to preserve as many of the benefits of EU membership as possible while allowing the UK to control its borders and strike trade deals around the world.

The EU has indicated that the only options available are a Canada-style trade deal, which may not allow the UK the same level of access for economically important service industries, or Norway-style single market membership which would entail continued free movement and payments to Brussels.

The CBI leader will use her speech to say neither option is right for Britain and both sides should think again.

 Emmanuel Macron: 'You cannot have full access to the single market if you don't tick the box'

The Canadian model's rules of origin are as long as The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe - and a lot less fun to read and such a deal is an ocean away from what we need, she will say.

The Norwegian model is better for business but its lower level of control is a problem - it would be politically difficult for Mrs May to accept a situation where free movement continued and payments were made to EU countries.

The negotiators should adopt a flexible approach of starting with the rules that are already shared and moving on from there, she will say.

Most businesses with supply chains crossing the EU will want to maintain current arrangements but in other areas there could be divergence.

We know future divergence might come at the expense of smooth access to EU markets for goods made according to new domestic rules, she will say.

But if that is right for jobs, living standards and prosperity then that's a choice to be made.

Ms Fairbairn will insist that business is best served by remaining in a comprehensive customs union with the EU, which would also go a long way to addressing concerns around the Irish border.

The comments came after Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron attended a UK-France summit (Getty)

Mrs May has rejected full membership of the customs union because it would prevent the UK striking its own post-Brexit trade deals.

But in a major speech in Warwick, Ms Fairbairn will say that the value of remaining in a customs union far outweighs the potential benefits of bilateral UK trade deals.

She will say: There may come a day when the opportunity to fully set independent trade policies outweighs the value of a customs union with the EU.

A day when investing time in fast-growing economies elsewhere eclipses the value of frictionless trade in Europe. But that day hasn't yet arrived.

Remaining a member of a customs union for as long as it serves us to do so is consistent with the result of the referendum and would be good for EU firms too, she will say.

In a speech which will illustrate the business community's ongoing frustration with both sides in the Brexit negotiations, Ms Fairbairn will set a 70-day deadline for a written agreement on a transitional deal.

She will call for Mrs May to put forward a united UK view on the future relationship by April, with heads of terms on a final deal signed with the EU by October.

Decisions must be taken fast, or firms will have no choice but to trigger their plan Bs, she will warn.

Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is welcomed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Reuters Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders EU President Jean-Claude Juncker greeting Theresa May at the EU Commission in Brussels PA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May poses for a picture with European Council President Donald Tusk REUTERS Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker walks behind British Prime Minister Theresa May EPA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders British Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker address a press conference at the European Commission in Brussels AFP/Getty Images Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at a press conference with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis (L) and Michel Barnier (2-L), the European Chief Negotiator of the Task Force for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 enter the room by the emergency exit to attend British Prime Minister Theresa May press briefing on Brexit Negotiations in Brussels. EPA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis (L), Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May (2-L), European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (2-R) and European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (R) in a meeting on Friday morning AFP/Getty Images Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders European Council President Donald Tusk addresses a media conference at the Europa building in Brussels AP

More jobs and investment will leave our shores and future generations will pay the price.

A Department for Exiting the European Union spokesman said: The EU has said they will offer their most ambitious free trade approach and we are confident of negotiating a deep and special economic partnership that includes a good deal for financial services - that will be in the EU's best interests, as well as ours.

We have already made good progress, having reached an agreement with the EU on a range of issues such as citizens' rights and the financial settlement.

But, as the Prime Minister has already made clear, we will be leaving the single market and the customs union after EU exit day.

It comes as Tory MPs prepare to demand that Mrs May ends free movement and takes Britain out of the single market the moment the UK formally quits on March 29 next year.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the newly elected chairman of the influential European Research Group that is made up of around 100 MPs, said it would be absurd to continue with the arrangements after Brexit.

He told the Sunday Express: We must have control of free movement of people as soon as we leave said Mr Rees-Mogg.

This idea that we can let them carry on coming for another two years is absolutely absurd.

Press Association
Parents are keeping their children at home in protest against a Merseyside schools decision to remove the front wall of a girls toilet block, which they say is making pupils feel scared and unsafe.

A privacy row has erupted between St Marys College in Wallasey and parents after the exterior wall was removed to make the toilets open plan.

Pictures sent to The Independent show that the toilet cubicle doors are now exposed to an open corridor, and are in clear sight of at least one classroom and a CCTV camera.

It is believed that the decision has been made by the school in a bid to stop smoking, bullying and truancy, with the new layout meaning pupils can no longer hide in between lessons.

Tara Hodgson Jones, who has a daughter in year 11 and a son in year 9 at the school, saw the toilets for herself when she attended a parents evening at the school on Friday.

She told The Independent that she is keeping her daughter at home as she does not feel safe with the new toilet layout.

My sister and neighbours are doing the same with their daughters, Ms Hodgson Jones added.

Apparently they are starting on the boys toilets next week, so Ill be keeping my son off too if they do the same.

My daughter told me about it on Thursday but I thought she was making a big deal over nothing until I saw it for myself.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. 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PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. 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We tried to talk to my sons head of year about it but he said he couldnt comment and that we would have to make an appointment with the head teacher on Monday, which we will be doing.

I want this resolving  my daughter sits her GCSEs this year so this is an extreme measure on my part.

If the problem is bullying, smoking and skipping class they could have approached it in so many other ways.

My daughter was bullied in year 10 and that was in the classroom, the yard and the lunch hall, so thinking that taking a toilet wall down will stop it is stupid.

As for smoking, put alarms in. As for skipping class, use frosted glass so teachers can see shapes when they walk past.

My daughter feels scared and unsafe  its shocking.

St Marys College is a voluntary aided academy for 11- to 19-year-olds, meaning it is not governed by a local authority.

Online, the Catholic school describes its mission as being inspired by the spirit of Jesus Christ and that the school is for the personal development of every member through service to each other.

On Twitter, one parent wrote: My daughter has come home [the] last two days from this school and feels appalled by this, and says she has no privacy.

Whereas another took a different viewpoint and said: My daughter attends this school and I dont see it as a bad thing  I do believe its for the protection of the students and school safety.

Really dont know what the fuss is about?

Another parent reportedly told the Liverpool Echo that the removal of the toilet wall was absolutely disgusting.

They clearly havent considered what girls past puberty have to deal with, so to have only one door for privacy without the added security of a room is terrible.

There are classrooms opposite the toilets, there is even a camera facing them  for girls between the ages of 11 and 16, its unacceptable.

The Independent has contacted St Marys College for comment.
South African authorities long had eyes on Rogers Mukwena. They knew the former schoolteacher was wanted in Zimbabwe for poaching rhinoceroses and selling their horns, which can command hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Hed jumped bail and fled to northern Pretoria, but it was vexingly difficult to catch and prosecute him  until a scientist helped make the case against him with rhino DNA.

His subsequent conviction resulted from a new tactic in wildlife preservation: the genetic fingerprinting methods that have been so successful in the criminal justice system are now being used to solve poaching crimes.

First, researchers in South Africa had to build a large database of genetic samples drawn from African rhinoceroses. The DNA would be used to match a carcass to a particular horn discovered on a suspected poacher or trafficker, or to rhinoceros blood on his clothes, knives or axes.

To make that possible, Dr Cindy Harper, a veterinarian at the University of Pretoria, and her colleagues collected DNA from every rhinoceros they could find  more than 20,000 so far. They have taught park rangers how to retrieve blood, tissue or hair samples from every rhinoceros that is killed, dehorned or moved.

The rangers have learned forensic crime-scene principles and the importance of the so-called chain of custody to ensure that the samples are not corrupted. Harpers lab performs the analysis and stores DNA fingerprints.

A rhino wounded during a dehorning by poachers at the Pilanesberg National Park is treated for its injuries (AFP/Getty)

The scientists database, which they call Rhodis, is modelled after Codis, the FBI system used to link the DNA of suspects to evidence at a crime scene.

The approach is promising, said Crawford Allan, senior director of Traffic, which monitors illegal wildlife trade at the World Wildlife Fund.

A poaching scene is a crime scene, he said: If you want to get through detection and investigation and prosecution, treat it as a crime scene and use forensics.

Poaching has escalated exponentially in the past decade, he noted. More than 7,000 rhinos have been killed in the past 10 years. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that 20,00 to 30,000 African elephants are killed each year for their tusks.

A short timeline of elephant poaching Show all 10 1 /10 A short timeline of elephant poaching A short timeline of elephant poaching 1880s.jpg Robert H. Milligan, New York Public Library A short timeline of elephant poaching 1910.jpg Creative commons A short timeline of elephant poaching 1979.jpg Surreal Name Given, Flickr A short timeline of elephant poaching 1980s.jpg Scotch Macaskill A short timeline of elephant poaching actual elephant forensic.jpg Space for Giants A short timeline of elephant poaching 1990s.jpg Space for Giants A short timeline of elephant poaching 1999.jpg Vidhi Doshi A short timeline of elephant poaching Ivory elephants.jpeg Space for Giants A short timeline of elephant poaching elephantfence.jpg Space for Giants A short timeline of elephant poaching Elephant dust (1)_1.jpeg Space for Giants

Their tusks and horns are trafficked through experienced criminal networks. You really need sophisticated tools to help solve these crimes, Allan said.

The rhino project provides a cold hit database, said Stephen J OBrien, referring to the identification of a perpetrator by DNA when there are no other apparent clues.

OBrien, an expert on DNA fingerprinting and chief scientific officer of the Theodosius Dobzhansky Centre for Genome Bioinformatics at St. Petersburg State University in Russia, is co-author of a new paper, published in Current Biology, describing the anti-poaching effort.

A similar attempt to use DNA to convict poachers is led by Sam Wasser, director of the Centre for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington. His groups focus is African elephants.

Over a period of 15 years, he and his colleagues have collected and analysed DNA from dung to create a map of the ranges of various elephant groups based on their genetic differences. It helps show where ivory seized from poachers originated.

The project has not linked specific carcasses to specific tusks recovered from traffickers. But the analysis has provided valuable clues about the regions in which poachers are operating.

The carcass of a poached white rhino lies on the banks of a river as a South African Police Services forensic investigator uses a metal detector to find bullets (AFP/Getty)

To our surprise, the ivory was consistently coming from two areas, Wasser said. Tusks from savanna elephants were initially coming from south-eastern Tanzania and northern Mozambique, the data showed, but the illegal trade then shifted northward to southern Kenya.

Tusks from forest elephants originated in a small triangular area in northeast Gabon, north-west Republic of Congo, and south-eastern Cameroon.

Instead of focusing everywhere, if we really want the big criminals we should focus on those two spots, Wasser said.

The sale of ivory and rhino horns is hugely lucrative. Rhino horns may bring $60,000 (43,000) or more per kilo. A horn generally weighs a few kilos, but a few have been as heavy as 10kg, or about 22 pounds.

Pound for pound, a rhino horn is worth more than heroin or gold or platinum, Allan said. And prosecutions are so rare that the risks for the traffickers are very low.

The poacher sells horns to a trafficker, who disguises them and ships them to destination countries, mainly Vietnam and China. Some horns are carved into jewellery while still in South Africa, which can make it extremely difficult to trace them.

Most horns are ground and used as medicine in Asia, believed to cure cancer, impotence  or, Allan said, you name it. More recently, people in Asia have begun wearing beads or bangles made from rhino horns thought to have curative powers and to be status symbols. Some horns are made into ceremonial cups.

Elephant tusks currently sell for $1,000 a kilo, Wasser said. Unlike rhino horns, which are shipped in relatively small volumes, traffickers typically collect and ship at least half a ton of ivory, or 500kg, in a container.

Some seizures have uncovered as much as 7 tons of ivory in a single shipment, Wasser said. Ivory is primarily bought by collectors or as an investment.

Wassers primary target is traffickers, not poachers. Even when poachers are caught and convicted, he said, there are 10 more waiting in line to replace them.

But traffickers form the basis of the business that makes poaching profitable. The analogy is, are you after a serial killer or a one-time murderer? he asked.

Malaysian enforcement officials seized 18 horns, weighing 51.4kg and worth $3.1m which were imported from Mozambique in 2017 (AFP/Getty)

To catch a serial killer, Wasser added, authorities require intelligence-based forensics to prevent future crimes.

Harper also hopes to disrupt the criminal networks shipping contraband  in this case, rhino horns  to destination countries. So far, the rhino database has been used to convict hunters and traffickers in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Swaziland.

But the group has not disrupted the criminal conglomerates at the top of the chain, she said.

The rhinoceros project began in 2010, when poaching was skyrocketing. Thirteen were poached in South Africa in 2007; more than 1,000 are now killed each year.

In 120 criminal cases completed or still pending, Rhodis has linked DNA on horns, equipment or clothing to particular carcasses, Harper said. But it can take years for a case to move through the courts and end in a conviction.

The first successful such conviction involved a Vietnamese smuggler who was caught with seven horns at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg in 2010. Two were matched to carcasses, and he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

But the case involving Mukwena was one of the first to involve a well-known smuggler. He was arrested on 16 January 2012, after a police officer spotted him walking across a field carrying a black bag.

When the officer confronted him, Mukwena dropped the bag and ran. It contained three rhinoceros horns, two from a cow and one from her calf.

Apprehended, Mukwena admitted to killing the cow but said an accomplice had killed the calf because it was bothering him.

 New York Times
The man behind a project to establish a permanent habitable settlement on Mars has said he hopes people will one day inhabit floating balloons suspended in Venus thick atmosphere or pods fixed to one of Jupiters 69 moons.

Bas Lansdorp said he was now confident his Mars One mission  to send people on a one-way trip to the red planet  would lift off in 2031.

That date was pushed back five years after the project ran into problems with funding, but, speaking to The Independent, Lansdorp says his mission is now back on track.

 Huge ice sheets on Mars could allow humans to live on the Red Planet, Nasa spacecraft shows

Recommended Huge ice sheets on Mars could allow humans to live on the Red Planet

This year marks the beginning of a gruelling selection process for the 100 successful applicants, involving indeterminate periods locked in a 200sq m cabin with complete strangers in a test of their psychological state.

Mars One aims to establish a fixed human settlement on the planet.

But the length and complexity of the journey means candidates must accept the bleak reality that it will be a one-way trip, with no prospect of returning home.

That has not stopped more than 200,000 participants adding their names to the list for an experiment that hopes to create a second home for humanity.

Lansdorp has faced criticism from others in the science community over the feasbility of the project, with some questioning whether his team has the expertise to pull off such an audacious feat.

A mock-up of the Mars One settlement, which Lansdorp hopes will be in position once the rocket reaches Mars in 2032 (Mars One)

But he insists the project can and will be delivered, and plans to recruit experts from Nasa and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin to help deliver it.

If it goes ahead, the four-man-and-woman crew will make a six-month interplanetary trip, which at its shortest stretches some 35 million miles. At its longest, when the two planets are both at their furthest point from the sun, the astronauts new home will be 250 million miles from Earth.

Once there, they will be expected to survive with basic supplies in incredibly harsh conditions, including giant dust storms that plague the red planet.

Water use will be severely limited and Lansdorp says the crew will likely have to forego a bath or shower for at least the first two years. They will have to grow their own food and will not be able to leave the confines of their settlement alone.

There really is no escape; that is the biggest challenge, he tells The Independent. The first crew to make the trip will have the toughest time, they are on their own and the level of comfort will be very low.

But the scarcity of water is nothing compared to the psychological impact.

A CGI image of the interior of one of the Mars One capsules. Astronauts will have access to television and communication channels back to Earth (Mars One)

And if they want to phone home, they must be prepared to wait. A radio signal would take between three and 20 minutes to reach Earth, making instantaneous communication with family, friends or the control room impossible.

Asked whether he would volunteer for the one-way trip, Lansdorp, 40, who has two children aged two and four, says he would, before adding he was completely unqualified to be among the first crews.

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I am too stubborn and impatient, he admits, and now I have children, I want to see them grow up, but maybe one day they would want to come with me.

Before I had kids, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to go.

In order to get that far, the candidates will first need to pass the selection process.

We are focused on selecting the best team players, and will then train them in the skills they will need  engineering, emergency medicine, basic surgery, how to grow their own food, Lansdorp says.

They will need to cope with the stress of knowing that whatever happens, they will need to fix it.

Those living in the outpost with have to grow their own food (Mars One)

Each year between now and 2031, the candidates will be locked up in a copy of the Mars Outpost on Earth  a 200sq m cabin, the size of a house  to test how they cope with the effects of incarceration.

Crucially, they wont be told how long, to mimic the psychological impact of living on Mars in perpetuity. It could be days, weeks or months before they are allowed to leave and return to their training on the outside.

Clare Weedon, 30, one of five Britons among the 100 shortlisted candidates, says involvement in the project would be the greatest achievement I could ever ask for.

She told The Independent: The thought of it brings out every emotion in me. Terrified, but excited, the kind of feeling you get when waiting in line for a rollercoaster. Something I love too  Im a bit of an adrenalin junkie.

A part of everyone would like to do something significant, amazing even, with their life. This is it for me. I am not the type of girl who wants to settle down with the average life, I do not desire to get married and have 2.4 children.

A Mars One lander pictured as if it had reached the red planet; the journey would take six months (Mars One)

Mars is the only known planet that can currently support human life, although the effects of its inhospitable environment and low gravity are not yet fully understood. Earlier this month scientists found what they believed were huge ice sheets stretching across Mars, a development that could be a game-changer in efforts to live there.

Several unmanned missions will take place before the first group of four  two men, two women, and a mixture of ages (but all over the age of 18) and nationalities  will be fired into space in a mere 13 years time.

Lansdorp says the project is in a better state than ever to deliver a spacecraft to Mars, despite a setback in 2014 when the money ran out, forcing him to delay departure from 2026 to 2031.

But if colonising Mars sounds like science fiction, Lansdorp is confident his project will be just the start of future human missions deeper into the solar system.

Mars wont be the final destination for humans looking to set up permanent settlements away from Earth, he says.

After that, space explorers will be thinking about floating cities in the atmosphere of Venus in an extremely large balloon, or moving to one of Jupiters moons, or an asteroid.

Humans have always settled in new places they have discovered.

 Huge ice sheets on Mars could allow humans to live on the Red Planet, Nasa spacecraft shows

And he insists the concept of relocating to Mars would gradually become more normal.

Seventy years ago, if you told your neighbour you were moving to New York, they would have assumed you were selling your house and never coming back.

Mars is the least complex of all of these possibilities.

Colonising Venus has long been the subject of scientific debate. While the surface of Earths sister planet is hot and stormy, suspending a balloon in its atmosphere could achieve temperatures suitable for humans.

As for Jupiters moons, the comfortingly named Europa  the sixth-closest to the planet, complete with an ocean and ice shelf  is likely to be more habitable than desert-covered Mars, Nasa scientists believe.

In order to fund the $6bn (4.33bn) project, Lansdorp has established a new business arm which will sell exclusive rights to broadcast footage of the mission.

The spectacle will have a bigger global audience than the Olympics, he claims, and with the potential for far greater revenues from sponsors and merchandise.

In 500 years, no one will know who Usain Bolt is, but everyone will know the first people to inhabit Mars, he says.

He has already been approached by car companies to manufacture the projects first Mars rover, and expects other offers from leading technology companies to follow.

For anyone who missed out on the first and second rounds of the application process, Lansdorp said there would be further recruitment drives in the future to compensate for those who have died or got cold feet.

So why do it? The Dutch entrepreneur, who made his money in wind power before launching the Mars project, says the goal was as much about preserving Earth as colonising an alternative planet.

The human mission to Mars is the most effective way of making Earth a better place, he says. The project highlights that there is only one Earth, and we need to take care of it.

This is just the next step after the colonisation of Earth. Now it is time to discover a new continent.
A laboratory robot powered by artificial intelligence (AI) has discovered that a compound commonly found in toothpaste could be used to combat drug-resistant malaria parasites.

Triclosan could be deployed against strains of plasmodium malaria parasites that have evolved resistance to the widely used drug pyrimethamine, according to the University of Cambridge.

Pyrimethamine works by inhibiting a particular enzyme called DHFR and scientists have known for some time that triclosan can be employed to target another enzyme, ENR.

The fast-moving AI routines of the robot Eve, however, which formulate, test and re-evaluate hypotheses in quick succession, discovered that the common toothpaste chemical also attacks DHFR  even in parasites resistant to pyrimethamine.

It has led researchers to hope that triclosan could be developed for use in a two-pronged attack on plasmodium in the liver and in the blood.

Lead study author Dr Elizabeth Bilsland, now an assistant professor at the University of Campinas in Brazil, said: The discovery by our robot colleague Eve that triclosan is effective against malaria targets offers hope that we may be able to use it to develop a new drug.

We know it is a safe compound, and its ability to target two points in the malaria parasites life cycle means the parasite will find it difficult to evolve resistance.

The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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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Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. 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Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. 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. 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Drug-resistant malaria is becoming an increasingly significant threat in Africa and south-east Asia, and our medicine chest of effective treatments is slowly depleting, said Professor Steve Oliver from the Cambridge Systems Biology Centre and the department of biochemistry at Cambridge.

The search for new medicines is becoming increasingly urgent.

Malaria kills more than half a million people per year.
A teenager who bragged about gaining access to the accounts of senior US intelligence officials was annoyed at the "corrupt and cold-blooded" American government, a court has heard.

Kane Gamble, 18, targeted high profile figures such as then CIA chief John Brennan and deputy director of the FBI Mark Giuliano between June 2015 and February 2016, from his family home on a Leicestershire housing estate.

Gamble founded the group Crackas With Attitude (CWA) which went online to claim responsibility for the attacks on numerous email and phone accounts.

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Several sensitive documents were reportedly obtained from Mr Brennan's private inbox, including a 47-page application for top-secret security clearance.

A Comcast cable TV and broadband account belonging to James Clapper, director of national intelligence under President Barack Obama, was also targeted.

Other names on the list of people targeted included Mr Obama's deputy national security adviser Avril Haines, his senior science and technology adviser John Holdren, the then secretary of homeland security Jeh Johnson and FBI special agent Amy Hess.

Gamble also gained access to the FBI's Law Enforcement Exchange Portal, using Mr Giuliano's credentials.

Prosecutor John Lloyd-Jones QC told a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey: "Kane Gamble gained access to the communications accounts of some very high-ranking US intelligence officials and government employees.

"The group incorrectly have been referred to as hackers. The group in fact used something known as social engineering, which involves socially manipulating people - call centres or help desks - into performing acts or divulging confidential information."

Gamble also used an anonymous Twitter profile to talk to journalists.

Mr Lloyd-Jones said: "He told a journalist, 'It all started started by me getting more and more annoyed at how corrupt and cold-blooded the US government are. So I decided to do something about it'."

To gain his victims' personal details, Gamble impersonated them, fooling employees at companies such at Comcast and Verizon to divulge personal details.

He used the phone numbers he obtained to call and taunt his victims and their families and take control of their devices, including iPads.

Gamble used a TV in Mr Johnson's family home to post the message "I own you".

He leaked some of the information gained through accessing phone and email accounts - including thousand of email contacts - using various websites including WikiLeaks.

In online conversations with other CWA members Gamble said he was targeting the high-ranking officials because the US was killing innocent people across the world.

Mr Lloyd-Jones said: "Access to Mr Brennan's communications account allowed the group to obtain extremely sensitive documents referring to, amongst other things, military operations, intelligence operations, in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Gamble then posted anonymously on Twitter saying: "CIA set your game up homies. We own everything. #freepalestine #CWA."

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The court heard that Gamble accessed phone lines to transfer calls to the free Palestine movement.

Last October, Gamble, of Linford Crescent, Coalville, pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court to eight charges of performing a function with intent to secure unauthorised access to computers and two charges of unauthorised modification of computer material.

Gamble, who the defence submits has autistic spectrum disorder, was aged 15 and 16 at the time of the offences.

He will be sentenced at the Old Bailey when the hearing resumes at a later date.

PA
A crowdfunding page has been set up to raise money to outrightly purchase Katie Hopkins' house and use the luxurious property as a home for refugees or asylum seekers.

The controversial columnist has been forced to put her million pound mansion in Exeter on the market after losing a libel case to food writer and poverty campaigner Jack Monroe.

Hopkins, who was refused permission to appeal in the legal battle earlier in January, was ordered to pay Monroe 24,000 in damages last March after the High Court ruled comments the right wing commentator made on Twitter were defamatory.

In a May 2015 post, Hopkins appeared to imply Monroe had defaced or vandalised war memorials, which Hopkins later said was a case of mistaken identity and was incorrect. The dispute stems from a series of public Twitter messages exchanged between the pair after a monument to the women of World War II in central London was vandalised with the words F*ck Tory scum during an anti-austerity demonstration in Whitehall.

An advert for Hopkins five bedroom semi-detached house in St Leonards has now appeared on property website RightMove and is listed as costing 950,000.

The property has been lovingly enhanced by the current owners including a stunning family room with quality kitchen and separate utility, reads the listing. Three separate reception rooms plus a handy downstairs cloakroom with shower. The bedrooms are all generous in size and all enjoy a recently refitted family bathroom on the first floor.

The top floor consists of a large double bedroom with a dressing room plus a bathroom. Outside is reasonably private with a 'country cottage' courtyard to the year. Gated drive for two vehicles and a double garage.

But there is now a chance Hopkins home could be used to house refugees or asylum seekers if the fundraising page set up raises enough money.

Katie Hopkins has been forced to put her 1m mansion up for sale after losing a highly expensive libel case, reads the GoFundMe site.

We all know Hopkins disgusting views on immigrants and refugees, so the plan my good people, is to buy Katie Hopkins family home and use it to either house refugees or asylum seekers.

This would be a great victory for the people of this country because as we all know, this vile bigot has had far too much air time and drastically needs taking down a peg or two.

The page explains that if the target sum is not reached then all funds will either be refunded or given to a charity that helps refugees.

I will take a poll once the campaign is finished and post an update containing the link, it reads. If similar pages are started but are more successful, then we will consider the greater good and potentially donate whatever is raised on this page. Individuals can also send me a message for a refund if we are unsuccessful in acquiring Hopkins home.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. 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Let's get sharing and make this viral! The chance to actually help people in need and to destabilise rancid Hopkins racist platform is surely worth it!

The page, which has been shared more than 3,500 times, has only amassed 2,867 of its 950,000 goal, but had only been established for a day at the time of writing.

Hopkins, a former The Apprentice contestant known for her incendiary, xenophobic, anti-immigrant views, has been forced to cough up the complete costs of the libel case. This includes 24,000 in damages to Monroe and 107,000 to her lawyers to cover court costs.

Monroe, who gained prominence for blogging about cooking on a budget, previously told The Independent she was very grateful the case was now totally over.

The food writer, who is from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex and identifies as non-binary, said: Im extremely relieved that this long and exhausting case is finally over, as the practical, mental and emotional work involved has had an enormously detrimental impact on my work over the last two years.

I feel I can finally move on. I found it bizarre that her lawyers would even consider that she might have grounds for appeal, considering she didnt even turn up to the trial.

I am proud to be part of a landmark legal case that demonstrates the accountability we must take for the consequences of our words, even on social media. Im sober now, so will be celebrating by laying a new kitchen floor, and this whole thing to bed at last.

It was announced Hopkins contract with the Mail Online was not renewed by mutual consent last November. This came months after Hopkins agreed to leave her job as a host on LBC radio in May after she tweeted a call for a final solution to Islamist terrorism in the wake of the Manchester arena attack.

Hopkins left The Sun in 2015 after writing a column that compared migrants to cockroaches and feral humans and said they were spreading like the norovirus. The Devon-born columnist became the subject of a petition calling for her to be sacked.

Hopkins recently joined far right Canadian website the Rebel Media, where Tommy Robinson, the former English Defence League leader, is also a contributor. She will pen a regular column via a new website called Hopkins World and will also contribute investigative pieces and video commentaries.

The Independent contacted a representative of Hopkins for comment about the fundraising campaign.
Boris Johnson has said Donald Trump should be welcomed to the UK, while arguing that his administration deserves respect and recognition.

In a complimentary piece for The Telegraph the Foreign Secretary praised the Trump team for getting stuck in and said they did not deserve infantile denigration.

Mr Johnson attacked the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on multiple occasions in the article, criticising him for alleged ignorance after the Labour leader criticised Trumps America.

Praising Mr Trump's renewal of the US' commitment to Nato, Mr Johnson argued: The people of the United States maintain the commitment to the safety from aggression of countries that in my lifetime were held hostage by Soviet Communism.

That is a great thing. It is a noble thing. It is a commitment to Nato and to the world for which the American administration deserves respect and recognition  not infantile denigration.

He also praised Mr Trump for helping to end the tragedy in Syria and destroying a substantial part of the Syrian air force.

The Trump White House has shown a new willingness to get stuck in, to help end the tragedy of Syria. Where previously the world had refused to respond to Assads use of chemical weapons, Trump acted, he said in The Telegraph.

Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the US capital in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jim Bourg: "This photo was shot with one of two remote cameras. The cameras were monitored and triggered remotely and the pictures were transmitted to clients worldwide within minutes of being taken." Reuters/Jim Bourg Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Obama farewell address - 10 January 2017 US President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago on 10 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "In his final days in office, Obama made a visit home to Chicago. As he spoke from the stage to his wife and daughter in the audience, he became emotional when he talked about what they had sacrificed during his time in office. I turned from photographing the Obama women embracing to find him onstage wiping away tears." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 A combination of photos shows the crowds attending the inauguration ceremonies to swear in U.S. President Donald Trump at 12:01pm (left) on January 20, 2017 and President Barack Obama sometime between 12:07pm and 12:26pm on January 20, 2009. Reuters/ Lucas Jackson/Stelios Varias Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Liberty Ball - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Liberty Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "What I see when I look at this picture is the end of a very long day, not to mention weeks and months of preparation by many photographers, editors and network experts and the beginning of everything since." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception - 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L), watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on 22 January, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "I have covered the White House for 16 years and normally either the President or the pool is in position when an event starts. In this case the President was not where anyone expected him to be. In fact, he was almost blocking the door when the pool came in. We had to scramble to find a position without bumping him or the furniture as he greeted and thanked members of law enforcement for their security efforts during the inauguration. Luckily, he greeted FBI Director James Comey a few seconds after the pool had made its way into the room." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Private phone calls to world leaders - 28 January 2017 US President Donald Trump, is joined by his staff, as he speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on 28 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Very early in the Trump administration, weekends were as busy as weekdays. On Trump's second Saturday the official schedule said he would be making private phone calls to a number of world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin. I arrived early and, before sitting down at my desk walked up to Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office. He, too, was just taking his coat off. I gingerly made the suggestion that previous administrations had sometimes allowed photos of such phone calls through the Oval Office windows on the colonnade. To my mild shock, he didn't even think about it twice. "We'll do it!" he said. In truth, I really only expected the Putin call, but we were outside the windows multiple times throughout the day as the calls went on." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway - 27 February 2017 Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway (L) attends as US President Donald Trump welcomes the leaders of dozens of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office on 27 February, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "We're often asked how much access we have to the Trump administration, and the answer is we have an awful lot. President Trump himself is very comfortable in the spotlight, and his aides are similarly unfazed by cameras. In this instance, senior advisor Kellyanne Conway was so comfortable in our presence she seemed not to consider the optics of kneeling on a Oval Office sofa to take pictures with her phone." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Angela Merkel heads to Washington - 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on 17 March, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Chancellor Merkel made one of the earliest important visits of any US allies to meet Trump in his first months in office. When world leaders give joint news conferences they don't always tend to give each other their full attention - but Merkel watched Trump intently at several key moments, and here seemed particularly rapt." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump welcomes truckers to the White House - 23 March 2017 President Trump reacts as he sits on a truck while he welcomes truckers and CEOs to attend a meeting regarding healthcare at the White House on 23 March, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "The White House organised a listening session with truckers and CEO's of major American companies, regarding healthcare reform. An 18-wheeler tow truck was parked on the South Lawn of the White House and as Trump welcomed the truckers someone invited the him to come and sit in the driver's seat. Trump jumped into the cab and started yelling and pretending to drive - creating one of the most memorable pictures of the year. A lesson learned, always be prepared for the unexpected." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 6 April 2017 US President Donald Trump talks to journalists members of the travel pool on board the Air Force One during his trip to Palm Beach, Florida on 6 April, 2017. Carlos Barria: "During the many trips to President Trump's residence in Florida it is usual to see the president coming to the back of the plane to chat with journalists. During one of the trips to the so called 'Winter White House', Trump had a long talk with reporters while the Air Force One entertainment system was playing one of the latest Star Wars movies. As I was listening to Trump talk I was also looking at the movie waiting for a part of the movie to frame the mood of the day. Of the many scenes, I choose the one with Darth Vader." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House on 27 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "A day before President Trump's hundred days in office I was part of the team that interviewed the commander-in-chief in the Oval Office. I was only allowed to photograph Trump during the last five minutes of the interview. The time was very tight so I had to move fast as I had pictures in mind that I wanted to shoot. I walked into the Oval Office and saw that the President had printed maps of the country showing areas in red where he won. I raised my hands holding my camera as high as possible to get the best view of the scene using a 16mm wide angle lens." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives at Harrisburg international airport, before attending a rally marking his first 100 days in office in Pennsylvania on 29 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate his hundred days in office with a victory rally. He was in friendly territory as he won with a big difference over his opponent Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, during the November elections. As usual when the commander-in-chief arrives local residents gather to greet him. This time a small group of military personnel attended the arrival. Surrounded by secret service agents Trump walked from the Air Force One and raised his hand in a sign of victory as the crowd cheered him on." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 2 May 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus watch as US President Donald Trump presents the U.S. Air Force Academy football team with the Commander-in-Chief trophy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 May, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "Covering the White House does not just mean covering the President. White House staffers are an important part of the story and their relationship with the President and each other is an indicator of how things are going in the West Wing. The tendency is to focus exclusively on the President once an event starts but I always try to look around to see how people are reacting as things unfold." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Secret Service - 4 May 2017 Secret Service agents use a presidential limousine as cover from spraying water as US President Donald Trump lands via Marine One helicopter in New York on 4 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "The best part of any trip to New York City with the sitting US President is the helicopter ride into Manhattan. The ride out at night can be stunning. Here, Secret Service agents protect themselves from the spray from the East River as Trump lands on the helipad." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures NATO Summit - 25 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron (unseen) before a lunch ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels on 25 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "One of the best parts of travelling overseas for White House coverage is the chance to see the U.S. president in different environments and (literally) a different light. Here, Trump and his wife came out of the shadows to greet France's President Macron." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump meets Putin at G20 summit - 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "On July 7, I witnessed one of the most important meetings of President Trump's first year in office. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Germany. The world's eyes were on these two leaders after speculation about Russian interference during the 2016 US elections. We entered the room for less than two minutes, where I took dozens of pictures. But there was this very interesting moment when Trump extended his hand to Putin for a handshake. Putin paused for a second and looked at Trump's hand. That was the picture that I was looking for, a little moment that seemed to say a lot." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures First lady - 8 July 2017 First lady Melania Trump chats with US President Donald Trump during their return from Germany at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 8 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "After President Trump's trip to Germany he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump said goodbye to Trump as she was heading off in a different direction that day. While chatting a breeze blew Melania's hair up in the air." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Made in America product showcase - 17 July 2017 Vice President Mike Pence laughs as President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat as they attend a Made in America product showcase event at the White House on 17 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "This summer the White House organized an event to showcase 'Made in America' products. All kinds of exhibitors brought their products as the President and Vice President toured the event. One of the companies was Marucci Sport, a manufacturer of baseball bats based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As Trump approached a table full of baseball bats, photographers at the event, including me, rushed to get a good angle hoping that he would pick up a bat. As we predicted, he did. He took one and joked around as though he was hitting something hard. The only thing closer to him right there, was the media." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 25 July 2017 Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says hello to reporters as he and White House advisors including Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accompany President Trump for an event celebrating veterans at AMVETS Post 44 in Ohio, July 25, 2017. Jonathan Ernst: "The most visible person in any White House is naturally the President, followed by the press secretary. But there are also the staff who support them. For those of us covering the Trump administration, there seem to be more compelling figures in the West Wing than ever before. It's crucial to know who's who and why they're important. When I raised my camera and back-pedalled ahead of the group to take this image Lewandowski gave me a hello. I liked the photo, but had no idea it would go a little bit viral, especially since Scaramucci, who was the biggest mover and shaker that week, was hidden back in the pack. But I guess the image catches a glimpse of what it's like to be a West Wing staffer on the road." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Campaign rally - 3 August 2017 US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in West Virginia on 3 August, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Huntington for one of his usual campaign rallies. While members of his family spoke to the crowd he was waiting under a black curtain to be introduced. Suddenly he walked onto the stage, one of the first frames that I took was of his hand. I set my exposure for the light on the stage hoping to create this dark background and it worked." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Staring into the solar eclipse - 21 August 2017 Without his protective glasses on, US President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House on 21 August, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Harvey - 2 September 2017 US President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he and first lady Melania Trump help volunteers hand out meals during a visit with flood survivors of Hurricane Harvey at a relief centre in Houston, Texas on 2 September, 2017. Photohrapher Kevin Lamarque: "Trump, eager to deliver the image of a hands-on response to Hurricane Harvey, made this visit to a relief centre and obliged this woman with a selfie as Melania continued to work." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House - 15 September 2017 Donald Trump welcomes 11-year-old Frank Giaccio as he cuts the Rose Garden grass at the White House on 15 September. Frank, who wrote a letter to Trump offering to mow the lawn, was invited to work for a day at the White House along the National Park Service staff. Frank was so focused on his task that he did not notice the President arrive to surprise him. He took his father jumping in to grab his attention and point Trump out. Photographer Carlos Barria said: The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the President." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Take a knee - 27 September 2017 A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump passes him after an event at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., September 27, 2017. In September, soon after Trump had made comments condemning NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, he made a day trip to a rally in Indianapolis. Jonathan Ernst managed to capture a man on one knee with a tri-folded flag and was able to use a portion of the sign on the building he was kneeling in front of to track the man down and tell his story in full. US Army veteran Marvin Boatright wanted to send a message against social injustice. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Maria - 3 October 2017 President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 October, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "During an afternoon visit to Puerto Rico for President Trump to survey damage from Hurricane Maria and greet some of its victims, Trump made a stop at a church where food and supplies were being distributed. Among the items were paper towels and Trump, apparently caught up in the moment, decided to distribute some of the rolls." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Jared Kushner - 1 November 2017 White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind President Trump during a cabinet meeting in Washington on 1 November, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "The role of Jared Kushner has gone through a series of changes. He began front and centre as a high profile adviser, but as time has passed and issues surrounding him have surfaced, he has become more of a background figure." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump in China - 9 November 2017 Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 9 November, 2017. Photographer Damir Sagolj: "It's one of those "how to make a better or at least different shot when two presidents shake hands several times a day, several days in row". If I'm not mistaken in calculation, presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump shook their hands at least six times in events I covered during Trump's recent visit to China. I would imagine there were some more handshakes I haven't seen but other photographers did. And they all look similar - two big men, smiling and heartily greeting each other until everyone gets their shot. But then there is always something that can make it special - in this case the background made of US and Chinese flags. The first time it didn't work for me. The second time I positioned myself lower and centrally, and used the longest lens I have to capture only hands reaching for a handshake." Reuters/Damir Sagolj Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 10 November 2017 US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "There is a Reuters photographer in the tight pool covering the US president for every appearance he makes 365 days a year. This was just one of 32 images of mine that were transmitted on the Reuters wire of President Trump visiting China and Vietnam that day. You never know when a sudden interaction, a gust of wind or a unique facial expression will lead to a striking image that grabs peoples' attention." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures ASEAN handshake - 13 November 2017 Donald Trump registers his surprise as he realises other leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are crossing their arms for the traditional "ASEAN handshake" as he participates in the opening ceremony of the summit in Manila on 13 November, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Having covered a few ASEAN summits, I knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. Not everyone in the room knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. A lot was written about this unscripted moment, and what deeper meaning it might have. The simple truth is that sometimes in life there are unscripted moments." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

The Foreign Secretary signed off the piece saying Mr Trump had successful trips to a number of countries followed by the phrase chuck it, Corbyn.

The article comes as Mr Trump reached his one year anniversary of his inauguration, as protesters took to the streets around the world in the Women's March.

He has come under fire after the US government was forced to shut down for the first time in four years.

Congress has found itself locked in a stalemate between spending priorities and immigration, sparking a lapse in federal funding.
Theresa May still has a long way to go before convincing people she is making a success of Brexit, with a new poll indicating almost two-thirds of the public believe talks are going badly.

The exclusive survey for The Independent by BMG Research found that less than a quarter of people think negotiations are going well.

Almost a third of those who believed talks were going badly blamed UK negotiators  twice as many as blamed the EU team handling talks.

Recommended CBI chief says UK must stay in EU customs union after Brexit

The poll comes ahead of the next round of negotiations, expected in coming weeks, which will seek to agree terms of Britains transition period out of the EU.

A weighted sample of more than 1,500 people were asked: Thinking about the Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU, in your view, how well or badly do you feel the negotiations are going?

Some 37 per cent said it was going quite badly and 24 per cent said it was going very badly  a total of 61 per cent thought talks were going badly to some degree.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

The figure is lower than a peak of 76 per cent who thought the talks were going badly in October last year, but still leaves the Government a lot of work to do to change peoples perception.

Just two per cent of respondents in the latest poll thought Brexit negotiations were going very well, and only 20 per cent quite well, while 17 per cent did not know.

Equally worrying for ministers is that of those who believed talks were going badly, almost a third, 30 per cent, blamed Brexit Secretary David Davis and his negotiating team.

Some 48 per cent blamed both sides equally, while 16 per cent blamed Michel Barnier and his team of European negotiators.

The next round of talks due towards the end of this month will set the terms of the transition, which is expected to last two years  up to 2021.

Brussels is pushing for the UK to adhere to all EU rules and accept new regulations during the period, as well as accept the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

 EU trade deal after Brexit like trying to blow up a bridge without bankrupting yourself, warns negotiator Cristophe Bondy

Negotiators want to have the transition agreed and to move on to the start of full talks on future trade by March.

Asked more generally how they would vote if there was a referendum on the UKs EU membership tomorrow, 48 per cent backed Remain and 44 per cent backed Leave.

For Westminster voting intentions, the main parties remained tied, with the Tories on 33 per cent and Labour on 32 per cent. When people are pushed for a decision and dont knows are excluded, the Tories are on 40 per cent and Labour on 41 per cent.

Source Note: BMG Research interviewed a representative sample of 1,513 UK adults online between 9 and 12 January. Data is weighted. BMG are members of the British Polling Council and abide by their rules. More details at www.bmgresearch.co.uk/polling.
A 300m state contract to pay private firms to arrest people for not settling court fines must urgently be reviewed in the wake of Carillions collapse, MPs on an influential committee have said.

Both Conservative and Labour members warned the new deal risks creating a monolithic nationwide provider, unable to properly monitor staff who will probably be physically restraining members of the public.

MPs on the Justice Committee also told The Independent the deal could put service delivery at risk, by potentially putting all our eggs in one basket, with a single firm enforcing warrants across the country.

Their call to review the process comes as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) tries to reduce spending following years of deep cuts, with civil servants hoping the new deal can deliver 3m of annual savings.

But the departments outsourcing activity has repeatedly come under fire, with millions of pounds wasted and lucrative contracts handed to firms like G4S, which landed a 2017 deal despite having been fined amid a fraud inquiry.

Mondays collapse of Carillion has led to checks across Whitehall to ensure further public service providers are not at risk, leading members of the Justice Committee to shine a light on the MoJs current tendering processes.

Civil servants are expected in February to announce winners for the new contracts, which will see either several regional firms or one large national company paid some 290m to enforce warrants of debt collection and arrest for the courts.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. 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The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal Getty UK news in pictures 28 July 2021 Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status PA UK news in pictures 27 July 2021 A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants. 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The Independent has already reported how business insiders sounded the alarm over the tender which they say is skewed towards favouring a big national company.

Labour Justice Committee member and former police minister, David Hanson said there is now enough concern to merit the department looking at the tender again.

He said: In the light of the collapse of a major single provider, it is right that there is more due diligence done on the tender for this prior to the issuing of any contract.

We do not want a situation whereby one huge provider tenders for business, at a rate that offers a low profit margin and then finds themselves struggling to meet the obligations as has Carillion.

He was joined by Conservative committee chair Bob Neill who said there is a genuine worry about putting all our eggs in one basket with a single provider.

The collapse of Carillion saw the Government forced to step in and prop up a raft of services being run by the company under more than 400 public contracts.

 What is the Carillion fiasco? Economics Editor Ben Chu explains

But Mr Neill also pointed to reports from charities of private bailiffs intimidating people and failing to take account of vulnerable clients.

He went on: You have to be very sensitive in areas like this where you are dealing with arrest and restraint, and there has been concern in Parliament in the past about making sure there is proper regulation of bailiffs.

Firstly because of the sensitivity of the area  but also rolling everything into a single monolithic contract  raises concerns about how effectively the behaviour of bailiffs can be monitored at a local level.

Secondly there is the inevitable element of things then being too big to fail. For both those reasons, financial risks and the operational risk of a larger rather removed organisation employing people in quite sensitive matters  I think that it is something the department should take a look at again.

Bob Neill has raised concerns about the MoJ contract (Creative Commons)

In a bid to prevent too many public services being handed to single providers, the Cabinet Office said in 2015 that Whitehall departments should aim to hand a third of their contracts to small and medium-sized businesses.

But the economies of scale possible when dealing with a big national provider are tempting for civil servants under pressure to spend less.

The MoJs Permanent Secretary Richard Heaton, whose department has been asked to cut its administrative spending by 50 per cent over the course of the parliament, has told how it aimed to achieve efficiency through contracts and use of contracting services.

It is right that there is more due diligence done on the tender for this prior to the issuing of any contract Former police minister and Labour MP David Hanson

Freedom of Information documents seen by The Independent suggest the collection and arrest warrants deal could save the MoJ 3m a year, with industry insiders saying initial savings can rise higher if a bigger provider is chosen.

The department has also reduced staffing and let out an area of its London headquarters to the Crown Prosecution Service to increase incomings.

But its attempts to work with private firms have not always led to lower spending, with a failed bid to outsource the collection of court fines to an American conglomerate costing the taxpayer nearly 9m in 2015.

In 2014, G4S agreed to repay 109m in compensation for overcharging the MoJ for the electronic tagging of offenders, only for the department to hand the firm another 25m contract for tagging last year.

G4s paid the MoJ 109m after allegations that it overcharged for an electronic tagging contract (Rex Features)

A spokesman for Her Majestys Courts and Tribunals Service, the MoJs executive agency responsible for the court fines contract, said all enforcement officers would have to wear body cameras and comply to the same rigorous standards of conduct as HMCTS employed staff.

He went on: The contract process is focused on ensuring we deliver an improvement in the service by making best use of industry expertise and modern technology.

Any decisions taken will be fully in line with Cabinet Office procurement principles.

We take the recovery and enforcement of court fines very seriously. Courts already have the power to issue warrants through enforcement agencies, and we have robust processes in place to ensure enforcement agents comply to the same standards as HMCTS staff.

The spokesman added that it would be inappropriate to comment on potential bidders as it is commercially sensitive.
Millions of private renters face being stuck in dangerous homes for decades because of a large-scale failure of local councils to take action against criminal landlords.

New data seen by The Independent shows local authorities took action in relation to just 1.1 per cent of the most dangerous rented homes in England last year.

The Independent previously revealed that almost 800,000 privately rented homes and 118,000 housing association properties in England contain the most serious type of safety hazards, including faulty boilers, dangerous wiring, vermin infestations and mould.

The new figures, obtained by Labour MP Karen Buck via a Freedom of Information request, reveal English councils used their legal powers to take action in relation to 10,069 homes with these category one hazards last year  a tiny fraction of the total.

At the current rate, it would take almost 30 years for all the existing hazards to be addressed.

Recommended Third of private rented homes fail basic health and safety standards

Councils have a legal duty to act when a category one hazard is discovered, but the data suggests many authorities are failing to identify unsafe homes in the first instance.

The revelation comes as Ms Bucks Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation and Liability for Housing Standards) Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons after the Government agreed to support it.

The bill will make it a legal requirement for landlords to ensure their properties are fit for human habitation and gives tenants the power to take criminal landlords to court, rather than having to rely on their local council to act.

Ms Buck told The Independent: These figures show that cash-strapped councils are only enforcing against a tiny percentage of properties with serious hazards, which pose a risk to the health or safety of tenants.

Of course I would like councils to be better funded  environmental health is a crucial function  but we still need more. My bill will give tenants  council, private and housing association  a direct route to take action against their landlord if their home is substandard. It is an important step towards strengthening tenants rights, and will help ensure no one has to live in an unfit home.

The small proportion of hazards that were identified and acted upon by councils paints a worrying picture of the dangers renters are facing.

Despite the figures revealing merely the tip of the iceberg, councils in England still found more than 2000 properties containing a serious fire hazard last year  a particular concern in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster in which a fire started by a faulty fridge caused the deaths of 71 people.

2,560 properties were also found to be inadequately heated, while over a thousand contained damp and mould.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal Getty UK news in pictures 28 July 2021 Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status PA UK news in pictures 27 July 2021 A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants. PA UK news in pictures 26 July 2021 A woman is helped by Border Force officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel PA UK news in pictures 25 July 2021 Vehicles drive through deep water on a flooded road in Nine Elms, London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 July 2021 Utilities workers inspect a 15x20ft sinkhole on Green Lane, Liverpool, which is suspected to have been caused by ruptured water main PA UK news in pictures 23 July 2021 Children interact with Mega Please Draw Freely by artist Ei Arakawa inside the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London, part of UNIQLO Tate Play the gallery's new free programme of art-inspired activities for families PA UK news in pictures 22 July 2021 Festivalgoers in the campsite at the Latitude festival in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk PA UK news in pictures 21 July 2021 A man walks past an artwork by Will Blood on the end of a property in Bedminster, Bristol, as the 75 murals project reaches the halfway point and various graffiti pieces are sprayed onto walls and buildings across the city over the Summer PA UK news in pictures 20 July 2021 People during morning prayer during Eid ul-Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice, in Southall Park, Uxbridge, London PA UK news in pictures 19 July 2021 Commuters, some not wearing facemasks, at Westminster Underground station, at 08:38 in London after the final legal Coronavirus restrictions were lifted in England PA UK news in pictures 18 July 2021 A view of spectators by the 2nd green during day four of The Open at The Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 July 2021 Cyclists ride over the Hammersmith Bridge in London. The bridge was closed last year after cracks in it worsened during a heatwave Getty UK news in pictures 16 July 2021 The sun rises behind the Sefton Park Palm House, in Sefton Park, Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 15 July 2021 Sir Nicholas Serota watches a short film about sea monsters as he opens a 7.6 million, 360 immersive dome at Devonport's Market Hall in Plymouth, which is the first of its type to be built in Europe PA UK news in pictures 14 July 2021 Heidi Street, playing a gothic character, looks at a brain suspended in glass at the worlds first attraction dedicated to the author of Frankenstein inside the Mary Shelleys House of Frankenstein experience, located in a Georgian terraced house in Bath, as it prepares to open to the public on 19 July PA UK news in pictures 13 July 2021 Rehearsals are held in a car park in Glasgow for a parade scene ahead of filming for what is thought to be the new Indiana Jones 5 movie starring Harrison Ford PA

In a finding that illustrates how some local authorities are failing to identify the risks facing renters, some councils admitted they had not discovered a single category-one hazard in any of the thousands of properties in their area last year.

Councils have a range of powers under the 2004 Housing Act if they identify a property containing one of the most dangerous risks.

They can issue different types of enforcement orders or prosecute the worst landlords.

However, the data shows there were only 283 people taken to court by councils last year for breaking the law in relation to the maintenance of their properties.

Almost three-quarters of councils (71 per cent) did not prosecute a single rogue landlord, while a third of all landlord prosecutions that did take place were in just two London boroughs.

Less severe options are also rarely being pursued. A fifth of local authorities said they did not issue a single improvement notice to landlords last year, while the average council issued just 13.

Others authorities have taken a much more active approach, suggesting there is a postcode lottery for renters wanting to take action over their unsafe homes.

Experts said part of the problem was councils failing to employ properly trained staff to inspect properties, while cuts to environmental health department budgets were also highlighted.

More than one in seven authorities admitted they were not using qualified environmental health officers to carry out inspections, suggesting people who are not fully trained in identifying and dealing with hazards are being tasked with investigating safety risks.

 Jeremy Corbyn points to Grenfell fire as epitome of failed housing policy

Dan Wilson Craw, director of campaign group Generation Rent, said: These figures are a stark illustration of how stacked the odds are against tenants who are forced to live in squalid conditions.

There are three causes of this lack of enforcement: first, cuts to local environmental health teams mean that they cant inspect the home of every tenant who complains. Second, when inspectors find hazards, they dont take formal action against the landlord in every case, even though this would protect tenants from retaliatory eviction.

Third, many tenants dont want to complain in the first place because theyre worried that theyll be evicted or face a punitive rent increase.

Additional rights such as the one Karen Buck is legislating for will help tenants whose negligent landlord gets nothing more than a rap on the knuckles. But councils still need to improve their response rates, and tenants need better protection from unfair evictions and rent rises  whether or not their home is unsafe.

Some councils say they prefer to take informal action against bad landlords but this raises questions about accountability and the effectiveness of existing laws.

A Local Government Association spokesperson said: Councils take tenants complaints seriously and are doing everything they can to work with the private rented sector to raise standards where it is required.

The private rented sector is growing and, with limited resources and competing funding pressures, councils are working hard to ensure that complaints from tenants are prioritised and dealt with appropriately.

Some may be resolved without the need for inspection and enforcement is a last resort when all other options fail. When councils do prosecute they are too often being hamstrung by a system not fit for the 21st century. It can take more than a year to bring prosecutions and in many cases paltry fines are handed out.

Councils must be given a lead role in building new affordable rented homes so that people who cant afford to buy are not forced into the more expensive private rented sector.
Treasury minister Liz Truss has warned against throwing the baby out with the bath water as private sector involvement in public services is thrust into the spotlight.

Ms Truss said working with firms and signing controversial private finance initiatives (PFIs) had helped government deliver schools, hospitals and other services successfully for decades.

But Labours Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said his party would push for less private sector involvement and repeated a pledge to bring costly PFI deals in-house.

Recommended This is what Private Finance Initiatives are and how they work

It follows the collapse of contractor Carillion risking some 20,000 jobs, and after a report from the UKs spending watchdog revealed the taxpayer faces a bill as high as 200bn for PFIs.

A string of inquiries have already been launched into what happened at Carillon, which collapsed under pressure from large debts and liabilities, despite having signed public contracts since profit warnings started coming in.

On ITVs Peston on Sunday, Ms Truss said: What I think is important is that we dont throw the baby out with the bath water.

We do have lots of public sector contracts with the private sector that work extremely well, whether its Crossrail, the Docklands Light Railway, energy companies, water companies, that have brought down bills for people and are actually providing a great service.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal Getty UK news in pictures 28 July 2021 Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status PA UK news in pictures 27 July 2021 A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants. PA UK news in pictures 26 July 2021 A woman is helped by Border Force officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel PA UK news in pictures 25 July 2021 Vehicles drive through deep water on a flooded road in Nine Elms, London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 24 July 2021 Utilities workers inspect a 15x20ft sinkhole on Green Lane, Liverpool, which is suspected to have been caused by ruptured water main PA UK news in pictures 23 July 2021 Children interact with Mega Please Draw Freely by artist Ei Arakawa inside the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London, part of UNIQLO Tate Play the gallery's new free programme of art-inspired activities for families PA UK news in pictures 22 July 2021 Festivalgoers in the campsite at the Latitude festival in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk PA UK news in pictures 21 July 2021 A man walks past an artwork by Will Blood on the end of a property in Bedminster, Bristol, as the 75 murals project reaches the halfway point and various graffiti pieces are sprayed onto walls and buildings across the city over the Summer PA UK news in pictures 20 July 2021 People during morning prayer during Eid ul-Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice, in Southall Park, Uxbridge, London PA UK news in pictures 19 July 2021 Commuters, some not wearing facemasks, at Westminster Underground station, at 08:38 in London after the final legal Coronavirus restrictions were lifted in England PA UK news in pictures 18 July 2021 A view of spectators by the 2nd green during day four of The Open at The Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 July 2021 Cyclists ride over the Hammersmith Bridge in London. The bridge was closed last year after cracks in it worsened during a heatwave Getty

Speaking on Sky Newss Sunday with Niall Paterson, she added: Before we started having these PFIs and involvement of the private sector, it took eight years to build a school; before we privatised the telecoms companies it took months to get your phone installed; theres been huge improvement delivered.

She argued that the alternative to private sector involvement would mean the taxpayer accepting liability for any losses and debts incurred from running public services, and politicians being put in charge of large-capital projects like Crossrail.

But Mr McDonnell pointed to a report this week from the National Audit Office that found 716 deals are currently operational under PFI and its successor PF2, with annual charges amounting to 10.3bn in 2016-17  and due to stretch into the 2040s.

The report was compiled before the collapse of contractor Carillion, but its release came as the construction giants failure sparked furious debate about the future of a system which Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has denounced as a costly racket.

Speaking on BBCs Andrew Marr show, Mr McDonnell said: [PFI] started with John Major, New Labour really took it up and then in the last seven years its continued on as well.

One of my team dug out for me some of the speeches I made, going as far back as 1998 in Parliament, and the articles I wrote.

 Jeremy Corbyn hits out at the government's use of private companies following Carillion collapse

I opposed private finance initiative. Why? I said then, and this is not me being boastful Im just telling you what happened, it is cheaper for us to use the state to borrow funds to fund our public services rather than going out to the private sector. In addition to that we will have control and ownership of the asset.

After several former executives at Carillon received significant pay and perks packages before it collapsed, Theresa May on Sunday announced a new drive to clamp down on corporate abuse.

The Prime Minister said tough new rules will be introduced to tackle the behaviour of executives who try to line their own pockets by putting their workers pensions at risk  an unacceptable abuse that we will end.

She added: Too often weve seen top executives reaping big bonuses for recklessly putting short-term profit ahead of long-term success. Our best businesses know that is not a responsible way to run a business and those who do so will be forced to explain themselves.

But the rules would only come into play where there had been clear wrongdoing, which raised questions as to whether they would have had any impact in the Carillon case.
Sadid Khan has compared Donald Trumps Twitter attacks against Islam to the tactics used by Isis.

The Mayor of London, who has been on the receiving end of much criticism from Mr Trump, said the Presidents language was very similar to the rhetoric used by so-called Isis/Daesh.

In an interview with the Intercept, Mr Khan said one of the things Isis wants is to see an increase of Islamophobic attacks; they want a backlash against proud Muslims, proud westerners.

In November, Mr Trump controversially retweeted a series of Islamophobic posts from Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First who has been convicted of hate speech.

Recommended Sadiq Khan fires starting gun on Labour local election campaign

Pointing out that the phrase Britain first was shouted out repeatedly by Thomas Mair, the man who murdered his friend and fellow Labour politician Jo Cox, Mr Khan said: One of the reasons I spoke out against his retweets was that he was amplifying a message of division and hatred, and he should be condemned for that.

He added that it beggared belief that the invitation for a state visit to the President from the Prime Minister had not been withdrawn following the retweets of Ms Fransens posts.

Mr Khan stopped short of calling the President a racist in the interview, saying instead that he should not be granted a state visit because there are too many things that he believes that we disagree with.

Speaking before the planned visit to the UK by the president was cancelled, the Mayor said he would wait and see what form the planned trip took before deciding whether or not to join the expected protest marches against it.

Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the US capital in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jim Bourg: "This photo was shot with one of two remote cameras. The cameras were monitored and triggered remotely and the pictures were transmitted to clients worldwide within minutes of being taken." Reuters/Jim Bourg Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Obama farewell address - 10 January 2017 US President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago on 10 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "In his final days in office, Obama made a visit home to Chicago. As he spoke from the stage to his wife and daughter in the audience, he became emotional when he talked about what they had sacrificed during his time in office. I turned from photographing the Obama women embracing to find him onstage wiping away tears." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 A combination of photos shows the crowds attending the inauguration ceremonies to swear in U.S. President Donald Trump at 12:01pm (left) on January 20, 2017 and President Barack Obama sometime between 12:07pm and 12:26pm on January 20, 2009. Reuters/ Lucas Jackson/Stelios Varias Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Liberty Ball - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Liberty Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "What I see when I look at this picture is the end of a very long day, not to mention weeks and months of preparation by many photographers, editors and network experts and the beginning of everything since." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception - 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L), watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on 22 January, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "I have covered the White House for 16 years and normally either the President or the pool is in position when an event starts. In this case the President was not where anyone expected him to be. In fact, he was almost blocking the door when the pool came in. We had to scramble to find a position without bumping him or the furniture as he greeted and thanked members of law enforcement for their security efforts during the inauguration. Luckily, he greeted FBI Director James Comey a few seconds after the pool had made its way into the room." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Private phone calls to world leaders - 28 January 2017 US President Donald Trump, is joined by his staff, as he speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on 28 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Very early in the Trump administration, weekends were as busy as weekdays. On Trump's second Saturday the official schedule said he would be making private phone calls to a number of world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin. I arrived early and, before sitting down at my desk walked up to Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office. He, too, was just taking his coat off. I gingerly made the suggestion that previous administrations had sometimes allowed photos of such phone calls through the Oval Office windows on the colonnade. To my mild shock, he didn't even think about it twice. "We'll do it!" he said. In truth, I really only expected the Putin call, but we were outside the windows multiple times throughout the day as the calls went on." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway - 27 February 2017 Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway (L) attends as US President Donald Trump welcomes the leaders of dozens of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office on 27 February, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "We're often asked how much access we have to the Trump administration, and the answer is we have an awful lot. President Trump himself is very comfortable in the spotlight, and his aides are similarly unfazed by cameras. In this instance, senior advisor Kellyanne Conway was so comfortable in our presence she seemed not to consider the optics of kneeling on a Oval Office sofa to take pictures with her phone." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Angela Merkel heads to Washington - 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on 17 March, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Chancellor Merkel made one of the earliest important visits of any US allies to meet Trump in his first months in office. When world leaders give joint news conferences they don't always tend to give each other their full attention - but Merkel watched Trump intently at several key moments, and here seemed particularly rapt." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump welcomes truckers to the White House - 23 March 2017 President Trump reacts as he sits on a truck while he welcomes truckers and CEOs to attend a meeting regarding healthcare at the White House on 23 March, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "The White House organised a listening session with truckers and CEO's of major American companies, regarding healthcare reform. An 18-wheeler tow truck was parked on the South Lawn of the White House and as Trump welcomed the truckers someone invited the him to come and sit in the driver's seat. Trump jumped into the cab and started yelling and pretending to drive - creating one of the most memorable pictures of the year. A lesson learned, always be prepared for the unexpected." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 6 April 2017 US President Donald Trump talks to journalists members of the travel pool on board the Air Force One during his trip to Palm Beach, Florida on 6 April, 2017. Carlos Barria: "During the many trips to President Trump's residence in Florida it is usual to see the president coming to the back of the plane to chat with journalists. During one of the trips to the so called 'Winter White House', Trump had a long talk with reporters while the Air Force One entertainment system was playing one of the latest Star Wars movies. As I was listening to Trump talk I was also looking at the movie waiting for a part of the movie to frame the mood of the day. Of the many scenes, I choose the one with Darth Vader." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House on 27 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "A day before President Trump's hundred days in office I was part of the team that interviewed the commander-in-chief in the Oval Office. I was only allowed to photograph Trump during the last five minutes of the interview. The time was very tight so I had to move fast as I had pictures in mind that I wanted to shoot. I walked into the Oval Office and saw that the President had printed maps of the country showing areas in red where he won. I raised my hands holding my camera as high as possible to get the best view of the scene using a 16mm wide angle lens." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives at Harrisburg international airport, before attending a rally marking his first 100 days in office in Pennsylvania on 29 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate his hundred days in office with a victory rally. He was in friendly territory as he won with a big difference over his opponent Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, during the November elections. As usual when the commander-in-chief arrives local residents gather to greet him. This time a small group of military personnel attended the arrival. Surrounded by secret service agents Trump walked from the Air Force One and raised his hand in a sign of victory as the crowd cheered him on." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 2 May 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus watch as US President Donald Trump presents the U.S. Air Force Academy football team with the Commander-in-Chief trophy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 May, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "Covering the White House does not just mean covering the President. White House staffers are an important part of the story and their relationship with the President and each other is an indicator of how things are going in the West Wing. The tendency is to focus exclusively on the President once an event starts but I always try to look around to see how people are reacting as things unfold." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Secret Service - 4 May 2017 Secret Service agents use a presidential limousine as cover from spraying water as US President Donald Trump lands via Marine One helicopter in New York on 4 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "The best part of any trip to New York City with the sitting US President is the helicopter ride into Manhattan. The ride out at night can be stunning. Here, Secret Service agents protect themselves from the spray from the East River as Trump lands on the helipad." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures NATO Summit - 25 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron (unseen) before a lunch ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels on 25 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "One of the best parts of travelling overseas for White House coverage is the chance to see the U.S. president in different environments and (literally) a different light. Here, Trump and his wife came out of the shadows to greet France's President Macron." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump meets Putin at G20 summit - 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "On July 7, I witnessed one of the most important meetings of President Trump's first year in office. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Germany. The world's eyes were on these two leaders after speculation about Russian interference during the 2016 US elections. We entered the room for less than two minutes, where I took dozens of pictures. But there was this very interesting moment when Trump extended his hand to Putin for a handshake. Putin paused for a second and looked at Trump's hand. That was the picture that I was looking for, a little moment that seemed to say a lot." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures First lady - 8 July 2017 First lady Melania Trump chats with US President Donald Trump during their return from Germany at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 8 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "After President Trump's trip to Germany he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump said goodbye to Trump as she was heading off in a different direction that day. While chatting a breeze blew Melania's hair up in the air." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Made in America product showcase - 17 July 2017 Vice President Mike Pence laughs as President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat as they attend a Made in America product showcase event at the White House on 17 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "This summer the White House organized an event to showcase 'Made in America' products. All kinds of exhibitors brought their products as the President and Vice President toured the event. One of the companies was Marucci Sport, a manufacturer of baseball bats based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As Trump approached a table full of baseball bats, photographers at the event, including me, rushed to get a good angle hoping that he would pick up a bat. As we predicted, he did. He took one and joked around as though he was hitting something hard. The only thing closer to him right there, was the media." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 25 July 2017 Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says hello to reporters as he and White House advisors including Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accompany President Trump for an event celebrating veterans at AMVETS Post 44 in Ohio, July 25, 2017. Jonathan Ernst: "The most visible person in any White House is naturally the President, followed by the press secretary. But there are also the staff who support them. For those of us covering the Trump administration, there seem to be more compelling figures in the West Wing than ever before. It's crucial to know who's who and why they're important. When I raised my camera and back-pedalled ahead of the group to take this image Lewandowski gave me a hello. I liked the photo, but had no idea it would go a little bit viral, especially since Scaramucci, who was the biggest mover and shaker that week, was hidden back in the pack. But I guess the image catches a glimpse of what it's like to be a West Wing staffer on the road." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Campaign rally - 3 August 2017 US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in West Virginia on 3 August, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Huntington for one of his usual campaign rallies. While members of his family spoke to the crowd he was waiting under a black curtain to be introduced. Suddenly he walked onto the stage, one of the first frames that I took was of his hand. I set my exposure for the light on the stage hoping to create this dark background and it worked." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Staring into the solar eclipse - 21 August 2017 Without his protective glasses on, US President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House on 21 August, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Harvey - 2 September 2017 US President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he and first lady Melania Trump help volunteers hand out meals during a visit with flood survivors of Hurricane Harvey at a relief centre in Houston, Texas on 2 September, 2017. Photohrapher Kevin Lamarque: "Trump, eager to deliver the image of a hands-on response to Hurricane Harvey, made this visit to a relief centre and obliged this woman with a selfie as Melania continued to work." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House - 15 September 2017 Donald Trump welcomes 11-year-old Frank Giaccio as he cuts the Rose Garden grass at the White House on 15 September. Frank, who wrote a letter to Trump offering to mow the lawn, was invited to work for a day at the White House along the National Park Service staff. Frank was so focused on his task that he did not notice the President arrive to surprise him. He took his father jumping in to grab his attention and point Trump out. Photographer Carlos Barria said: The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the President." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Take a knee - 27 September 2017 A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump passes him after an event at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., September 27, 2017. In September, soon after Trump had made comments condemning NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, he made a day trip to a rally in Indianapolis. Jonathan Ernst managed to capture a man on one knee with a tri-folded flag and was able to use a portion of the sign on the building he was kneeling in front of to track the man down and tell his story in full. US Army veteran Marvin Boatright wanted to send a message against social injustice. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Maria - 3 October 2017 President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 October, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "During an afternoon visit to Puerto Rico for President Trump to survey damage from Hurricane Maria and greet some of its victims, Trump made a stop at a church where food and supplies were being distributed. Among the items were paper towels and Trump, apparently caught up in the moment, decided to distribute some of the rolls." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Jared Kushner - 1 November 2017 White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind President Trump during a cabinet meeting in Washington on 1 November, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "The role of Jared Kushner has gone through a series of changes. He began front and centre as a high profile adviser, but as time has passed and issues surrounding him have surfaced, he has become more of a background figure." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump in China - 9 November 2017 Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 9 November, 2017. Photographer Damir Sagolj: "It's one of those "how to make a better or at least different shot when two presidents shake hands several times a day, several days in row". If I'm not mistaken in calculation, presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump shook their hands at least six times in events I covered during Trump's recent visit to China. I would imagine there were some more handshakes I haven't seen but other photographers did. And they all look similar - two big men, smiling and heartily greeting each other until everyone gets their shot. But then there is always something that can make it special - in this case the background made of US and Chinese flags. The first time it didn't work for me. The second time I positioned myself lower and centrally, and used the longest lens I have to capture only hands reaching for a handshake." Reuters/Damir Sagolj Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 10 November 2017 US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "There is a Reuters photographer in the tight pool covering the US president for every appearance he makes 365 days a year. This was just one of 32 images of mine that were transmitted on the Reuters wire of President Trump visiting China and Vietnam that day. You never know when a sudden interaction, a gust of wind or a unique facial expression will lead to a striking image that grabs peoples' attention." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures ASEAN handshake - 13 November 2017 Donald Trump registers his surprise as he realises other leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are crossing their arms for the traditional "ASEAN handshake" as he participates in the opening ceremony of the summit in Manila on 13 November, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Having covered a few ASEAN summits, I knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. Not everyone in the room knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. A lot was written about this unscripted moment, and what deeper meaning it might have. The simple truth is that sometimes in life there are unscripted moments." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

The war of words between the President and the Mayor began during the US election campaign when Mr Khan  the capitals first Muslim Mayor  described Mr Trumps proposal to ban all Muslims from America as ignorant.

Mr Khan spoke out when the President brought in his highly controversial travel ban on citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, calling the policy cruel and shameful.

Mr Trump later criticised Mr Khan for telling Londoners there was no reason to be alarmed at the sight of more armed police on the street following the London Bridge attack.

Recommended Boris Johnson says the UK should welcome Donald Trump

A planned working visit to open the new US embassy in London, where Mr Trump was expected to be greeted by huge protests, was cancelled earlier this month.

The US President was ridiculed for blaming Barack Obama for selling the embassy's current home for "peanuts", when the decision was in fact made by George W Bush's administration.

Boris Johnson claimed the UK should welcome Mr Trump today, calling for his administration to be shown "respect and recognition".

It comes as Mr Khan spoke to the Independent on Labours chances in the upcoming local elections, with the party hoping to make further gains in London at the expense of the Conservatives.
Tax credit claimants who suffered as the result of a botched outsourcing plan have been paid just 14 each in compensation each, it has emerged.

Scandal-hit Concentrix adjusted or terminated around 108,000 cases of claimants' tax credits - nearly a third of which were overturned at appeal.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) ended its deal with the contractor after a series of problems came to light.

Records released in Parliament showed HMRC had paid a total of 18,035 to 1,271 people.

Shadow policing minister Louise Haigh, who requested the information, said the amount was pitiful and insulting.

She added: Concentrix walked off the job with 32m of taxpayers' money in their pockets.

Yet now we learn that the average amount people can expect in compensation is less than 15. That's a pitiful amount and it is simply insulting to the victims.

The company caused real damage to people's lives and was proven to be wrong in 87 per cent of cases that went to appeal. I can't think of many cases where such terrible failure has been rewarded so well and in such stark contrast to the treatment of the victims.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal Getty UK news in pictures 28 July 2021 Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status PA UK news in pictures 27 July 2021 A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants. 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The Concentrix and Carillion scandals have shown that too often the bosses walk off with a pay-out while we pay for their mistakes, and the victims are left struggling. Tory privatisation of our public services has been a disaster, and it's about time ministers started learning the lessons.

The HMRC contract was supposed to tackle fraud and error in the tax credit system by stopping payments to claimants who were not entitled to them.

But almost 90 per cent of people appealing against losing their tax credits won their cases, seeing Concentrix sacked over the "humiliating hardship and debt" it forced on people, sending many to food banks.

The Government subsequently promised not to outsource tax credit fraud investigation work to private companies.

Jon Thompson, head of HMRC, told the Treasury Select Committee at the time: We will not be going back to the market to seek a third party to help us in any way with the tax credits system.

But the former Work and Pensions Secretary, Damian Green, later said his department would appoint an external provider to help claw back money from claimants of the separate Income Support benefit from April.

The new figures were revealed days after construction giant Carillion collapsed, sparking concern over the scale of Government outsourcing.

The Independent revealed that MPs are now calling for a 300m contract to pay private firms to arrest people who have not settled court fines to be urgently reviewed.

Additional reporting by PA
Theresa Mays sudden embrace of environmental policy is one of the most interesting and untold stories of the last few months.

At least one chapter was not written behind the grand facade of CCHQ or the black-polished Downing Street door, but in a brown-brick office in Southwark.

It is there that a small think tank called Bright Blue has been harping on about how Conservatives need to go green since it was born in 2010.

Recommended Gove says Britons are ready to pay more to help the environment

Other Tories had been arguing the case for longer, but Bright Blue went a step further in 2017 and helped show why high-profile environment policy is a matter of political survival.

Young voters had just flocked to Jeremy Corbyn at the election, with every age group under 50 backing Labour.

In September the think tank published a poll showing the environment was among top concerns for younger voters, the very top one for the youngest, but that most believed the Tories were weak on the issue.

One minister told The Independent: The environmental thinking has always been there, but before now it wouldnt get the best announcement slots.

Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Plastic waste across the world: in pictures A father and son on a makeshift boat made from styrofoam paddle through a garbage filled river as they collect plastic bottles that they can sell in junkshops in Manila. The father and son team earn some three US dollars a day retrieving recyclables from the river. AFP/Getty Plastic waste across the world: in pictures A composite image of items found on the shore of the Thames Estuary in Rainham, Kent. Tons of plastic and other waste lines areas along the Thames Estuary shoreline, an important feeding ground for wading birds and other marine wildlife. Getty Images Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Children collect plastic water bottles among the garbage washed ashore at the Manila Bay. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, at current rates of pollution, there will likely be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050. AFP/Getty Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Plastics and other detritus line the shore of the Thames Estuary. In December 2017 Britain joined the other 193 UN countries and signed up to a resolution to help eliminate marine litter and microplastics in the sea. It is estimated that about eight million metric tons of plastic find their way into the world's oceans every year. Once in the Ocean plastic can take hundreds of years to degrade, all the while breaking down into smaller and smaller 'microplastics,' which can be consumed by marine animals, and find their way into the human food chain. Getty Plastic waste across the world: in pictures A dump site in Manila in 2013. The Philippines financial capital banned disposable plastic shopping bags and styrofoam food containers, as part of escalating efforts across the nation's capital to curb rubbish that exacerbates deadly flooding. AFP/Getty Images Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Children swims in the sea full of garbage in North Jakarta, Indonesia. Getty Plastic waste across the world: in pictures An Indian woman holds a jar filled with Yamuna river water polluted with froth and toxic foam to be used for rituals at the river bank in New Delhi, India. The Yamuna River, like all other holy rivers in India, has been massively polluted for decades now. The river that originates in a glacier in the pristine and unpolluted Himalayas, and flows through Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh before merging with the Ganges River in Allahabad, once used to be the lifeline of the Indian capital. Currently, it is no more than a large, open sewer that is choking with industrial and domestic discharge that includes plastic, flowers and debris and has virtually no aquatic life. EPA Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Plastic waste is washed up on South Troon beach in Scotland. Recent reports by scientists have confirmed, plastics dumped in the world oceans are reaching a dangerous level with micro plastic particles now being found inside filter feeding animals and amongst sand grains on our beaches. Getty Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Children collect plastic to be sold and recycled, in a polluted river in suburban Manila. The city's trash disposal agency traps solid waste floating down waterways that was thrown into the water by residents of slums along riverbanks upstream. AFP/Getty Plastic waste across the world: in pictures View of the Carpayo Beach in La Punta, Callao, some 15 km of Lima. In 2013, the NGO VIDA labeled the Carpayo Beach as the most polluted in the country - 40 tons of trash on each 500m2. AFP/Getty Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Trash from Kamilo Beach in Hawaii. Gabriella Levine/Flickr Plastic waste across the world: in pictures A scavenger collects plastic cups for recycling in a river covered with rubbish near Pluit dam in Jakarta. Reuters Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Rubbish fills Omoa beach in Honduras. Floating masses of garbage offshore from some of the Caribbean's pristine beaches are testimony to a vast and growing problem of plastic pollution heedlessly dumped in our oceans, locals, activists and experts say. AFP/Getty Plastic waste across the world: in pictures A man climbs down to a garbage filled river in Manila. Plastic rubbish will outweigh fish in the oceans by 2050 unless the world takes drastic action to recycle the material, a report warned in 2016. AFP/Getty Plastic waste across the world: in pictures Garbage on East Beach, Henderson Island (Pitcairn Islands), in the south Pacific Ocean. The uninhabited island has been found to have the world's highest density of waste plastic, with more than 3,500 additional pieces of litter washing ashore daily at just one of its beaches. EPA

Since the election things have changed. The PM has realised that its more important and that it gives a more balanced perspective to the Government.

Thats created the space for groups like Bright Blue to come forward, be involved and help shape the ideas.

Theresa May has since delivered the first major speech on the environment of a sitting PM since 2004 and has revived a long-awaited 25-year green plan, including the abolition of plastic waste, albeit by 2042.

That is before you even mention a slew of policies from the newly invigorated Department for the Environment, whose cabinet minister Michael Gove has been credited by Tory peers with delivering breakthrough announcements.

One source close to Gove said Bright Blues influence should not be overstated, but admits the Environment Secretary has read some of its papers.

It could just be coincidence that in a key speech Gove gave in Oxford in January, he announced a policy relating to the reform of farm subsidies after Brexit, which was touted in the think tanks November 2017 paper, A Greener More Pleasant Land.

 Theresa May: 'In the UK alone, the amount of single-use plastic wasted every year would fill 1,000 Royal Albert Halls'

Earlier, in April 2017, the group also published its Green Conservatives report setting out evidence and polling data showing Tory voters wanted a green Brexit.

In January the Government also fleshed out its plans to phase out coal by 2025, although this dates back to a November 2015 initial announcement from then environment secretary Amber Rudd.

The PM has realised that its more important and that it gives a more balanced perspective to the Government Conservative minister

Four months earlier, in July 2015, Bright Blue had said in its report, Green and Responsible Conservatism: We need to quickly close down the infrastructure that causes environmental problems in the first place.

By far the quickest way of doing this is closing down our nine remaining coal-fired power stations.

In November 2017 the Government also launched the Powering Past Coal Alliance, to work with other countries to end coal burning, another long-called for Bright Blue initiative.

 Tide of plastic rubbish discovered floating off idyllic Caribbean island coastline

But once you start looking, its not just the the environment where Bright Blue is apparently scoring Tory policy hits.

The group had been calling for the Government to cut stamp duty for all first time buyers before Philip Hammond announced he would do so in the Budget.

It had also been demanding a reduction in the initial seven-day wait before people become eligible to claim Universal Credit, also announced by the Chancellor.

At the start of Conservative conference last year, May announced she would increase the earnings threshold at which students start repaying loans to 25,000, under pressure from Corbyns plan to abolish fees altogether.

Bright Blue called for the abolition of coal power stations ahead of the Government announcement (Getty)

The policy had also been promoted by Ryan Shorthouse, Bright Blues founder, who used to work for former Conservative universities minister David Willetts.

He told The Independent that the party has become aware that it was exposed at the election in terms of young voters.

To get them you do have to have a focus on social justice, but also on social liberalism, he said.

Before the 2017 election there was a kind of abandonment of that social liberalism, and that was linked to how we attracted younger voters.

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He also highlights the growing division between young and old, with Tory policy previously focussing more on older voters, who were more likely to turn out.

Shorthouse went on: For a long time in policy circles on the centre-right there has been a feeling that there has been an inequality there for younger voters, who feel they do not have the same opportunities as their parents did.

Its only since the election, when young people did turn on May, that it has really sunk in Ryan Shorthouse, Bright Blue founder

But its only since the election, when young people did turn on May, that it has really sunk in. Thats why some of the policies that we have been promoting have suddenly become more attractive to the Government.

One of the rising stars from the 2017 election, Bim Afolami MP, first met Shorthouse through the Bow Group, a think tank that has veered further to the right in recent years.

He said: Ryan is a talented guy. I got to know him in the Bow Group, in the days when the Bow Group was still sane.

Lynton Crosby narrowed the Conservatives messaging ahead of the 2015 election (Getty)

Hes a great policy guy, but what I underestimated at that time was his ability to make something out of nothing  he saw that there was a space that the Bow Group vacated.

In the days when Michael Heseltine and Norman Lamont were there it used to occupy a modernising young space, but when it stopped doing that, Ryan took that space and filled it with something more dynamic, made it better.

Afolami said Bright Blue had come through a difficult time, especially when David Camerons election guru Linton Crosby began scraping policy barnacles from the Tory message, including some of the more Big Society parts backed by the group.

Brexit and Mays early drive to focus on blue collar, working-class issues to the exclusion of all else also shut them out  but now things are changing, Afolami said.

Theresa May with her then joint chief of staff Nick Timothy in 2016 (Reuters)

Bright Blue has managed to sustain itself thorugh a period when people thought it might not last.

Policy Exchange was influential during the Cameron years, but now Bright Blue, to a lot of peoples surprise, is playing a bigger role in policy.

A lot of people havent noticed it yet.

The comparison with Policy Exchange  the engine of Cameronism  is flattery. Bright Blue is not there yet.

But it has broken through and has an opportunity to start promoting liberal polices to a Government no-one thought would listen.

The question now for the group, Afolami said, is whether it will move out of its comfort zone and start tackling the meatier economic issues, adding: Does Bright Blue play a bigger part in that debate? If they dont then their relevance might drop.
A billionaire and his wife found dead side-by-side were both murdered, a report by private investigators has said.

Barry and Honey Sherman were found dead at their home in Toronto, Canada on 15 December and initially reports suggested their deaths were a murder-suicide.

But now a team of investigators hired by the couples family have suggested the theory, leaked to the media by police, is wrong and there were in fact multiple killers involved in the case.

An estate agent found the bodies of 75-year-old Barry and 70-year-old Honey in their C$5.4m (3.1m) home which they had been trying to sell at the time of their deaths.

There were no signs of forced entry, CBS News reported.

An initial autopsy showed the couple had died from strangulation and were found with leather belts wrapped around their necks  hanging from a railing beside their indoor pool.

But investigators said things were not what they seemed as the couple were found sitting and their wrists showed signs of having been bound together at one point.

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. 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The team has concluded Mr Sherman, a billionaire entrepreneur who founded pharmaceutical company Apotex, and Ms Sherman were likely killed two days before they were found as Ms Sherman was still wearing the clothes she had last been seen in.

Toronto Police have said the circumstances around the couples death are suspicious but have not commented further.

The couples four children, who dismissed the murder-suicide explanation, had said they plan to demolish the house once the private forensic investigators have finished their work.
Activists behind the Womens March in Knoxville have been forced to change their route and ramp up security measures in the wake of neo-Nazi plans to hijack the event.

The march, which takes place on Sunday, coincides with similar events across the US this weekend which mark the first anniversary of the Womens March against Donald Trump.

Activists took to the streets in 60 countries and on seven continents to promote equal rights for women and defend marginalised women after the US presidents inauguration a year ago.

But the second annual Womens March in the Tenessee city has faced resistance from a self-avowed nationalist socialist group aligned with the so-called alt right  a political movement widely accused of racism, antisemitism, and misogyny.

The Traditionalist Workers Party (TWP), a far right group in favour of a white-only nation state, has planned a counter-demonstration to the Womens March.

Matthew Heimbach, who leads the organisation the Southern Poverty Centre classifies as a hate group, told Newsweek they estimated the turnout at the protest to be around 50 to 60 members.

The 26-year-old, who openly expresses his respect for Adolf Hitler and is a holocaust denier, played a role in promoting the White Lives Matter rally which took place in Tennessee in October. But his speech at the event was drowned out by counter-protesters playing Martin Luther King Jrs I Have A Dream speech.

Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street in London. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Berlin Women's March in Berlin. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris Women hold a banner reading "still feminist" with the Eiffel tower in background on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Protesters hold up placards at the Women's March in central London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris A demonstator hold signs on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris during a women's march organised as part of global protests. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Chanting Times Up in the cold rain - On the anniversary of the Women's March on London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands of people gather holding protest signs on Central Park West. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Demonstrators take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago A woman holds a sign during the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington Supporters gather during the Women's March in Washington AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York The crowd lines up near Central Park Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago Demostrators attend the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands hold signs and rally while attending the Womens March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People hold signs up during the women's march Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Oscar Janicki, 6, participates in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Crowds gather to participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Women pose as they attend the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather prior to the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather the second annual National Womens March AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "Womwn united will never be defeated" during Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome Italian actress Asia Argento (3rdL) attends the Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown Rome. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome The Women's March Rome, designed to show solidarity for the protection of civil and social rights, women's rights and the environment included Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse US film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Zurich A US citizen holds a poster on the anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump apologising to the world on behalf of her country, in Zurich, Switzerland. A year after millions of people took to the streets across the US and countries around the world, women's marches are being held in lots of cities this weekend. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "The rising of the women means rising of us all" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Images Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman lifts her fist while holding a banner reading "Hear our voice" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty

Writing in a blog post on the TWPs site published earlier in January, the far right activist who has been christened The Little Fuhrer said: As the defenders and advocates of women and our children, the Traditionalist Worker Party is taking a stand in Knoxville Tennessee on Sunday January 21st against the proposed feminist march and in support of the March for Life being held the same day.

Any movement that doesnt defend the sanctity of life is not a movement worth having. If we are to build a free nation for our children, we must first secure life for our children.

This stands in stark contrast to the aims of the Womens March which Kimberley Peterson, spokeswoman for the Womens March Coalition of East Tennessee, describes the goal as being a celebration and a positive upbeat event.

While the Women's March had initially been planned to kick off at 1pm on Sunday from Market Square, it has been moved to an enclosed area in Krutch Park and will follow a different route to last year due to the security concerns. Ms Peterson said they were working in conjunction with the Knoxville Police Department to make sure demonstrators were safe.

Local anti-racist groups The Holler Network and Nashville Anti-Racist action lambasted Mr Heimbach and his hoard of human garbage followers. Explaining their reasoning for confronting the counter demonstrators, they urged people to join forces to help us take this trash the f*** out of East Tennessee.

From indigenous resistance to militant maroon communities, to multiracial labour strikes and prisoner uprisings, to the very existence of tight-knit black and brown communities across these hills, we know Appalachia has never been and will never be their all-white vision - as long as we continue to resist, they said in a statement on Its Going Down, a platform for anti-fascist activism.

Despite the TWP saying they plan to join anti-abortion activists in Knoxville, the activists behind the March To Life have rejected the far right groups plans.

Any group or individual that promotes white supremacy or other dehumanizing world views, are not in tandem with the position of Tennessee Right to Life on the value of every persons dignity and life, Ed Albin, a Tennessee Right to Life leader, said in a Facebook post.

Our organisations march has a single agenda to support the rights of mothers and the unborn, and we dont agree with the violent agenda of white supremacists or Antifa.

The threat of far right violence in the US has grown in recent years and could be seen in full force at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville over the summer which saw anti-fascist activists clash with neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members and far right supporters.

Clashes turned deadly after a 20-year-old man, who officials say had Nazi sympathies, mowed his car into the crowd of peaceful anti-fascist demonstrators and killed a female civil rights activist.
Pope Francis has denounced femicide and other gender-based crimes that have turned Latin America into the most violent place on Earth for women, calling for legislation to protect them and a new cultural mindset as he visited one of Perus most dangerous areas.

At a Marian prayer in the northern seaside city of Trujillo, Francis called women, mothers and grandmothers the guiding force for families.

And yet in the Americas they are too often victims of murder and many situations of violence that are kept quiet behind so many walls, he said on Saturday during the closing stages of a tour of the region.

The first Latin American pontiff called for lawmakers to protect women and for a new culture that repudiates every form of violence. His remarks came the same day large crowds marched throughout the United States and other countries in support of female empowerment.

Recommended Pope Francis stops swerving Popemobile to check on police officer

Franciss use of the term femicide  the killing of women where the motive is directly related to gender  marked the second time in as many days that he has spoken out against machismo culture in Latin America.

The region has the dubious honour of having the worlds highest rates of violence against women occurring outside romantic partnerships, and the second-highest of violence within.

Even though more and more countries in the region are adopting protective policies for women, female homicides are rising in Latin America, with two in every five resulting from domestic violence, according to a November 2017 report from UN Women and the UN Development Programme that called the phenomenon a global pandemic.

In recent years women have taken to the streets across Latin America, including in Peru, to protest gender violence as part of the international Ni Una Menos, or Not One Less, campaign.

In the Peruvian Amazon this week, Francis denounced forced prostitution and the trafficking of women in the area, saying it pained him how they are devalued, denigrated and exposed to endless violence.

Violence against women cannot be treated as normal, maintaining a culture of machismo blind to the leading role that women play in our communities, he said on Friday. It is not right for us to look the other way and let the dignity of so many women, especially young women, be trampled upon.

Franciss decision to directly address the issue followed a reticence to speak out last year when he visited Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican border city notorious for hundreds of killings of women which brought international attention to the problem. More than 100 women died in eerily similar killings in the city  across from El Paso, Texas  starting in 1993, although the serial or copycat nature of them tapered off a decade later.

At a 2016 open-air mass in Juarez, Francis made an emotional plea to recognise the human tragedy of the treatment of migrants but made only a passing mention of the womens killings. At the time he did not use the word femicide, saying only: And what can we say about so many women who have unjustly had their lives taken?

Mothers of some of the Juarez victims had sought unsuccessfully to meet with Francis, and Saturday marked the first time he is known to have used the term femicide in public.

Central American countries (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) have the highest rates of gender-based violence, but the issue is also a serious problem in Peru. More than 1,000 women died from gender-based violence in the South American country between 2009 and last October  the vast majority murdered by a partner or relative  according to a report by the public ministry.

Despite the thunderous welcome the pontiff has received throughout his trip to Peru, the uproar over the Catholic Churchs handling of a clerical sex abuse scandal in Chile  and Francis own remarks on the case  have continued to cast a shadow over the visit. All ears will be tuned in on Sunday to any final words Francis might share on a crisis he had hoped to help mend in a visit to usually friendly Latin American turf.

During his seven-day trip to Chile and Peru, the pontiff personally apologised to survivors of priests who sexually abused them, travelled deep into the Amazon to meet with indigenous leaders and urged the Chilean government and radical Mapuche factions to peacefully resolve one of the regions longest-running disputes.

But the Pope, 81, also attracted unprecedented rejection as at least a dozen churches across Chile were set aflame and riot police shot teargas and arrested protesters who tried marching in on mass in Santiago.

He stirred outrage when he accused victims of Chiles most notorious paedophile priest of slander.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

In response to a question from a reporter on accusations against Juan Barros, a Chilean bishop appointed by the Pope in 2015 who is accused of protecting a paedophile, he said: The day I see proof against Bishop Barros, then I will talk. There is not a single piece of evidence against him. It is all slander. Is that clear?

Franciss comments, appearing to dismiss the credibility of accusers, were widely criticised by victims, their advocates and newspaper editorials in Chile and Franciss native Argentina.

Bishop Barros has been accused of protecting his former mentor, the Rev Fernando Karadima, who was found guilty in a Vatican investigation in 2011 of abusing teenage boys over many years. Rev Karadima denies the allegations and Bishop Barros said he was unaware of any wrongdoing. The Barros-Karadima case has riveted Chile for years.

Cardinal Sean OMalley, the Archbishop of Boston and Franciss top adviser on clergy sex abuse, said: Words that convey the message, If you cannot prove your claims, then you will not be believed, abandon those who have suffered reprehensible criminal violations of their human dignity and relegate survivors to discredited exile.

The pontiffs words were a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy or any other perpetrator, he added.

AP/Reuters
Auburn-based online literary and visual arts journal aaduna launched its winter 2017-2018 issue over the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in recognition of his legacy and impact on issues of social justice and inclusiveness.

It is the journal's 21st publication since 2011. It features 21 contributors in poetry, fiction, nonfiction and visual arts, including Waterloo poet and writer Patricia Roth Schwartz and Rochester poet Michael Chin. Contributors also hail from as far as India and Nepal.

The journal is now accepting submissions of unpublished work for its summer 2018 issue; the deadline is March 14.

For more information, or to read the current issue of aaduna, visit aaduna.org.

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Detectives investigating the case of the 13 siblings found locked up in a house in California, may "send cadaver dogs" to see if there was anyone else in the house who may have died, reports have suggested.

Crime Watch Daily, a syndicated news show broadcast in multiple states across America, also reported that investigators were considering carrying out DNA tests on the Turpin children to check if they were all related, citing sources close to the case.

The Sheriffs Department in Riverside County and the police department in the City of Perris, California did not respond to The Independents requests for comment on the alleged plans.

They did not confirm the allegations to Crime Watch Daily, but the programme claims sources told them there were serious discussions about bringing in dogs to help the investigation.

A support fund has also been set up for the 13 adults and children by Riverside University Health System Foundation, which is welcoming donations from individuals and organisations for their long-term needs.

We recognise financial gifts will not eliminate their trauma, but additional resources will be extremely important in helping these victims adjust over time, said Erin Phillips, executive director of RUHS Foundation, who assured 100 per cent of funds will go to the rescued family members.

(Facebook/David-Louise Turpin)

The siblings, aged two to 29, were rescued from the house in Perris after a 17-year-old girl escaped out of a window and called the police on 14 January.

She told them her 12 brothers and sisters were being held captive inside. Investigators from the Riverside Sheriffs Department described the teenager as emaciated and as having the appearance of a ten-year-old.

At the foul-smelling house, police said they found a number of children shackled to beds with chains and padlocks in the dark. Seven of the individuals were aged between 18 and 29, but police said all the victims looked like children as they were so malnourished and very dirty.

The oldest, a 29-year-old woman, weighed only 82lb according to Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin. Authorities rescued the siblings and provided them with food, water and medical treatment. They discovered the 17-year-old had been planning her escape for two years.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Parents David Turpin, 56, and Louise Turpin, 49, who were arrested and detained, have pleaded not guilty to charges including multiple counts of torture, child abuse, dependent adult abuse and false imprisonment dating to 2010.

Mr Turpin, who worked as an engineer, also pleaded not guilty to performing a lewd act on a child under age 14. If convicted, they could face about 94 years to life jail according to Riverside Countys District Attorneys Office. Each is held on $12m bail.

The family, who lived about 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles, led a nocturnal existence and slept all day, which kept them largely out of sight of neighbours in their tight-knit suburban community.

It has since been alleged the children were often starved and not allowed to use the toilet. Some did not understand the concept of a policeman or of medicine.

David and Louise Turpin with their 13 children (Facebook)

Riverside District Attorney Mike Hestrin alleged that the children, who were home-schooled, had never been to the dentist and had not visited a doctor in years.

He told reporters that they were regularly beaten and strangled for behaviours such as washing their hands above the wrist.

Psychologists have said their recovery could take many years, but is likely to be easiest for the youngest children.

Patricia Costales, chief executive of The Guidance Centre, a California-based nonprofit that provides children with mental health therapy, said of the younger children: Their brains are still adapting, theyre still forming, theyre still developing their understanding of the world. But someone who has experienced these things for 20-some years of their life will have a lot of learning to do about what relationships are like, what the world is like, how theyre supposed to be treated.

The therapist and social worker, who has previously worked with kidnapping victims, said You dont need to learn what a police officer is from going to school, you learn that from just being out in the world. To not even know something like that really speaks to how incredibly controlled their environment was. Theyre going to experience a culture shock even apart from the trauma they have undergone.

Therapists also suggested it is best to keep the siblings together. Jessica Borelli, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of California, Irvine, said despite what they went through, they may struggle to be away from their parents.

When we come into this world, our attachment figures are our primary sources of safety and security, no matter how abusive they are, she said. That impulse or that draw to be back with the people who are supposed to keep you safe is incredibly strong, and that is what has to be overridden to get out of an abusive situation.

She felt the 17-year-old girl who escaped could be key in helping the family to recover. To me, that is a sign she has something inside of her that is really healthy, she said. One of the things that happens with really prolonged abuse like this is the instincts about self-protection and the desire to protect oneself are totally disrupted  but she has it. So, I think she might be someone who can help."

Additional reporting by Associated Press
President Donald Trumps first year in office was chaotic for several reasons  one of the most significant being the record-setting turnover of staff in his White House and administration.

The attrition rate among top-level staff in the Trump White House was more than triple that in former President Barack Obama's first year, according to a new Brookings Institution report. It was also double the rate in President Ronald Reagan's White House.

While some turnover is expected and possibly beneficial, excessive turnover portends problems, writes Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, a non-resident senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution. [Mr Trump] has valued loyalty over qualifications and suffered from a White House that has functioned in a chaotic manner. Both features have made it difficult to retain staff and have contributed to the governance difficulties he has encountered.

In chronological order, here is a list of the most high-profile people to have left the Trump administration.

Sally Yates, Acting US Attorney General

Length of tenure: 11 days

After nearly three decades at the Department of Justice, Ms Yates became acting attorney general as Mr Trumps pick for the role, Jeff Sessions, waited to be confirmed by the Senate. Ms Yates was fired after she instructed Justice Department attorneys to not defend the Presidents executive order on 27 January 2017 that barred nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the country for 90 days. In a letter to the lawyers, she said the order was not defensible in court. The White House said in a statement that Ms Yates betrayed the Department of Justice.

Michael Flynn, National Security Adviser

Length of tenure: 25 days

Mr Flynn, who had supported Mr Trump on the campaign trail, was forced to resign after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of multiple meetings with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian Ambassador to the US.

Special counsel Robert Muellers probe into possible collusion between Donald Trump's campaign team and Russia struck at the heart of the White House in December, with Mr Flynn admitting that he lied to the FBI about contacts with a senior Russian diplomat.

Mr Flynn agreed to cooperate with investigators as part of his plea deal, reportedly worrying remaining members of Mr Trumps White House team.

Katie Walsh, Deputy Chief of Staff

Length of tenure: 69 days

In March, days after Mr Trump faced his first major legislative setback with the Houses failure to pass a Obamacare repeal and replacement bill, the Presidents deputy chief of staff left the White House. Ms Walsh joined a nonprofit group supporting Mr Trumps agenda, according to CNN. A senior White House official insisted to the news outlet that Ms Walsh was not being fired.

James Comey, FBI Director

Length of tenure: 190 days into the Trump administration

Mr Trumps firing of Mr Comey set off what Democrats called a constitutional crisis. This is because he was heading an investigation into the Trump campaigns alleged ties to Russia when he was axed.

When Mr Trump fired Mr Comey, the White House said it was acting on the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who criticised Mr Comey's handling of an investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails. But later, Mr Trump said he was thinking of this Russia thing when he resolved to dismiss his FBI chief.

Mr Trumps decision to fire his FBI Director only created more issues for the President. Mr Rosenstein quickly appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, to lead the federal Russia probe  a move that the President criticised. Mr Comey also later testified to a Senate committee that he believed Mr Trump tried to pressure him into dropping a probe into Mr Flynn; testimony that appears to have inspired an investigation into whether the President obstructed justice.

Mike Dubke, White House Communications Director

Length of tenure: 74 days

Mr Dubke is reported to have left the White House on good terms. But according to Axios, he had difficulty gelling with those who had been with Mr Trump since the campaign. After he resigned, Mr Dubke offered to stay on until the end of Mr Trumps first trip abroad as president and until a transition is concluded.

Walter Shaub, Director of the Office of Government Ethics

Length of tenure: 180 days into Trump administration

Mr Shaub accepted a position with the Campaign Legal Centre after months of clashing with the administration over Mr Trump's refusal to divest his businesses while in office. Instead, the President transferred them into a trust in his name.

Mr Shaub had served as director of the office under President Obama since 2013.

Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary

Length of tenure: 183 days

After months of speculation that Mr Spicer was poised to leave the White House, it was announced in July that deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had been promoted to fill his position. Mr Trump had asked Mr Spicer to stay on, according to The New York Times, but the ex-aide told the President that the appointment of financier Anthony Scaramucci as communications director was a big mistake.

In an interview with ABC News, Mr Spicer said he felt relieved and that organisationally the White House communications team needed a fresh start.

Michael Short, Assistant Press Secretary

Length of tenure: 186 days

During one of his first days on the job, Mr Scaramucci told Politico that he planned to fire Mr Short, ostensibly to stop leaks to the media. But at a press gaggle, Mr Scaramucci specifically pointed to the report about Mr Short's possible firing as a reason that leaks needed to stop - even though he was reportedly the one who told Politico that Mr Short should be fired.

Let's say I'm firing Michael Short today. The fact that you guys know about it before he does really upsets me as a human being and as a Roman Catholic, Mr Scaramucci said.

Mr Short told reporters that he had resigned.

Reince Priebus, White House Chief of Staff

Length of tenure: 190 days

Mr Trump announced on Twitter that he was replacing Mr Priebus as his right-hand man with John Kelly, the secretary of Homeland Security. After he left the White House, Mr Priebus told Fox News he is going to be Team Trump all the time.

I'll always be out there trying to help the president, advance his goals, support him as a friend too, Mr Priebus said.

Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the US capital in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jim Bourg: "This photo was shot with one of two remote cameras. The cameras were monitored and triggered remotely and the pictures were transmitted to clients worldwide within minutes of being taken." Reuters/Jim Bourg Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Obama farewell address - 10 January 2017 US President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago on 10 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "In his final days in office, Obama made a visit home to Chicago. As he spoke from the stage to his wife and daughter in the audience, he became emotional when he talked about what they had sacrificed during his time in office. I turned from photographing the Obama women embracing to find him onstage wiping away tears." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 A combination of photos shows the crowds attending the inauguration ceremonies to swear in U.S. President Donald Trump at 12:01pm (left) on January 20, 2017 and President Barack Obama sometime between 12:07pm and 12:26pm on January 20, 2009. Reuters/ Lucas Jackson/Stelios Varias Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Liberty Ball - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Liberty Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "What I see when I look at this picture is the end of a very long day, not to mention weeks and months of preparation by many photographers, editors and network experts and the beginning of everything since." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception - 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L), watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on 22 January, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "I have covered the White House for 16 years and normally either the President or the pool is in position when an event starts. In this case the President was not where anyone expected him to be. In fact, he was almost blocking the door when the pool came in. We had to scramble to find a position without bumping him or the furniture as he greeted and thanked members of law enforcement for their security efforts during the inauguration. Luckily, he greeted FBI Director James Comey a few seconds after the pool had made its way into the room." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Private phone calls to world leaders - 28 January 2017 US President Donald Trump, is joined by his staff, as he speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on 28 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Very early in the Trump administration, weekends were as busy as weekdays. On Trump's second Saturday the official schedule said he would be making private phone calls to a number of world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin. I arrived early and, before sitting down at my desk walked up to Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office. He, too, was just taking his coat off. I gingerly made the suggestion that previous administrations had sometimes allowed photos of such phone calls through the Oval Office windows on the colonnade. To my mild shock, he didn't even think about it twice. "We'll do it!" he said. In truth, I really only expected the Putin call, but we were outside the windows multiple times throughout the day as the calls went on." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway - 27 February 2017 Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway (L) attends as US President Donald Trump welcomes the leaders of dozens of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office on 27 February, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "We're often asked how much access we have to the Trump administration, and the answer is we have an awful lot. President Trump himself is very comfortable in the spotlight, and his aides are similarly unfazed by cameras. In this instance, senior advisor Kellyanne Conway was so comfortable in our presence she seemed not to consider the optics of kneeling on a Oval Office sofa to take pictures with her phone." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Angela Merkel heads to Washington - 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on 17 March, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Chancellor Merkel made one of the earliest important visits of any US allies to meet Trump in his first months in office. When world leaders give joint news conferences they don't always tend to give each other their full attention - but Merkel watched Trump intently at several key moments, and here seemed particularly rapt." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump welcomes truckers to the White House - 23 March 2017 President Trump reacts as he sits on a truck while he welcomes truckers and CEOs to attend a meeting regarding healthcare at the White House on 23 March, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "The White House organised a listening session with truckers and CEO's of major American companies, regarding healthcare reform. An 18-wheeler tow truck was parked on the South Lawn of the White House and as Trump welcomed the truckers someone invited the him to come and sit in the driver's seat. Trump jumped into the cab and started yelling and pretending to drive - creating one of the most memorable pictures of the year. A lesson learned, always be prepared for the unexpected." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 6 April 2017 US President Donald Trump talks to journalists members of the travel pool on board the Air Force One during his trip to Palm Beach, Florida on 6 April, 2017. Carlos Barria: "During the many trips to President Trump's residence in Florida it is usual to see the president coming to the back of the plane to chat with journalists. During one of the trips to the so called 'Winter White House', Trump had a long talk with reporters while the Air Force One entertainment system was playing one of the latest Star Wars movies. As I was listening to Trump talk I was also looking at the movie waiting for a part of the movie to frame the mood of the day. Of the many scenes, I choose the one with Darth Vader." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House on 27 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "A day before President Trump's hundred days in office I was part of the team that interviewed the commander-in-chief in the Oval Office. I was only allowed to photograph Trump during the last five minutes of the interview. The time was very tight so I had to move fast as I had pictures in mind that I wanted to shoot. I walked into the Oval Office and saw that the President had printed maps of the country showing areas in red where he won. I raised my hands holding my camera as high as possible to get the best view of the scene using a 16mm wide angle lens." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives at Harrisburg international airport, before attending a rally marking his first 100 days in office in Pennsylvania on 29 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate his hundred days in office with a victory rally. He was in friendly territory as he won with a big difference over his opponent Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, during the November elections. As usual when the commander-in-chief arrives local residents gather to greet him. This time a small group of military personnel attended the arrival. Surrounded by secret service agents Trump walked from the Air Force One and raised his hand in a sign of victory as the crowd cheered him on." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 2 May 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus watch as US President Donald Trump presents the U.S. Air Force Academy football team with the Commander-in-Chief trophy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 May, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "Covering the White House does not just mean covering the President. White House staffers are an important part of the story and their relationship with the President and each other is an indicator of how things are going in the West Wing. The tendency is to focus exclusively on the President once an event starts but I always try to look around to see how people are reacting as things unfold." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Secret Service - 4 May 2017 Secret Service agents use a presidential limousine as cover from spraying water as US President Donald Trump lands via Marine One helicopter in New York on 4 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "The best part of any trip to New York City with the sitting US President is the helicopter ride into Manhattan. The ride out at night can be stunning. Here, Secret Service agents protect themselves from the spray from the East River as Trump lands on the helipad." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures NATO Summit - 25 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron (unseen) before a lunch ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels on 25 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "One of the best parts of travelling overseas for White House coverage is the chance to see the U.S. president in different environments and (literally) a different light. Here, Trump and his wife came out of the shadows to greet France's President Macron." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump meets Putin at G20 summit - 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "On July 7, I witnessed one of the most important meetings of President Trump's first year in office. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Germany. The world's eyes were on these two leaders after speculation about Russian interference during the 2016 US elections. We entered the room for less than two minutes, where I took dozens of pictures. But there was this very interesting moment when Trump extended his hand to Putin for a handshake. Putin paused for a second and looked at Trump's hand. That was the picture that I was looking for, a little moment that seemed to say a lot." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures First lady - 8 July 2017 First lady Melania Trump chats with US President Donald Trump during their return from Germany at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 8 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "After President Trump's trip to Germany he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump said goodbye to Trump as she was heading off in a different direction that day. While chatting a breeze blew Melania's hair up in the air." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Made in America product showcase - 17 July 2017 Vice President Mike Pence laughs as President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat as they attend a Made in America product showcase event at the White House on 17 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "This summer the White House organized an event to showcase 'Made in America' products. All kinds of exhibitors brought their products as the President and Vice President toured the event. One of the companies was Marucci Sport, a manufacturer of baseball bats based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As Trump approached a table full of baseball bats, photographers at the event, including me, rushed to get a good angle hoping that he would pick up a bat. As we predicted, he did. He took one and joked around as though he was hitting something hard. The only thing closer to him right there, was the media." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 25 July 2017 Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says hello to reporters as he and White House advisors including Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accompany President Trump for an event celebrating veterans at AMVETS Post 44 in Ohio, July 25, 2017. Jonathan Ernst: "The most visible person in any White House is naturally the President, followed by the press secretary. But there are also the staff who support them. For those of us covering the Trump administration, there seem to be more compelling figures in the West Wing than ever before. It's crucial to know who's who and why they're important. When I raised my camera and back-pedalled ahead of the group to take this image Lewandowski gave me a hello. I liked the photo, but had no idea it would go a little bit viral, especially since Scaramucci, who was the biggest mover and shaker that week, was hidden back in the pack. But I guess the image catches a glimpse of what it's like to be a West Wing staffer on the road." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Campaign rally - 3 August 2017 US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in West Virginia on 3 August, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Huntington for one of his usual campaign rallies. While members of his family spoke to the crowd he was waiting under a black curtain to be introduced. Suddenly he walked onto the stage, one of the first frames that I took was of his hand. I set my exposure for the light on the stage hoping to create this dark background and it worked." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Staring into the solar eclipse - 21 August 2017 Without his protective glasses on, US President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House on 21 August, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Harvey - 2 September 2017 US President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he and first lady Melania Trump help volunteers hand out meals during a visit with flood survivors of Hurricane Harvey at a relief centre in Houston, Texas on 2 September, 2017. Photohrapher Kevin Lamarque: "Trump, eager to deliver the image of a hands-on response to Hurricane Harvey, made this visit to a relief centre and obliged this woman with a selfie as Melania continued to work." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House - 15 September 2017 Donald Trump welcomes 11-year-old Frank Giaccio as he cuts the Rose Garden grass at the White House on 15 September. Frank, who wrote a letter to Trump offering to mow the lawn, was invited to work for a day at the White House along the National Park Service staff. Frank was so focused on his task that he did not notice the President arrive to surprise him. He took his father jumping in to grab his attention and point Trump out. Photographer Carlos Barria said: The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the President." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Take a knee - 27 September 2017 A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump passes him after an event at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., September 27, 2017. In September, soon after Trump had made comments condemning NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, he made a day trip to a rally in Indianapolis. Jonathan Ernst managed to capture a man on one knee with a tri-folded flag and was able to use a portion of the sign on the building he was kneeling in front of to track the man down and tell his story in full. US Army veteran Marvin Boatright wanted to send a message against social injustice. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Maria - 3 October 2017 President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 October, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "During an afternoon visit to Puerto Rico for President Trump to survey damage from Hurricane Maria and greet some of its victims, Trump made a stop at a church where food and supplies were being distributed. Among the items were paper towels and Trump, apparently caught up in the moment, decided to distribute some of the rolls." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Jared Kushner - 1 November 2017 White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind President Trump during a cabinet meeting in Washington on 1 November, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "The role of Jared Kushner has gone through a series of changes. He began front and centre as a high profile adviser, but as time has passed and issues surrounding him have surfaced, he has become more of a background figure." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump in China - 9 November 2017 Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 9 November, 2017. Photographer Damir Sagolj: "It's one of those "how to make a better or at least different shot when two presidents shake hands several times a day, several days in row". If I'm not mistaken in calculation, presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump shook their hands at least six times in events I covered during Trump's recent visit to China. I would imagine there were some more handshakes I haven't seen but other photographers did. And they all look similar - two big men, smiling and heartily greeting each other until everyone gets their shot. But then there is always something that can make it special - in this case the background made of US and Chinese flags. The first time it didn't work for me. The second time I positioned myself lower and centrally, and used the longest lens I have to capture only hands reaching for a handshake." Reuters/Damir Sagolj Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 10 November 2017 US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "There is a Reuters photographer in the tight pool covering the US president for every appearance he makes 365 days a year. This was just one of 32 images of mine that were transmitted on the Reuters wire of President Trump visiting China and Vietnam that day. You never know when a sudden interaction, a gust of wind or a unique facial expression will lead to a striking image that grabs peoples' attention." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures ASEAN handshake - 13 November 2017 Donald Trump registers his surprise as he realises other leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are crossing their arms for the traditional "ASEAN handshake" as he participates in the opening ceremony of the summit in Manila on 13 November, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Having covered a few ASEAN summits, I knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. Not everyone in the room knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. A lot was written about this unscripted moment, and what deeper meaning it might have. The simple truth is that sometimes in life there are unscripted moments." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Anthony Scaramucci, White House Communications Director

Length of tenure: 10 days

Mr Scaramucci's resignation came after he told a New Yorker reporter that Mr Priebus was a paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac and accused him of leaking information to journalists.

Mr Scaramucci, a former Wall Street financier and longtime supporter of Mr Trump, turned the White House upside down during his short tenure. His hiring was quickly followed by the departures of both Mr Priebus and Mr Spicer. He has been replaced by longtime Trump aide Hope Hicks.

Steve Bannon, White House Chief Strategist

Length of tenure: 210 days

The dismissal of Mr Bannon is said to have been the result of Mr Trumps growing frustration with his chief strategist. Mr Bannon joined the Trump campaign in August 2016, after serving as an executive at Breitbart.

His time at the White House has been characterised as highly contentious, and he disagreed with Mr Trump on several issues including on the Presidents decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. His tenure was also marked by infighting with his colleagues in the West Wing, including Mr Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.

Mr Bannon returned to Breitbart after leaving the White House. However, he left the media outlet following a blow-up with Mr Trump over comments he made in Michael Wolff's book Fire and Fury, a controversial account of the Trump presidency.

Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President

Length of tenure: 208 days

Mr Gorka focused on national security and counterterrorism during his time at the White House. Before that, he had worked as a paid policy consultant for Mr Trump's campaign. A White House official disputed a report saying Mr Gorka resigned, but confirmed that the ex-aide no longer works at the White House.

The Federalist, an online magazine, obtained and posted what it says is Mr Gorka's resignation letter. [G]iven recent events, it is clear to me that forces that do not support the MAGA promise are  for now  ascendant within the White House, the Federalist quotes Mr Gorka as saying. As a result, the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr President, is from outside the Peoples House.

Mr Gorka said he would return to Breitbart, a right-wing media outlet, where he had previously worked as national security editor and often warned of Islamist terrorism.

Mike Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services

Length of tenure: 232 days

Mr Price resigned after being caught up in a controversy over his use of private jets for government travel. The former congressman and orthopaedic surgeon took as many as 26 chartered planes during his brief tenure. He is reported to have spent an estimated $1m of taxpayers money on both domestic trips and military flights to Africa, Asia and Europe. The HHS Office of Inspector General had launched an investigation into the matter a week before Mr Prices resignation.

Omarosa Manigault Newman, Communications Director for the White House Office of Public Liaison

Length of tenure: 365 days

Ms Newman is a former Apprentice star and one of the presidents prominent African-American supporters. Reports have suggested that her position at the White House was vague and undefined.

On 13 December, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Ms Newman resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities.

Her departure will not be effective until Jan. 20, 2018. We wish her the best in future endeavours and are grateful for her service, Ms Sanders added.
Donald Trump has threatened Democrats with a nuclear option following the US government shutdown, saying senators should move to a vote by simple majority to force through new spending.

The US President tweeted on Sunday: Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.s!

The so-called nuclear option means changing Senate voting rules to bypass a filibuster by the minority party.

Recommended What you need to know about the US government shutdown

Then-majority leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, was the first to use it in 2013 to overcome Republican resistance to staff appointments by Barack Obama. The voting threshold was lowered from 60 to 51 for executive and judicial appointments below the level of the Supreme Court.

In 2017, Republicans extended that measure to the Supreme Court in order to pass Mr Trumps appointment of Neil Gorsuch.

But Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader, rejected Mr Trumps exhortation out of hand. The Republican Conference opposes changing the rules on legislation, a spokesman said.

The shutdown came into effect at midnight on Friday after senators failed to pass a new federal spending bill. Only essential services like law enforcement will function until the impasse is solved, and thousands of federal workers will go unpaid.

Democrats sought to attach protections for undocumented migrants brought to the US as children  the dreamers  to the spending bill but Republicans, including Mr Trump, opposed the move. Consequently, Democrats largely voted against the funding extension.

About 700,000 dreamers were previously protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme.

Mr Trump ended the Obama-era scheme and has said he wants to put its protections into law alongside other immigration measures, including his promised border wall.

Disaster relief provision and more money for opioid treatment were also among Democratic demands.

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

Politicians have traded blame for the shutdown in rare weekend proceedings in both the House and Senate.

The American people cannot begin to understand why the Senate Democratic leader thinks the entire government should be shut down until he gets his way on illegal immigration, said Mr McConnell, hours after the last-chance vote failed.

Democrats felt very, very strongly about the issues, said Chuck Schumer, adding he believed the American people are on our side. The New York senator also said that negotiating with Mr Trump was like like negotiating with Jell-O.

Republicans began Saturday hopeful they might gain Democratic support for a shorter three-week version of the initial stop-gap spending bill, bringing the episode to a swift end.

But Democrats are insisting on an alternative lasting only a few days in the hope it would pressure their opponents into cutting a deal on immigration  and say they will block the three-week measure when the Senate votes on it by early Monday.

Additional reporting by agencies
Donald Trump has reportedly expressed disappointment the US government shutdown will prevent him from attending a party at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

The US President said he was frustrated the Congress impasse  that resulted in a lapse in federal spending on Friday night  would keep him from my party, two sources told the Daily Beast.

A White House official and a longtime confidant claimed Mr Trump had been concerned failure to strike a deal would impact on his plans to attend his inauguration anniversary party in Florida.

Recommended What you need to know about the US government shutdown

He had been due to depart on Friday to attend the fundraiser, with tickets starting at $100,000 (72,000) a pair.

The Saturday gala will be hosted by Republican National Committee chairman Ronna Romney McDaniel, with proceeds going to the RNC and the Trump re-election campaign.

But the former real estate mogul was forced to postpone his trip after Congress found itself locked in a stalemate between spending priorities and immigration.

Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the US capital in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jim Bourg: "This photo was shot with one of two remote cameras. The cameras were monitored and triggered remotely and the pictures were transmitted to clients worldwide within minutes of being taken." Reuters/Jim Bourg Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Obama farewell address - 10 January 2017 US President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago on 10 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "In his final days in office, Obama made a visit home to Chicago. As he spoke from the stage to his wife and daughter in the audience, he became emotional when he talked about what they had sacrificed during his time in office. I turned from photographing the Obama women embracing to find him onstage wiping away tears." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 A combination of photos shows the crowds attending the inauguration ceremonies to swear in U.S. President Donald Trump at 12:01pm (left) on January 20, 2017 and President Barack Obama sometime between 12:07pm and 12:26pm on January 20, 2009. Reuters/ Lucas Jackson/Stelios Varias Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Liberty Ball - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Liberty Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "What I see when I look at this picture is the end of a very long day, not to mention weeks and months of preparation by many photographers, editors and network experts and the beginning of everything since." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception - 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L), watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on 22 January, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "I have covered the White House for 16 years and normally either the President or the pool is in position when an event starts. In this case the President was not where anyone expected him to be. In fact, he was almost blocking the door when the pool came in. We had to scramble to find a position without bumping him or the furniture as he greeted and thanked members of law enforcement for their security efforts during the inauguration. Luckily, he greeted FBI Director James Comey a few seconds after the pool had made its way into the room." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Private phone calls to world leaders - 28 January 2017 US President Donald Trump, is joined by his staff, as he speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on 28 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Very early in the Trump administration, weekends were as busy as weekdays. On Trump's second Saturday the official schedule said he would be making private phone calls to a number of world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin. I arrived early and, before sitting down at my desk walked up to Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office. He, too, was just taking his coat off. I gingerly made the suggestion that previous administrations had sometimes allowed photos of such phone calls through the Oval Office windows on the colonnade. To my mild shock, he didn't even think about it twice. "We'll do it!" he said. In truth, I really only expected the Putin call, but we were outside the windows multiple times throughout the day as the calls went on." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway - 27 February 2017 Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway (L) attends as US President Donald Trump welcomes the leaders of dozens of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office on 27 February, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "We're often asked how much access we have to the Trump administration, and the answer is we have an awful lot. President Trump himself is very comfortable in the spotlight, and his aides are similarly unfazed by cameras. In this instance, senior advisor Kellyanne Conway was so comfortable in our presence she seemed not to consider the optics of kneeling on a Oval Office sofa to take pictures with her phone." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Angela Merkel heads to Washington - 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on 17 March, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Chancellor Merkel made one of the earliest important visits of any US allies to meet Trump in his first months in office. When world leaders give joint news conferences they don't always tend to give each other their full attention - but Merkel watched Trump intently at several key moments, and here seemed particularly rapt." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump welcomes truckers to the White House - 23 March 2017 President Trump reacts as he sits on a truck while he welcomes truckers and CEOs to attend a meeting regarding healthcare at the White House on 23 March, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "The White House organised a listening session with truckers and CEO's of major American companies, regarding healthcare reform. An 18-wheeler tow truck was parked on the South Lawn of the White House and as Trump welcomed the truckers someone invited the him to come and sit in the driver's seat. Trump jumped into the cab and started yelling and pretending to drive - creating one of the most memorable pictures of the year. A lesson learned, always be prepared for the unexpected." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 6 April 2017 US President Donald Trump talks to journalists members of the travel pool on board the Air Force One during his trip to Palm Beach, Florida on 6 April, 2017. Carlos Barria: "During the many trips to President Trump's residence in Florida it is usual to see the president coming to the back of the plane to chat with journalists. During one of the trips to the so called 'Winter White House', Trump had a long talk with reporters while the Air Force One entertainment system was playing one of the latest Star Wars movies. As I was listening to Trump talk I was also looking at the movie waiting for a part of the movie to frame the mood of the day. Of the many scenes, I choose the one with Darth Vader." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House on 27 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "A day before President Trump's hundred days in office I was part of the team that interviewed the commander-in-chief in the Oval Office. I was only allowed to photograph Trump during the last five minutes of the interview. The time was very tight so I had to move fast as I had pictures in mind that I wanted to shoot. I walked into the Oval Office and saw that the President had printed maps of the country showing areas in red where he won. I raised my hands holding my camera as high as possible to get the best view of the scene using a 16mm wide angle lens." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives at Harrisburg international airport, before attending a rally marking his first 100 days in office in Pennsylvania on 29 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate his hundred days in office with a victory rally. He was in friendly territory as he won with a big difference over his opponent Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, during the November elections. As usual when the commander-in-chief arrives local residents gather to greet him. This time a small group of military personnel attended the arrival. Surrounded by secret service agents Trump walked from the Air Force One and raised his hand in a sign of victory as the crowd cheered him on." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 2 May 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus watch as US President Donald Trump presents the U.S. Air Force Academy football team with the Commander-in-Chief trophy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 May, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "Covering the White House does not just mean covering the President. White House staffers are an important part of the story and their relationship with the President and each other is an indicator of how things are going in the West Wing. The tendency is to focus exclusively on the President once an event starts but I always try to look around to see how people are reacting as things unfold." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Secret Service - 4 May 2017 Secret Service agents use a presidential limousine as cover from spraying water as US President Donald Trump lands via Marine One helicopter in New York on 4 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "The best part of any trip to New York City with the sitting US President is the helicopter ride into Manhattan. The ride out at night can be stunning. Here, Secret Service agents protect themselves from the spray from the East River as Trump lands on the helipad." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures NATO Summit - 25 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron (unseen) before a lunch ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels on 25 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "One of the best parts of travelling overseas for White House coverage is the chance to see the U.S. president in different environments and (literally) a different light. Here, Trump and his wife came out of the shadows to greet France's President Macron." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump meets Putin at G20 summit - 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "On July 7, I witnessed one of the most important meetings of President Trump's first year in office. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Germany. The world's eyes were on these two leaders after speculation about Russian interference during the 2016 US elections. We entered the room for less than two minutes, where I took dozens of pictures. But there was this very interesting moment when Trump extended his hand to Putin for a handshake. Putin paused for a second and looked at Trump's hand. That was the picture that I was looking for, a little moment that seemed to say a lot." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures First lady - 8 July 2017 First lady Melania Trump chats with US President Donald Trump during their return from Germany at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 8 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "After President Trump's trip to Germany he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump said goodbye to Trump as she was heading off in a different direction that day. While chatting a breeze blew Melania's hair up in the air." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Made in America product showcase - 17 July 2017 Vice President Mike Pence laughs as President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat as they attend a Made in America product showcase event at the White House on 17 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "This summer the White House organized an event to showcase 'Made in America' products. All kinds of exhibitors brought their products as the President and Vice President toured the event. One of the companies was Marucci Sport, a manufacturer of baseball bats based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As Trump approached a table full of baseball bats, photographers at the event, including me, rushed to get a good angle hoping that he would pick up a bat. As we predicted, he did. He took one and joked around as though he was hitting something hard. The only thing closer to him right there, was the media." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 25 July 2017 Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says hello to reporters as he and White House advisors including Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accompany President Trump for an event celebrating veterans at AMVETS Post 44 in Ohio, July 25, 2017. Jonathan Ernst: "The most visible person in any White House is naturally the President, followed by the press secretary. But there are also the staff who support them. For those of us covering the Trump administration, there seem to be more compelling figures in the West Wing than ever before. It's crucial to know who's who and why they're important. When I raised my camera and back-pedalled ahead of the group to take this image Lewandowski gave me a hello. I liked the photo, but had no idea it would go a little bit viral, especially since Scaramucci, who was the biggest mover and shaker that week, was hidden back in the pack. But I guess the image catches a glimpse of what it's like to be a West Wing staffer on the road." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Campaign rally - 3 August 2017 US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in West Virginia on 3 August, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Huntington for one of his usual campaign rallies. While members of his family spoke to the crowd he was waiting under a black curtain to be introduced. Suddenly he walked onto the stage, one of the first frames that I took was of his hand. I set my exposure for the light on the stage hoping to create this dark background and it worked." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Staring into the solar eclipse - 21 August 2017 Without his protective glasses on, US President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House on 21 August, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Harvey - 2 September 2017 US President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he and first lady Melania Trump help volunteers hand out meals during a visit with flood survivors of Hurricane Harvey at a relief centre in Houston, Texas on 2 September, 2017. Photohrapher Kevin Lamarque: "Trump, eager to deliver the image of a hands-on response to Hurricane Harvey, made this visit to a relief centre and obliged this woman with a selfie as Melania continued to work." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House - 15 September 2017 Donald Trump welcomes 11-year-old Frank Giaccio as he cuts the Rose Garden grass at the White House on 15 September. Frank, who wrote a letter to Trump offering to mow the lawn, was invited to work for a day at the White House along the National Park Service staff. Frank was so focused on his task that he did not notice the President arrive to surprise him. He took his father jumping in to grab his attention and point Trump out. Photographer Carlos Barria said: The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the President." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Take a knee - 27 September 2017 A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump passes him after an event at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., September 27, 2017. In September, soon after Trump had made comments condemning NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, he made a day trip to a rally in Indianapolis. Jonathan Ernst managed to capture a man on one knee with a tri-folded flag and was able to use a portion of the sign on the building he was kneeling in front of to track the man down and tell his story in full. US Army veteran Marvin Boatright wanted to send a message against social injustice. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Maria - 3 October 2017 President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 October, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "During an afternoon visit to Puerto Rico for President Trump to survey damage from Hurricane Maria and greet some of its victims, Trump made a stop at a church where food and supplies were being distributed. Among the items were paper towels and Trump, apparently caught up in the moment, decided to distribute some of the rolls." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Jared Kushner - 1 November 2017 White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind President Trump during a cabinet meeting in Washington on 1 November, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "The role of Jared Kushner has gone through a series of changes. He began front and centre as a high profile adviser, but as time has passed and issues surrounding him have surfaced, he has become more of a background figure." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump in China - 9 November 2017 Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 9 November, 2017. Photographer Damir Sagolj: "It's one of those "how to make a better or at least different shot when two presidents shake hands several times a day, several days in row". If I'm not mistaken in calculation, presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump shook their hands at least six times in events I covered during Trump's recent visit to China. I would imagine there were some more handshakes I haven't seen but other photographers did. And they all look similar - two big men, smiling and heartily greeting each other until everyone gets their shot. But then there is always something that can make it special - in this case the background made of US and Chinese flags. The first time it didn't work for me. The second time I positioned myself lower and centrally, and used the longest lens I have to capture only hands reaching for a handshake." Reuters/Damir Sagolj Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 10 November 2017 US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "There is a Reuters photographer in the tight pool covering the US president for every appearance he makes 365 days a year. This was just one of 32 images of mine that were transmitted on the Reuters wire of President Trump visiting China and Vietnam that day. You never know when a sudden interaction, a gust of wind or a unique facial expression will lead to a striking image that grabs peoples' attention." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures ASEAN handshake - 13 November 2017 Donald Trump registers his surprise as he realises other leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are crossing their arms for the traditional "ASEAN handshake" as he participates in the opening ceremony of the summit in Manila on 13 November, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Having covered a few ASEAN summits, I knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. Not everyone in the room knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. A lot was written about this unscripted moment, and what deeper meaning it might have. The simple truth is that sometimes in life there are unscripted moments." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

The Senate failed to pass the short-term spending bill that would have secured funding up to 16 February.

Mr Trump blamed the Democrats for the shutdown, saying they had played politics instead of prioritising the military and border safety.

He tweeted early on Saturday morning: Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!

Earlier, Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer said Mr Trump was solely to blame.

This will be called the #TrumpShutdown. There is no one who deserves the blame for the position we find ourselves in more than President Trump, he wrote on Twitter.
A small rural town in Nova Scotia, Canada held its own Women's March of 32 protesters - more than double the amount of its march in 2017.

The town of Sandy Cove only has 65 permanent residents and 12 marched last year, according to CBC.

"I think people were surprised that in a very small, isolated rural community that we were concerned enough about what was going on in the world  that we felt it was important enough to make a stand," said resident Gwen Wilson.

In preparation for the town's second Women's March, the town had hosted a series of talks on women's rights issues throughout the year as events unfolded in their southern neighbour. Sessions were group discussions about patriarchy, misogyny, and Canadian politics.

"I think it's fair to say this is a very conservative community and we feel we've opened a few eyes and ears," Ms Wilson said.

The nearest large march event was in Halifax, a nearly two-and-a-half hour drive from Sandy Cove.

Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street in London. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Berlin Women's March in Berlin. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris Women hold a banner reading "still feminist" with the Eiffel tower in background on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Protesters hold up placards at the Women's March in central London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris A demonstator hold signs on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris during a women's march organised as part of global protests. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Chanting Times Up in the cold rain - On the anniversary of the Women's March on London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands of people gather holding protest signs on Central Park West. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Demonstrators take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago A woman holds a sign during the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington Supporters gather during the Women's March in Washington AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York The crowd lines up near Central Park Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago Demostrators attend the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands hold signs and rally while attending the Womens March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People hold signs up during the women's march Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Oscar Janicki, 6, participates in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Crowds gather to participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Women pose as they attend the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather prior to the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather the second annual National Womens March AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "Womwn united will never be defeated" during Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome Italian actress Asia Argento (3rdL) attends the Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown Rome. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome The Women's March Rome, designed to show solidarity for the protection of civil and social rights, women's rights and the environment included Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse US film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Zurich A US citizen holds a poster on the anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump apologising to the world on behalf of her country, in Zurich, Switzerland. A year after millions of people took to the streets across the US and countries around the world, women's marches are being held in lots of cities this weekend. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "The rising of the women means rising of us all" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Images Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman lifts her fist while holding a banner reading "Hear our voice" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty

As last year, the group walked along Highway 217, the only road that runs through the community.

Protesters rang bells, chanted, and one person pushed a baby along in a stroller as they braved the cold weather and wet roads.

Several participants wore the now infamous pink pussy hats as well.

Ms Wilson told CBC last year that US President Donald Trump's stunning victory and the subsequent global organising of a march for women's rights was one of those moments in history that you couldnt stand by and passively observe.

This year, they wanted to keep the momentum going and show their continued support for women all over the world.
Fourteen foreign nationals and four Afghans were killed when the Taliban attacked Kabuls Intercontinental Hotel overnight on Saturday, Afghanistans interior ministry said.

The number of casualties is expected to rise following a 13-hour siege that ended on Sunday.

Eleven of the 14 foreigners killed were employees of KamAir, a private Afghan airline, said ministry spokesman Najob Danish. KamAir also announced some of its flights had been disrupted because of the attack.

Recommended Taliban claims Kabul attack as Afghan government says all gunmen dead

Ukraine said one of its citizens was killed in the attack.

Ten other people, including six from the security forces, were reported wounded and more than 150 people, including 41 foreigners, were rescued from the hotel, Mr Danish said.

The Taliban claimed the attack, which began at about 9pm on Saturday, claiming five gunmen armed with suicide vests targeted foreigners and Afghan officials.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents initially planned to attack the hotel Thursday night but postponed the assault because there was a wedding under way.

The attack unfolded almost six years after Taliban insurgents launched a similar assault on the property, which is not part of the Intercontinental chain of worldwide hotels.

Afghanistans Interior Ministry said a private firm assumed responsibility for securing the hotel around three weeks ago. It added it is investigating how the attackers managed to enter the building.

During a press conference, Mr Danish said early investigations showed that six insurgents had entered the hotel from the northern side and stormed its kitchen. Two attackers were killed by special forces on the sixth floor of the hotel.

We need to complete our investigation, but our initial reports show that the attackers were moved in to the hotel, said Mr Danish.

Mumtaz Ahmad, a provincial telecommunication employee for Helmand province who survivor the attack, said: I was on my way from my room toward the reception, when I the elevator door opened, I saw two-armed suicide bombers. People were escaping and the attackers were firing at them.

Afghan security officials confirmed that 34 provincial officials were gathered at the hotel to participate in a conference organised by the Telecommunication Ministry.

A fire broke out at the hotel as the fighting raged, and the sound of explosions could be heard throughout the standoff. Live TV footage showed people trying to escape through windows on the upper stories.

Captain Tom Gresback, spokesman for Nato-led forces, said Afghan forces were leading the response efforts. He said that according to initial reports, no foreign troops were hurt in the attack.

Neighbouring Pakistan condemned the brutal terrorist attack and called for greater cooperation against militants. Afghanistan and Pakistan routinely accuse each other of failing to combat extremists along their long and porous border.

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

Afghan forces have struggled to combat the Taliban since the US and Nato formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014. They have also had to contend with a growing Isis affiliate that has carried out a number of massive attacks in recent years.

In the northern Balkh province, insurgents burst into a home where several members of a local pro-government militia were gathered late on Saturday, leading them outside and killing 18 of them, said General Abdul Razeq Qaderi, the deputy provincial police chief. Among those killed was a tribal leader who served as the local police commander, he said.

In the western Farah province, a roadside bomb killed a deputy provincial police chief and wounded four other police early Sunday, according to General Mahruf Folad, the provincial police chief.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks.

In the western Herat province, a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying 13 civilians, killing all but one of them, said Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for the provincial police chief. No one immediately claimed the attack, but Mr Walizada blamed Taliban insurgents, who often plant roadside bombs to target Afghan security forces.

AP
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel attack that left at least five people, including a foreign national, dead.

The Afghan government said the 12-hour siege had ended with all attackers killed. Two were killed on Saturday night and a third on Sunday morning.

The group stormed the hotel at about 9pm on Saturday, took hostages and battled security forces overnight.

As day broke on Sunday, thick clouds of black smoke could be seen pouring from the building. Several armoured US military vehicles with heavy machine guns could be seen close to the hotel along with Afghan police units.

Recommended Several feared dead in Kabul hotel attack

The raid came just days after a US embassy warning of possible attacks on hotels in Kabul.

The gunmen killed at least five people including a foreigner, while six other people were reported wounded. More than 150 people, of whom 41 were foriegn nationals, were rescued according to Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish.

Security forces were moving room by room to check there were no more attackers, he added.

An unconfirmed report by TOLO News early on Sunday morning had suggested the assault was not over, and that two further attackers were still inside the heavily-fortified building.

Hotel manager Ahmad Haris Nayab, who escaped unhurt, said the gunmen had entered the main part of the hotel through a kitchen before going through the hotel.

According to one witness, who did not want to be named, the attackers took hotel staff and guests hostage.

Television footage showed people trying to escape through windows on the upper storeys.

The Intercontinental Hotel, an imposing 1960s structure set on a hilltop and heavily protected like most public buildings in Kabul, was previously attacked by Taliban fighters in 2011.

It is one of two main luxury hotels in the city and had been due to host an information technology conference on Sunday. More than 100 IT managers and engineers were on site when the attack took place, Ahmad Waheed, an official at the telecommunications ministry, said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Neighbouring Pakistan condemned the brutal terrorist attack and called for greater cooperation against militants. Afghanistan and Pakistan routinely accuse each other of failing to combat extremists along their long and porous border.

The property is not part of the InterContinental chain of worldwide hotels.

Afghan forces have struggled to combat the Taliban since the US and Nato formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014. They have also had to contend with a growing Isis affiliate that has carried out a number of massive attacks in recent years.

In the western Farah province, a roadside bomb killed a deputy provincial police chief and wounded four other police early Sunday, according to General Mahruf Folad, the provincial police chief.

In the northern Balkh province, insurgents burst into a home where several members of a local pro-government militia were gathered late on Saturday, leading them outside and killing 18 of them, said General Abdul Razeq Qaderi, the deputy provincial police chief.

Among those killed was a tribal leader who served as the local police commander, he said. The Taliban claimed both attacks.

Additional reporting by agencies
An Iraqi court has sentenced a German woman to death after she ran away to join Isis.

The court in Baghdad convicted the unnamed German woman of providing logistical support and assistance to the terrorist group to commit crimes and has ordered her execution.

The spokesman of the Supreme Judicial Council, Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar, says the woman acknowledged joining Isis after travelling from Germany to Syria and then to Iraq along with her two daughters. Both daughters later married militants.

She is believed to have been living in the Mannheim region of Germany when she travelled to Syria but is reportedly of Moroccan descent.

The woman is believed to have been among a number of women in July 2017 who were captured after the battle of Mosul when Iraqi forces pushed Isis out of Iraqs second city.

She now faces hanging but can still appeal her sentence, Mr Bayrkdar said.

Iraqi forces have detained a number of foreign women after they drove Isis from its former territory in northern and central Iraq.

It is estimated that over 27,000 foreign fighters, including 6,000 Europeans, have travelled to Iraq and Syria since the start of the Arab Spring in 2011 but not all of them have joined Isis, according to data published by the Soufran Group.

In pictures: Mosul offensive Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Mosul offensive In pictures: Mosul offensive A doctor carries an Iraqi newborn baby at a hospital in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi girls play at a yard of a school in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017alal Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A woman on crutches who is a relative of men accused of being Islamic State militants is seen at a camp in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq July 15, 2017. Picture taken July 15, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A displaced girl, who fled from home carries a doll at Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq July 13, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi federal police members and civilians celebrate in the Old City of Mosul on 9 July 2017 after the government's announcement of the "liberation" of the embattled city. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he was in "liberated" Mosul to congratulate "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory" AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken on 9 July 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City. Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. AFP In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of the Iraqi federal police raise the victory gesture as they ride on a humvee while advancing through the Old City of Mosul on 28 June 2017, as the offensive continues to retake the last district held by Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance through the Old City of Mosul on 26 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi man wearing the green scarf of the Shi'ite faith kisses an Iraqi Army soldier on safely reaching the Iraqi forces position as Iraqi civilians flee the Old City of west Mosul where heavy fighting continues on 23 June 2017. Iraqi forces continue to encounter stiff resistance with improvised explosive devices, car bombs, heavy mortar fire and snipers hampering their advance. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken from the inside of an Iraqi forces armoured vehicle shows residents walking through a damaged street as troops advance towards Mosul's Old City on 18 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district still held by the Islamic State (IS) group. Military commanders told AFP the assault had begun at dawn after overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces. They said the jihadists were putting up fierce resistance. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi Army soldiers advance in a destroyed street after an Iraqi forces airstrike targeted an Islamic State sniper position 17 June 2017 in al-Shifa, the last district of west Mosul under Islamic State control. IS snipers, as well as car and suicide bomb attacks continue to hinder the Iraqi forces efforts to retake the final district. A series of airstrikes by Iraqi helicopter gunships attempted to hit multiple Islamic State sniper positions in al-Shifa. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier frisks a displaced Iraqi man at a temporary camp in the compound of the closed Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul on 16 June 2017 which was recovered by Iraqi troops from Islamic State group fighters earlier in the year. A screening centre set up in the compound's fairgrounds sees a constant stream of Iraqis fleeing the battle for Mosul, awaiting their turn to be checked by the Iraqi forces who are searching for suspected Islamic State (IS) group members. The small fairground lies at the end of a pontoon bridge across the Tigris recently opened to civilians that is the only physical link between the two banks of the river. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis staying at the al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp for internally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul on 11 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi government forces drive on a road leading to Tal Afar on 9 June 2017, during ongoing battles to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi policeman carries a poster bearing an image of Mosul's iconic leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), on 22 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis stand in line to receive food aid in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood on 7 June 2017, during ongoing battles as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Living conditions in Mosul have again deteriorated since the start of the Iraqi government's offensive on the city in October in which they retook a large part of the west of the city. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced Iraqis carry lightbulbs and sacks as they evacuate from western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood as government forces advance in the area during their ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS) group fighters on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) flashes the victory gesture as he patrols in western Mosul's al-Islah al-Zaraye neighbourhood on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya) Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of Iraqi forces flash the sign of victory on their vehicle as they advance towards Hammam al-Alil area south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi children, one flashing the sign of victory, greet Iraqi army's soldiers from the 9th armoured division in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Peshmerga forces look at a tunnel used by Islamic State militants near the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier takes a photograph with his phone as his comrade stands next to a detained man, whom the Iraqi army soldiers accused of being an Islamic State fighter, who was fleeing with his family in the Intisar disrict of eastern Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iranian Kurdish female members of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) hold a position in an area near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families, who fled their homes in Hamam al-Alil, gather on the outskirts of their town Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering in an area near Qayyarah In pictures: Mosul offensive A boy who just fled Abu Jarbuah village is seen with his family at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi child eats a pomegranate upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive People who just fled Abu Jarbuah village sit as they eat at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A couple who just fled Abu Jarbuah village are escorted by Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Women carry a boy over a wall as civilians flee their houses in the village of Tob Zawa, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier and a civilian ride a motorbike as smoke rises behind them, on the road between Qayyarah and Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier sits at a checkpoint in an area near Qayyarah Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi men prepare food portions for Iraqi forces deployed in areas south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi forces celebrate upon the arrival of vehicles bringing food to them Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi childen smoke cigarettes upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces distributes drinks to children in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty

A Russian Isis fighter was sentenced to death in Iraq last year for joining the hardline group.

Meanwhile one of those in prison awaiting trial is German teenager Linda Wenzel who ran away to Syria when she was just 15 years old.

Wenzel also faces the death penalty if convicted of aiding Isis. Iraqi authorities say she admitted to working as a sniper during the battle but Wenzel claims she was mostly kept as a domestic servant.

Iraq declared victory last month over Isis, which had seized control of nearly a third of the country in 2014. However, the terror group continues to carry out bombings and other attacks in the country.

Additional reporting by agencies
Turkish soldiers have entered the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in northern Syria in a move which could mean that the seven-year-long Syrian crisis is entering a new phase. Turkey says that it plans to establish a 19-mile-deep safe zone under its control. According to the Turkish military, its jets and artillery have so far hit 153 targets there. The Kurdish paramilitary forces known as the YPG are fighting back and say that the Turkish military assault is being repelled.

The Turkish attack makes the complicated political and military chess game in Syria even more complicated than before. It will bring the US into direct confrontation with its Nato ally Turkey since the American partner in Syria is the YPG. It was YPG ground troops backed by US air strikes that led to the capture of Raqqa from Isis in October.

Turkey has long considered the rise of the Syrian Kurds, who have a population of about two million people and live mostly in north-east Syria, as a nightmare. It has watched in dismay since 2012 as the YPG, which is the Syrian arm of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has been fighting a guerrilla war against the Turkish state since 1984, gained control of a great swathe of territory east of the Euphrates River. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described them as terrorists and has repeatedly promised to wipe them out.

The future of this semi-independent enclave known to the Syrian Kurds as Rojava is now hanging in the balance. The US first intervened militarily in Syria in 2014 to defend the Kurdish city of Kobani which was under attack by Isis. Regional leaders have wondered if the US would stick with its Kurdish allies once Isis was eliminated and risk enraging Turkey or would it pull its military advisers out of Syria and leave the YPG to its fate.

The US has said that it has never had forces in Afrin and what happens there is a Russian responsibility as there have been Russian military observers in the enclave. Nevertheless, the fall of Afrin will be taken as a sign that the US does not want or is not able to defend its Kurdish allies. In fact, it was an underestimate by the US of the fragility of the situation in northern Syria that provoked the present crisis.

Earlier this month, the US said it was supporting the establishment of a 30,000-strong border-force which in practice would be dominated by the YPG. The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson claimed that his offer was misunderstood by Turkey, but the Turks were dismayed by what they regard as the pro-Kurdish direction of US policy.

But just as Mr Tillerson was trying to cool the confrontation in US relations with Turkey, he provoked a deeper crisis by saying in a speech last week that the US would keep its 2,000 military advisers and logistics troops in Syria for the foreseeable future. This was to prevent the resurgence of Isis, but was, above all, intended to weaken the position of President Bashar al-Assad and Iran. Whatever Mr Tillerson intended, the consequence of his words was to give a long-term military guarantee to the Syrian Kurdish enclave.

This pledge of a permanent US military presence in Syria infuriated Mr Erdogan and alienated Russia, Syria and Iran  countries that believed that the new US policy in Syria was a sign that Syrian Kurdish leaders had plumped wholeheartedly for an alliance with the US. Previously, the Kurds had tried to balance between Russia and the US and to avoid being seen as a permanent enemy of Mr Assad in his bid to reunify Syria under his rule.

Russia has been providing protection for Afrin, an isolated enclave with a population of 200,000 hard up against the Turkish border. It had stationed military observers there and ensured that Turkey could not use Syrian air space, where Russia has air superiority, for air strikes on the Kurds without Russian permission. But in retaliation for the Kurdish shift into the US camp, Moscow reportedly told the Turks that their attack on Afrin would not be opposed by Russian jets and air defence systems. This allowed Turkey to use its air power inside Afrin during its invasion. Even so, the YPG is a highly effective military force capable of inflicting heavy losses on the Turkish army and its local militia allies.

The more general problem for the Syrian Kurds is that they are over-extended, having advanced far outside Kurdish-majority areas. They have gone along with US policy priorities by taking economically important areas like the oilfields in eastern Deir Ezzor province which Mr Assad wants back. He will not like Turkish military units entering Syrian territory, but there are advantages for him if the Turkish offensive shows the Kurds that they cannot rely on the US to protect them.

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The Kurds in Syria do not have much choice. They are surrounded by enemies and they are no longer needed against Isis because Isis is defeated. They have just seen the Iraqi Kurds, who had likewise used the war with Isis to build a semi-independent statelet, lose all their gains last October after overplaying their hand by staging an ill-advised referendum on independence.

The YPG units are much tougher than the Iraqi Peshmerga, but Afrin is detached from the rest of Rojava and difficult to defend. Its loss would not mean a final defeat for the Syrian Kurds, but might be the shape of things to come.
Turkish troops have reportedly entered the Kurdish-held enclave in northern Syria as part of the second day of their offensive alongside Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters.

The state run Anadolu Agency said troops pushed 5km (three miles) into Afrin on Sunday a day after Turkish jets attacked the US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters.

The Turkish military has said its offensive, which they call Operation Olive Branch, aims to rid the region of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) and they are aiming to create a 30km safe zone within Syria to protect their border.

Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebel factions had captured a Kurdish village with no resistance and were clearing landmines, a Turkish official said.

The FSA said they have 25,000 rebels backing the Turkish operation.

The Turkish state has had an ongoing battle with Kurdish separatist rebels, the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK, within its own borders and claims they are closely affiliated with the YPG.

The YPG, which forms the backbone of the Syrian Defence Forces (SDF), control Afrin in the northwestern Aleppo province and helped recapture the area from Isis in 2016.

In a statement, the Syrian opposition fighters battling alongside the Turkish troops said the combined force seized Shankal, a village on the northwestern edge of Afrin district.

SDF spokesman Mustafa Bali denied that Turkish troops had entered Afrin, saying Kurdish forces had been repelling attacks since Saturday. Mr Bali said the SDF had sent reinforcements to Afrin.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the Kurdish militia and Turkish forces have clashed on the northern and western edges of Afrin. The Observatory said the Turkey-backed forces have entered Shankal and are clashing with the Kurds.

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

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to expand the offensive to Manbij on Saturday.

He also threatened to deploy the Turkish security forces within the country if the pro-Kurdish opposition protests against the operation.

He said: Our jets took off and started bombing. And now the ground operation is underway. Now we see how the YPG ... are fleeing in Afrin.

We will chase them. God willing, we will complete this operation very quickly.

An advance on Manbij by NATO member Turkey would pit two close US allies against one another, adding another front to the already complex Syrian civil war.

Turkish troops first crossed the border in Syria in 2016 when the Kurds seized control of Manbij from Isis to stop them expanding westwards and linking up to Afrin.

Earlier on Sunday, four rockets fired from Syria hit the Turkish border town of Kilis, prompting Turkish artillery to return fire, Governor Mehmet Tekinarslan said. The rockets hit two houses and a workplace, and wounded one person.

Another rocket fired across the border from Syria hit the Turkish border town of Reyhanli on Sunday, killing a Syrian national and wounding 32 people, broadcaster NTV reported the towns mayor as saying. CNN Turk said three rockets in total had been fired across the border towards Reyhanli.

During a press conference, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters there were between 8,000 and 10,000 terrorists in Afrin.

Members of the HDP (Peoples Democratic Party), the democratic Kurdish political party, protesting against Operation Olive Branch in Istanbul on 21 January (Getty Images/AFP)

Meanwhile Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters on Sunday that anyone who opposed the action in Afrin would be deemed as siding with terrorists and would be treated accordingly.

Despite the warning, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), the democratic Kurdish political party, gathered at a rally to protest against Operation Olive Branch in Istanbul.

On Friday the Syrian government threatened to shoot down Turkish fighter jets if they fly into its airspace.

Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad was quoted by the Syrian state news agency Sana as saying: We warn that the Syrian Air Force is ready to destroy Turkish air targets in the skies of Syria.

If they [Turkey] start fighting in the region of Afrin it will be seen as an aggression by the Turkish army against the sovereignty of Syria.

Additional reporting by agencies
Marilyn Jean Hartman is infamous. For years, law enforcement agencies in US states have known her for her seemingly endless and bizarre habit of getting on planes without a ticket, a boarding pass or a passport.

The 66-year-old with short, white-blonde hair was caught trying to get to Hawaii at least once in 2014. She made it to Los Angeles that same year after trying several times to board a plane in San Jose. She flew to Florida in 2015 after boarding a plane in Minnesota. She was jailed in Chicago that same year for trying to bypass security at the citys two major airports. According to news reports, she usually tries to blend in with big groups to get past airport security.

And in 2016, an Illinois judge sentenced her to two years of probation and six months at a mental health facility, where she had already been staying, after she was arrested again at Chicagos OHare airport.

Hartman is back in the news again. This time shes made it to London.

She sneaked past security at in Chicago and boarded a flight to Heathrow. She was arrested after arriving there last Monday and was flown back to the US on Thursday, according to Chicago police. Hartman has been charged with criminal trespass, a misdemeanour, and theft, a felony.

America'sTransportation Security Administration is investigating how she managed to sneak past security.

During the initial investigation it was determined that the passenger was screened at the security checkpoint before boarding a flight. Upon learning of the incident, TSA and its aviation partners, took immediate action to review security practices throughout the airport, the federal agency said in a statement.

Lauren Huffman, spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation, said no passengers or visitors were placed in harms way because of the incident.

We are working with our law enforcement partners to support a comprehensive and thorough investigation, while continuing to maintain the highest levels of security at OHare Airport, Huffman said in a statement.

Several media outlets, including The Washington Post, have documented Hartmans misadventures and often referred to her with a nickname. 'Infamous serial stowaway Marilyn Jean Hartman strikes again, reads a Post headline from 2015. Media outlets have also called her a homeless loner bouncing between womens shelters and hotel rooms up and down the West Coast over the past decade.

But her bizarre and headline-grabbing behaviour has confounded authorities.

Ms Hartman, what am I supposed to do? Cook County circuit court judge William Raines reportedly asked her during a hearing in May 2015.

A year later, Hartman was back in Rainess courtroom. The judge scolded her as he recounted Hartmans history, which included several attempts to escape from mental health facilities in Illinois.

The only reason why youre not going to jail this time is because all these people that are here trying to help you still want to help you. I cant figure out why that is, Raines told Hartman, according to the Chicago Tribunes account of the hearing. He added later: Theres no more feeling sorry for you. I think youre addicted to the attention.

In many cases, Hartman seemed to expect to be caught.

And its not as if she is, Catch me if you can. Its almost like, Just come catch me, assistant state attorney Jeff Allen told reporters during the hearing.

But why the airport? Thats a question that assistant public defender Parle Roe-Taylor had told reporters she couldnt answer.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

In 2015, San Francisco Magazine tried to do so. A lengthy profile published online in June 2015 painted a picture of a woman who had been estranged from family members in Illinois, who constantly felt the need to get on a plane to go away, and who told wild tales of cover-ups and conspiracies.

Hartman claimed that people  airport security, public transit passengers, jail inmates, even Barack Obama  have all conspired to compel her to sneak onto planes in an elaborate attempt to punish her and then allow her to escape lengthy prison sentences so she can do it all over again and again.

They just hope I kill myself or act out against society, she told the magazine during an interview while she was jailed in Florida. Goodbye, cruel world.

Hartman was living at an apartment facility for low-income seniors at a Chicago suburb before her arrest this week. Shes scheduled to appear in court Saturday, according to media reports.

The Washington Post
Jamaica remains safe for visitors, according to the islands tourism minister.

Edmund Bartlett was responding to the Foreign Office warning to British tourists in the Montego Bay area, urging them to remain within gated, guarded compounds except on hotel-operated excursions or airport transfers.

The UKs new travel advice followed the declaration of a State of Public Emergency in the parish of St James, which includes Montego Bay.

The Jamaica Defence Force has moved in against organised crime to quell an upsurge in violence, fuelled by fighting over drugs, illegal weapons and lottery scams that target elderly people in the US.

Mr Bartlett said: These enhanced security measures are not out of the ordinary in international tourism markets and therefore would be understood by visitors and welcomed by residents.

All members of the tourism fraternity have given their full support to the measure and are feeling that these actions are welcome to ensure the safety of Jamaicas guests and citizens.

He appeared to contradict the advice from the UK for holidaymakers to stay in their hotels by saying: There is no need to modify movements as restrictions in the stated areas should not adversely impact law abiding persons.

A record number of tourists visited Jamaica in 2017: 4.3 million, of whom around 200,000 are from Britain. Official figures assert that one in 10,000 visitors suffers a crime; that indicates around 20 UK tourists last year fell victim.

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Some British holidaymakers on the island say that the restrictions are unnecessary. Lauren Adams tweeted: Im in Montego Bay at the moment and you wouldnt know there was anything going on if it wasnt for the news.

Loretta Martinelli tweeted: In Jamaica travelling around. In Kingston right now and moving toward MBJ [Montego Bay] soon. Having a great time. Just street aware like everywhere else.

One past visitor, Andrew Manzi from Hertfordshire, said of the new travel advice: The shame of it is, the real pleasure of travelling is to actually immerse oneself in the culture and learn from it. But with these current problems, travellers are just going to stay in their resorts and not really experience the country they are visiting.
When Babe.net published an interview with Grace, the pseudonym given to an anonymous 23-year-old woman who recounted the details of her date with the actor Aziz Ansari, the ever broadening conversation about sexual consent was afforded yet another dimension.

Graces account of how the comedian refused to heed her verbal and non-verbal cues that she didnt want to have sex with him has started a vital debate about when sexual activity crosses the boundary into sexual assault.

Many have come to Ansaris defence. A widely shared op-ed in The New York Times had the title Aziz Ansari Is Guilty. Of Not Being a Mind Reader. Swathes of commentators are asking Grace the same questions. Why did you go back to his apartment in the first place? If you didnt like what he was doing, why not just sock him in the jaw? Could you not have just called a cab, you have a PHONE dont you? And the final, most frequent question, why didnt you just say no?

 Samantha Bee criticises Aziz Ansari after sexual misconduct allegation

Even though Im not Grace, Im going to try and answer these questions, if for no other purpose than to give an insight into why a woman who doesnt punch a man in the face and jump into a taxi may still not want to have sex with him.

The decision to leave, or not leave, a date, isnt like a referendum result. Were allowed to change our minds. If a woman stays on a date beyond the randomly enforced post-dinner cut-off point were not, implicitly, consenting to sex. The restaurant portions might have been measly, and were hoping you have a well stocked fridge. We might just want to see how the evening progresses. We might want to have sex now, but later change our mind.

Whoopi Goldbergs comment on the story was, Whatever happened to Stop, or Im going to kick you in the nuts. While I admire Whoopis chutzpah, its important to remember that women who suddenly feel vulnerable in the apartments of men they hardly know dont usually try to escalate the situation. Most women are worried that if they start a fight, theyll lose. We often do. Of course some men would go, Ow, what did you do that for  and then we can carefully explain why before parting as firm friends but women can never be sure that a kick in the nuts isnt going to prompt retaliation.

Some might ask, Why didnt she call a cab? Fleeing a flat at 3am, I called a company which marketed themselves as having female drivers. When the car pulled up, it was in fact a man, who spent the journey home quizzing me about why I was getting in a cab so late, repeatedly saying that he hoped Id just been with friends. I was terrified. In the wake of John Worboys release, it continues to baffle me that no one seems to have realised that getting in a strangers car, alone, in the middle of the night, can be a scary prospect for a woman.

In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Show all 32 1 /32 In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London An image of President Donald Trump is seen on a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A view of the skywriting word reading 'Trump' as thousands rally in support of equal rights in Sydney, New South Wales EPA In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome People shout and hold signs during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A protester holds a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille A placard ready 'Pussy grabs back' is attached to the handle bar of a bike during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A young Thai girl holds a "women's rights are human rights" sign at Roadhouse BBQ restaurant where many of the Bangkok Womens March participants gathered in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A Thai woman takes a photo of a "hate is not great" sign at the women's solidarity gathering in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok American expats and travellers gather with the international community in Bangkok at the Roadhouse BBQ restaurant to stand in solidarity in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protetesters gather outside The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Women's March at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Protestors hold placards reading 'My body my choice, my vote my voice' during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome A person holds a sign during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activist Sarah Annay Williamson holds a placard and shouts slogan during the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activists participate in the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A Women's March placards are rested on a bench outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A women carries her placard ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila Women protesters shout slogans while displaying placards during a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President Donald Trump, in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Protesters take part in the Melbourne rally to protest against the Trump Inauguration in Melbourne, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters take part in the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Womens march on Melbourne protestors marching during a rally where rights groups marched in solidarity with Americans to speak out against misogyny, bigotry and hatred Rex In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau, Macau. The Women's March originated in Washington DC but soon spread to be a global march calling on all concerned citizens to stand up for equality, diversity and inclusion and for women's rights to be recognised around the world as human rights Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila A mother carries her son as they join a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States in suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney An infant is held up at a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman attends a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman expresses her Anti-Trump views in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydeney Protesters demonstrate against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia. The marches in Australia were organised to show solidarity with those marching on Washington DC and around the world in defense of women's rights and human rights Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters march from The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square towards Trafalgar Square during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters carrying banners take part in the Women's March on London, as they stand in Trafalgar Square, in central London Reuters

Finally we get to the creme de la creme of bad questions: Why didnt you just say no? Despite what centuries of literature have tried to teach us, women are not just cock-teasers. Sometimes, when we say maybe later, or next time, or Perhaps we could go on a second date first, were not just trying to turn you on. We saying not now, and we mean it. And if a man gets pushy, maybe not ever.

But we shouldnt be expected to make a huge song and dance about how much we dont want to have sex before being listened to. Also, blokes, surely you dont want us to shout I really dont want to have sex with you! Why not just stop early on, dignity intact?

I get it, this incident can be seen as a grey area. But lets try to contextualise the apparently mixed signals that may genuinely seem confusing.

If I was a man, I imagine I too would be perplexed at why a woman who didnt want to have sex wouldnt just tell me in no uncertain terms, and then leave. But there are so many reasons why its not that simple. No ones expecting men to be mind-readers, but maybe they could try putting themselves in our shoes.
What a terrible indictment of the times we live in. Those are the words of Ben de Pear, the editor of Channel 4 News, relating to the stream of misogynist abuse levelled at presenter Cathy Newman after her interview with clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson.

Channel 4 News is hiring security experts to carry out an analysis of the incident and is considering police involvement. Peterson, the Canadian professor who compared gender-neutral pronouns to the likes of Chairman Maos Communist China, emerged from the interview, at least to his loyal YouTube following, victorious. Twitter erupted with commentary about his genius, his calm, his quick wit. Petersons followers were also quick to attack Newman in a way she has described as vicious.

When white men feel they are losing power, any level of nastiness is possible, and much power has been ceded recently. Amid the steamrolling effect of the MeToo campaign, of the sudden dominance of gender equality in the news and amid the fall of many Great Men, here comes the whirling centre of the storm, when we have to fight harder than ever to be heard. We are in backlash season.

 Jordan Peterson leaves Cathy Newman speechless in debate on transgender rights

So, for January 2018, Cathy Newman will be our fall woman. She has taken the baton from the likes of Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC reporter who hired a bodyguard, the historian Mary Beard, who questions the whitewashing of history, Labour MP Diane Abbott, who has the sheer audacity of being a black woman in public office, and Brexit campaigner Gina Miller, who dared to reinforce our democracy.

For those angry at the recent resurgence of feminism, they have had to wait for their moment. Its not easy to defend a serial rapist, or even a one-off rapist, although some people do  lets not forget that 63 million people recently voted for an alleged offender as President. Its not easy to defend a sexual harasser, either, although even more people do that. But it is very easy to attack Cathy Newman, the female journalist whose male editor thought it would be a good idea to interview Jordan Peterson.

When questioned by Newman if he believed that gender equality was a myth, Peterson said only if she meant in terms of outcomes. There is a reason women, who tend to be compassionate and caring, end up as nurses and physicians, he said, while men end up as engineers. If we men and women were to sort ourselves out equally, there would be a dangerous imbalance, he believed. Newman also asked why he had the right to air his controversial views. He replied, Im a clinical psychologist, with the cool calm of a cartoon villain.

Are the media and its employees innocent in this gender equality debate? Certainly not. There has been much wrong with the way the media covered the MeToo campaign: tabloids pointing to the sleazy rather than the systemic; the routine pitting of feminists against anti-feminists, as if required to balance out the interview; gifting airtime to the likes of Peterson or, as Channel 4 News also did, to Milo Yiannopoulos. It will get clicks, after all.

The backlash against the MeToo movement has grown since day one, but it has also been precise in its timing. As soon as the conversation evolved this month from the binary Yes means yes and no means no, the calls of witchhunts and McCarthyism were becoming deafening. This month has been a lucrative time for columnists, who are picking the low-hanging fruit of controversy. And even Whoopi Goldbergs comment  What happened to Stop, Im going to knock you in the nuts? is illustrative of a widening chasm, a withering patience.

Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street in London. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Berlin Women's March in Berlin. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris Women hold a banner reading "still feminist" with the Eiffel tower in background on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Protesters hold up placards at the Women's March in central London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris A demonstator hold signs on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris during a women's march organised as part of global protests. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Chanting Times Up in the cold rain - On the anniversary of the Women's March on London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands of people gather holding protest signs on Central Park West. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Demonstrators take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago A woman holds a sign during the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington Supporters gather during the Women's March in Washington AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York The crowd lines up near Central Park Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago Demostrators attend the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands hold signs and rally while attending the Womens March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People hold signs up during the women's march Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Oscar Janicki, 6, participates in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Crowds gather to participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Women pose as they attend the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather prior to the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather the second annual National Womens March AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "Womwn united will never be defeated" during Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome Italian actress Asia Argento (3rdL) attends the Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown Rome. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome The Women's March Rome, designed to show solidarity for the protection of civil and social rights, women's rights and the environment included Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse US film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Zurich A US citizen holds a poster on the anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump apologising to the world on behalf of her country, in Zurich, Switzerland. A year after millions of people took to the streets across the US and countries around the world, women's marches are being held in lots of cities this weekend. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "The rising of the women means rising of us all" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Images Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman lifts her fist while holding a banner reading "Hear our voice" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty

As Newman no doubt was conscious of during her interview, many people involved in MeToo have not had it easy. They may have been survivors of assault, and were forced to watch as their credibility was debated in what right-wingers describe as the court of public opinion. There was the woman who wrote the Shitty Media Men list, and was threatened to be outed. Heroes have fallen on their own swords, like womens rights lawyer Lisa Bloom. Men and women  yes, so many women, too  have written simplistic, damaging and tone-deaf op-eds, like Bari Weiss in The New York Times and Caitlin Flanagan in The Atlantic. The interview with Peterson was well-timed, in a sense.

There is no doubt that Peterson was intelligent, determined and quick. No doubt, indeed, that the Channel 4 News interview was entertaining. But his words, on closer inspection, were vacuous and confusing, and he left gaps. He failed to mention social conditioning, whereby boys are encouraged at school to study STEM subjects and play with action men, and to not show emotion. He failed to mention that any profession dominated by women  except at the very senior levels  goes hand-in-hand with being underpaid and undervalued  ie nursing and teaching. He overexploited one aspect of the pay gap (there are five main ones, as noted by professor Tom Schullers Paula Principle theory) that some women prioritise work/life balance over difficult careers, and that is why they are paid less. His answer as to why items marketed for women cost more than for men? Men dont put up with it. He also failed to mention how centuries of patriarchy have brainwashed us, making us accept the status quo as logical and necessary, and one that benefits us all. He believes it, too.

Got ya, Peterson said when Newman fell silent for a few seconds. Peterson laughed. The joke was on her, in a way. No matter what she would have asked, a woman daring to question his expertise was bound to have ramifications. Especially in 2018.
If you want one moment to catch a feeling for the big issues in global economics and politics, this weeks annual gathering of the people who run the world is as good as any. This is not about democracy; it is about elitism. And it is extremely efficient because the business leaders who pay for it can meet more people they need to in three days in Davos than they otherwise would in three months. For the rest of us, we have to aim off for the hypocrisy, the cant, the self-regard of many of the participants (not all  some are a delight), and learn what we can. So what to look for?

Well, the first is who does not go, always more interesting that who does. Donald Trump has a good excuse not to go this year because of the US government shutdown, and as of Sunday the decision was open. If he does go as planned, he will have a large entourage with him, including the Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin. People will expect a show of strength, an opportunity to promote the America first doctrine, and indeed to kick other global leaders about a bit. But it is just as possible that Trump might adopt a gentler tone, showing that America still wants to lead the world, for there is an ambivalence in his approach. If he doesnt go, the meeting will be somewhat shellshocked, as it was last year. The key element in the decision-making  both as whether to go and what to say  will be what plays best to the US domestic audience, not what goes down well in Davos.

Next we need to learn about the mood of Germany. Angela Merkel has only just confirmed in the past few hours that she will attend, but she will be much diminished. Writing ahead of the key decision of the Social Democrats as to whether they will join another grand coalition under her conservatives, we dont even know if she can form a government. Even if she can it is hard to see her lasting a full term as Chancellor. So what does German industry think? It is riding high on the still competitive euro, but is well aware of the social tensions within Europe.

Leaders of both China and India will be there, providing a reminder that economic power is shifting to Asia. China is the worlds second largest economy and India will soon be its most populous nation. Within another 20 years China is almost certain to have become the worlds largest economy (more likely in 10 years), while India will be the third largest. Can we learn more about those two nations ambitions and hopes?

Recommended This is the real reason why the global elite goes to Davos

Finally, there is always a lot of emphasis on the duties of big business and indeed on its flaws. Businesses want to present themselves as cuddly, caring enterprises when of course they are quite the reverse. So there will be the usual handwringing about global inequality, odd given the shift of power to many poorer countries, not just in Asia but in Africa too. But what will be new this year will be the challenges to high-tech America. With the possible exception of Uber the West Coast corporate giants are used to thinking of themselves as doing good and have up to now basked in that glow. Now they are challenged from a number of quarters, over their tax, their treatment of suppliers, their attitudes to female employees and privacy, and so on. How will they respond?
Trumpversary greetings! Yes, its been a year since the Donald stormed into the White House, and a little less than that since he threw his first tantrum.

And what a year it has been. A happy one for neo-Nazis, the 1 per cent, corporate fat cats, bankers, Fox & Friends, Sean Hannity and the massed ranks of right-wing conspiracy-mongering blowhards.

For much of the rest of America, and in particular the large parts of it where decency prevails, I imagine people are pinching themselves and wondering when the alarm clock will indicate that its OK, it really was just a bad dream, but now its time to get up.

To those people I say: greetings from Brexitland! Believe me, it could be worse. At least youre going to get a guaranteed chance to correct the mistake. Just dont go getting complacent.

 Trump's first year in power, summed up in one word

To help them get through the next few days, which will be dominated by the orange one and his bloviating supporters, many will seek comfort in the CBS News poll showing his approval rating sitting at a dismal 37 per cent. Some 58 per cent of the Americans polled disapproved of his performance.

When the results of this short survey are released its traditional to compare the incumbents ratings with those of their predecessors at the same point in their presidencies. They show that Trumps paying quite a price for being, well, Trump.

Barack Obamas rating stood at 50 per cent after his first year in office while George W Bush got a tick from 82 per cent of Americans. Bill Clinton secured the approval of 54 per cent, George H W Bush of 76 per cent, while Ronald Reagan managed 49 per cent, which was when the question was first posed by this survey.

Compared to that lot, Trump isnt looking so good. Three more years and the nightmare is over!

Or is it?

Sorry to rain on the parade of hope, but I wouldnt want to be resting on any laurels if I were them.

In fact, if you take a careful look at one of those previous numbers in particular there are grounds for feeling a frisson of fear: what strikes me about Trumps approval rating is not how low it is, but how high.

Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the US capital in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jim Bourg: "This photo was shot with one of two remote cameras. The cameras were monitored and triggered remotely and the pictures were transmitted to clients worldwide within minutes of being taken." Reuters/Jim Bourg Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Obama farewell address - 10 January 2017 US President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago on 10 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "In his final days in office, Obama made a visit home to Chicago. As he spoke from the stage to his wife and daughter in the audience, he became emotional when he talked about what they had sacrificed during his time in office. I turned from photographing the Obama women embracing to find him onstage wiping away tears." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 A combination of photos shows the crowds attending the inauguration ceremonies to swear in U.S. President Donald Trump at 12:01pm (left) on January 20, 2017 and President Barack Obama sometime between 12:07pm and 12:26pm on January 20, 2009. Reuters/ Lucas Jackson/Stelios Varias Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Liberty Ball - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Liberty Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "What I see when I look at this picture is the end of a very long day, not to mention weeks and months of preparation by many photographers, editors and network experts and the beginning of everything since." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception - 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L), watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on 22 January, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "I have covered the White House for 16 years and normally either the President or the pool is in position when an event starts. In this case the President was not where anyone expected him to be. In fact, he was almost blocking the door when the pool came in. We had to scramble to find a position without bumping him or the furniture as he greeted and thanked members of law enforcement for their security efforts during the inauguration. Luckily, he greeted FBI Director James Comey a few seconds after the pool had made its way into the room." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Private phone calls to world leaders - 28 January 2017 US President Donald Trump, is joined by his staff, as he speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on 28 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Very early in the Trump administration, weekends were as busy as weekdays. On Trump's second Saturday the official schedule said he would be making private phone calls to a number of world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin. I arrived early and, before sitting down at my desk walked up to Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office. He, too, was just taking his coat off. I gingerly made the suggestion that previous administrations had sometimes allowed photos of such phone calls through the Oval Office windows on the colonnade. To my mild shock, he didn't even think about it twice. "We'll do it!" he said. In truth, I really only expected the Putin call, but we were outside the windows multiple times throughout the day as the calls went on." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway - 27 February 2017 Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway (L) attends as US President Donald Trump welcomes the leaders of dozens of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office on 27 February, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "We're often asked how much access we have to the Trump administration, and the answer is we have an awful lot. President Trump himself is very comfortable in the spotlight, and his aides are similarly unfazed by cameras. In this instance, senior advisor Kellyanne Conway was so comfortable in our presence she seemed not to consider the optics of kneeling on a Oval Office sofa to take pictures with her phone." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Angela Merkel heads to Washington - 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on 17 March, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Chancellor Merkel made one of the earliest important visits of any US allies to meet Trump in his first months in office. When world leaders give joint news conferences they don't always tend to give each other their full attention - but Merkel watched Trump intently at several key moments, and here seemed particularly rapt." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump welcomes truckers to the White House - 23 March 2017 President Trump reacts as he sits on a truck while he welcomes truckers and CEOs to attend a meeting regarding healthcare at the White House on 23 March, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "The White House organised a listening session with truckers and CEO's of major American companies, regarding healthcare reform. An 18-wheeler tow truck was parked on the South Lawn of the White House and as Trump welcomed the truckers someone invited the him to come and sit in the driver's seat. Trump jumped into the cab and started yelling and pretending to drive - creating one of the most memorable pictures of the year. A lesson learned, always be prepared for the unexpected." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 6 April 2017 US President Donald Trump talks to journalists members of the travel pool on board the Air Force One during his trip to Palm Beach, Florida on 6 April, 2017. Carlos Barria: "During the many trips to President Trump's residence in Florida it is usual to see the president coming to the back of the plane to chat with journalists. During one of the trips to the so called 'Winter White House', Trump had a long talk with reporters while the Air Force One entertainment system was playing one of the latest Star Wars movies. As I was listening to Trump talk I was also looking at the movie waiting for a part of the movie to frame the mood of the day. Of the many scenes, I choose the one with Darth Vader." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House on 27 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "A day before President Trump's hundred days in office I was part of the team that interviewed the commander-in-chief in the Oval Office. I was only allowed to photograph Trump during the last five minutes of the interview. The time was very tight so I had to move fast as I had pictures in mind that I wanted to shoot. I walked into the Oval Office and saw that the President had printed maps of the country showing areas in red where he won. I raised my hands holding my camera as high as possible to get the best view of the scene using a 16mm wide angle lens." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives at Harrisburg international airport, before attending a rally marking his first 100 days in office in Pennsylvania on 29 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate his hundred days in office with a victory rally. He was in friendly territory as he won with a big difference over his opponent Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, during the November elections. As usual when the commander-in-chief arrives local residents gather to greet him. This time a small group of military personnel attended the arrival. Surrounded by secret service agents Trump walked from the Air Force One and raised his hand in a sign of victory as the crowd cheered him on." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 2 May 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus watch as US President Donald Trump presents the U.S. Air Force Academy football team with the Commander-in-Chief trophy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 May, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "Covering the White House does not just mean covering the President. White House staffers are an important part of the story and their relationship with the President and each other is an indicator of how things are going in the West Wing. The tendency is to focus exclusively on the President once an event starts but I always try to look around to see how people are reacting as things unfold." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Secret Service - 4 May 2017 Secret Service agents use a presidential limousine as cover from spraying water as US President Donald Trump lands via Marine One helicopter in New York on 4 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "The best part of any trip to New York City with the sitting US President is the helicopter ride into Manhattan. The ride out at night can be stunning. Here, Secret Service agents protect themselves from the spray from the East River as Trump lands on the helipad." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures NATO Summit - 25 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron (unseen) before a lunch ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels on 25 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "One of the best parts of travelling overseas for White House coverage is the chance to see the U.S. president in different environments and (literally) a different light. Here, Trump and his wife came out of the shadows to greet France's President Macron." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump meets Putin at G20 summit - 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "On July 7, I witnessed one of the most important meetings of President Trump's first year in office. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Germany. The world's eyes were on these two leaders after speculation about Russian interference during the 2016 US elections. We entered the room for less than two minutes, where I took dozens of pictures. But there was this very interesting moment when Trump extended his hand to Putin for a handshake. Putin paused for a second and looked at Trump's hand. That was the picture that I was looking for, a little moment that seemed to say a lot." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures First lady - 8 July 2017 First lady Melania Trump chats with US President Donald Trump during their return from Germany at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 8 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "After President Trump's trip to Germany he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump said goodbye to Trump as she was heading off in a different direction that day. While chatting a breeze blew Melania's hair up in the air." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Made in America product showcase - 17 July 2017 Vice President Mike Pence laughs as President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat as they attend a Made in America product showcase event at the White House on 17 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "This summer the White House organized an event to showcase 'Made in America' products. All kinds of exhibitors brought their products as the President and Vice President toured the event. One of the companies was Marucci Sport, a manufacturer of baseball bats based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As Trump approached a table full of baseball bats, photographers at the event, including me, rushed to get a good angle hoping that he would pick up a bat. As we predicted, he did. He took one and joked around as though he was hitting something hard. The only thing closer to him right there, was the media." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 25 July 2017 Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says hello to reporters as he and White House advisors including Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accompany President Trump for an event celebrating veterans at AMVETS Post 44 in Ohio, July 25, 2017. Jonathan Ernst: "The most visible person in any White House is naturally the President, followed by the press secretary. But there are also the staff who support them. For those of us covering the Trump administration, there seem to be more compelling figures in the West Wing than ever before. It's crucial to know who's who and why they're important. When I raised my camera and back-pedalled ahead of the group to take this image Lewandowski gave me a hello. I liked the photo, but had no idea it would go a little bit viral, especially since Scaramucci, who was the biggest mover and shaker that week, was hidden back in the pack. But I guess the image catches a glimpse of what it's like to be a West Wing staffer on the road." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Campaign rally - 3 August 2017 US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in West Virginia on 3 August, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Huntington for one of his usual campaign rallies. While members of his family spoke to the crowd he was waiting under a black curtain to be introduced. Suddenly he walked onto the stage, one of the first frames that I took was of his hand. I set my exposure for the light on the stage hoping to create this dark background and it worked." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Staring into the solar eclipse - 21 August 2017 Without his protective glasses on, US President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House on 21 August, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Harvey - 2 September 2017 US President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he and first lady Melania Trump help volunteers hand out meals during a visit with flood survivors of Hurricane Harvey at a relief centre in Houston, Texas on 2 September, 2017. Photohrapher Kevin Lamarque: "Trump, eager to deliver the image of a hands-on response to Hurricane Harvey, made this visit to a relief centre and obliged this woman with a selfie as Melania continued to work." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House - 15 September 2017 Donald Trump welcomes 11-year-old Frank Giaccio as he cuts the Rose Garden grass at the White House on 15 September. Frank, who wrote a letter to Trump offering to mow the lawn, was invited to work for a day at the White House along the National Park Service staff. Frank was so focused on his task that he did not notice the President arrive to surprise him. He took his father jumping in to grab his attention and point Trump out. Photographer Carlos Barria said: The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the President." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Take a knee - 27 September 2017 A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump passes him after an event at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., September 27, 2017. In September, soon after Trump had made comments condemning NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, he made a day trip to a rally in Indianapolis. Jonathan Ernst managed to capture a man on one knee with a tri-folded flag and was able to use a portion of the sign on the building he was kneeling in front of to track the man down and tell his story in full. US Army veteran Marvin Boatright wanted to send a message against social injustice. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Maria - 3 October 2017 President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 October, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "During an afternoon visit to Puerto Rico for President Trump to survey damage from Hurricane Maria and greet some of its victims, Trump made a stop at a church where food and supplies were being distributed. Among the items were paper towels and Trump, apparently caught up in the moment, decided to distribute some of the rolls." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Jared Kushner - 1 November 2017 White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind President Trump during a cabinet meeting in Washington on 1 November, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "The role of Jared Kushner has gone through a series of changes. He began front and centre as a high profile adviser, but as time has passed and issues surrounding him have surfaced, he has become more of a background figure." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump in China - 9 November 2017 Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 9 November, 2017. Photographer Damir Sagolj: "It's one of those "how to make a better or at least different shot when two presidents shake hands several times a day, several days in row". If I'm not mistaken in calculation, presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump shook their hands at least six times in events I covered during Trump's recent visit to China. I would imagine there were some more handshakes I haven't seen but other photographers did. And they all look similar - two big men, smiling and heartily greeting each other until everyone gets their shot. But then there is always something that can make it special - in this case the background made of US and Chinese flags. The first time it didn't work for me. The second time I positioned myself lower and centrally, and used the longest lens I have to capture only hands reaching for a handshake." Reuters/Damir Sagolj Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 10 November 2017 US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "There is a Reuters photographer in the tight pool covering the US president for every appearance he makes 365 days a year. This was just one of 32 images of mine that were transmitted on the Reuters wire of President Trump visiting China and Vietnam that day. You never know when a sudden interaction, a gust of wind or a unique facial expression will lead to a striking image that grabs peoples' attention." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures ASEAN handshake - 13 November 2017 Donald Trump registers his surprise as he realises other leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are crossing their arms for the traditional "ASEAN handshake" as he participates in the opening ceremony of the summit in Manila on 13 November, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Having covered a few ASEAN summits, I knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. Not everyone in the room knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. A lot was written about this unscripted moment, and what deeper meaning it might have. The simple truth is that sometimes in life there are unscripted moments." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Consider the long and growing list of scandals that have dogged his presidency: Michael Wolffs book and what it says about it; sleazy business practices and the use of the White House as a promotional agency for the Trump brand; sleazy personal behaviour, the latest example of which are the revelations of an extramarital affair with a adult film star, albeit dating from the time before he took office; the never-ending stream of snarling tweets; the childish insults and infighting among the inner circle; the leaks, the firings, the feuds, and the way he has made a laughing stock of the most powerful nation on earth. (My nuclear button is bigger than yours Kim Jong-un! Oh. Right. Not so funny.) The events in Charlottesville, Virginia, when the swastika flew high, and its traditional apologists found that they had a very powerful ally, underline that point. Donald Trump is no joke.

Against all objective criteria, this is the worst president in living memory, perhaps the worst since we Brits were sent packing.

Despite that, according to the poll, every third American you meet will tell you that President Trump is doing a good job, and in some parts of the union the number is very much higher than that.

The American Presidency Project, hosted by the University of California, Santa Barbara put the total voting-age population of the USA at 235,248,000 in 2012.

Given that that number will be bigger today, the poll suggests that nearly 90 million Americans think Donald Trump is doing just fine.

Much has been made of the craven response of the Republican Party to his outrages; the way it has served as his enabler-in-chief despite the regular volleys he and his supporters fire at its establishment.

The criticism is just. However, consider that turkeys dont vote for Christmas, especially the sort of turkeys that face primaries, the electorates for which are largely made up of hardcore activists. Then consider that the poll says that eight in 10 Republicans approve of Mr Trumps performance, seven in 10 think he is a good, or very good, President. Trump is their guy and theyll back him through thick and thin.

A disturbingly large number of us, including those of us living in modern Western democracies, still have a fatal fascination for the strong man, and are willing to forgive them almost any sin.

The base to which Trump so regularly plays is a rock-solid one. The prominent critics in his party are often like Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona: they dont have the guts to challenge it by seeking re-election.

All this goes to show that Trumps opponents would be most unwise to rest easy and rely on him doing their work for them, particularly given the strong performance of the American economy and the fact that the CBS poll shows even some Democrats credit him at least partially for its success.

As for that fission of fear I mentioned? Look at the numbers I quoted a second time. Pay close attention to George W Bush.

The latters approval rating was recorded in the wake of his response to the September 11 attacks on the US, during which time he was seen as a wartime president.

There is nothing like a war to engender Americas uncritical backing for the man in the White House.
There is a danger in over-interpreting a single sentence in someones second language, but Emmanuel Macrons words to Andrew Marr, in a BBC interview to be broadcast in full on Sunday morning, seem significant.

He said: You cannot by definition have full access to the single market if you dont tick the box. That wasnt the important bit, although it brought all the pedants out like a rash, demanding to know if the President of France knows the difference between access to the single market  even North Korea has access to the single market  and membership of it.

He meant full membership of the single market, and went on to set out the boxes that needed to be ticked: budget contributions, the four freedoms (including free movement of people) and the jurisdiction of the European Court.

The significant sentence was the next one: As soon as you decide not to join these preconditions its not full access, so its something perhaps between this full access and a trade agreement.

 Emmanuel Macron: 'You cannot have full access to the single market if you don't tick the box'

Previously, the EU negotiating position was that Britain could be either Norway  in the single market but out of the EUs decision-making  or Canada  out of the single market, a third country with no privileges. Theresa May argued that we could have a deep and special partnership in between those two extremes, because we will start off by being fully aligned with the single market, and so some of that status should continue.

Now Macron, asked by Marr if there will be a bespoke, special solution for Britain, said: Sure.

Of course, this could mean a lot or a little. Macron stressed that there would be a price to pay for a deal. And he had said at the news conference with May on Thursday, that the single market  le marche unique  must be preserved. There cannot be differentiated access to the single market, of which financial services are a part.

That seemed to put paid to the idea of a free trade deal in services, which is the main plus of the Canada plus plus plus that David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, wants to agree.

So perhaps all Macron was doing was being polite to his host before adopting a hard line in the next stage of talks, as Paris tries to poach a chunk of the City of Londons business. But his words do suggest a willingness to negotiate, and that is all May needs. As the Brexit talks proceed, we are heading for a landing zone somewhere between Canada and Norway.

Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is welcomed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Reuters Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders EU President Jean-Claude Juncker greeting Theresa May at the EU Commission in Brussels PA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May poses for a picture with European Council President Donald Tusk REUTERS Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker walks behind British Prime Minister Theresa May EPA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders British Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker address a press conference at the European Commission in Brussels AFP/Getty Images Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at a press conference with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, David Davis (L) and Michel Barnier (2-L), the European Chief Negotiator of the Task Force for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 enter the room by the emergency exit to attend British Prime Minister Theresa May press briefing on Brexit Negotiations in Brussels. EPA Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis (L), Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May (2-L), European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (2-R) and European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier (R) in a meeting on Friday morning AFP/Getty Images Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters Brexit bonhomie as May finally seals agreement with EU leaders European Council President Donald Tusk addresses a media conference at the Europa building in Brussels AP

That may not be a wonderful outcome. Some Remainers wont like it because well be out, and some Leavers wont like it because we will still be following all kinds of EU rules and standards. But it wouldnt be the no deal apocalypse of Remainer nightmares; and it wouldnt be Brexino, Brexit In Name Only, that is feared by Leavers. It would be a mediocre Brexit, and a fitting monument to Theresa Mays premiership.

It was Nick Boles, the Conservative MP for Grantham and a switcher from Boris Johnson to Michael Gove in the post-referendum Tory leadership contest, who spoke for the nation this week: There is a timidity and lack of ambition about Mrs Mays Government which means it constantly disappoints. He cited the failure to challenge the release of taxi rapist John Worboys, the housing crisis and the problem of NHS funding but no doubt by the end of the year it will apply to Brexit too. Time to raise your game, Prime Minister, he declared.

I dont know a single Tory MP who thinks she can. The trouble is that the one time she was persuaded not to be timid, and to call an election, it worked out badly. But if she can deliver a mediocre Brexit, as opposed to a disastrous one, she will have done her best by her lights.

At a time when achieving anything in government seems hard  from the US shutdown to the British legal tangle over Worboys and the deep problems of housing and NHS funding  it may be that a non-disastrous Brexit is the best we can hope for.
US Vice President Mike Pence has reiterated Americas stance towards Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as a pillar of the deal of the century that Trump pledges to fulfil during his presidency. He is now in the Middle East, visiting Jordan and Egypt.

Jordan received $1.3bn dollars as part of American economic and military aid last year. It is also the largest host of Palestinian refugees per capita worldwide and the historic and legal guardian of Islamic and Christian holy shrines in Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

It is a stalwart of hope and peace in the midst of political disenfranchisement, ethnic turbulence, the resurgence of religious sentiments and economic downturn that are gripping the region and the entire world.

Jerusalem remains a symbol of cultural and religious pluralism. America should never use its aid as a sword to nudge Jordan into political positions that are alien to its people and ethos.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London NW2

Sexual liberation has obviously gone too far

Perhaps we need to let the pendulum swing back a little  maybe an unwritten but understood rule that if you are dating someone you do not get beyond a peck on the cheek for the first few dates, and then have a mature discussion about moving on.

That might identify all sorts of things about the person and the relationship. First-night or one-night stands may still occur but both parties should be clear about the need for sober agreement and the implications of not observing the right to change ones mind and withdraw without challenge or protest.

Liberation has been a good thing, but the freedoms have been abused by people with selfish attitudes.

Michael Mann

Shrewsbury

Im glad our opinion on the Iraq War has evolved

Patrick Cockburns opinion on sanctions reminded me of a letter sent to my Labour MP some years ago. It was expressing the position of your writer. The reply I received contained this sentence: It is regrettable that Mr Kozlowski has chosen to believe the propaganda put out by Saddam Hussains regime. Further correspondence was, of course, futile.

Adrian Kozlowski

Birmingham

Boris Johnson has a lot of nerve criticising Jeremy Corbyn

So Boris Johnson accuses Jeremy Corbyn of infantile denigration.

Surely not a case of pots and kettles?

Peter Russell

Germany

Wording matters when it comes to encouraging sustainability

Is it not time to ban the word disposable from packaging and advertising?

To the seller it represents handy and convenient, however what it really means is wasteful and polluting. Without this word producers would need to think more about the full life cycle of their product.

Alan Hutchinson

Address supplied

Some issues are not for us to debate

The recent suggestions of a Margaret Thatcher statue can be best left for the pigeons to comment on.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Australia
The Wall Street Journal reported last Friday that a lawyer for Donald Trump paid an adult-film actress $130,000 (94,000) one month before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with the then candidate 10 years earlier.

On Thursday, the Journal reported that the lawyer, Michael Cohen, used pseudonyms and a private company to mask the exchange.

Stephanie Clifford, stage name Stormy Daniels, says the liaison was consensual.

Cohen and Trump say it never occurred at all.

Cohen has said the president vehemently denies any such occurrence, as has Ms Daniels, while the White House has described the story from the journal as old, recycled reports, which were published and strongly denied prior to the election.

We all blinked no more than once at this revelation, in part because it did not actually reveal anything we didnt already know. The president has been accused of  has boasted of, on tape  far worse. This episode, viewed in the hierarchy of all his violations, is more a curiosity than it is an outrage.

But maybe the reason Trumps behaviour should bother us is bigger than the notion that a commander in chief should meet a rigorous standard of morality just because. Maybe it has more to do with the practical pitfalls that breaches such as this one carry with them.

Theres evidence that Daniels wasnt the only woman to book alone time with the then reality TV star. In Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff quotes former chief strategist Stephen Bannon as asking, What did we have, a hundred women? before saying that a lawyer took care of all of them.

Adult performer Jessica Drake accused Trump of offering her $10,000 for sex the same year he allegedly slept with Daniels and she claims she cant say more because of a non-disclosure agreement.

And, according to a separate Journal story from just four days before the election, the company that owns the Trump-friendly National Enquirer awarded a former Playboy centrefold model $150,000 (110,000) for the rights to her story of an affair with Trump in, yes, 2006 again. Then, the tabloid quashed it.

The problem here isnt Trumps repeated ethical lapses alone, although they do induce a certain squeamishness. The problem is the possibility of blackmail against a presidential team willing to pay big to cover up alleged misbehaviour.

Trumps actions, clearly, are out of sync with our collective ethical code: Eighty-four per cent of Americans disapprove of adultery and probably more than that disapprove of adultery that is alleged to have occurred with a porn star four months after a mans wife gives birth to their first child together. By breaking that code and then aspiring to an office that requires the support of Americans who abide by it (or at least believe they do), any politician puts himself in a vulnerable position. Either he risks a ruined career or he does whatever he can to quiet things down.

When that politician is the president, whoevers in the know wields a dangerous amount of power over a figure who himself is tremendously powerful. If a foreign country acquires damning information about the United States leader, it could, either by threatening to expose past indiscretions or by laying a sexual trap, twist international policy to its benefit. A domestic group could also hold dirty little secrets over the man in charge to draw special favours.

That  not some vague concept of the president as perfect role model  is what makes it newsworthy that a president or presidential contender may have paid a bunch of people not to say they had adulterous sex with him.

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

Trumps case differs a bit from the typical politicians; he didnt have much good-guy credit to start with and whatever he did possess he has long since spent, so the Daniels affair doesnt seem to have hurt him so far. But it doesnt matter whether an admission from someone such as Daniels does hurt Trump. It only matters that he thinks it might. Weve now heard from multiple women who claim that Trump slept with them and didnt want the world to find out. Weve heard the reports that his lawyer went through contortions to hush up a hush-up. What we dont know is what else the president and all his men would do to keep something hidden.

New details about the Stormy Daniels situation emerge every day now, all unverified. They include tales about Trumps preferences and peculiarities, from his fondness for Forbes magazine to the comparison Daniels says he made between her and his beautiful, smart daughter. The salaciousness entertains us and it repulses us, too. But its the secrecy that should scare us.

The Washington Post
Donald Trump has been under constant fire from critics since he began his campaign in the summer of 2015, and his presidency has so far been perhaps the most chaotic and bizarre in recent decades. But as he approaches the first anniversary of his inauguration, the pressure is only getting more intense.

First came revelations in Michael Wolffs book Fire and Fury of various White House aides apparent concerns about the presidents mental capacity. Then came Special Counsel Robert Muellers request to question Trump about the his election campaigns dealings with Russia, and his decision to subpoena the presidents ostracised former ally, Steve Bannon.

So as Trump celebrates a year since his inauguration, what are the chances hell still be president when 2018 is over?

 Trump's First Year: Who has been and gone from the White House?

There are plenty of guesses and estimates out there, informed and otherwise. Bannon for one is quoted in Fire and Fury as saying Trump only has a 33.3 per cent chance of making it to the end of his term in January 2021. But while many experts and insiders have opinions on the matter, when it comes to forecasting future events, betting and prediction markets have been shown to be rather more reliable.

A prediction market is a simple financial market that allows everyone to bet on an uncertain future outcome. The market most interesting for us asks: Will Donald Trump be president at year-end 2018? The yes asset will pay 100 cents if Trump is still in office by midnight on 31 December and 0 cents if he is not. Because an asset is worth at most 100 cents and at least 0 cents, the asset price is between 0 and 100  just like a probability.

Since anyone can trade in these markets and adjust the prices, prediction markets have been characterised as a market-based form of the wisdom of the crowd. If the crowd thinks the asset is underpriced  that is, that the implied probability is too low  then people can buy the asset at an expected profit and thereby adjust the price upwards. If the asset is seen as overpriced, then traders can sell to bring the price down.

And indeed, research shows that the prices in these markets are a good predictor of the probabilities. Whenever the asset price is 60 cents, then in 60 per cent of the cases the underlying outcome does in fact happen. If the price is 70 cents, then the underlying outcome happens in 70 per cent of the cases, and so on. That means prices are well calibrated; on average, they correspond to probabilities.

Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the US capital in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jim Bourg: "This photo was shot with one of two remote cameras. The cameras were monitored and triggered remotely and the pictures were transmitted to clients worldwide within minutes of being taken." Reuters/Jim Bourg Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Obama farewell address - 10 January 2017 US President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago on 10 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "In his final days in office, Obama made a visit home to Chicago. As he spoke from the stage to his wife and daughter in the audience, he became emotional when he talked about what they had sacrificed during his time in office. I turned from photographing the Obama women embracing to find him onstage wiping away tears." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 A combination of photos shows the crowds attending the inauguration ceremonies to swear in U.S. President Donald Trump at 12:01pm (left) on January 20, 2017 and President Barack Obama sometime between 12:07pm and 12:26pm on January 20, 2009. Reuters/ Lucas Jackson/Stelios Varias Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Liberty Ball - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Liberty Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "What I see when I look at this picture is the end of a very long day, not to mention weeks and months of preparation by many photographers, editors and network experts and the beginning of everything since." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception - 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L), watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on 22 January, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "I have covered the White House for 16 years and normally either the President or the pool is in position when an event starts. In this case the President was not where anyone expected him to be. In fact, he was almost blocking the door when the pool came in. We had to scramble to find a position without bumping him or the furniture as he greeted and thanked members of law enforcement for their security efforts during the inauguration. Luckily, he greeted FBI Director James Comey a few seconds after the pool had made its way into the room." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Private phone calls to world leaders - 28 January 2017 US President Donald Trump, is joined by his staff, as he speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on 28 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Very early in the Trump administration, weekends were as busy as weekdays. On Trump's second Saturday the official schedule said he would be making private phone calls to a number of world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin. I arrived early and, before sitting down at my desk walked up to Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office. He, too, was just taking his coat off. I gingerly made the suggestion that previous administrations had sometimes allowed photos of such phone calls through the Oval Office windows on the colonnade. To my mild shock, he didn't even think about it twice. "We'll do it!" he said. In truth, I really only expected the Putin call, but we were outside the windows multiple times throughout the day as the calls went on." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway - 27 February 2017 Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway (L) attends as US President Donald Trump welcomes the leaders of dozens of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office on 27 February, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "We're often asked how much access we have to the Trump administration, and the answer is we have an awful lot. President Trump himself is very comfortable in the spotlight, and his aides are similarly unfazed by cameras. In this instance, senior advisor Kellyanne Conway was so comfortable in our presence she seemed not to consider the optics of kneeling on a Oval Office sofa to take pictures with her phone." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Angela Merkel heads to Washington - 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on 17 March, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Chancellor Merkel made one of the earliest important visits of any US allies to meet Trump in his first months in office. When world leaders give joint news conferences they don't always tend to give each other their full attention - but Merkel watched Trump intently at several key moments, and here seemed particularly rapt." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump welcomes truckers to the White House - 23 March 2017 President Trump reacts as he sits on a truck while he welcomes truckers and CEOs to attend a meeting regarding healthcare at the White House on 23 March, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "The White House organised a listening session with truckers and CEO's of major American companies, regarding healthcare reform. An 18-wheeler tow truck was parked on the South Lawn of the White House and as Trump welcomed the truckers someone invited the him to come and sit in the driver's seat. Trump jumped into the cab and started yelling and pretending to drive - creating one of the most memorable pictures of the year. A lesson learned, always be prepared for the unexpected." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 6 April 2017 US President Donald Trump talks to journalists members of the travel pool on board the Air Force One during his trip to Palm Beach, Florida on 6 April, 2017. Carlos Barria: "During the many trips to President Trump's residence in Florida it is usual to see the president coming to the back of the plane to chat with journalists. During one of the trips to the so called 'Winter White House', Trump had a long talk with reporters while the Air Force One entertainment system was playing one of the latest Star Wars movies. As I was listening to Trump talk I was also looking at the movie waiting for a part of the movie to frame the mood of the day. Of the many scenes, I choose the one with Darth Vader." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House on 27 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "A day before President Trump's hundred days in office I was part of the team that interviewed the commander-in-chief in the Oval Office. I was only allowed to photograph Trump during the last five minutes of the interview. The time was very tight so I had to move fast as I had pictures in mind that I wanted to shoot. I walked into the Oval Office and saw that the President had printed maps of the country showing areas in red where he won. I raised my hands holding my camera as high as possible to get the best view of the scene using a 16mm wide angle lens." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives at Harrisburg international airport, before attending a rally marking his first 100 days in office in Pennsylvania on 29 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate his hundred days in office with a victory rally. He was in friendly territory as he won with a big difference over his opponent Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, during the November elections. As usual when the commander-in-chief arrives local residents gather to greet him. This time a small group of military personnel attended the arrival. Surrounded by secret service agents Trump walked from the Air Force One and raised his hand in a sign of victory as the crowd cheered him on." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 2 May 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus watch as US President Donald Trump presents the U.S. Air Force Academy football team with the Commander-in-Chief trophy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 May, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "Covering the White House does not just mean covering the President. White House staffers are an important part of the story and their relationship with the President and each other is an indicator of how things are going in the West Wing. The tendency is to focus exclusively on the President once an event starts but I always try to look around to see how people are reacting as things unfold." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Secret Service - 4 May 2017 Secret Service agents use a presidential limousine as cover from spraying water as US President Donald Trump lands via Marine One helicopter in New York on 4 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "The best part of any trip to New York City with the sitting US President is the helicopter ride into Manhattan. The ride out at night can be stunning. Here, Secret Service agents protect themselves from the spray from the East River as Trump lands on the helipad." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures NATO Summit - 25 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron (unseen) before a lunch ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels on 25 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "One of the best parts of travelling overseas for White House coverage is the chance to see the U.S. president in different environments and (literally) a different light. Here, Trump and his wife came out of the shadows to greet France's President Macron." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump meets Putin at G20 summit - 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "On July 7, I witnessed one of the most important meetings of President Trump's first year in office. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Germany. The world's eyes were on these two leaders after speculation about Russian interference during the 2016 US elections. We entered the room for less than two minutes, where I took dozens of pictures. But there was this very interesting moment when Trump extended his hand to Putin for a handshake. Putin paused for a second and looked at Trump's hand. That was the picture that I was looking for, a little moment that seemed to say a lot." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures First lady - 8 July 2017 First lady Melania Trump chats with US President Donald Trump during their return from Germany at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 8 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "After President Trump's trip to Germany he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump said goodbye to Trump as she was heading off in a different direction that day. While chatting a breeze blew Melania's hair up in the air." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Made in America product showcase - 17 July 2017 Vice President Mike Pence laughs as President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat as they attend a Made in America product showcase event at the White House on 17 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "This summer the White House organized an event to showcase 'Made in America' products. All kinds of exhibitors brought their products as the President and Vice President toured the event. One of the companies was Marucci Sport, a manufacturer of baseball bats based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As Trump approached a table full of baseball bats, photographers at the event, including me, rushed to get a good angle hoping that he would pick up a bat. As we predicted, he did. He took one and joked around as though he was hitting something hard. The only thing closer to him right there, was the media." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 25 July 2017 Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says hello to reporters as he and White House advisors including Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accompany President Trump for an event celebrating veterans at AMVETS Post 44 in Ohio, July 25, 2017. Jonathan Ernst: "The most visible person in any White House is naturally the President, followed by the press secretary. But there are also the staff who support them. For those of us covering the Trump administration, there seem to be more compelling figures in the West Wing than ever before. It's crucial to know who's who and why they're important. When I raised my camera and back-pedalled ahead of the group to take this image Lewandowski gave me a hello. I liked the photo, but had no idea it would go a little bit viral, especially since Scaramucci, who was the biggest mover and shaker that week, was hidden back in the pack. But I guess the image catches a glimpse of what it's like to be a West Wing staffer on the road." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Campaign rally - 3 August 2017 US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in West Virginia on 3 August, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Huntington for one of his usual campaign rallies. While members of his family spoke to the crowd he was waiting under a black curtain to be introduced. Suddenly he walked onto the stage, one of the first frames that I took was of his hand. I set my exposure for the light on the stage hoping to create this dark background and it worked." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Staring into the solar eclipse - 21 August 2017 Without his protective glasses on, US President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House on 21 August, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Harvey - 2 September 2017 US President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he and first lady Melania Trump help volunteers hand out meals during a visit with flood survivors of Hurricane Harvey at a relief centre in Houston, Texas on 2 September, 2017. Photohrapher Kevin Lamarque: "Trump, eager to deliver the image of a hands-on response to Hurricane Harvey, made this visit to a relief centre and obliged this woman with a selfie as Melania continued to work." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House - 15 September 2017 Donald Trump welcomes 11-year-old Frank Giaccio as he cuts the Rose Garden grass at the White House on 15 September. Frank, who wrote a letter to Trump offering to mow the lawn, was invited to work for a day at the White House along the National Park Service staff. Frank was so focused on his task that he did not notice the President arrive to surprise him. He took his father jumping in to grab his attention and point Trump out. Photographer Carlos Barria said: The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the President." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Take a knee - 27 September 2017 A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump passes him after an event at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., September 27, 2017. In September, soon after Trump had made comments condemning NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, he made a day trip to a rally in Indianapolis. Jonathan Ernst managed to capture a man on one knee with a tri-folded flag and was able to use a portion of the sign on the building he was kneeling in front of to track the man down and tell his story in full. US Army veteran Marvin Boatright wanted to send a message against social injustice. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Maria - 3 October 2017 President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 October, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "During an afternoon visit to Puerto Rico for President Trump to survey damage from Hurricane Maria and greet some of its victims, Trump made a stop at a church where food and supplies were being distributed. Among the items were paper towels and Trump, apparently caught up in the moment, decided to distribute some of the rolls." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Jared Kushner - 1 November 2017 White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind President Trump during a cabinet meeting in Washington on 1 November, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "The role of Jared Kushner has gone through a series of changes. He began front and centre as a high profile adviser, but as time has passed and issues surrounding him have surfaced, he has become more of a background figure." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump in China - 9 November 2017 Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 9 November, 2017. Photographer Damir Sagolj: "It's one of those "how to make a better or at least different shot when two presidents shake hands several times a day, several days in row". If I'm not mistaken in calculation, presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump shook their hands at least six times in events I covered during Trump's recent visit to China. I would imagine there were some more handshakes I haven't seen but other photographers did. And they all look similar - two big men, smiling and heartily greeting each other until everyone gets their shot. But then there is always something that can make it special - in this case the background made of US and Chinese flags. The first time it didn't work for me. The second time I positioned myself lower and centrally, and used the longest lens I have to capture only hands reaching for a handshake." Reuters/Damir Sagolj Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 10 November 2017 US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "There is a Reuters photographer in the tight pool covering the US president for every appearance he makes 365 days a year. This was just one of 32 images of mine that were transmitted on the Reuters wire of President Trump visiting China and Vietnam that day. You never know when a sudden interaction, a gust of wind or a unique facial expression will lead to a striking image that grabs peoples' attention." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures ASEAN handshake - 13 November 2017 Donald Trump registers his surprise as he realises other leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are crossing their arms for the traditional "ASEAN handshake" as he participates in the opening ceremony of the summit in Manila on 13 November, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Having covered a few ASEAN summits, I knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. Not everyone in the room knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. A lot was written about this unscripted moment, and what deeper meaning it might have. The simple truth is that sometimes in life there are unscripted moments." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Another study finds that assets set to expire more than half a year in the future can exhibit slight biases. Prices above 50 cents tend to be slightly larger than the true probabilities  so looking at the odds on Trumps future, its important to regard the prices as optimistic estimates.

What the crowd says

Currently the yes-asset trades at 77 cents, implying a 77 per cent or less probability that Trump survives 2018 in office. So the market thinks that while the threats to his presidency are many  the Mueller investigation, rumours of early stage dementia, former staffers with axes to grind  Trump is considerably more likely to survive than be ousted.

Still, of the 57 US presidential terms served prior to Trump, only nine ended prematurely, meaning 84 per cent of terms were fulfilled. So the market expectation of Trump making it through the next year (not even the entire term) is significantly below this historical average.

Another market asks: Will Trump be president at year-end 2019? Certainly the probability must be lower here, since Trump cannot resume office in 2019 if ousted in 2018. And indeed, the yes-asset in this market is currently trading at 62 cents, indicating only a 62 per cent probability or less that Trump survives the next two years in office.

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But despite the shockwaves generated by Fire and Fury, the prices in both markets have not changed much in the ensuing weeks. Indeed, if anything, they went slightly up around the books release, only to revert again a few days later. It seems the markets may have considered the books revelations, just another episode of Trump melodrama.

However, while the odds didnt change much, the trading volume  the number of assets bought and sold  started to explode on 1 January, around the time newspapers first started discussing the book. These numbers indicate that, while the book did create a lot of interest, it did not considerably affect peoples estimation of Trumps chances of staying in office.

The last time we saw such large trading numbers on these markets was on 1 December  the day Michael Flynn (Trumps former National Security Advisor) pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in its Russia investigation. With new twists in the administrations various scandals coming thick and fast, it seems safe to say there are other spikes to come  but whether they will shift the odds is another matter.

Christoph Siemroth is a Lecturer in Economics at the University of Essex. This piece originally appeared on The Conversation
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The United Nations has expressed concerns about the increasing numbers of people fleeing English-speaking areas of Cameroon for Nigeria, saying it is particularly worried over safety of women and children.

William Spindler, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), decried the precarious situation of women and children, who make up about 80 per cent of the approximately 10,000 registered refugees in Nigerias Cross River.

Some of these are boys and girls who fled to Nigeria alone, Spindler said, adding that unaccompanied and separated children are particularly vulnerable.

UNHCR has received numerous reports that children have to work or beg to survive or to help their families.

Many reported that they were unable to attend school, for lack of time and money.

Thousands more are among the population of unregistered Cameroonians in neighbouring states, where some of the children are unaccompanied and vulnerable.

UNHCR is working with the Nigerian authorities to assist with the reunification of separated children with their families, to provide unaccompanied children with protection services and to restore the basic right of all children to education, Spindler said.

He said some of the children fleeing to Nigeria told UNHCR that they had been out of school in Cameroon for all of 2017.

For women, the lack of work combined with the over-stretched reception facilities, creates a higher risk of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly from survival sex.

While only a limited number of cases have been recorded, mainly in the Amana community of Cross River state, UNHCR is concerned that many more go unreported or are referred only to community elders.

Incidents of domestic violence, as well as cases of teenage pregnancies involving girls as young as 14, have also been reported, the spokesperson elaborated.

He said in Benue, two school buildings were serving as temporary refugee accommodations, where women and their families sleep inside communal school halls  deprived of private space and the right to family dignity.

For them, and for the rest of the population living in temporary tents hastily built next to local residences, sufficient and appropriate shelter is key to ensure adequate registration, systematic aid distribution and reduced protection risks, Spindler stressed.

According to him, UNHCR and the Nigerian authorities are currently working to identify sites away from the border, where the refugees can live according to international standards.

We are also establishing offices in the towns of Calabar and Adikpo to better provide assistance and protection to the women and children, he said, noting that support includes food, basic relief items, water and sanitation facilities.

Since mid-2017, Cameroons Anglophone regions have seen demonstrations as tensions have mounted over what the countrys English-speakers see as discrimination against them in favour of the majority French-speaking population.

Source: (NAN)
No fewer than 300 successful births have been recorded in Fufore Internally Displaced Persons camp hosting Nigerians evacuated from Republic of Cameroon in the past two years.

Mr Terry Igue, the Camp Manager and an official of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), made this known on Saturday while receiving a joint delegation of the ECOWAS Parliament and UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on tour of IDPs camps and areas affected by insurgency in Adamawa State.

Igue said the camp was opened in 2015 with an initial population of over 5,000 people mostly from Borno, but reduced to 1,790 victims of insurgency following the evacuation of some of the IDPs to Borno.

He said the camp, which has a clinic, recorded over 300 successful child births, adding that referral cases from the camp to other tertiary health centres in Yola used to be handled by an international organisation, the International Rescue.

He said the organisation had left creating a vacuum on healthcare delivery in the camp.

Igue said that the camp has 252 tents and a school run by the Nigerian Army Education Corp.

He said the camp authorities had stopped cooking for the IDPs and instead give respective families in the camp bags of assorted grains including rice, soya beans, masa vita and maize on monthly basis to prepare their own food.

Here we supply the IDPs with dry ratio on monthly basis, Igue said.

Source : (NAN)
Photos have emerged on social media showing the shocking moments a young woman in the Masaka area of Uganda, was brutally attacked by evil ghosts on her traditional wedding day and she undressed herself to the surprise of guests.

According to multiple online reports, her close relatives revealed that it was a pure witchcraft from her step mother who never wanted her to get married to a rich man.
The Nation

Lawmaker representing Bayelsa East Senatorial, Ben Murray-Bruce has said First Lady, Aisha Buhari is an intelligent woman that has the capacity to lead well.

The Sun

The bureau stated this in Labour Force Statistics Vol. 2: Employment by Sector Report, released on Sunday in Abuja.

Punch

Mr Joseph Attach, the Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Customs Service, said that the service had set N1.3tn revenue target for 2018.

Vanguard

The Alumni Association of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (AANI) has called on the federal government of Nigeria to partner the institute in the search for lasting solutions to the frequent clashes involving herdsmen and farmers across the country in the last couple of years, and most recently in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Plateau, and Zamfara States amongst others.

Thisday

The National Cash Transfer Office has commended the Bauchi State government for its commitment and performance in the federal governments Social Investment Programmes (SIPs) especially the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme component.

Daily Times

The governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, says all governors in the All Progressives Congress (APC) have endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for a second tenure.

Guardian

Daura Emirate Youth Progressive Movement (DEYPM), an NGO, on Sunday said it would purchase nominations forms for President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State to enable them recontest in the 2019 general elections.

Tribune

AS preparations for 2019 general elections gather momentum, a female presidential aspirant for the elections, Professor Olufunmilayo Adesanya-Davies, has called for a review of the current guidelines into political offices.
Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo (GCFR), Ph.D, has been honored as the first recipient of a doctorate degree from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). The former president celebrated with friends and associates in Abuja to celebrate the great achievement.. Olusegun Obasanjo made history as he received a doctorate in Christian Theology, the universitys first PhD.



It is reported that Obasanjo would be considered for an appointment as a facilitator or supervisor as PhD was the least qualification for one to teach in the institution.
Suspected Gunmen have abducted three sisters of the chairman of Munya Local Government CouncilC, North Central Nigeria.

The girls were said to have been kidnapped, early Saturday, at the chairmans residence in Kuchi town.

Witnesses told newsmen that the abductors shot sporadically into the air to prevent people from coming to rescue the girls.

The kidnappers were reported to have called the council chairman and informed him that they had taken his sisters away without mentioning or demanding any ransom yet.

According to reports, the kidnappers use Kabula forest and other neighboring forests in the area to hide their victims and conduct their criminal activities.

The chairman has been under fire recently due to reports indicating that he had been impeached by the legislative arm of the local government for allegedly not carrying them along in the administration of the council and various other malpractices.

Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command, through its spokesperson, Mohammed Abubakar, who confirmed the incident said police had since swung into action to rescue the girls and apprehend those behind the kidnapping.

Many communities in Niger State, especially within Munya, Suleja and Tafa local governments axis have been living in anxiety due to the activities of armed bandits, kidnappers and other social miscreants.

Source: ( Premium Times )
The Yobe Government on Saturday reunited additional 216 persons deported from Libya with their families in the state.

Alhaji Ahmed Goniri, the state Commissioner for Justice and Chairman of Repatriation Committee, said this while handing over the deportees to their respective local council chairmen in Damaturu.

He said 182 out of the 216 persons were indigenes of the state, while 33 others were from Niger Republic and one from Borno.

They initially claimed to be from Yobe state but on profiling, we realised that 33 were from border communities in Niger Republic while one was from Borno.

We have now handed over the Nigeriens to the state Controller of Immigration for onward repatriation to their country, he said.

The commissioner lauded Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam for his speedy approval to evacuate the returnees.

Alhaji Musa Jidawa, the Permanent Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said the evacuation of the returnees has given the deportees and their families a sense of belonging.

He said the deportees were screened by relevant security agencies, medical personnel and humanitarian organisations.

We have put a technical mechanism in place to effectively monitor the delivery of the deportees to their communities, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that 29 persons were earlier deported from Libya and repatriated to the state last week.

Malam Abba Modu, one of the deportees, commended the Yobe government for moving them from PortHarcourt to the state.

Gov. Gaidam acted like a true father to all of us by repatriating us back home, Modu said.

Source : (NAN)
Sinn Feins spokesperson on Defence, Aengus OSnodaigh, has accused the Taoiseach of following on from successive Irish Governments in undermining Irish Neutrality.

It follows yesterdays stop-over at Shannon Airport by US Vice President Mike Pence, who greeted and shook hands with US troops who were on their way to the Gulf.
Hannah Stephenson offers some timely tips to help you keep your lid on during the year ahead.

Who says storage cant be stylish?

And for a sense of calm and control, Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick, the two authors of Remodelista  a new book packed with ultra-slick organisational tricks to deploy all over the house  also suggest embracing some Daily Rituals, a selection of little good habits that often take no more than a few minutes but can have life-changing effects.

For instance, studies suggest that people who make their bed every day are not only more rested than non-bed-makers, but happier, healthier and more successful. Opening your mail every day is another of their tips, to avoid that dreaded build-up of unsorted life admin that can weigh heavily on the mind (and clog up drawers!).

Along with handy storage tactics  such as Hang It, Cart It, Label It and Tray It  the book sets out to illustrate how, with clever layouts and fittings and adopting a few simple habits, being sorted and tidy can be aesthetically-pleasing and make a huge difference to our wellbeing, even when space is tight.

So whether you need to know how to make the best of a compact kitchen, or want to edit your wardrobe ready for the new season, here are five ways to make an art out of order and live better through organisation, with the help of our design-minded friends at Remodelista.com...

1. A Shaker-style entry

A storage-lined open foyer is a great, versatile option for busy households. Taking inspiration from the Shaker use of peg rails to hang all manner of things, all you need to assemble your own version is a sliver of hall off your front or back door.

- Why it works: Locating pegs close to the entrance of your home will help ensure that childrens bags land in the right spot (parents bags on other end), designated coat pegs offer a place for each family member, a Shaker-style hanging shelf provides you with a user-friendly home for small items, a chalkboard marks daily reminders, and an Ikea Tjusig Bench (from c.40, Ikea.com) doubles as a shoe rack.

2. The ultimate compact kitchen

Making the most of storage space can require some lateral thinking and vertical planning  like these kitchen utensils and a plant hanging on a rail.

A small workspace can still make good use of open and closed storage: Cookware and dishware are concealed behind cabinet doors, and a clever storage rail keeps often-used tools close at hand but off the counter.

- Why it works: Stacked dishware and decanted pantry goods maximise cabinet space, S hooks and metal clips hold kitchen scissors, coffee filters etc, trays anchor the counter, a small hanging basket holds utensils and a print adds an artful touch  a small detail that makes a big difference.

3. The instant cocktail party

The instant cocktail party  an accessible and tidy innovation to lift any home.

Lets face it, youre more likely to throw an impromptu drinks or dinner party when your tabletop elements are kept at the ready in one place. A kitchen or dining area drawer is especially handy for this kit.

- Pro tip: Store the items on trays so you can lift them out for quick delivery to the table  and then use trays for serving.

- Preparedness kit: Bar tools  which comprise of a corkscrew, bottle opener, jigger and mixing spoon; along with candles, tapers, and tea lights, matches, ice bucket, glasses, serving trays, ready-for-the-table flatware in leather pockets, cloth napkins rolled into napkin rings.

4. A well-ordered wardrobe

A well-ordered wardrobe for inner peace.

A fashionistas dream  fully fitted out with floor-to-ceiling storage, this space holds a wardrobes worth of clothing. Chic canvas bins, wire baskets, cardboard boxes, and metal dividers  most from office and kitchen supply departments  make the shelf storage much more efficient.

- Why it works: Jumble-preventing bins and baskets create discreet storage zones on open shelves, piles of jeans, sweaters as well as T-shirts limited to six per stack, metal-rimmed paper key tags serve as labels on bins and baskets and allow for easy sorting, glass fronted drawers are a bespoke detail worth copying (they protect shoes while enabling you to see what youve got), and an industrial kitchen stool provides a place to put on shoes, drape clothes and reach high shelves.

5. An elegant all-in-one laundry cupboard

An Elegant All-in-One Laundry Cupboard from Remodelista: The Organized Home by Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick (published by Artisan Books). Picture: Matthew Williams/PA Photo

This compact laundry has birch plywood shelves and drawers for all the essentials. Theres also room for general cleaning supplies, electronics and a fold-up ironing board tucked into the side, which can be hidden behind closed doors.

- Why it works: Laundry detergent is decanted and stored in a stainless steel dispenser, a galvanised metal bucket holds cleaning supplies in a portable kit, laundry essentials are sorted by function in a combination of shelves and drawers, and the hard-to-reach top shelf is put to good use as a tidy home for wifi equipment.

- Tips extracted from Remodelista: The Organized Home by Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick, photography by Matthew Williams, published by Artisan Books, priced c.16.99
Update 4.19pm: At least 18 people including 14 foreigners were killed when the Taliban attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, the Interior Ministry confirmed.

Spokesman Najib Danish said 11 of the 14 foreigners killed were employees of KamAir, a private Afghan airline.

He added that 10 others were wounded including six security officers and four civilians.

KamAir said flights had been disrupted because of the attack.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which began late last night, saying five gunmen armed with suicide vests targeted foreigners and Afghan officials.

Mr Danish said the last attacker was killed this afternoon, more than 12 hours after the attack began.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents initially planned to attack the hotel on Thursday night, but postponed the assault because there was a wedding underway and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties.

Update 11.40am: Kabul hotel attack: Guests used sheets to climb down from balconies

Footage showing guests using sheets to climb down from balconies during an attack by gunmen at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul has emerged.

Six civilians, including a foreign woman, were killed in the attack along with another three attackers.

Some 160 people were rescued when Afghan troops regained control of the building this morning.

Update 10.12am: Taliban claim Kabul hotel attack; One foreign national among five killed

The Taliban has said it was behind a gun attack at a five-star hotel in the Afghan capital, in which five people were killed.

Authorities in Kabul say a 12 hour siege at the Intercontinental ended with all gunmen dead.

According to latest reports at least one of the victims is a foreign national.

Earlier: Afghan Special Forces end overnight siege

Afghan Special Forces have ended an overnight siege at Kabuls Intercontinental Hotel.

It appears Afghan soldiers killed the last gunman from a group of three attackers, two of whom were killed last night.

An Interior Ministry spokesman said at least five other people had been killed and six wounded, a lower casualty total than earlier feared, while 153 people, including 41 foreigners had been evacuated.

Gunmen stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul at the start of an 11-hour siege that continued into Sunday morning, leaving at least five Afghan civilians dead, officials said.

Six other civilians were reported wounded and more than 100 people, including 16 foreigners, have been rescued from the hotel, said Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish.

The bodies of the attackers have been recovered as security forces continued to clear the landmark building, he said.

"The security forces are going room-by-room to make sure that there is no any other attacker in the building," he said.

No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which started around 4pm (GMT) on Saturday. As the fighting raged, a fire erupted in the building.

Live TV footage showed people trying to escape through windows on the fourth and fifth floors.

Capt Tom Gresback, spokesman for NATO-led forces, said in a statement that Afghan forces were leading the response efforts. He said that according to initial reports, no foreign troops were hurt in the attack.

The Intercontinental Hotel is located on a hilltop in Bagh-e Bala area of the city and is heavily guarded because it hosts both Afghan and foreign guests as well as official conferences. It was last attacked by Taliban insurgents in 2011.

- Press Association and Digital Desk
Jordans king has appealed to US Vice President Mike Pence to "rebuild trust and confidence" in the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The call follows the fallout from the Trump administrations decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital.

Mr Pence, in turn, tried to reassure the monarch that the Trump administration remains committed to restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and views Jordan as a central player.

The vice president also said that "the United States of America remains committed, if the parties agree, to a two state solution".

Such a caveat deviates from long-standing US support for a two-state solution as the only possible outcome of any peace deal.

President Trumps pivot on Jerusalem last month infuriated the Palestinians, who seek the Israeli-annexed eastern sector of the city as a future capital.

They accused the US of siding with Israel and said Washington can no longer serve as a mediator.

Jerusalem is the emotional centrepiece of the long-running conflict, and President Trumps policy shift set off protests and condemnation across Arab and Muslim countries.

It posed a dilemma for King Abdullah, who is a staunch US ally, but also derives his political legitimacy in large part from the Hashemite dynastys role as guardian of a key Muslim site in Jerusalem.

Any perceived threat to Muslim claims in the city is seen as a challenge to Jordan, where a large segment of the population is of Palestinian origin.

Mr Pence told Jordans monarch that President Trump made it clear in his announcement on Jerusalem "that we are committed to continue to respect Jordans role as the custodian of holy sites, that we take no position on boundaries and final status".

He said Jordan would continue to play a central role in any future peace efforts.

The vice president also praised Jordans contribution to a US-led military campaign against Islamic State extremists who in recent months were pushed back from large areas in Iraq and Syria, both neighbours of Jordan.

King Abdullah expressed concerns about the regional fallout from the Jerusalem decision.

"Today we have a major challenge to overcome, especially with some of the rising frustrations," he said.

He described the Pence visit as a mission "to rebuild trust and confidence" in getting to a two-state solution, in which a state of Palestine would be established in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in 1967.

- Press Association
Jennifer Dorsey is chief copy editor for the News&Guide and one of the editors for local articles printed in the Jackson Hole Daily.
The assassination of a prominent Serb politician has cast another dark cloud above Kosovo as it is prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of its independence.

Unilaterally declared on February 17, 2008, the independence of Serbias breakaway province is recognised by more than 110 countries.

But Belgrade and many of the 120,000 members of Kosovos Serb minority, refuse to do so almost 20 years after the 1990s war.

The conflict pitting Serbian security forces against Kosovo Albanian guerrillas claimed 13,000 lives, mostly ethnic Albanians.

The January 16 murder of moderate Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic has sparked fresh tensions in the volatile region.

The 64-year-old was shot dead from a car in northern Mitrovica, a Serb-populated part of the ethnically divided flashpoint town.

He was the only top Kosovo Serb politician to have publicly denounced Belgrades policies in Kosovo, earning him the label traitor from detractors.

The murder, whose perpetrators have not yet been identified, has the potential to destabilise Kosovo, political analyst Ramush Tahiri told AFP.

It already prompted the suspension of EU-mediated talks between Serb and Kosovo negotiators, which had been due to resume on the day Ivanovic was killed.

The indefinite halt of discussions is bad for our country, commented Zeri, one of Kosovos leading daily newspapers.

Begun in 2011 under EU auspices, the process of normalising ties has been at a standstill for months. A number of key issues remain yet to be solved including the status of Serb-majority municipalities.

 Rogue state warning 

Tensions already rose in December after lawmakers in Kosovo (population 1.8 million) made a failed bid to scrap a new special court trying ethnic Albanian ex-guerillas suspected of committing war crimes during the 1998-1999 conflict.

The EU-backed tribunal, based in The Hague, is poised to begin issuing indictments.

But senior war veterans of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) have demanded that MPs abolish the law on what they say is a biased court.

President Hashim Thaci, the former head of the KLAs political wing, is rumoured to be among those prosecuted for the alleged kidnapping and disappearance of around 500 civilians, mostly ethnic Serbs.

A brother of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj is also thought to be under investigation.

Calling the court into question would be a terrible example of self interest prevailing over the common good and Kosovos interest as a state, the US ambassador to Kosovo Greg Delawie said, warning that the move would have harsh consequences.

It would turn Kosovo into a rogue state joining the ranks of North Korea or Iran, according to security expert Lulzim Peci.

For some Kosovars, the situation has already taken a turn for the worse.

It is too late to change something, said Zenel Kastrati, 57, a shopkeeper in Pristina, who is against a confrontation with the United States and other western friends.

 Catastrophic economy 

Having reunited after years of bitter infighting, the former KLA chiefs barely retained power in legislative elections in June.

But their majority is thin and observers say the fall of Haradinajs government could soon become a reality as in the parliament it depends on the support of 10 Serb MPs who oppose abolishing the war crimes court.

Meanwhile, the nationalist leftwing opposition Vetevendosje (Self-determination)  the strongest party in the country  faces its own power struggles.

The party is divided between supporters of its founder and leader Albin Kurti and those who oppose his re-election as party leader at regular vote due in the coming weeks.

Kosovos dismal economic situation has also blunted the enthusiasm of post-independence.

Nearly one Kosovar out of three is unemployed, with the jobless rate currently at 52 percent among 15-24 year old, according to Kosovos Agency of Statistics.

Although the average salary officially is 363 euro ($450), a third of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the United Nations.

While there is no official data, it is estimated that tens of thousands of people emigrate each year towards the western countries.

For Kosovars the priority is visa liberalisation for the European Unions passport-free Schengen zone. One more reason to not upset the West.
O'Meara was in New York working as part of a team helping to train fellow New York firefighters in hazardous materials. Free for the weekend, he remained land-bound, with some bitter comments about the government.

"You have to blame Trump and the Republicans for allowing the shutdown, and they shouldn't get paid," O'Meara said. "After all, working people who are out of jobs are not getting paid."

Also not earning money was Statue Cruises, which charges $18.50 per ticket to see the statue dedicated in 1886 as a gift from France. On normal days, as many as 3,000 people board the ferries to take a close look, said Rafael Abreu, spokesman for the ferry company whose offices are on Ellis Island. During the shutdown, at least half of the daily $55,000 or so in revenue would be lost.

On Saturday at the Manhattan ferry dock, Abreu said, "there was confusion and surprise  that the government had shut down, especially among the international visitors. They were shocked by this concept."

Saturday was also the last chance to see Liberty and Ellis islands for Mike Van Kirk, an accountant from Phoenix, who had to leave Saturday after a three-day visit with his wife. They were told Friday that tickets to see the statue were available, only to arrive in lower Manhattan the next morning and learn none was being sold.

"We're definitely disappointed," he said "I guess we'll just walk around now and go see anything's that's not government."

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WASHINGTON (AP) -

11:30 a.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says that if Democrats want to protect young immigrants in the country illegally, they should vote for a short-term spending bill.

The Wisconsin Republican says, "Open the government back up and then we'll get back to negotiating."

The federal government entered the second day of a shutdown Sunday.

Appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation," Ryan says good-faith negotiations on an immigration deal are taking place, though Democrats take issue with that assessment.

As a citizen, Donald Trump criticized President Barack Obama during the 2013 government shutdown for failing to "lead" and getting everyone in the room.

Ryan says on the current shutdown, "you can't blame Donald Trump for the Senate Democrats shutting down the government."

___

10:05 a.m.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is calling on Republicans to "sit down and talk" with Democrats on immigration in an effort to reopen the government.

The former Democratic presidential candidate said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that the reality is that it takes 60 votes in the Senate to get anything done.

He says, "What we should be doing is negotiating."

Sanders maintains that government funding legislation must provide legal status for the roughly 700,000 young immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children.

The White House has said it won't negotiate on immigration until Democrats vote to reopen the government.

Sanders is unapologetic about his own criticism of Republicans for shutting down the government in 2013, saying President Barack Obama wasn't going to repeal his health care law.

___

9:55 a.m.

Vice President Mike Pence is blasting Congress for playing politics with military pay by failing to keep the government open.

Pence told U.S. soldiers stationed near the Syrian border on Sunday: "You deserve better." He says the soldiers and their families "shouldn't have to worry about getting paid."

Pence spoke to troops in the Middle East as Democrats and Republicans in Congress show few signs of progress on negotiations to end the government shutdown.

The vice president says President Donald Trump's administration will will not reopen negotiations "on illegal immigration" until Congress reopens the government and until soldiers and their families receive "the benefits and wages you've earned."

Uniformed service members and law enforcement officers are among the essential government employees who will be working without pay until the federal government reopens.

___

9:50 a.m.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul is calling the shutdown blame game "ridiculous on both sides."

The senator from Kentucky said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union": "It's gamesmanship and it's partisanship."

Paul was among a handful of Republicans who voted with most Democrats against the House bill to keep the government open. He says he's opposed to short-term fiscal bills.

Paul called on Republican leadership in both chambers of Congress to commit to a week of debate and a vote on immigration legislation in the next month, to win over Democratic votes to reopen the government.

But Democrats are insisting that long-term funding legislation include protections for roughly 700,000 young immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children - not just a vote on their status.

___

9:40 a.m.

President Donald Trump says if the government shutdown drags on, Republicans should consider changing the rules in the Senate to make it easier to pass legislation without votes from Democrats.

But Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois says that would mean the end of the Senate as the Founding Fathers envisioned it.

The shutdown is now in its second day. Lawmakers are set to return to work on Capitol Hill later Sunday but there's no sign of a possible deal.

The Republican president is floating the idea of doing away with the 60-vote threshold to advance legislation and deny the minority party the chance to stall.

Senate Republicans now hold a 51-49 edge.

Durbin tells ABC's "This Week" that "we have to acknowledge a respect for the minority."

___

9:20 a.m.

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney is defending himself from charges of hypocrisy in his attacks on Democrats over the government shutdown, given his own role at the center of the last fiscal clash in 2013.

Mulvaney said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union: "Everything that was in the bill Democrats support and have voted for previously." He says, "This is pure politics."

Mulvaney was a conservative member of the House in 2013 when a showdown over "Obamacare" funding led to the last shutdown.

Mulvaney reiterated Sunday that the administration won't negotiate with Democrats on immigration or a longer-term spending bill until they vote to reopen the government.

He says, "They need to open the government tonight or tomorrow and then we can start talking."

___

12:45 a.m.

Feuding Democrats and Republicans in Congress are trying to dodge blame for a paralyzing standoff over immigration and showing few signs of progress on negotiations needed to end a government shutdown.

The finger-pointing played out in both the House and Senate, where lawmakers were eager to show voters they were actively working for a solution - or at least actively making the case the other party was at fault. The scene highlighted political stakes for both parties in an election-year shutdown.

Democrats refused to provide votes needed to reopen government until they strike a deal with President Donald Trump protecting young immigrants from deportation, providing disaster relief and boosting spending for opioid treatment and other domestic programs.

The Senate planned a vote by early Monday on a spending extension.
A protester who goes by the name Uni stands on top of a trailer outside the main gates of Kinder Morgan in Burnaby, B.C., Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. Municipalities and residents in British Columbia are set to argue that the proposed route of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion would damage sensitive ecosystems, harm public parks and trails and adversely impact homeowners.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Laura and Ed Thompson pose for a photo with their children Stephen, left to right, Claire and Jane in this undated handout photo. In 2015 after Ed Thompson enrolled in an experimental psychotherapy trial that used clinical-grade MDMA, also known as the party drug ecstasy, to treat patients suffering from severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. Thompson said the experience saved his life and kept his family together. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Ed Thompson *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Attorney Avi Levy is seen in his office in Montreal, Tuesday, November 28, 2017. Montreal's widely loathed quota system for traffic tickets is over, says Mayor Valerie Plante, as are lucrative performance bonuses for bosses that were tied to lower-level cops reaching the targets. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Burn damage can be seen on the exterior of the Intercontinental Hotel after a deadly attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Gunmen stormed the hotel and set off a 12-hour gun battle with security forces that continued into Sunday morning, as frantic guests tried to escape from fourth and fifth-floor windows. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)
EUGENE, Ore  Womens groups across the United States are preparing for the second annual Womens March. This is a nationwide movement that began following the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January 2016.

Marchers will take to the streets in Eugene at 1p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20 at the federal courthouse, 405 E. Eighth Avenue, and make their way to Whirled Pies downtown.

Lane Transit District will detour some routes in order to accommodate the Womens March in Eugene. The routes affected will include Route 1, 12, 13, 40, 51, 52, 66, 67 and 95, with 13 stops along these routes not being served by LTD buses.



Options for how to use the bus along these routes is available on the LTD website at www.LTD.org. Riders should expect some delays in the downtown area around the march and plan their trips accordingly. For more information regarding these detours or closed bus stops, visit the LTD website or follow service alerts on Twitter, @LaneTransit.

More than 20 groups are signed up to participate in the march, including Indivisible Eugene. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio is also participating.

Rally organizers hope for another successful march. There was a lot of anger and resistance last year about what had happened with the election and I think over the years, many people, including myself, have gone more from anger and resistance to peace and persistence, said marcher Karen Meyers.

Lane Transit District will detour some routes in order to accommodate the Womens March in Eugene. The routes affected will include Route 1, 12, 13, 40, 51, 52, 66, 67 and 95, with 13 stops along these routes not being served by LTD buses.

Options for how to use the bus along these routes is available on the LTD website at www.LTD.org. Riders should expect some delays in the downtown area around the march and plan their trips accordingly. For more information regarding these detours or closed bus stops, visit the LTD website or follow service alerts on Twitter, @LaneTransit.

Downtown Corvallis will host another Womens March called, Still We Rise. A group called the Corvallis Changemakers organized the event and joined forces with the National Organization for Women. The focus of this years march is womens rights. The rally starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20 in Central Park.

The 2018 National Womens March is Sunday, Jan. 21 and will be held in Las Vegas.
EUGENE, Ore.  The city of Eugene is promoting more peddling with a new bike share program they will introduce in April.

Rob Inerfeld, the transportation planning manager for the city, said there will be 30 bike stations. He said more than 300 bikes will be installed between the Whitaker neighborhood to the area past the University of Oregon.

Were really excited about the kind of bikes, Inerfeld said. They have a u-lock thats integrated into the bike so they are extra secure.

While this project has people like Inerfeld excited, bike shop business owners like Matt Ritzow are concerned of the impact this new project will have on their business.

Im a little conflicted, in communities where this has been done it usually does kill a lot of recreational business, Ritzow said.

Interfeld said the city is aware of the concerns business owners of small bike shops have, so they are not planning on placing any bike stations near a bike shop.

They are not going to put any stations right in my store, but Im also three or four blocks from the Hilton and some hotels downtown, where they will be concentrating their bike stations, Ritzow said. Thats where a lot of my customers come from.

The bike share program will cost a little less than a million dollars, and being funded through a grant from the state of Oregon, Infield said.
EUGENE, Ore. - Over winter break a contracted worker tore down signs that read "Immigrants Welcome" at the River Road/El Camino del Rio Elementary School.

The Eugene School District 4J said this is an act of vandalism, and it's being treated as such. They said the contracted worker in question no longer works for them.

However, the district said the signs will not be going back up because they're too political.

Kerry Delf, a spokesperson with the district, wanted to make it very clear that they support the message of welcoming immigrants and had no problem with those signs saying that.

"Children all have an equal right to access public education, no matter what their immigration status, that's true across the United States. And in the Eugene School District 4j, we really, truly welcome immigrants and all families in our schools," Delf said.

She said it was text written underneath the "Immigrants Welcome" message, that talked about the proposed wall and border, that made the posters too political.

Some parents have expressed that they're upset by this decision. One mother of twins that attend the elementary school, Kristidel McGregor, said that public school is a political entity in itself, and no matter what they'll be making a political decision.

"I definitely want the district to think about that, and to realize that by not saying something that's also a political act. When we decide to be silent about something that's also a political act," said McGregor.

McGregor also mentioned that several teachers she'd spoken to about the incident felt personally attacked by it. She said that especially in a minority dominant school like this one, those messages are important.

Delf, the district spokesperson, said there will be a new form of welcome on the walls of the elementary school in the form of student artwork. Many students were sad to see the posters gone and made some of their own posters welcoming immigrants.

Delf said this is a great representation of the students and teachers at this school as well as the attitude they represent.
SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP)  A northwest Iowa school superintendent has been given six months of probation after pleading guilty to drunken driving.

Court records say 58-year-old Rod Earleywine also was given a deferred judgment at his Dickinson County sentencing last month. Under a deferred judgment, records of his conviction will be expunged if he completes the terms of his probation.

Earleywine was arrested Aug. 5 in Spirit Lake. The records say Earleywine's blood alcohol level was above the legal limit in two tests.

The president of the Sergeant Bluff-Luton Community School District board has declined to comment about the case. On Thursday the district website still listed Earleywine as superintendent.
NEWTON, Iowa (AP) - An Ankeny man has been found guilty of kidnapping and sexually abusing girl in Jasper County.

The Courier reports that a jury on Friday found 57-year-old Jeff Lee Altmayer guilty of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree sexual abuse and two counts of enticing a minor. He faces life in prison when he's sentenced in February.

Altmayer was arrested after approached a 12-year-old girl and her friend in Colfax on Aug. 16, 2016. Police say he offered them $100 to come to his home in Des Moines and do yard work. Police say the 12-year-old got into his car, where Altmayer assaulted her.

Police say Altmayer is also awaiting charges for similar incidents of approaching children in Onawa and Dike, and Cedar Falls police say he is suspected of a similar incident there.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  A man accused of sale and possession of cocaine is pleading not guilty.

20-year-old Zakaria Abdi Mohamed of Rochester was arrested on September 20, 2017 after he was pulled over in the 1000 block of 4th Street SE. The Rochester Police Departments Criminal Interdiction Unit has a warrant out for Mohamed.

Officers say they found one ounce of powder cocaine, three cell phones, and $940 on Mohamed. He is charged with 1st degree sale and 2nd degree possession of a controlled substance.

Mohameds trial is set for March 26.
CAIRO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Egypt is looking to offer shares in eight to 10 state companies on the stock exchange over the next 18 months, Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy told Reuters on Sunday, as part of a drive to attract foreign investors.

The government is launching an IPO programme that will offer shares in dozens of state-owned companies over the next three to five years in areas including oil, services, chemicals, shipping and real estate.

The government said previously they expected the first share offering in the first quarter of 2018, in oil company ENPPI. (reporting by Eric Knecht, editing by John Stonestreet)
By Jhoo Dong-chan



The European Union's (EU) possible move to delist Korean from its blacklist of tax havens is raising concern that the decision may discourage foreign investment and hiring in the future, running counter to President Moon Jae-in's pledge to become a "job president."



Questioning the government's tax benefit system favoring foreign firms, the EU included Korea in its tax shelter blacklist last month. The government said it will comply with demands from the EU, which is likely to exclude Korea from its "non-cooperative jurisdiction for tax purposes" list this week.



"The country is already a Republic of Regulations. Incoming foreign firms have continuously stressed their difficulties doing business in Korea," said a foreign business official, asking for anonymity.



"If the government fails to create a favorable environment for businesses, foreign companies will downsize their investments as well as employment."



In a bid to attract foreign enterprises, the government has provided tax benefits for companies that invest in the nation's free economic and foreign investment zones.



The EU has asked the government to stop providing such benefits favoring foreign firms only, claiming it is reverse discrimination against domestic companies.



The havens list, formerly known as Non-cooperative Tax Jurisdictions, was prepared by the European Council's Code of Conduct Group, a body formed by tax experts drawn from every member country that deals specifically with issues related to business taxation.



EU finance ministers said they decided to "name and shame" 17 countries after months of screening and negotiations, stepping up efforts to fight against opaque practices across the globe.



They added the blacklisted countries could face sanctions for failing to bring their standards in line with the world's largest trading bloc.



Government officials immediately met with EU representatives last week to study a possible settlement for removal from the blacklist.



The meeting took place ahead of this year's first EU finance ministers meeting, Jan. 23, and a government official said it was certain that Korea would be delisted.



"We met EU and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) officials in Paris, France, to discuss a possible solution to the nation's harmful system. We promised to improve our taxation system by the end of this year," a finance ministry official said.



Recognizing the government's commitment, the EU's code of conduct working group on business taxation recommended to move Korea from the blacklist of Non-cooperative Jurisdictions for tax purposes to a gray list of countries that will be monitored for compliance.



Along with Korea, seven other countries _ Barbados, Grenada, Macau, Mongolia, Panama, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates _ are also expected to be considered for removal from the blacklist during the finance ministers meeting in Brussels.








Exterior of Pyunghwaok at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport . Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young



By Yun Suh-young

INCHEON  The much-hyped Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport held its grand opening Thursday, amid massive media and public attention.

The second terminal boasts smarter, more efficient facilities than the existing Terminal 1, allowing travelers to save time going through the departure procedures with automated services.

It also has better food options  in response to criticism that Terminal 1 had a lot of restaurants but not many worth eating at.

At Terminal 2, the eateries are dominated by local conglomerates such as Ourhome, SPC and Lotte GRS. SPC holds the largest amount of stores  26 consisting of 18 brands, while Lotte GRS runs 12 stores. Ourhome takes up the largest space with 3,086 square meters consisting of two food courts and two concept stores.

On the departure floor, SPC settled in the central section with Paris Baguette and Coffee@Works while Lotte GRS has Lotteria's Burger Lab on the same floor. Ourhome conquered the arrivals floor on B1, with a huge chunk of space dubbed the "Korean Food Street" hosting brands it holds.

A big characteristic of the eateries in Terminal 2 is that there are more authentic Korean restaurants than in Terminal 1. Whether or not this is intended, the new terminal will likely please locals as well as curious foreign travelers in Korea for the first time.

The "Korean Food Street" made efforts to bring in unique local brands such as "Soonheene Bindaeddeok" (Soonhee's pancakes), which is a franchised version of the original one available only at Gwangjang Market in Seoul, or "Namdaemun Gamaegol Sonmandu" (dumplings) available at Namdaemun Market. There are also popular brands such as "Bukchangdong Soondooboo," "Kyodong Jjambbong" and "Hanokjib Kimchijjim." According to the explanation on the wall, the street "reinterprets the Korean market into an avenue of taste and stories," with a selection of "local eateries that have been loved by Koreans for a long time." Ironically on the opposite side of the Korean Food Street is the American burger chain Shake Shack, operated by SPC.

Michelin chef's casual take

Amid the culinary battle of the conglomerates, there's one restaurant that definitely stands out.

Pyunghwaok, a casual Korean restaurant run by Michelin-starred chef Yim Jung-sik, sits on the third floor above the departure area, literally sticking out overhead. It is the only restaurant in Terminal 2 that is run by a private owner.

Yim's contemporary Korean fine dining restaurant Jungsik in Seoul received two Michelin stars last year, bumped up from its previous one. He also runs Jungsik in New York.

Yim, who invited the press to try out his food Wednesday, ahead of the terminal's opening Thursday, said his purpose of opening this restaurant was to connect more international visitors to Korean food.

"I immediately accepted the offer when the airport suggested a space because it would be great place to start our casual Korean restaurant business. An airport is where people from all over the world gather in one place. Our initial plan of opening in Japan to target the Asian market changed direction to serve the larger global audience," said Yim.

The restaurant serves Korean food from both the South and North, with an aspiration to connect the two separated countries. Growing interest overseas about North Korea also helped in developing the concept.

"People overseas are more aware of North Korea than the South. I thought they'd naturally be interested in North Korean food as well. If I opened a North Korean restaurant in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York, it would cause a lot of hype," said Yim.

"So I thought bringing North Korean food into the menu would be interesting for foreign guests, while it's also a great opportunity to build bridges between two countries as both types of food are served here." The name Pyunghwaok came naturally; it translates to "peace house." The brand logo also has elements of North Korea, as well as international references from the curves that resemble Aladdin's pointed shoes or men's mustaches.

Pyunghwaok's main dish is "gukbap" which is rice dipped in soup.

"I concluded that gukbap will succeed as international food after numerous experiments in pop-up restaurants I opened prior to this. The commonality among popular international food such as Vietnam's pho, Thailand's tom yum goong and Japan's ramen is that they are a combination of carbohydrates and soup. Dipping rice into soup is uniquely Korean culture so I decided on gukbap and Pyongyang naengmyeon (cold noodles) as the two signature dishes on the menu," said Yim. The two represent dishes from South and North Korea.

As for the gukbap, otherwise called "gomtang," Yim said he decided on spicy red gomtang as the signature dish, instead of the mild white version.

"Spiciness is no longer a problem for foreigners. When I took foreign chefs to local eateries in Korea, they didn't like the mild gukbap saying it tasted like consomme. They preferred the red spicy ones," said Yim.

The restaurant is a result of keen observations and multiple trial and errors. The communal table in the middle of the restaurant is inspired by Japanese bars in New York, according to Yim.

"What made Japanese food popular in the U.S. is the culture of eating at the bar. So I thought of bringing that concept to Pyunghwaok and merging it with Korea's unique banchan (side dishes) culture. Foreigners find it fascinating to have free side dishes served on the table, but for restaurateurs, it's a huge expense to give it out for free. So I made side dishes such as kimchi available at the communal table for customers to serve themselves the amount they wish to eat. This reduces food waste," he said.

Yim seems to be leading a new trend, right at the outset. The next wave of food trends, he says, will no longer be fine dining.

"The demand for fine dining is decreasing. Chefs are no longer opening fine dining restaurants because of low demand. Instead, the up and coming trend is authentic local cuisine. If I indulged myself in spreading new Korean food for the past 10 years, I'll focus on spreading real Korean food in the next decade," said Yim.
Macron admits France probably would have backed quitting the EU if it held a referendum and reveals he is trying to use Brexit to lure bankers away from London

By Kate Ferguson, Political Correspondent For Mailonline 21 January 2018 Emmanuel Macron has admitted that France would probably have voted to leave the European Union if it had held a referendum.The French President said frustration at Brussels across the Channel could have boiled over to a Leave vote if they were offered a choice.He said he opposes offering the public an 'in/out' choice on their relationship with the bloc.Mr Macron also admitted that he is trying to use Brexit to lure businesses away from the City of London and to Paris.In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show he was asked directly if his country would have backed 'Frexit' if offered the choice.He said: 'Probably, in a similar context. But our context was very different.'I definitely would have fought very hard to win - but I think it is a mistake if you just ask '"yes or no"'.But Mr Macron added that he would not want to place 'a bet' on the outcome of an EU referendum vote in France.The French president was speaking to the broadcaster earlier this week when he visited Sandhurst to hold a summit on defence with Theresa May.He also made it plain that France is trying to swoop in on the lucrative business in the City of London and lure them across the Channel because of Brexit.He said: 'Sure we want to attract maximum activity. Why? Because this decision has an impact for a lot of players.'As a result of the EU referendum they will have to choose between the different cities, so there is a competition between the different cities.'Rival financial centres like Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam are desperately trying to attract some of the City of London's booming businesses.It comes after Mr Macron made an audacious pitch for them to move to Paris to the world's press in Downing Street while still a candidate last year.In the interview, he also said that Britain's financial services sector cannot get full access to the single market without paying into the EU's budget.Theresa May has said she wants Britain to get a bespoke trade deal with the European Union.And she received a boost when Mr Macron have his support for a unique deal to be thrashed out.But he warned the Prime Minister that there can be no 'cherry picking' of the single market and that staying in it would mean signing up to free movement. big payments into the EU's budget and abiding by the EU's rules.
By Yi Whan-woo





North Korea has released posters that promote inter-Korean cooperation, in the lead-up to its participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.







Pyongyang's move comes amid speculations that it is reaching out to Seoul to dampen the growing alliance between the latter and Washington.







North Korean posters are notorious for their militaristic and anti-American messages, but the ones released by North Korea's Uriminzokkiri propaganda website last week stressed cross-border relations, and specifically reconciliation, solidarity, self-reliance and unification.







One of the posters depicts a "unified Korea" flag that shows an undivided Korean Peninsula on the one hand and a group of people carrying the flags walking side by side on the other.







The poster states, "Let us actively form an atmosphere aimed at reconciliation and unification," and has slogans commonly used by the North in its strategy for the South, such as "uriminzokkiri," meaning "on our own as a nation, "solidarity of the people," "self-reliant unification" and "self-reliance of the people."







A different poster that shows people looking up to a brightly shining Peninsula, states, "Improvement on the North-South relations in 2018" and "Let us light up this meaningful year and leave a noteworthy record of achievements!"







A third poster portrays a boy and a girl dressed in traditional Korean clothing releasing pigeons into the sky, as the pigeons fly in a formation in the shape of the Peninsula.







It shows a black missile that states, "U.S. rehearsal for invasion of the North," being shattered into pieces. The poster also states, "Let's ease military tension between the North and the South and prepare a peaceful environment on the Peninsula first!"


By Yi Whan-woo

A North Korean delegation headed by Moranbong Band leader Hyon Song-wol arrived in South Korea, Sunday, to discuss preparations for performances by the North's top arts troupes during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

This was the first visit by North Korean officials to the South since October 2014 when three aides of leader Kim Jong-un -- Hwang Pyong-so, Choe Ryong-hae and Kim Yang Gon -- attended the closing ceremony for the Incheon Asian Games.

The Hyon-led delegation's trip also comes as the two Koreas are scheduled to send delegates to each other's country this week in joint preparations for South Korea's first Winter Games.

The two sides agreed on a scheduled visit of a 12-member Seoul delegation to the Masikryong Ski Resort from Jan. 23 to 25, while the North notified the South that a team of eight officials will visit PyeongChang to inspect the Olympic venues and accommodation.

Cheong Wa Dae said North Korea's participation in the Winter Olympics is expected to help easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

"It will work to lay the groundwork for the easing of tensions and the establishment of peace on the peninsula, in addition to the reconciliation of the two Koreas," Yoon Young-chan, chief press secretary to President Moon Jae-in, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the seven delegates looked around the Gangneung Arts Center, where North Korea's Samjiyon Orchestra is expected to perform next month, after crossing the Demilitarized Zone and stopping by in Seoul.

Hyon co-leads Kim's favorite pop group, the Moranbong Band, and the 140-member orchestra.

The delegates wrapped up the first leg of their two-day trip at the Golden Tulip Skybay Hotel in Gangeung, about 60 kilometers northeast of PyeongChang.












Ministry's inaction forces women to have "illegal-yet-common" abortion



By Lee Kyung-min



A Nepalese woman in her 20s had an abortion a couple of months ago. The foreign worker who works at a farm in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, paid 2 million won ($1,870) to terminate the pregnancy at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic (ob/gyn) in the region. "I had no choice but to pay the cost that was much higher than my monthly wage," said the woman who makes 1.4 million won per month. She and her Nepalese boyfriend who also works at the farm paid 1 million won each.



"After I had an unprotected sex with my boyfriend, I got worried and went to a pharmacy to buy emergency contraception. But the pharmacist kept saying that the pill was sold only with doctor's prescription. There was nothing I could do." It was Friday evening and there were no ob/gyn clinics near where she worked. Levonorgestrel-based emergency contraceptives can be taken within 72 hours of having unprotected sex, but its effectiveness decreases if taken more than 12 hours later.



It wasn't until the following Monday evening when she finally made it to the clinic as she could not ask her employer for time off to go to a clinic. "I was not covered by the National Health Insurance Service so I paid 40,000 won to see the doctor, and I paid 100,000 won extra to get the emergency contraception." Many other tests that she couldn't refuse cost her more money.



About two months later she realized she had missed a period and went to the clinic again only to find out she was pregnant. She had no choice but to have an abortion as she was not ready to have the baby. Word traveled fast among the small community. Women with similar stories came to her for help, and she recommended the doctor to three others including women from her home country and Sri Lanka.



"If only I had the pill, that whole experience could have been avoided."



She is among many women living in Korea, a country where abortion is illegal but common. Women who have abortions here are subject to a prison term of up to one year or a fine of up to 2 million won. Abortion-performing doctors in theory could face up to two years in prison, but they usually get a 1 to 2 million won fine or a suspended prison sentence. Exceptions include cases of rape, incest, or when a severe hereditary defect is found in the fetus or the woman's health could be in danger.



Ministry of Health and Welfare 2010 data estimated that about 168,000 abortions are carried out a year, but doctors say the number was at least 500,000 and possibly up to 800,000.







Women in "advanced" Korea denied easy access to emergency contraception







In May 2016, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety failed to revise a guideline on emergency contraception, saying the pill should be available only with a doctor's prescription, drawing fierce opposition from women's groups that called the decision "a further restriction on women's right to reproductive health."



Citing its own commissioned report of 6,500 men and women aged between 15 and 59 between 2013 and 2015, the ministry said in a statement that the guidelines should be left unchanged citing a lack of social consensus due to concerns over possible misuse or overuse of the pill. That would, the ministry added, follow a socially more accepting attitude toward sexual activities expected after the pill became available over the counter. It also cited a lack of public knowledge about oral contraceptives in general and possible side effects. Despite mounting calls to disclose the report in which the ministry maintained the much-criticized guidelines, it failed to make it public.



However, in the 728-page report reviewed by The Korea Times, data from the European Consortium for Emergency Contraception (ECEC) showed pills containing up to 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel are available without a doctor's prescription in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, France and Germany, as well as many other "advanced" countries.



That is in stark contrast to the situation in Korea, which claims to be advanced in all other aspects otherwise.



According to data from the Korea Institute of Drug Safety & Risk Management, a ministry-supervised organization, out of 14 emergency contraceptive pills currently available on the market, six have only 0.75 milligrams of levonorgestrel per pill and seven have 1.5 milligrams per pill, all of which are impossible to purchase without a doctor's prescription. Even for ellaOne 30, containing 30 milligrams of ulipristal acetate per pill, the intake of which requires more caution, a committee for medicinal products for human use under the European Medicines Agency advised that it "can be used safely and effectively without medical prescription" in 2014.



Meanwhile, unlike the claimed "high and constant risk" of the pills' side effects, data cited in the ministry statement showed no significant ones were reported in 2014 and 2015, with three cases reported in 2013. The Korea Times requested details on the specific side effects but the ministry official declined to answer saying it would take a few weeks.



The ministry fears women would seek new prescriptions within a month of taking the pill, which it said was an example of overuse. However, women's rights groups countered that saying it disregarded the possibility of them vomiting up the pill, in which case another dose should be taken immediately. Vomiting, dizziness, breast tenderness or headaches are common side effects exhibited by women who took the pill.







Ministry rebuffs WHO guidelines









The World Health Organization recommends provision of emergency contraception. "All women and girls at risk of an unintended pregnancy have a right to access emergency contraception and these methods should be routinely included within all national family planning programs," it says. "There are no absolute medical contraindications to the use of emergency contraception. There are no age limits for the use of emergency contraception."



The side effects from the use of the emergency contraceptive pills, it added, include nausea and vomiting, slight irregular vaginal bleeding, and fatigue. "Side effects are not common, they are mild, and will normally resolve without further medications. Frequent use of emergency contraception can result in increased side effects, such as menstrual irregularities, although their repeated use poses no known health risks."



When asked by The Korea Times whether the current measure goes against the WHO recommendation, the ministry official said, "Regardless of the WHO recommendation, each country maintains the discretion to implement healthcare policies it deems fit. The ministry's stance is the same as 2016."



When asked about the pills sold online for around 100,000 won, the ministry official said, "We simply cannot be held accountable for that because we cannot prevent the sellers from opening up a website. There's nothing much we can do other than referring the websites that get reported to us to the Korea Communications Commission."












By Park Si-soo







A community college professor is being investigated for alleged sexual harassment against female staff members, police said Sunday.







Gumi Police Station said three women filed a complaint early this month, claiming the professor made "inappropriate" physical contact several times between 2006 and 2016.







The school's audit team recently interrogated the women and then asked school authorities to sack the professor. Police said they would summon the professor soon.







According to reports, the professor, 55, has worked at the collage for nearly 20 years, during which he was once chairman of an intramural anti-sexual crime committee.


Police officials inspect a motel in the Jongno district of Seoul, Saturday, which was set on fire by a drunk man earlier that day. / Yonhap



Six die and four injured in motel fire



By Kim Jae-heun



The prosecution has arrested a 53-year old man, Sunday, who started a fire at a motel in Jongno after the owner refused to phone a call-girl for him at 2 a.m., Saturday. The fire killed six guests and injured four others sleeping there.



Police sought an arrest warrant for the man, identified by his surname Yoo, through prosecution Saturday, and a court approved it Sunday.



The man turned himself in after the blaze and is currently in police custody.



Officers who were at the crime scene one hour prior to the incident said Yoo was drunk but could communicate and was sitting quietly in front of the motel when they first arrived. The police officers took Yoo to a subway station to go home.



Instead, Yoo bought 10 liters of gasoline at a nearby gas station and went back to the motel. Then he poured the gasoline on the floor before setting it alight.



The fire was reported to authorities at 3:07am and 50 fire engines along with 180 fire fighters were dispatched to the site.



Four people were found dead on the first floor and one was found dead on the second. The deceased victims, two men and three women, ranged in age from their 20s to 50s. The three women were later identified as a mother and her two daughters.



Among the four injured people, two were in a serious condition and had to receive CPR but are now in a stable condition. Two guests had reportedly been living in the motel for two years; while one had been staying there for three days.



The police said there were so many casualties because it was hard for fire trucks to access the motel, which was located in an ally and the road was too narrow.



Another reason for the large number of deaths and injuries was that the building was old and had many combustible materials such as blankets and wooden doors. Also the motel did not have emergency fire sprinklers installed and the gasoline-induced fire made it harder for extinguishers brought to the site by neighbors to contain the fire.



The police said the man admitted to the crime.



"I thought of prostitution after drinking alcohol and I knew motels were gathered in that area, so I just went into the first one I saw," Yoo told the police during questioning.



Yoo asked the owner to call a prostitute for him but the owner refused and they got involved in a quarrel.



Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon went to inspect the site, expressing his condolences over the deaths on Twitter.




By Lee Kyung-min



The prosecution searched the homes of key officials at the scandal-ridden company DAS, through which former President Lee Myung-bak allegedly managed a 12 billion won (11 million) slush fund. This "investment" was returned in full unlike those of 5,500 others who lost a combined 100 billion won in a stock manipulation scandal in 2001.

This was part of a widening investigation into Lee over allegations that after taking office in 2013 he abused his presidency and mobilized multiple government agencies to have the money returned in what could have been a failed investment a few years ago. He may be questioned as early as next month or in March after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.



Investigators searched the homes of four high-ranking DAS officials including Shin Hak-su, who served as a presidential secretary for general affairs as well as a civil affairs official under the Lee administration, to confiscate documents containing financial records and details on decision-making processes, as well as personal belongings. Shin, who began working as the company auditor in 2015, was a key aide to Lee ever since he was a lawmaker. He also helped him with the election campaign when he ran for the Seoul city mayor post.



Shin, as a presidential secretary, is alleged to have played a key role as a messenger between Cheong Wa Dae and an unidentified number of figures involved in helping DAS get the investment returned. He also delivered Lee's orders to his older brother, Lee Sang-eun, the ostensible owner of DAS, on major decisions concerning the company's financial status.



This allegation was substantiated by a former chauffeur who worked for Lee Sang-eun for 18 years. The man said in an interview with multiple media outlets that it took only three months for him to realize that Lee Myung-bak was the de facto owner of the company, information all company workers knew. Up until 2008, he said, DAS's accounting books were all hand-written, which he and others knew was a convenient way for Lee Myung-bak to use an unlimited amount of company funds. DAS even paid even for cars he bought with company cash.



DAS invested 19 billion won through an investment consulting company BBK, managed by Kim Kyung-jun, in 1999. Following a stock-rigging scam two years later, Kim left the country with 38 billion won in embezzled BBK funds.

Most investors lost their money, but only those close to Lee had money returned including DAS which received 5 billion won, about a quarter of its initial investment. Amid a civil suit against BBK, filed by many victims seeking compensation, Kim only gave DAS the remaining 14 billion won, which included 12 billion won in what is suspected to be the slush fund, returning the full amount of the investment. The prosecution suspects the foreign ministry was involved, given Kim transferred the money from his Swiss bank account.



Meanwhile, in a hand-written confession recently submitted by former DAS head Kim Sung-woo to prosecutors, he retracted earlier statements made during prosecution investigations in 2007 and 2008. At that time, Kim said DAS was unrelated to the former president.










People rush toward buses carrying North Korean delegates at Gangneung Station, Sunday. Hundreds of people gathered at the station to see the delegates. / Yonhap



By Lee Min-hyung and Joint Press Corps





Hyon Song-wol, head of North Korea's Samjiyon Orchestra, which is scheduled to perform in Seoul and Gangneung next month, is seen aboard a KTX high-speed train bound for Gangneung at Seoul Station. / Yonhap

Hyon Song-wol, head of a North Korean orchestra which is scheduled to perform in South Korea during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, drew the most attention among North Korean delegates who arrived here, Sunday, for preparations of the performances.

On Sunday morning, a seven-person North Korean delegation  led by Hyon  arrived at Seoul Station to pre-inspect performance facilities for the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics next month.

With both Koreas building a peaceful mood ahead of the sporting event, all eyes have been on her planned visit to the Olympics venue.

Hyon's fashion has particularly attracted a huge spotlight from the public and media upon her arrival. She wore an oversized black long coat with a fur muffler, which gave her a chic and luxurious image. The oversized coat is also in line with the fashion trend in Korea, with similar outfits gaining years-long popularity from young celebrities here.

The grayish muffler and black ankle boots also stood out, highlighting her lavish formal style for a state visit. Her accessories  a ring on her left hand and a bejeweled hairpin  also gave her a more stylish image.

The delegation swiftly passed through Seoul Station to take the nation's high-speed KTX train to an art facility in Gangwon Province where the Hyon-led Samjiyon Orchestra will deliver a performance during the Games.

She did not look nervous, keeping her facial expression in line with the image of the outfit.

This is not the first time that one of Hyon's outfits has made headlines here and abroad. Last week, she also drew attention with her green clutch bag when joining a working-level meeting with her South Korean counterparts in the truce village of Panmunjeom. The bag was similar in design to handbags from French luxury brand, Hermes.

Hyon will look at other gymnasiums in Seoul and the Olympics venue, before returning to North Korea on Monday.




By Lee Kyung-min



The Seoul Metropolitan Government wants to make an odd-even vehicle use ban mandatory to counter worsening air pollution. Under the ban, vehicles with odd-number plates must not be driven on even-numbered dates and vice-versa.

The city implemented the ban three times last week as the capital was covered with Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5. But it failed to persuade many people to leave their cars at home _ fewer than 10 percent of people did so. Vehicle emissions are one of the main sources of fine dust that produces PM 2.5.



In a rare Sunday press briefing, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said he would push harder to revise a law to make the odd-even vehicle ban mandatory when the PM 2.5 concentration average is over 50 micrometers for more than two days. Currently, the city can only issue non-binding recommendations with no penalty for people who fail to follow them.

"The access to clean air and clean water is a basic right," Park said. "Concerns over PM 2.5 were particularly high among mothers with children. The city will seek all possible measures to allay such concerns."



As well as a mandatory ban, the mayor wants to implement a system under which all vehicles will be given one of seven grades based on their eco-friendliness. Vehicles belonging to the top two grades will be exempt from paying toll fares during rush hours and fees for public parking lots. Owners of vehicles belonging to the bottom two grades will be gradually banned from driving them.



The city will also invest 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) over the next five years to build infrastructure for electric vehicles. In November, the city said it would push for 100,000 electric vehicles to run in the city by 2025. The money will be spent on installing chargers.



Park also defended his measure to make public transport free on days when there is high PM 2.5 concentrations, and reiterated that he would push these eco-friendly initiatives despite critics questioning their validity. "I am aware of the criticism about the public transport fare exemptions, but I believe it is significant that the measure increased awareness on environmental issues." The free public transport during rush hours (between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.) drew criticism from the public and politicians. It costs 5 billion won ($4.7 million) a day.



Seoul City Councilor Park Jin-hyung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Thursday that the city should change the policy, which he said was being pursued unnecessarily. Some critics say the fare exemption is a populist move ahead of the June election during which Mayor Park will seek a third term.


By James M. Dorsey



The $6.85 billion acquisition in 2006 of Peninsular & Oriental (P&O) Steam Navigation Company, a storied British shipping and logistics company, by Dubai's state-owned DP World, one the world's largest port management and terminal operators, sparked fears that governments could employ cash-rich sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) and state-run companies as political muscle.



Twelve years later, with the Middle East fighting multiple battles and external powers jockeying for influence, those fears have proven justified despite the adoption in the wake of the sale of nonbinding guidelines for sovereign funds that manage hundreds of billions of dollars.



Concern that an Arab state would, post 9/11, gain control of some of the busiest terminals in U.S. ports, including New York, Newark, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Miami, forced DP World to exclude P&O's American assets from the deal.



The worries prompted the creation of a multilateral international working group chaired by a senior UAE financial official alongside an International Monetary Fund executive that in 2008 adopted the Santiago Principles designed to "ensure that the SWF undertakes investments without any intention or obligation to fulfill, directly or indirectly, any geopolitical agenda of the government."



Enforcing adherence to the principles has proven easier said than done. With the UAE, whose 1.4 million citizens account for a mere 15 percent of its population of 10 million, projecting itself as a regional military power in the war in Yemen and through the establishment of foreign military bases, DP World has since the U.S. debacle been acquiring ports rights globally, including in countries where the UAE military is active.



To be sure, DP World's expansion in the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden often makes economic sense and may well have been initially commercially driven in cases like the agreement in 2008 to operate for a period of 30 years the Yemeni port of Aden, once the British empire's busiest port. The company lost its contract four years later because of its failure to invest.



The port has since taken on even greater geopolitical significance with the UAE military's focus on Aden and alleged backing for a secessionist movement in southern Yemen in the almost three-year-old Saudi-led military intervention in the country that has allowed DP World to again enter into negotiations about assisting in rebuilding Yemen's maritime and trade sector that would likely include the company's return to the Aden port.



DP World's involvement in Aden tallies in geopolitical terms with its own as well as the UAE's expansion elsewhere in the Horn of Africa. The company won two years ago a 30-year concession, with an automatic 10-year extension, for the management and development of a multi-purpose deep seaport in Berbera in the breakaway region of Somaliland.



Berbera faces South Yemen across the strategic Bab al Mandab Strait, through which some 4 million barrels of oil flow daily. The UAE military is training Somaliland forces and creating an air and naval facility to protect shipping.



DP World was also developing the port of Bosaso in Puntland, another Somali breakaway region, and was discussing involvement in a third Somali port in Barawe. The Somali ports compliment a UAE military base in Eritrea's Assab as well as various facilities in Yemen.



"Money and politics make a combustible mix: If you don't get the formula right, it can blow up in your face," analysts Adam Ereli and Theodore Karasik warned in a recent Foreign Policy article about the role of sovereign wealth funds in relations between Russia and the Gulf.



In one instance, Kirill Dmitriev, a close associate of President Vladimir Putin and the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), met in early January 2017l in the Seychelles with Blackwater founder Erik Prince, a supporter of President Donald J. Trump and the brother of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in an effort to create a U.S.-Russian back channel. The meeting, days before Mr. Trump's inauguration, was arranged by UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.



The meeting occurred as the UAE, Saudi and other Gulf sovereign funds as well as DP World earmarked $20 billion for investments in infrastructure, energy, transportation, and military production through RDIF as a way of strengthening relations with Russia. RDIF is one of several Russian entities sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury.



"Even if allowances are made for sectoral and geographic diversification, the level of allocations to these markets is out of proportion to their size and viability," Ereli and Karasik said. In a separate article for the Jamestown Foundation, Karasik argued that "the Gulf states are using their economic strength to flex their political muscle, in order to invest in Russia at a time when Moscow's embattled economy is struggling with low oil prices."



Debate about the political role of sovereign wealth funds subsided with the adoption of the Santiago Principles. Those principles are currently being flaunted in an environment of greater economic nationalism, reduced U.S. emphasis on transparency and democratic values, Russian and Chinese focus on economic benefit, and Gulf governments that have become more assertive in flexing their muscles and asserting themselves internationally.



Gulf sovereign wealth funds have learned the lessons of DP World's U.S. experience and are likely to be more cautious in ensuring that potential future investments in the U.S. do not challenge Trump's "America First" principle as well as his emphasis on security. Elsewhere, they operate in an environment in which the Santiago Principles fall by the wayside and governments face little criticism of their use of sovereign wealth funds as geopolitical tools.





Dr. James M. Dorsey (jmdorsey@questfze.com) is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, co-director of the University of Wurzburg's Institute for Fan Culture, and co-host of the New Books in Middle Eastern Studies podcast.






By Chang Se-moon





Yesterday, I was walking around Myeong-dong, the best-known shopping area in Seoul. I noticed something very strange. The Myeong-dong that I knew was a vibrant, bustling, energetic, and fashionable place full of shoppers.



The Myeong-dong that I saw yesterday was exactly the opposite. The place was lethargic, no shoppers, and everybody staring with no focus. How could that be?



The story goes back to 2018, 12 years ago from today. The Korean economy was booming with smiles from everyone and shoppers everywhere. Korea then elected a new president who had a great vision to make Korea a better place to live, especially for those struggling to make ends meet and for those who had been treated badly by the rich and the powerful.



The new president had an admirable trait for social justice and humanitarian spirit.



The new president and his intelligent economic advisers, full of empathy for the poor, began to carry out ambitious programs to make their noble dreams a reality. At that time, many Koreans thought that the new leaders were truly great ones.



These leaders proposed to require all businesses to convert part-time employees to full-time employees with higher wages and benefits. They even gave subsidies to businesses that might have had difficulty in paying for the conversion.



It was not clear in the beginning, but many later noticed that businesses stopped hiring.



These leaders raised the minimum wage by a large margin, thinking that it was criminal to pay such low wages. Unknown to them there were many micro-businesses headed by hard-working women, barely surviving with helpers who were paid the minimum wage. I recall that in 2018, streets were full of these micro-businesses.



When many of these businesses voiced their concerns that their businesses could not survive the new high minimum wage, the good leaders required property owners to lower rents so that these micro-businesses could survive.



Again, it was not clear in the beginning, but many later noticed that property owners stopped repairing the broken windows, leaking roofs, and peeling wallpaper. Most micro-businesses eventually had to close, because customers stopped coming to filthy places that property owners stopped even providing bare minimal maintenance.



These leaders also voiced their strong support for organized unions whose leaders enjoyed one of the highest earnings during the boom years. When these unions led to the temporary closure of their plants, the leaders pressured business owners to accept their demands, whatever they might have been.



It was not clear in the beginning, but many later noticed that new Korean businesses were showing up all over the world with the exception of in Korea.



These leaders, who were elected owing to street demonstrators called the "candlelit generation" at the time, proposed to reward these demonstrators by proposing that the time they demonstrated should be counted as work experience in pay and promotion decisions. When opposition to the measure grew louder, the leaders temporarily gave up on the idea of rewarding street demonstrators who were instrumental in their election.



It was too late, however. Whenever there were controversial issues, the number of people participating in street demonstration grew larger and larger. These demonstrations became more frequent as well, threatening the already fragile economy.



Finally, these benevolent leaders came up with a brilliant idea that owners and chief executive officers of large corporations had to be reined in to make sure of their support for the numerous government programs that the leaders had designed to help the poor and the weak. The justice-minded leaders began to prosecute CEOs of large corporations as a lesson to all businesses.



It was not clear in the beginning, but many began to notice that large businesses left their CEO positions vacant because no one applied for them. Soon, these large businesses became small- and medium-sized businesses with many employees becoming no longer employed.



By the time there was a new election in 2022, and new leaders replaced old reform-minded visionary leaders, the Korean economy was on the verge of collapse and the crippled economy was barely functioning.



Today, early in 2030, I saw many arguing on TV over who was responsible for the crippled economy. The consensus appeared to focus on reform-minded leaders of 2018. The latest program on TV then focused on who among those 2018 leaders was responsible for the demise of the once-booming Korean economy.



Economic advisers of those early days blamed the president during 2018, stating that they just followed orders, and it was all the president's fault. The president blamed economic advisers, stating that the policies were all designed by economic advisers who convinced him of their success.



Today, I came back to Myeong-dong to look around, feeling sorry for economic advisers who never understood "Econ 101" and the 2018 president whose brain never quite matched his golden heart.





Chang Se-moon (changsemoon@yahoo.com) is the director of the Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial policy of The Korea Times.




Dixie Cup said: Sure, lets scrap NAFTA - we can afford it! I mean, according to some economists I heard that Alberta stands to lose $80 Billion a year if it's scrapped so how much is scrapping it going to cost other provinces? I mean, Justin wants to "help" the middle class doesn't he?





Goods shipped from the US will cost more; goods shipped by businesses will cost more - what the hay? No problem.





And Justin is determined to tie LGBTQ, indigenous and/or human rights issues to trade - that really makes a lot of sense if you were talking to say, CHINA or IRAN but of course, he's not. We must remember that no one has any rights at all in the gold ol' U.S of A.





So ya, lets scrap the bloody thing and watch as our unemployment rate increases as businesses close and/or move. Good idea!!





JMHO Click to expand...

Sure, lets scrap NAFTA - we can afford it! I mean, according to some economists I heard that Alberta stands to lose $80 Billion a year if it's scrapped so how much is scrapping it going to cost other provinces? I mean, Justin wants to "help" the middle class doesn't he?Goods shipped from the US will cost more; goods shipped by businesses will cost more - what the hay? No problem.And Justin is determined to tie LGBTQ, indigenous and/or human rights issues to trade - that really makes a lot of sense if you were talking to say, CHINA or IRAN but of course, he's not. We must remember that no one has any rights at all in the gold ol' U.S of A.So ya, lets scrap the bloody thing and watch as our unemployment rate increases as businesses close and/or move. Good idea!!JMHOThat should reas ... goods shipped TO the U.S. will cost businesses more but hey they make "mucho" dollars and can afford it so just like raising the minimum wage, no one is going to suffer. Really! (tongue in cheek).I hate this auto correct!!! should be "good ol' U.S. of A" .Guess I shouldn't hit the post button and re-read a couple of times!! sigh - my apologiesDix


By Jacco Zwetsloot



I'd touched down at Kimpo Airport on a balmy Saturday evening. The following Monday, after some confused phone calls, a needless trip back to the airport, followed by an emotionally draining visit to Seoul Custom's House to retrieve a suitcase I'd sent ahead, and an excruciatingly long but well air-conditioned drive southwards in a mini-van arranged just for me, I made it to Cheongju, where our 10-day orientation program had already begun without me.



There we received introductory lectures on Korean history, language and culture, and did some tourism, but learned very little about what we were actually expected to do or where we would live in the city or county where we were to work for the next year.



KORETTA was only in its second year in 1996, and there still wasn't much in the way of "detailed programmatic specificity," to quote Kevin Rudd. It was up to each local Office of Education and co-teacher to decide what to do with us.



I ended up in the newly urbanized city of Paju, in the northwest of Gyeonggi-do. My New York housemate Amos and I were the only two native English-speaking teachers in the area. The Paju Office of Education sent us for two months at a time to schools to assist local English teachers  Amos at high schools and I at middle schools.



In the mornings we taught classes of about 40 young students each, and in the afternoons we would meet a class of teachers from various schools, and either discuss and develop teaching techniques, or work on their English.



There was already an established curriculum through which each English class had to work in a school year, but this did not make allowances for much deviation in the form of native speaker assistant teachers. Large class sizes in small classrooms were not conducive to communicative activities.



Most students had never seen a non-Korean person in real life. Some teachers were not always comfortable having their English abilities laid open to comparison, and felt it best to leave the room shortly after the lesson began, while others saw the best use of a native speaker teacher was as a kind of living cassette recorder, to read aloud the text for each lesson.



It would be fair to say that this all led to a less than optimal learning experience.



Amos and I shared an apartment in a place then spelled Kumchon, immortalized almost 12 years later in the viral song "Kickin' it in Geumchon."



In mid-1996, we were the only two visible foreigners, with limited knowledge of Korean language or cuisine, no internet, and nobody to talk to or eat with but each other, so we made the best of it  until we stopped speaking. At age 23, a fresh graduate and only child, I must have been quite annoying (perhaps little has changed).



Amos, 61, was set in his ways, and wasn't afraid to let me know about it. We quickly discovered that we had very little in common, apart from a belief that we were both in the right in any matters of dispute.



To avoid conflict, I spent a lot of time either in my own room, or outside the house, studying Korean, eating mediocre hamburgers or still unfamiliar Korean cuisine, and watching movies. It wasn't a happy time, and every day I crossed off the dates on my calendar, counting down to the expiration of my contract, when I could return home or move on elsewhere.



In my next blog post, I will reveal how I came to be tear-gassed on my 23rd birthday, during what was arguably Korea's last great summer student riot season.



Jacco Zwetsloot works for HMP Law as Director of Business Innovation

The thoughts expressed in this column do not necessary reflect those of HMP Law




Hafele Korea Managing Director Stephen Lee / Courtesy of Hafele Korea



Furniture fittings manufacturer opens new showroom in Seoul



By Park Jae-hyuk



Hafele Group, a German furniture fittings and architecture hardware manufacturer, has been regarded as a company specializing in business-to-business (B2B).



Its Korean subsidiary, which was established in 1995 as one of the group's 37 regional units, has been generally unknown to ordinary consumers as the company has mainly done business with major furniture companies such as Hanssem.



However, Hafele Korea Managing Director Stephen Lee said his company is enhancing its business strategy for customers.



Opening a new showroom this month along a broad street in southeastern Seoul, Hafele Korea has been trying to improve consumers' accessibility to the company's products.



"Our products have already been in large demand in the United States, and Australian business-to-consumer (B2C) markets," Lee said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.



"If you go to model houses in Korea, you can see more consumers are paying attention to which company's fittings are installed in furniture. They have come to regard the functions of furniture as more important than appearance."



The managing director has built his career in the industry, having worked for ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems, Hilti Korea and Lafarge Korea.



As a specialist in furniture fittings and architecture hardware, he expects a business bellwether in the future will be a company that can offer consumers what they want by predicting their demands.



"Hafele's business motto, thinking ahead, means we should lead the hardware market, by understanding what our customers need and offering products satisfying their demands before our rivals do," he said.



The newly opened space shows this idea.



It includes Hafele Shop, which allows consumers to directly purchase the company's products, and zones exhibiting Hafele Korea's six fields of business  furniture fittings, architecture hardware, doors, windows, and natural paint and partner businesses.



Continuing to focus on the six fields, Lee said his company will come up with products keeping pace with market trends, including digitalization and smart homes.



According to the managing director, doors and windows are the Korean subsidiary's exclusive businesses. The company manufactures related products at a factory in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.



Ethical management



Among Hafele Korea's six fields, its partner businesses and natural paint have been acknowledged as examples of ethical management.



Supporting the opening of carpentry shops, Hafele Korea's most popular partner business that only operates here, has drawn attention from elderly people who are considering founding their own businesses after retirement.



Lee said the company will continue to expand the business, because of its marketability.



"For young entrepreneurs, we have come up with new programs costing less money for opening a carpentry shop," the managing director said. "We hope more young people with bright ideas will have an interest in our carpentry shops."



Hafele Korea's other field of business is its natural paints, which are marketed under the brand name Auro.



"Our natural paints are the only product in the field not using petrochemicals in Korea, so we have strategically fostered the business, although its size has yet to get big," Lee said.



According to Hafele Korea, the paints are so safe that some of them can be used to color Easter eggs.



Such a strategy has attracted Korean consumers, who are concerned about chemical products since the toxic humidifier sterilizer scandal that allegedly killed more than a thousand people.



Hafele Korea even ceased supplying its mold remover when the Ministry of Environment lowered the maximum limit of hydrogen peroxide content after the scandal.



"Mold removers are effective when they contain at least 4 to 5 percent of hydrogen peroxide," Lee said. "Instead of selling ineffective products, we decided halting the supply of products as a better decision for our customers."



In addition to these businesses, Hafele Korea has carried out activities for corporate social responsibility.



"Our employees visited a school for the blind in Seoul last year and gave gifts to the students," the managing director said. "We will regularly and continuously volunteer and offer financial support this year as well."



Since its founder Adolf Hafele established the firm in the 1920s as a hardware shop selling tools for carpenters, Hafele has grown into a company selling its products in 150 countries.



Headquartered in Nagold, Germany, the company has 37 subsidiaries and 11 offices across the globe.



It is one of the world's leading makers of furniture fittings and architectural hardware along with the Austrian-based Blum and the German-based Hettich.


By Jun Ji-hye



Iranian electronics manufacturer Entekhab plans to acquire Dongbu Daewoo Electronics by purchasing a 100 percent stake in the smaller Korean consumer electronics firm, local financial sources said Sunday.



The contract is expected to be worth around 200 billion won ($187 million).



The envisioned sale of the cash-strapped company follows a decision by major financial investors that had funded Dongbu Group's purchase of Daewoo Electronics in 2013. Dongbu was renamed DB Group.



It is the Iranian company's second attempt to take over the Korean company after its first trying to acquire Daewoo Electronics, the predecessor of Dongbu Daewoo Electronics, foundered in 2010.



Financial investors, who have been leading the sale of Dongbu Daewoo, are expected to announce their decision to select the consortium, comprised of Entekhab and the Korean private equity fund Whale Investment, as a preferred bidder soon, the sources said.



"Negotiations are underway, and Entekhab has actively participated in the bidding," one source said, asking not to be named. "There is a great possibility for the company to be selected as the preferred bidder considering various conditions."



The Iranian firm reportedly accepted the 100 percent employment succession of employees working in Dongbu Daewoo's factory in Gwangju, which has been cited as one of the key variables in the bidding.



China's Meidi Electronics and Turkey's Vestel are also vying for the company.



Entekhab has maintained a close partnership with Dongbu Daewoo, which gave it a competitive edge in the bid.



Dongbu Daewoo Electronics is an export-oriented home appliance provider specializing in small- and mid-sized products such as microwaves and washing machines. The firm gets around 80 percent of its total revenue from overseas markets especially in South America.



From Entekhab's point of view, the acquisition of Dongbu Daewoo could considerably raise its competitive power in overseas markets.



But some important challenges remain, such as the United States' move to resume economic sanctions against Iran.



Observers say the deal might not go smoothly amid the uneasy relationship between Washington and Tehran.



"It is hard to predict what variables will play a part in the end," another source said, asking for anonymity.



Eyes are also on whether DB Group, which owns 54.2 percent stake in Dongbu Daewoo, will make a final decision to sell its affiliate as the sale would be at a loss. When DB Group acquired Daewoo Electronics in 2013, the deal was worth around 275 billion won.






The week before returning to Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday night, Los Angeles Philharmonic principal guest conductor Susanna Malkki had a date with the New York Philharmonic. Lucky L.A., was the critical consensus in the Big Apple.

In New York, as with most of the Finnish conductors U.S. orchestral appearances so far, she has been admired for refreshing standard repertory with vivid instrumental colors, rhythmic energy, textural clarity and all around good sense. Thats well and good, but what makes Malkki special happens to be her imagination and risk taking. She champions challenging European modernism that is little wanted in cautious American concert halls these days. She also likes bringing theatrical elements into symphonic settings.

She thinks daringly big with risky and expensive undertakings that may not always be easy to sell, but they are exactly what makes Malkki so attractive to the L.A. Phil. A lot, of course, is on the line, and a lot can go wrong.

Friday night, Malkki programmed the U.S. premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermanns Cello Concerto, a difficult score that requires exotic instruments in the orchestra, boasts a killer solo part and is conceptually in the form of a highly abstract pas de trois, with the option (rarely selected) of including an actual pas de trois with three dancers.

The L.A. Phil's principal guest conductor Susanna Malkki on Friday at Disney Hall. Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

The L.A. Phil went all out for Malkki by commissioning the choreographer Tero Saarinen to create a half-hour dance with his Finnish company for the three weekend Disney performances, complete with costumes, set design and lighting. Malkki surrounded the concerto with Anton Weberns brilliant orchestration of a Bach fugue and Richard Strauss colossal An Alpine Symphony, requiring a vast orchestra.

The evenings soloist was to have been popular L.A. Phil principal cellist Robert deMaine, who on Tuesday withdrew for undisclosed personal reasons. There are said to be only three cellists on the planet who have played Zimmermanns incredibly demanding concerto, all in Europe.

Im not sure any other orchestra would have dared, or even could have dared, to go on. But management turned to three local musicians with exceptional new music chops  L.A. Phil associate cellist Ben Hong, Calder Quartet cellist Eric Byers and Lyris Quartet cellist Timothy Loo  to divide the solo part. They got their scores Wednesday morning. Rehearsals were Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

Only knowing Zimmermanns concerto from recordings, I cant say that the cellists were able to achieve the last word in interpretive nuance under such unreasonable conditions. But I can say that not only were all three utterly convincing, the addition of a third pas-de-trois element to the performance turned out to be a terrific theatrical idea. Moreover, the sense of camaraderie among the players, the orchestra, the dancers and Malkki added an unexpected endearing aspect that is otherwise disturbingly lacking in Zimmermanns music.

He was a powerful voice in post-World War II German music who saw the world as a dark and tragic place, not as a bright new universe unfolding, one that made the European avant-garde particularly dazzling at the moment and Zimmermann an outlier. He refused to forget and tried instead to stretch time in his music to include the past with the present.

Ultimately Zimmerman admitted defeat by taking his own life in 1970. To some observers, the works of his last four years, beginning with the Cello Concerto, can be read as a systematic suicide note putting the blame for his neglect on the success of such younger, dogmatic composers as Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen, who were getting all the attention.

But nearly half a century has passed since Zimmermanns death, and his champions now proclaim him as a proto-Postmodernist who broke barriers of style and era. Plus the modern mania for Shostakovich has raised the value of the tortured composer with a rare talent for producing dramatic atmosphere, hauntingly beautiful instrumental effects and highly dramatic formal structures.

Cellist Ben Hong with dancers Auri Ahola, foreground, David Scarantino and Misa Lommi of the Tero Saarinen Company. Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

The Cello Concerto opens dreamlike, with a muted orchestra, otherworldly solo cello and a group of nontypical orchestral instruments (cimbalom, mandolin, electric bass) with a mind of its own. That is followed by an Allegro indicated, without explanation, to be for a fairy, Don Quixote and a princess. Hong, as soloist here, could be counted on for his customary eloquence.

A central slow movement revolves around a cello solo that was rapturously played by Byers. Loo excitingly led a frightful march and played a cantankerous blues with the electric bass followed by a coda in which the fairy is supposed to take her leave.

The orchestra was placed on stage in a triangular formation, bordered by rows of neon pillars. That left two areas on the front of the stage and a platform behind the orchestra for the dancers.

With the dancers in the foreground, cellist Eric Byers plays his solo. Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Saarinens movements often followed the musical lines, creating a feeling more wistful than nightmarish. Just as Zimmermanns relationships between instrumental groups and between musical styles remain unpredictably fluid, so too were the dancers  Auri Ahola, Misa Lommi and David Scarantino  as they wavered between sociability and individuality. Departure and loss became the affecting inevitables.

But what proved most affecting of all was the sheer gumption of not giving up, but making the performance happen. The orchestra was at its flexible best, with many riving solos. The L.A. Phil has yet another flamboyant feather in its cap.

Malkki has one, too. She made all evening a great case for color. Webern didnt change a note of Bachs in the excerpt from The Musical Offering, but with the continual alteration of timbre from one instrument to another, the fugue takes on an entirely new 20th century character.

Strauss Alpine Symphony is a riot of color for an orchestra as big and brilliantly hued as it gets. Malkki climbed the peak like a brazen adventurer who was also a harmonic geologist capable of examining inner workings. She let the sun shine and the climactic vistas speak for themselves. She bathed in the waterfalls, peeked into the flowery forests and had a blast in the storm.

No sentimentalist, she cleared away the mystical pathos the score has acquired over the years (as did the composer in his own recordings of the work). Given her proven fearlessness, however, Malkki did have to give what Strauss labeled as The Dangerous Moments a near Zimmermann level of disquiet, however temporary. It was a spectacular performance.

Susanna Malkki conducts the L.A. Philharmonic on Friday at Disney Hall. Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

mark.swed@latimes.com

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Capsule reviews are by Philip Brandes (P.B.), F. Kathleen Foley (F.K.F.), Margaret Gray (M.G.), Charles McNulty (C.M.) and Daryl H. Miller (D.H.M.).

Openings

8th Annual Company Creation Festival Showcase for unconventional new works by local ensembles, performed in repertory; details at www.sonofsemele.org. Son of Semele Theater, 3301 Beverly Blvd., L.A. Sun., next Sun., 5 p.m.; Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends Feb. 11. $18. (213) 351-3507.

EST/LAs Winterfest Readings of new plays in development. Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, 3269 Casitas Ave., L.A. Sun., next Sun., Fri.-Sat., various times; ends Feb. 11; schedules at www.estlosangeles.org. $15 suggested donation; passes available. (818) 839-1197.

Sister Act Musical comedy about a murder witness who hides out in a convent, based on the 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends Feb. 18. $18-$25. (805) 583-7900.

Comfy Theater veteran Jeffrey Scott Parsons performs in this cabaret show. Sterlings Upstairs at The Federal, 5303 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Mon., 8 p.m. $25; food and beverage minimums apply. (800) 838-3006.

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A Life Behind Bars Writer-performer Dan Ruth shares tales of time spent in dive bars in NYC in this autobiographical solo comedy. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Mon., 8 p.m.; ends Jan. 29. $20. (800) 838-3006.

The Second Coming of Klaus Kinski Writer-performer Andrew Perez portrays the eccentric German actor in this solo drama. Studio C, 6448 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Thu., 8 p.m.; open-ended run. $20. (800) 838-3006.

The Goodbye Girl L.A. Theatre Works records a stage adaptation of Neil Simons 1977 romantic comedy film for its radio program. James Bridges Theater, UCLA, 235 Charles E. Young Drive, Westwood. Thu.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 4 p.m.; ends Jan. 28. $15-$60. (310) 827-0889.

The Hothouse Partner-cast staging of Harold Pinters classic political satire set in a government-run mental institution. Antaeus Theatre Company, Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 E. Broadway, Glendale. Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends March 11. $30, $34. (818) 506-1983.

Pirates of Penzance Chicago-based company the Hypocrites puts a beach-party twist on the classic Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Thu.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 and 7 p.m.; ends Feb. 18. $25 and up. (626) 356-7529.

The Chinese Wall (Die Chinesische Mauer) The Trump administration is satirized in an update of Max Frischs 1946 anti-fascist fable. The Group Rep, Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends March 11. $20, $25. (818) 763-5990.

Dina Martina: Fine Avec Me! The drag artist shares songs and stories in this new show. Cavern Club Theater, 1920 Hyperion Ave., L.A. Fri.-Sat., 8 and 10 p.m.; next Sun., 7 and 9 p.m; ends Feb 3. $25. (800) 838-3006.

Mark Twain Tonight Jaxson Brashier portrays the author in a re-creation of Hal Holbrooks one-man show. The Studio at Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m. $15. (562) 494-1014.

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On Golden Pond Stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning 1981 family drama that starred Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn. Ojai Art Center Theater, 113 S. Montgomery St., Ojai. Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; ends Feb. 18. $18, $20; opening night, $75. (805) 640-8797.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile Steve Martins comedy about a fictional encounter between the artist and Albert Einstein at a Paris bar. Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive, Palos Verdes Peninsula. Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Feb. 4. $30-$70. (310) 544-0403.

Shasta Geaux Pop Performance artist Ayesha Jordan mixes satire, hip-hop and songs when she takes the stage as her pop-star alter-ego; features non-traditional seating; part of the Off Center Festival. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Julianne and George Argyros Plaza, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m. $25. (714) 556-2787.

Society of Seven Featuring Lhey Bella A troupe performs show tunes, pop hits and more in this Vegas-style revue. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos. Fri., 8 p.m. $50-$75. (562) 916-8500.

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Working Title: A Reading Series Ammunition Theatre Company offers staged readings of three new plays. Pico Playhouse, 10508 W. Pico Blvd., L.A. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 5 p.m. Free; RSVP at www.ammunitiontheatre.com.

Alright Then Orson Bean and wife Alley Mills share their decades-long love story in this new show; Guillermo Cienfuegos directs. Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd., Venice. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; ends March 25. $25-$34. (310) 822-8392.

All the Presidents Men Fountain Theatre and the city of Los Angeles present former West Wing cast members Bradley Whitford, Joshua Malina, Richard Schiff and Ed Begley, Jr. in a free reading of William Goldmans screenplay for the fact-based 1977 drama. L.A. City Hall, John Ferraro Council Chamber, Room 340, 200 N. Spring St., L.A. Sat., 7:30 p.m. Free; limited seating, reservations required (no walk-ups allowed). (323) 663-1525.

Buyer & Cellar Brian McDonald stars in Jonathan Tolins solo comedy about a struggling actor who takes an unusual job working at a showbiz legends Malibu home. Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 E. Main St., Ventura. Sat., 7 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Feb. 11. $55; opening night only, $120. (805) 667-2900.

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Chita & Tune: Just in Time Broadway legends Chita Rivera and Tommy Tune share the stage in this cabaret show. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Dr., Irvine. Sat., 8 p.m. $65-$200. (949) 854-4646.

Golden Dragon Acrobats Touring company celebrates Chinese music, dance, art and culture. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos. Next Sun., 3 p.m. $45-$65. (562) 916-8500.

Oh Freedom! The Story of the Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe and other anti-slavery activists are saluted in this show for ages 10 and up. Lewis Family Playhouse, 12505 Cultural Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga. Sat., 4 p.m.; ends Feb. 11. $16, $18. (909) 477-2752.

17th Annual 50 Hour Drive-by Theatre Festival Four all-new mini-plays created in a two-day period. Zombie Joes Underground Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Sat.-next Mon., 8:30 p.m.; ends Jan. 29. $15. (818) 202-4120.

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Lost & Found Veteran actor Steven Shaw recalls life and career in this one-man show. Theatre 40, Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills. Next Sun., 7 p.m. Free. www.theatre40.org

Critics Choices

I Am Not a Comedian Im Lenny Bruce In this meticulously researched solo biography tracing the life and prosecution of the groundbreaking early 1960s comic provocateur, actor Ronnie Marmo and director Joe Mantegna offer subsequent generations not only a sense of who Bruce was, but more importantly why he mattered. (P.B.) Theatre 68, 5112 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends March 28. $35. (323) 960-5068.

Rotterdam A big change can knock any couple out of alignment. For Alice and Fiona, the change goes to the very core of their identities. In her late 20s and several years into the relationship, Fiona reveals that she feels shes a man. With insight and humor, British playwright Jon Brittain charts the pairs journey as they rediscover who they are in this Olivier Award-winning play. Michael A. Shepperd crisply directs a perceptive cast. (D.H.M.) Skylight Theatre, 1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Mon., 8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8:30 p.m.; ends Jan. 28. $25-$41. (866) 811-4111.
Only two years ago, the California rail authority unveiled an ambitious plan to begin operating a segment of bullet train service between San Jose and the Central Valley by 2025. It would take nearly every penny in its checkbook, but the rail authority assured the public it would work.

But that plan has been crushed by the acknowledgment Tuesday that the cost of building just 119 miles of rail between the farm towns of Madera and Wasco has soared from about $6 billion to $10.6 billion, siphoning off money that the authority had planned to allocate to the ultimate goal of connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco.

It has left the broader high-speed rail project, a lofty objective that Gov. Jerry Brown has pursued since the 1980s, in an existential crisis.

Over the next year, Brown, the Legislature and the next governor will have to decide whether to create new revenue sources, dramatically delay its construction or scale it far back from a complete 550-mile system, among other possibilities.

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The financial demand for this is so enormous, said Martin Wachs, a UCLA transportation expert and a member of a peer review panel that oversees the project. We should have been more ready for this. The costs always rise and the schedule always slips, but that doesnt mean the project isnt justified.

The rail authority last week named a new chief, longtime government executive and political insider Brian Kelly, who faces a big task to shore up the rail authority, restore the confidence of skeptical officials and fix a broad range of management, financial and political problems facing the authority across the state.

When he begins the job on Feb. 1, Kelly said he wants to conduct his own fresh assessment to determine how he can stabilize costs, reduce future expenses, ensure past mistakes are not repeated and guarantee that the 2018 business plan, due next month, will be viable.

I dont think the public expects this program to be challenge-free, Kelly said in a recent interview. We have to say what we are going to do about them.

The disclosure of higher costs by the states leading consultant, WSP, marked the first time that the rail authority publicly discussed the magnitude of its financial problems.

Until now, rail authority Chairman Dan Richard has repeatedly disputed assessments that its cost estimates were too low, including a confidential analysis by the Federal Railroad Administration in late 2016 that projected rising costs in the Central Valley and a projectwide cost estimate in 2013 by WSP.

The authority has asserted it could build world-class tunnels through Californias geologically complex mountains much faster and for far less than the nations top tunnel engineers believed.

It gambled that it could issue construction contracts without the necessary land and then buy up the required parcels in a matter of months.

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It counted on private investors to underwrite a big chunk of the project without giving them a financial guarantee that they would not lose money.

And it figured the easiest part of the system to build would be in the Central Valley, where farmland was cheap and there were no mountains to cross, allowing it to quickly construct a functional part of the system as it proposed two years ago.

Those and many other bets failed, leaving the project in jeopardy.

The problems have not dashed the hopes of many proponents, however. Robbie Hunter, president of the state building and construction trades council, said the current 1,500 construction workers on the job in the Central Valley are not the main reason for his support.

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Our airports are crowded and the freeways are jammed, so we need this third mode of fast and clean transportation that people can afford, Hunter, an iron worker, said. The alternative will not be cheap either.

Nobody, he added, can blame the hard hats for the problems.

Dragados USA, part of a Spanish construction giant that is building structures and rail line in Kings County, filed a $275-million claim against the rail authority for not delivering land it needed for work, the Los Angeles Times has learned. The claim, a copy of which was provided by Sacramento attorney Lisa Nicolls, asserts the company was delayed by 868 days. Rail authority spokeswoman Lisa Marie Alley said the claim was settled last month for $51 million and was included in the cost overrun reported last week. Tutor Perini, a contractor that is building in Fresno County, won a multimillion-dollar delay claim earlier.

As problems have multiplied, top executives have left or were kicked out. Kelly is coming in as chief executive seven months after the prior chief, Jeff Morales, left. The authoritys chief operating officer post was vacant for more than a half-year until Joseph Hedges, from the Washington State Department of Transportation, was appointed Friday. Its chief risk officer and its executive in charge of land acquisitions are being filled on an acting basis. Last week, its chief administrative officer, Rosemary Sidley, exited as well.

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One of the key tasks ahead, Kelly said in an interview, will be bolstering the staff of the rail authority, so it can rely less on consultants.

An executive with one of the nations largest engineering firms, who works on the bullet train project, said conditions at the authority are chaotic. The people inside the authority are all very nervous the program is going so badly and a new administration will be coming in, said the executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk about the project publicly. They are looking for a way out.

Even at the existing price tag of $64 billion for the entire Los Angeles to San Francisco system, the state bonds, federal grants and greenhouse gas fees earmarked for the project through 2025 leave a funding gap of roughly $45 billion. Higher costs will only widen that chasm.

An official close to the project acknowledged that the increasing costs render essentially impossible the current plan for a $21 billion San Jose to Central Valley starter system. Even before the cost increase, there was a funding shortfall: a plan to borrow $5.2 billion against future greenhouse gas fees fell apart, leaving the agency with a checkbook containing only about $16 billion of the needed $21 billion.

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They cant do it, said the source, who feared professional repercussions if he was identified by name. And returning to the Legislature for an additional appropriation is risky, since the original funding was supposed to build rail line miles further through Bakersfield. Any time you want more money to complete less work is a big ask.

As a result, political experts, passenger rail advocates and officials close to the project presume it will evolve into piecemeal segments in the north, center and south that could remain separated indefinitely.

This project is becoming a Silicon Valley commuter project, Fresno to San Jose and on to San Francisco, said Paul Dyson, president of the Rail Passenger Assn. of California.

That means Southern California should consider an electrified system from Lancaster to southern Orange County, he said.

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I would have liked this to be acknowledged as a necessary first phase from the beginning, Dyson said. If these regional networks develop, we [can] decide whether to invest in the link between the two.

The assessment is shared by some top Democratic staffers in the Legislature, who say there is no prospect for the money to build through the difficult Southern California mountains, which would probably cost more than $20 billion. And the original goal of a second phase that would connect to San Diego and Sacramento is a distant dream.

Art Bauer, a former transportation staffer in the state Senate who played a key role in the projects early phases, said, Southern California may be on the verge of holding the bag.

The prospect is infuriating to many proponents who consider such an outcome an outright failure. Hasan Ikhrata, executive director of the Southern California Assn. of Governments, said he is heartened by the appointment of Kelly, who previously served as the secretary of the California state transportation agency.

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But he warned that his board, which represents 191 cities in Southern California, is growing very angry over the status of the project and word that it may have to be truncated.

Another looming issue is the agreement the association signed with the rail authority, which promised up to $1 billion in rail investments in Southern California. Ikhrata says the rail authority has so far delivered just $15 million; Alley, the agencys spokeswoman, says it is awaiting additional project requests.

I hope the vision of connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco is achieved, because anything less is not a success, Ikhrata said. If this doesnt end up connecting the two points, then it is a waste of time and a waste of money.

ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com

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People rallied in sub-freezing temperatures for the Womens March in Park City

 Hundreds came to City Park in Park City, Utah, for the Respect Rally on the one-year anniversary of the national Womens March.

Nonstop snow, below-freezing temperatures and Sundance Film Festival crowds didnt stop hundreds from venturing to Park City, Utah, for a Womens March anniversary rally.

For some, the Respect Rally conveyed a message of female empowerment and progress.

Lisa Williams brought along her inspiration for attending  her 3-year-old daughter, Annie.

Just being here to stand up for women, and make sure that women are treated equally as men, she explained, teary-eyed.

Lisa and Annie Williams. (Colleen Shalby / Los Angeles Times)

Emily Gaudet brought two generations with her  her mom, Cindy Masumoto, and her children  1-year-old son Bennett and 5-year-old daughter Eloise.

After a yearlong media blackout  a self-prescription to stay away from the news while pregnant  Gaudet attended the rally for a simple reason: to witness hope.

I know very little. But I know that its not good, and I want to see something good.

Maureen and Satish Rishi. (Colleen Shalby / Los Angeles Times)

For others, the rally was a message of resistance to the Trump administration.

Im just getting tired of all the stuff happening on Capitol Hill. I think people need to stand up and ask for a change, Satish Rishi said.

He and his wife, Maureen, are a biracial couple who live in California by way of Texas. They said their children have faced discrimination in the wake of Trumps presidency.

I tell them to embrace their differences. They do a good job with that, but they still feel threatened walking down the street sometimes because of their mixed color, Maureen Rishi said.

Gloria Allred, Jane Fonda and Common were among a handful of speakers who addressed the crowd.

As the rally continued, the snow didnt stop. The cheers didnt either.

PHOTOS: Respect Rally in Park City 
On the same day that the Womens March drew tens of thousands of people to downtown Los Angeles, Jose and Teresa Macia of Brea took 10 members of their churchs youth ministry downtown for a different reason: to march for life.

It was the third year in a row that the group from the St. Angela Merici Catholic Church had attended OneLife LA, a march and event led by Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez.

Organizers said thousands of people attended the event, which was billed as a gathering to promote the beauty of every human life, from conception to death.

We support life and we peacefully pray to protect every life since its very early existence, Jose Macia said.

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Three nuns are among the crowd at the OneLife LA event held Saturday at Los Angeles State Historic Park. (Deborah Netburn / Los Angeles Times )

He added that in addition to attending this march, his group regularly prays the rosary outside a Planned Parenthood in Tustin each Tuesday.

We are just praying, but still a lot of people going by give us obscene gestures, he said.

This years OneLife LA march started at Olvera Street and proceeded through Chinatown before ending at Los Angeles State Historic Park.

After arriving at the park, marchers sat on picnic blankets and listened to speakers including Karen Gaffney, an advocate for people with physical disadvantages and the first person with Down syndrome to swim the English Channel, and Bishop Charles E. Blake, presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ.

Gomez also addressed the audience, speaking in both English and Spanish.

OneLife LA is more than just a beautiful day, the Catholic archbishop said. It is a vision for a pro-life nation, where every life is precious.

Salvador Coronel, 41, a truck driver who grew up in Los Angeles, holds a sign he made at OneLife LA. (Deborah Netburn / Los Angeles Times )

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Ray Warriner, a member of the Knights of Columbus who was dressed in a bright green T-shirt that read volunteer on the back, said it was just a coincidence that the OneLife march was held on the same day as the Womens March.

This isnt a protest of anything, he said. Its a celebration of life in all its forms from birth to death.

He said the date was picked so as not coincide with the larger Walk for Life in San Francisco next weekend.

Members of the Southern California chapter of the Knights of Columbus attend OneLife LA at Los Angeles State Historic Park. (Deborah Netburn / Los Angeles Times )

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There appeared to be little interaction between people attending the Womens March and those who were participating in the OneLife LA event, but there was some overlap, especially around the Chinatown Metro stop, where extra police were in place.

At around 2:45 p.m., three women, including one carrying a sign that read, Women fiercely protecting what they love are unstoppable, stopped on the sidewalk just outside Los Angeles State Historic Park.

An onlooker wondered if they were about to start taunting the OneLife crowd, but it turned out that wasnt why the women had come by.

They didnt even know the event was going on, they said. Instead, they were looking for an art exhibit in the neighborhood.

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deborah.netburn@latimes.com

Twitter: @DeborahNetburn
Beverly Hills police are investigating a shooting that occurred Saturday in a residential neighborhood of the city that may stem from a road rage incident, officials said.

The shooting occurred shortly after 5 p.m. in the 100 block of North Palm Drive near Wilshire Boulevard, said Lt. Scott Dowling.

Despite several shots being fired, police confirmed that there were no injuries, Dowling said. The street remains closed as officers continue to search for evidence, he said.

Police responded to the neighborhood after receiving multiple 911 calls that shots had been fired.

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The investigation is ongoing, but it appears that the incident may be related to road rage, Dowling said.

Two vehicles were seen entering the city of Beverly Hills from Los Angeles and law enforcement officers believe the suspect, or suspects, fled the scene in a dark-colored newer model BMW with no license plate.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Beverly Hills Police Department at (310) 285-2185.
Rapper Fredo Santana, cousin of fellow Chicago rapper Chief Keef, has died in Los Angeles, officials said.

Santana, 27, whose real name is Derrick Coleman, died at his Reseda home in the San Fernando Valley around 11 p.m. Friday, Lt. David Smith, a spokesman for the coroners office, told KTLA-TV Channel 5.

An autopsy is pending, Smith said.

But several media outlets reported that Santana suffered a fatal seizure.

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In October, Santana posted a video on Instagram in which he said he was being treated for kidney and liver failure. But two days later, he told his fans he had been released from the hospital and was planning to go back into the studio.

Santana enjoyed his biggest year in terms of popularity in 2013, when he released his record Trappin Aint Dead, according to the Chicago Tribune. The recording included cameos from Kendrick Lamar and Keef.

'

Fredo was one of the first pioneers of Chicago drill music. Sad to see a young boss go at an early age. #FredoSantana #Trendsetter pic.twitter.com/XReDXLay1Q  AgainstTheOddsMgmt (@AgainstOddsMgmt) January 20, 2018

carlos.lozano@latimes.com
To neighbor Ricky Vinyard, the Turpin family seemed odd from the moment they arrived at the end of his remote dirt road in this small town 50 miles south of Fort Worth, where they had lived earlier.

When they moved in, they were really mysterious people. They didnt talk to us or socialize, recalled Vinyard of that day in 2000.

His suspicions about how David and Louise Turpin treated their eight children grew as the years passed. The family rarely left the four-bedroom, two-bath home on 36 acres dotted with mesquite trees. They kept lights on at all hours, blinds drawn. One Christmas they bought eight new childrens bicycles that sat outside, unused, until they became sun bleached.

The children rarely emerged. Soon after the family arrived, one of the older girls tried to run away but was returned by a local resident. The family stacked a dumpster in their yard with trash that eventually filled the house and a nearby double-wide trailer. David Turpin would stand in the driveway shooting cans with his pistol, aiming toward the road.

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As time went on, it got worse and worse, Vinyard, a tree cutter, said as he sat in his living room Friday.

Last week, officials in California announced formal charges against the Turpins, accused of abusing their 13 children inside a home they moved to in Perris in Riverside County.

David Turpin, 56, and wife Louise, 49, were each charged with multiple felony counts of torture, child abuse, abuse of dependent adults and false imprisonment. David Turpin was also charged with one count of a lewd act on a child by force. If convicted, they face up to 94 years to life in prison.

The Turpin children, ranging from 2 to 29 years old, appeared to have undergone years of abuse and starvation, some shackled to their beds, authorities said. It did not appear the couple had been reported previously to authorities in Texas, where records show they also lived in Fort Worth from 1990 to 1999.

On Saturday, Patrick Crimmins, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said they did not have any reports or investigations concerning the Turpin family.

Vinyard said he and his wife considered reporting the couple to Rio Vista authorities. But he had reservations because he had grown up in the town of fewer than a thousand people, at the end of a county road surrounded by pastures, miles from the sheriffs office.

A deputy was called to the Turpin house in 2001 when a child was bitten by a dog, and Vinyards uncle called the sheriff when the couples three pigs got loose in 2002. But Vinyard and his wife decided not to alert authorities about suspected abuse.

We discussed it and we didnt want to have the repercussions with them, Vinyard said, especially since Turpin was armed.

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Daughter Barbara Vinyard, 19, and her sister played with the Turpin children a few times in a nearby creek, but they wouldnt share their names.

We had to guess them basically, and the kids didnt like that either, she said. The next time we saw them walking down the street, one sibling said to the other, We cant talk to them anymore, remember?

The family had a Mustang and a large passenger van they drove to the dumpster on their property. Eventually, the dumpster disappeared and trash piled up alongside toys and Christian schoolbooks, she recalled.

Sometimes in the evenings she would hear the Turpin children playing in their yard, so one day she grabbed a jump rope and knocked on the door of the trailer.

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I knew they were really strange, but I was willing to get over the strangeness to be friends, she said.

A skinny, pale girl with long brown hair opened the door and just stared, she said. Her eyes just got real wide. She closed the door back in my face, Vinyard recalled.  She came around the back, looked at me and then ran back away into the house, through the back door.

Vinyard didnt try to reach out to the children again.

For the most part, when you live out in the country, you keep to yourself, she said, but hearing that the couple have been charged makes her wonder if there was more she could have done to help. Hearing about this makes me think I didnt do my part as a person, she said.

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After the family left, repo men showed up for their two cars, and their house was foreclosed. Billy Baldwin and his mother bought the house a year later, the interior trashed, the bathroom floor rotted through, he said.

Inside, Baldwin found a handful of Polaroids taken when the Turpins left. One shows a bed with a metal rail that has a rope tied to it, he said.

Ricky Vinyard walked through the familys trailer at the time, and reading reports from California this week reminded him of what he saw.

It was waist-deep in filth. There were dead dogs and cats in there, he said, the smell rancid.

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He found two Chihuahuas that had survived by eating waste from a mound of soiled diapers. The familys Ford F-150 truck was heaped with the dirty diapers and empty Vienna sausage cans, he said, It seemed like thats all they ate.

The couple had claimed to home-school their children, and the feces-littered living room had the trappings of a makeshift classroom, he said, including eight small desks, a chalkboard, alphabet and number signs stapled to the wall.

As he moved from room to room, he noticed something odd: Everything had locks on it: The closet had locks, the toy chest, the refrigerator.

There were no beds, just mattresses, he said, and There wasnt a place in that house that wasnt filthy.

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Reporters have been camped on their lawn all week, and his wife is scheduled to appear on the Dr. Phil show. Like his daughter, Vinyard wishes his family had reported their neighbors earlier to officials in Texas.

I feel really guilty we didnt, he said.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

paloma.esquivel@latimes.com
Lashea Singleton and her 14-year-old daughter, Monica, suddenly found themselves homeless in August.

Singleton, 37, had been living at her sisters apartment but said she moved out after they had an argument.

Through word of mouth, she found herself at a facility in South Los Angeles that provides services to homeless families or those on the verge of homelessness.

The center, which opened in July, is in a former Weber bakery on South Broadway, and serves residents in South Los Angeles, Compton and Lynwood.

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It is operated by the nonprofit Hopics, which stands for Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care System. It is one of eight such facilities, known as family solution centers, operated by nonprofits across L.A. County and receiving funds from Measure H, the county sales tax increase approved in March.

Elected officials visited the center Wednesday to mark its grand opening and to tout it as an example of the benefits of Measure H, which provides funds to combat homelessness.

Much of the Hopics centers $9-million annual budget comes from the county, including about $6 million from Measure H.

The center provides one-stop access to employees of nonprofits and government agencies.

It offers child care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, housing assistance and other services for homeless families or those on the verge of homelessness, said Hopics director Veronica Lewis.

Employees said the Measure H funds will allow them to provide more families with rent subsidies, crisis housing payments and security deposits.

The funds will also be used for services the nonprofit hasnt been able to afford in recent years, such as transportation, said Hopics associate director Cristina Nieto.

This is the most money to combat homelessness that has come to this community since my eight years working in the field, she said.

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About 1,685 families in South Los Angeles are homeless, according to the homeless services authority.

County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said the new center is an example of Measure H helping those in need.

We have an obligation to deliver on our promise  that we are serious about ending homelessness in our county, he said at Wednesdays event. And we are on a good start. It is going well and we expect for it to scale up and do more.

But as soaring rents force some families to spend more than half of their income on rent, Nieto said she worries that the new stream of county tax revenue still wont be enough to keep families permanently off the streets.

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We can help families secure housing for 12 months, but after that some struggle to keep up with payments since their incomes dont increase, she said.

In December, Singleton  an Uber driver and tax preparer  was able to save $3,500 with the help of her case manager for a down payment on an apartment in Hawthorne.

She and her daughter are among 3,155 families who have walked through the doors seeking help since the center opened, Lewis said.

I didnt feel judged when I came here, Singleton said.

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With the help of the new center, Singleton was able to secure an apartment in four months.

But for others, the wait can be longer, Nieto said.

The goal is to get people into housing in 30 days, she said. But now some people are waiting six to nine months.

melissa.etehad@latimes.com

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The main reason behind this fear? The governor's and the Legislature's extremely poor track record at doing anything of importance through an "intensive and measured process."

The routine in Albany over the years has been for big ideas to get tossed around for a few weeks with few specifics. Then, about a week ahead of the state budget deadline, the governor and heads of the state Senate and Assembly hold secret negotiations and hammer out a deal. They quickly rush the budget bills into print and get them passed with little or no public review.

Such an approach to overhauling the state tax code would be disastrous.

What needs to happen with this process cannot happen in time for the budget deadline of April 1. Whatever potential changes are proposed need to be so transparent that every New York taxpayer can easily figure out how it would affect them, long before any votes in the Legislature.

Because the goal is to come up with a system that's financially neutral to the state, the budget deadline and the ridiculous process that precedes it do not need to be tied to this effort.

We believe Cuomo understands this reality, because he expressed it rather well when Congress rushed through the federal tax overhaul last month:


Trump and North Korea: the perils of a pre-emptive strike



As North and South Korean governments meet, US rhetoric about military action on Pyongyang is escalating. Is the president bluffing?



Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington





 AFP





Days before his inauguration, Donald Trump dismissed the claim from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he would soon test an intercontinental ballistic missile. It wont happen, Mr Trump tweeted.



But over the past year Pyongyang has made big advances in being able to strike the US with a nuclear weapon. It has tested three intercontinental ballistic missiles and conducted a sixth nuclear test by detonating what may have been its first hydrogen bomb. The result has been a sharp escalation in talk about a US military response.



Just before Christmas, Jim Mattis, defence secretary, warned that storm clouds are gathering. General HR McMaster, the adviser who has been the most bellicose of the Trump national security team, says it would be intolerable for North Korea to be able to attack the US with a nuclear weapon. After Pyongyang in November tested a rocket with the range to reach anywhere in the continental US, he said the odds of war were increasing every day.



Governments around the world are trying to ascertain if the rhetoric is designed to underpin diplomatic efforts, or if Mr Trump genuinely believes Mr Kim cannot be deterred from using nuclear weapons and, therefore, is serious about preventing him from crossing the finishing line.





View from Seoul: South Koreans worry over erratic US leader
They came by themselves or in groups  with friends, parents and sometimes small children. Across the United States, thousands of demonstrators expressed their displeasure and dismay with President Trump and his administration. There were moments of anger, solidarity and even humor, along with heartbreaking testimonials.

Among those marching Saturday in Washington was House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), center. Cliff Owen / Associated Press

Washington

As thousands of marchers converged on Washington, organizers and participants alike said they felt no pressure to reprise the scale of last years enormous gathering, when the march in the nations capital was the focal point of a coast-to-coast outpouring.

Its good that this year, a lot of people are more active in their own hometowns, said Ruby Steigerwald, a 57-year-old local teacher. Nearby, Kristn Yates, from the northern Virginia suburb of Fairfax, pushed a stroller with her 2-year-old granddaughter, Isabel, fast asleep beneath a pink knitted hat and a sign labeling her a future voter.

An early-afternoon tweet from Trump hailing the nationwide gatherings drew groans and guffaws from marchers who saw it pop up on their phones.

On Twitter, the president called it a perfect day for all Women to March, implying that those taking part were celebrating his administrations accomplishments. Well, well celebrate when, said an elegant gray-haired women, before expressing an unprintable wish for his departure from the scene.

Washingtons ever-enterprising vendors were out in force on the main approach routes, selling march-themed T-shirts, buttons and pink caps. One marcher carried a 3-foot-tall Trump papier-mache figure  I didnt make it, I bought it! she said.

A T-shirt seller tailored his sales pitch with a nod to the diversity of the crowd. All sizes and colors! he shouted. Just like you!

Phyllis Klein, left, and Violet Trachtenberg were among the thousands demonstrating Saturday in Portland, Ore. Thacher Schmid / For the Times

Oregon

Tess Carter's devastatingly simple words about surviving sexual violence were carried by a tiny battery-powered amplifier that couldn't quite overcome the sounds of thousands marching and chanting in a separate rally a block away.

"I was raped, multiple times, by a man in my socialist organization," Carter said. Her story was among more than a dozen shared by survivors of sexual violence at the #MeToo rally in Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. It was one of four protests in Portland on Saturday.

Swear words were ubiquitous, ,and probably will also be at the Indigenous Womxn's March on Sunday. The anger in the air was palpable.

"Smash the patriarchy!" one woman screamed.

Another, Violet Trachtenberg, held a sign reading "Men are weak / The Age of Men is over."

"When women's bodies are under attack, what do we do?" yelled Olivia Pace, the emcee with Socialist Alternative, which organized the event.

"Stand up like that!" the crowd yelled in unison.

The most moving moments -- heartbreaking and powerful  came when Carter and other women who said they had endured sexual abuse told their #MeToo stories.

Women young and old spoke about "rape culture," slut shaming and the silencing and ignoring of victims of sex crimes. The testimonies riveted everyone present. Voices trembled and shook, as the speakers addressed several hundred people and media, including TV cameras. "I was a virgin," one young woman said, after sharing the story of her date rape as a teenager. "He waited until I stopped shaking to take me home."

"When I was 17, I was date raped by a guy I was barely dating," another said.

"Today my body is my protest sign," one woman said. She went on to detail how she survived sexual assaults by her father starting at age 13, and how a patriarchal system's response  including reconciliation therapy and a male police officer interviewing her "in a small, confined room"  hardly made things better.

Her father, she continued, "attended last year's Women's March with his gender studies professor girlfriend."

New York

Ellie Johnson, 18, marched with friends who are studying musical theater. She held a handmade sign with a Dr. Seuss-like illustration and the message, I do not like you down my shirt. I do not like you up my skirt. I do not like you near my rump. I do not like you, Mr. Trump.

Johnson said she was marching to honor her mother, who became a scientist despite being the only girl in her science class in college. Her friend Elita Ernsteen echoed that story, describing how her mother had to fight to join an all-boys softball team when she was growing up.

Were very much still fighting the fight that our mothers fought, said Miranda Blood, 18.

Immigration was another strong theme during the march in New York. Jinji Nicole made a sign that featured Lady Liberty and said, Im with her.

What stood out in the harbor all these years welcoming immigrants was a woman, Nicole said. They were trying to tell us even then that we would be the ones to take America in the direction its supposed to go.

Many demonstrators expressed their support for immigrants through signs. Some read Stop separating families and Everyone belongs here. Another read Leave my halal guy alone, a reference to the many bodegas and delis managed by Yemenis and other Muslims affected by the presidents travel ban on refugees from mostly Muslim countries.

Nandi Bumbury, 26, couldn't attend last years womens march because she had to work. She came to Power to the Polls in Atlanta to find out what she could do to bring about change in 2018. Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times

Georgia

It was part political pep rally, part disco, part voter registration drive.

Holding signs that said RESIST and STAY NASTY, thousands of women  and some men  gathered at a squat, brightly painted warehouse in southwest Atlanta the event called Power to the Polls.

Our country is so much bigger and kinder than one man in the White House, Alyssa Milano, the actress whose #metoo tweet started an outpouring from women on harassment and abuse, told the crowd to loud cheers. The real power is not with him. It is with you. Dare everyone youve ever met to go register and vote.

The mood was upbeat, even triumphant, as a sound system pumped out soul and disco hits from Aretha Franklins Respect to Patti LaBelles Lady Marmalade.

Women said they had come not simply to commiserate about Trumps first year in office. They were celebrating a year of burgeoning activism and committing to winning more elections in this deeply conservative state.

Last year we marched, this year we organized, Milia Akkouris, a 39-year-old flight attendant from Atlanta said as she carried a Grab em by the vote sign into the warehouse to look at booths from scores of social justice groups.

Since Trumps inauguration, Akkouris said, she had spent days off attending legislative sessions at the Georgia State Capitol and phoning and emailing her elected officials. Now she planned to speak to volunteers about canvassing for Stacey Abrams, a Democrat hoping to become Georgia's first black female governor.

Historically, liberals and progressives have been lazy getting to the polls, she said. But a lot is at stake. We have to ask ourselves: What are we doing about it?

Texas

Last year, after she attended the Womens March in Austin that drew more than 50,000, Lorrie Hammons vowed to take part in more local protests, not just for womens rights, but for other causes she would like to see get more attention in Texas, including Black Lives Matter. And so on Saturday, she was marching again, this time in Dallas.

Texas is a very conservative state, but the metropolitan areas are more liberal, she said. Im hoping. We need to make it great for everyone, she said. She carried a sign that said, Its not locker room talk, it is sexual assault.

My daughter is 15, and its really important that things change for her. Ive had sexual harassment in my career, and that needs to change, said Hammons, 51, who works at REI.

Standing nearby were students from historically conservative Southern Methodist University, toting signs with a rainbow LGBTQ rights messages and a quote from famed activist Angela Davis: I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change.

Student Audrey Ngo, 20, said she came to protest not just sexism but the racism she feels on a daily basis.

Theres so many micro-agressions here, its almost a part of Texas culture, said Ngo, who is Vietnamese American. There is too much complacency. Were just here to demand dignity.

Walking beside the student group was Leslie Alcala, who came to the protest with her daughters  who wore Equality T-shirts  and her 2-year-old grandson, whose shirt said Feminist.

Just as Alcala was saying part of the reason she came was to defend a womans right to choose, a man cruised by on a bicycle, probably headed to an antiabortion march nearby. Stop the hate! Vote Republican! he shouted, adding, You wouldnt have the baby if you didnt open your legs.

Alcala sighed.

Ever since Trump went into office, people feel they can be more racist and misogynist, she said.

She went back to marching, noting the large number of men and families in the crowd.

Its about coming together, she said.

Demonstrators march down Dearborn Street in Chicago on Saturday. Lou Foglia / Chicago Tribune

Illinois

For many demonstrators, Saturdays marches were intergenerational affairs. "I'm out here for my daughter and myself," said Vikki Ford during the march in Chicago. She and her daughter Christina, 27, didn't go to the March last year, but after Trump's first year in office, a year they considered politically tumultuous, they believed they had to participate.

As the Chicago Tribune reported, Ford was among thousands who took to the streets in Chicago. Among them was Sandra Whitmore, who attended her first protest in 1968. Then 30, she joined others in San Francisco to publicly burn their bras. The experience was so intoxicating, Whitmore said, that she's attended dozens of protests in the five decades since.

Shes now 80 and a mother of four. All marched on Saturday. Her sign read: "My arms are getting tired from hold'n this sign since the 1960s."

Support our journalism Please consider subscribing today to support stories like this one. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Already a subscriber? Your support makes our work possible. Thank you.

Contributing were Laura King in Washington, Thacher Schmid in Portland, Ore., Nina Agrawal in New York, Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Dallas and Jenny Jarvie in Atlanta.

UPDATES:

8:10 p.m.: This articled was updated with a report from Portland, Ore.

This article was originally published at 5:25 p.m.
To the editor: Urban wildlife populations are maintained not only by open space and wildlife corridors, but also by native plant habitat in our yards. (Los Angeles needs open space for wildlife and for our sanity, editorial, Jan. 16)

Native landscaping is one of the less dramatic and less costly ways to help animals survive. If more Angelenos added native sage, buckwheat, lilac, oak and other species to their yards, we could make habitat citywide. Native plants are essential because theyre the foundation of the food web due to co-evolutionary relationships with wildlife.

Right now, a limiting factor in creating habitat is lack of widespread availability of native plants. (Conventional nurseries profit from the soil amendments, fertilizers and pesticides needed by nonnatives.) Investing a few million dollars would go a long way toward establishing more native nurseries across Los Angeles, and the benefit to wildlife and people would be immense: decreased water use, increased health of our watershed, and support of Southern Californias beautiful and amazing biodiversity.

Lisa Novick, La Canada Flintridge

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The writer is director of outreach for the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants.

..

To the editor: Thank you for highlighting the need for developers and Los Angeles officials to preserve the natural open space thats so important to community well-being and the very existence of wild animals living alongside us.

That concept should apply across our region, yet just last month, the city of Temecula greenlighted the Altair development, which will severely constrain a wildlife corridor critical to the survival of the Santa Ana mountain lions. These lions already suffer the lowest genetic diversity of any California population, and scientists warn that Altair could be the final nail in their coffin.

Meanwhile, in northern L.A. County, Tejon Ranch is seeking entitlements to build the massive Centennial sprawl project, which will destroy some of Californias last remaining native grasslands.

To save our regions besieged bastions of biodiversity, local governments need to ensure new development does not take us backward.

J.P. Rose, Santa Monica

The writer is a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity.

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Vice President Mike Pence arrived on relatively friendly territory in Israel late Sunday after the leaders of Egypt and Jordan, two of Americas closest Arab allies, publicly rebuked him for the Trump administrations upending of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

A day after he heard pointed complaints from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi in Cairo, Pence underwent a firm but polite tongue-lashing from Jordans King Abdullah II over President Trumps abrupt declaration last month that the U.S. would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision that has roiled the region.



For the record: A Jan. 22 article in Section A about Vice President Pence arriving in Israel during an overseas trip stated that all 12 Arab members of the Knesset planned to protest a speech by Pence. The 12 all belong to the same predominantly Arab party, but six other Arabs are also members of the Knesset.

Meeting in a royal palace on a hilltop in Amman, Jordan, the king told Pence he had warned the White House about the danger of recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital outside of a negotiated agreement since Palestinians also claim the divided city as their capital in a future independent state.

Abdullah said he had repeatedly voiced my concerns regarding the U.S. decision on Jerusalem that does not come as a result of a comprehensive settlement.

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Vowing to be candid and frank, Abdullah described the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a potential major source of instability for Jordan and the region. Today we have a major challenge to overcome, especially with some of the rising frustrations, he added.

About two-thirds of Jordans population is of Palestinian ancestry, and the Hashemite kingdom is a key U.S. ally in the fight against Islamic State and other terrorist groups.

Jerusalem is [as] key to Muslims and Christians as it is to Jews, the king told Pence. It is key to peace in the region. And key to enabling Muslims to effectively fight some of the root causes of radicalization.

Pence looked straight across the table, his expression not changing as the king spoke. He later thanked Abdullah for his warm hospitality but made no apologies, calling Trumps Jerusalem decision historic.

Look, friends occasionally have disagreements, Pence later told reporters traveling with him when asked about the tense tone of the remarks. He called the kings comments very candid but cordial.

Pence is likely to get a far warmer reception in Israel, where he will be heralded by Israels right-wing government and many ordinary Israelis, who are ecstatic over Trumps decision on Jerusalem.

The vice president has long called for changing U.S. policy on Jerusalem, something many evangelical Christians and hard-line pro-Israel voters in his base support, and wants to move the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv as quickly as possible.

During his two-day stay in Jerusalem, Pence will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and speak to the Israeli Knesset, or parliament. Thirteen members of the Knesset  all 12 Arab members and one Jew  have said they will boycott his speech, calling Pence messianic and a racist political pyromaniac.

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Pence will also visit both the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Western Wall, one of Judaisms holiest prayer sites. It stands just a short distance from one of Islams holiest sites, Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

He has not scheduled a single meeting with a Palestinian, the first time a visiting senior U.S. official has done that in recent memory. Then again, he didnt have much choice.

After Trumps Dec. 6 announcement on Jerusalem, the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, said he would not receive Pence  and vowed further never again to take part in peace negotiations brokered by the United States.

Relations soured further after the State Department said it would withhold $65 million  more than half the money Washington usually provides  to a United Nations agency that provides aid to about 5 million Palestinians across the Middle East.

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While in Amman, Pence asked Abdullah to convey a message to Palestinian Authority leaders that the White House would be open to talking to them, according to people familiar with the discussion.

Palestinians have declared a general strike, which usually entails street demonstrations, for Tuesday, Pences final day in Jerusalem. Some protests were already underway Sunday night in Bethlehem.

Hanan Ashrawi, a veteran Palestinian leader and member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said she did not expect entreaties from Jordan or Egypt to have much impact on the White House.

If they are open to the reality and the historical depth of the conflict, maybe, she said by telephone from the West Bank city of Ramallah. But they have their own ideology and world view  and have demonstrated they are in collusion with Israel.

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Trumps policies have needlessly destroyed any measure of goodwill that Palestinians might have felt toward his administration, said Diana Buttu, a Palestinian lawyer and former legal adviser to the Palestinian Authority.

I cant really see how they can regain any goodwill now, Buttu said by phone from the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

Pence later visited U.S. troops at a military base near the Syrian border. In a brief address to troops, the vice president took the unusual step of blaming Senate Democrats for the government shutdown and for playing politics with military pay.

Elected U.S. officials traditionally do not engage in partisan attacks when addressing members of the armed services.

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brian.bennett@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson
Congress failed to reach a deal late Sunday to end the federal shutdown, ensuring a third day of disruptions and delays in scores of federal agencies, after Senate leaders could not agree to a bipartisan proposal to reopen the government for the start of the workweek.

Talks are expected to resume Monday, with a Senate vote scheduled for noon Eastern Time, but most federal offices, many national parks and other federal facilities will be closed until the stalemate over government funding is resolved.

For full coverage on the shutdown, follow Essential Washington 

An estimated 850,000 federal workers may be furloughed or otherwise directly affected, but millions of Americans will be inconvenienced as numerous federal agencies strip back to essential workers and normal operations grind to a halt.

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Talks will continue, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said on the floor. But we have yet to reach an agreement on a path forward that will be acceptable for both sides.

The setback came despite intense negotiations on Capitol Hill as congressional leaders in both parties searched for an exit ramp. Moderate Republicans and Democrats appeared to rally behind a short-term funding proposal, and the White House signaled possible flexibility on Dreamers.

Hopes for a breakthrough grew after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Schumer, who had not spoken for a day, huddled briefly on the Senate floor and met later Sunday to consider the proposal for a three-week temporary funding bill brokered by a bipartisan group of senators.

The shutdown should stop today, McConnell said. Lets step back from the brink, lets stop victimizing the American people and get back to work on their behalf.

But the deal McConnell eventually offered late Sunday  to temporarily fund the government through Feb. 8, with a promise to take up immigration legislation at that time  remained out of reach, for now.

It was either the Trump Shutdown or the Schumer Shutdown, depending on whether the finger pointing came from Republicans backing the president or from Democrats standing with the New York minority leader.

Schumer blamed Republicans, who control the House, Senate and White House, especially after President Trump backed out of a possible agreement. It all stems from the president, whose inability to clinch a deal has created the Trump Shutdown, Schumer said.

Schumer said he even agreed to put Trumps request for border wall funds  some $20 billion over several years, sources said  on the table for consideration, a major concession that alarmed other Democrats.

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The White House disputed that account, and Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called Schumers recollection hazy.

His account of Fridays meeting is false, Sanders said. The presidents position is clear: We will not negotiate on the status of unlawful immigrants while Sen. Schumer and the Democrats hold the government for millions of Americans and our troops hostage.

However long it lasts, Democrats said Trumps inconstancy had hurt the chances of staving off the shutdown.

How can you negotiate with the president under those circumstances where he agrees face-to-face to move forward with a certain path, and then within two hours calls back and pulls the plug? asked Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), appearing on ABCs This Week.

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Trump, forced to give up his planned weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, spoke to the heads of the departments of Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to gauge the impact of the shutdown, according to the White House.

He took to Twitter to blame Democrats for the impasse and to urge Senate Republicans to change the rules to allow a bill to pass with a simple majority, not the 60 votes now required.

If stalemate continues, Trump tweeted, Republicans should use the Nuclear Option to change Senate rules and try to pass a long-term spending bill with a simple majority. A spokesman for McConnell later said the nuclear option was not under consideration.

The government spending deadline was midnight Friday, and Democrats and Republicans are stalemated over several issues, but most split over the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which Trump has promised to end by March 5. Known as DACA, it protects from deportation about 700,000 immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.

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White House aides later signaled there might be some flexibility, although they did not provide details.

Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said on CNNs State of the Union that Trump is absolutely interested and wants to get DACA fixed.

The presidents legislative director, Marc Short, sent the same message in an interview on ABCs This Week, painting DACA recipients, known as Dreamers, as contributing to the economy and society.

These are people aged 16 to 36 with work permits, which means they do not have any criminal background, Short said. Theyre here being productive to our country.

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In some cases, rank-and-file lawmakers began taking action on their own.

A bipartisan group of senators met behind closed doors for a third consecutive day to try to hammer out a compromise.

Conferring for more than an hour in the office of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the 20 senators developed the contours of a path forward for resolving the budget, immigration and other issues.

By midafternoon, the groups Democrats and Republicans, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), separately presented the idea to their Senate leaders.

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One aspect of any deal has been a guarantee from McConnell to consider immigration legislation as the next order of business before DACA expires.

Pushing immigration to the top of the priority list could be a breakthrough for Democrats, especially after McConnell had railed against Democrats for inserting what he called a non-emergency into the budget debate.

Thats progress, said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), among those negotiating the proposal. On Sunday, though, the deal McConnell offered did not appear to go far enough, for now, to win over enough Democratic votes.

Trump had largely remained out of sight Sunday, and the GOP whip, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, after speaking with Trump, doubted any promises would be made on immigration.

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Cornyn also defended Trumps hands-off approach of outsourcing the shutdown mess to Congress.

Its not his responsibility, Cornyn said. He doesnt get to vote on a filibuster. Only the Senate does.

The shutdown struck at 12:01 a.m. Saturday when Democrats in the Senate, joined by a handful of Republicans, blocked a House-passed bill to temporarily fund the government for four weeks.

The federal government has been running on a series of four stopgap funding bills since the 2018 fiscal year began Oct. 1 because Congress cannot agree on budget levels.

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Republicans, who are the majority in the House and Senate, want increased military funding, and Democrats insist on parity for other federal operations.

The GOP hold on the Senate is slim, just 51 seats, when 60 votes are typically needed to break a filibuster and pass most legislation. So Democrats, who hold 49 seats, used their leverage to demand concessions on budgeting, immigration and other issues.

Tops on the Democrats priority list is legislation to protect the Dreamers. But Republicans want a massive overhaul of immigration law to reduce the flow of legal migrants as well as stem the flow of illegal immigration. Democrats say the White House demands go beyond the outlines of an initial, more limited deal to protect Dreamers in exchange for more border security.

Lawmakers on both sides also want to extend the Childrens Health Insurance Program, provide more disaster assistance to states hit hard by hurricanes and wildfires, and focus on other issues that have bipartisan backing.

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More immediately, they are trying to insulate themselves from voter blowback.

Some are promising to donate their congressional salaries during the shutdown, and others have introduced bills to ensure some government services  especially pay and benefits for military troops  are not disrupted.

Shutdowns are just a bad idea, said Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), who was part of the bipartisan working group. If the shutdown continues, he added, next week is going to be a building chorus of problems.

Asked who would be blamed, he shrugged, I dont know  depends on whose pollster you talk to.

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lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

@LisaMascaro

ALSO

Shutdowns first day is long on blame, short on solutions to reopen government

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Trump is transforming the GOP against legal immigration. Will Congress follow?

Is this small-town congressman from New Mexico tough enough to win Democrats the House majority?

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More coverage of Congress

More coverage of politics and the White House

UPDATES:

7:20 p.m.: This article was updated with the end of talks Sunday.

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2:55 p.m.: This article was updated with quotes from McConnell and Schumer.

12:35 p.m.: This article was updated with details of additional meetings in Congress.

11:45 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from White House budget director, legislative director.

This article was originally published at 7:10 a.m.
Democrats have grown used to winning political face-offs over government shutdowns, smiling from the sidelines as Republicans struggled to contain the unruly factions in their party. On Saturday, Democrats got a taste of that stomach-churning game.

On the first day of the first partial government shutdown since 2013, Democrats were playing a risky strategy, caught between a rising activist base that demands protection for young immigrants and moderate lawmakers who fear taking the blame as iconic sites like the Statue of Liberty were closed and an estimated 800,000 federal employees faced the prospect of unpaid furloughs.

Both sides furiously blamed the other for the impasse, which is unlikely to end before Monday, and both sides faced considerable political danger as they gear up for midterm elections this fall that could swing according to how long the shutdown lasts  and whom the public views as responsible.

Democrats say they are confident as they stare down an unpopular President Trump and a Republican Party that controls both chambers of Congress. They say voters will blame the party in power for what they called the Trump shutdown.

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But Democrats may have more to lose than the already unpopular Republicans if the dysfunction lingers. Republicans pointed the finger at Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) for what they labeled the Schumer shutdown.

With Trumps approval in the doghouse and the GOP struggling to get things done, attention turns and focuses on the Democrats as obstructionists rather than the Democrats standing for principle, said Julian E. Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University.

Democrats said they are determined to negotiate a deal that includes some protection for about 700,000 young immigrants known as Dreamers who were brought to the country illegally as children. Trump canceled the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, with a March expiration date.

Party centrists worry that tying the fate of undocumented immigrants  even those who grew up as Americans  to a bill to keep the government open could prompt a backlash from voters and kill their hopes of retaking Congress next fall.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers huddled among themselves, convened a rare weekend session and traded phone calls with White House officials. But they offered no promise that they could quickly undo the shutdown, which began when a midnight deadline expired and government funding lapsed.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) scheduled a vote that, under Senate rules, could be held no sooner than 1 a.m. Monday, to provide a three-week spending bill in hopes of forcing enough Democrats to fold before the work week begins. The vote could be moved up to Sunday if senators agree.

Lets end this foolishness, McConnell said as he opened the chamber at noon.

But as he and Schumer tried to hatch a plan that could win 60 votes in a bipartisan deal, Republicans took turns blaming Senate Democrats who led a filibuster Friday that halted a House-passed funding bill that would have continued operations through Feb. 16.

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House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the Bakersfield Republican, accused Democrats of throwing a tantrum because they did not get what they wanted in the House bill. We did our job, argued Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin.

But Schumer said dealing with the Republicans has been like an old Abbott and Costello comedy routine, with GOP leaders sending him to talk with Trump at the White House, and the president pushing him back to Republican leaders.

Schumer said he thought he and Trump had made a deal to protect Dreamers and provide more money for a wall along the Mexican border, Trumps priority, only to have the president abruptly change course.

Negotiating with the White House is like negotiating with Jell-O, Schumer said.

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The calendar also is a factor. Trump is scheduled to deliver his first State of the Union address to Congress on Jan. 30, and both sides are trying to leverage that date to gain concessions.

Trump was forced to cancel a weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago, his beachfront resort in Florida, that included a lavish political fundraiser Saturday night  in which a pair of tickets started at $100,000  to celebrate his first year in office. If the shutdown lingers, he may have to cancel a planned trip on Thursday and Friday to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

During the last government shutdown, in October 2013, Trump called President Obamas inability to keep the government open a failure in presidential leadership. On Saturday the White House blamed Democrats for Trumps inability to do so.

The president will not negotiate on immigration reform until Democrats stop playing games and reopen the government, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

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The effects of the shutdown are limited over the weekend, when most government offices are closed.

The Smithsonian Institutions 19 museums in Washington and New York and the National Zoo stayed open. The nations military will stay on duty, although service members pay may be delayed, and key veterans services could face disruption. The White House said Saturday that about 90,000 National Guardsmen and 20,000 Army Reservists had their training canceled.

Barclays estimated that each week of a shutdown shaves 0.1 of a percentage point from quarterly economic growth. But because it is early in the quarter, the economy could make up for some, or all, of that loss before the end of the quarter, especially if the shutdown is brief.

Democrats were urged to hold firm by immigrant advocacy groups, who said they were assured that party leaders would use their leverage in the budget fight to get a deal to protect the Dreamers.

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Erika Andiola, a Dreamer activist and former press secretary to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), tweeted her thanks to Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) for holding the line.

We count on you to keep holding it until we win the Dream Act and the government opens again, she said.

Democrats have assumed that the Republicans hold on the White House and Congress, combined with Trumps erratic negotiations, would insulate them from blame for a government shutdown. Many early polls vindicated that strategy, showing most Americans would blame either Trump or GOP congressional leaders if the government were forced to close.

But those surveys were largely taken before House Republicans rallied their most disruptive members to pass a stopgap measure in their chamber Thursday. That measure was blocked in the Senate on Friday, by Democrats  and a few Republicans  who prevented the GOP leadership from reaching a 60-vote threshold needed to hold a vote.

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Dreamers are extremely popular in polls, with large majorities of Americans eager to grant them legal status.

Yet in a CNN poll released Friday, 56% of Americans said keeping the government open was more important than protecting the Dreamers, compared with 34% who said it was more important to continue DACA, which allows Dreamers to work legally without threat of deportation.

The five Democrats who joined Republicans in voting to end debate on the government funding bill on Friday are among the most vulnerable because they come from conservative states. They expressed support for Dreamers but urged their colleagues to find another way to protect them.

Funding the government is one of our most basic constitutional obligations & now because of partisan politics, the government will shut down, Sen. Joe Manchin III, a West Virginia Democrat, tweeted. Governing this way is dangerous to our national security and embarrassing for both political parties.

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But the party is shifting away from moderates as it attempts to harvest the anger of the anti-Trump resistance movement. Hundreds of thousands of women marched in demonstrations in Los Angeles, Washington and other cities Saturday, the one-year anniversary of Trumps inauguration.

Democrats are sticking up for kids. What is wrong with that? said Mary Anne Marsh, a Democratic strategist based in Massachusetts, speaking of the Dreamers.

Come election time, the shutdown might be a factor, but it wont be the factor, she added. It will be something remembered by some voters who are already parked on one side or the other.

Jim Manley, a former aide to Senate Democratic leaders, said Democrats may have to swallow some tough headlines in the coming days, but he believes most have come to appreciate that its finally time to stand up against House and Senate Republicans and a politically unpopular president.

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I see no reason for Republicans to compromise for at least a few more days because theyre trying to make Democrats sweat, he said, adding that he expects Republicans to offer more concessions after a few days, once they see Democrats wont be moved.

Bill Carrick, who worked for the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) through shutdowns in the 1980s, cautioned against quick assessments of the politics because no one knows how it will play out or how voters will react months from now.

A poll taken in the middle of all this is worthless, he said.

But the rule of thumb in his time was that the president usually took the blame, he said.

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Times staff writer Jim Puzzanghera in Washington contributed to this report.

noah.bierman@latimes.com

Twitter: @noahbierman

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lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

Twitter: @LisaMascaro
The folding table full of clipboards and flapping sheets of paper  a staple of ballot measure campaigns and thus a hallmark of California politics  is back in front of neighborhood grocery stores and shopping malls.

The race is on to collect voter signatures on any initiative angling for a spot on the Nov. 6 statewide ballot.

State elections officials have suggested there are about 90 days left to gather and submit those signatures on initiatives to write state law, borrow money or amend the California Constitution. After that, the odds become long for tallies to be finalized in time for the formal certification of fall ballot propositions.

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Interviews with political strategists and those who circulate initiative petitions suggest that as many as a dozen measures could end up on the final list. Two years ago, there were 17 propositions  the most since Bill Clinton was president.

The buying and selling of consumer data could be Californias marquee 2018 ballot fight 

At this point, only one proposition is official: a $4-billion bond for affordable housing and veterans assistance written by the Legislature. But two more on the subject of housing look likely  one that would expand the power of local governments to impose rent control and another to allow more of the states older homeowners to transfer their existing property tax burden to a new residence.

Two ballot measures to radically restructure Californias system of governance, both of which failed to get on the ballot in the past, look more likely this time. One is championed by John Cox, a Republican candidate for governor. It would reshape the Legislature by requiring the selection of some 12,000 neighborhood representatives who then would choose 120 of their peers to serve in Sacramento. Far more disruptive would be the initiative by Silicon Valley investor Tim Draper to split the Golden State into three smaller states. Draper failed to qualify a six-state version of his California carve-up in 2014. Like that effort, this version could be challenged as violating the U.S. Constitution.

Debates over the cost of kidney dialysis and the rights of consumers to keep their information private are both addressed in likely ballot propositions. So, too, is a proposal to require drivers and technicians at private California ambulance companies to be on call during their meal and rest breaks. And this month, a group of powerful national paint companies quietly put $6 million into a campaign for a ballot measure under which taxpayers would pay for lead paint cleanups. That proposal is still a few days away from hitting the streets, but the industrys cash gives it a good shot at gathering the almost 366,000 valid signatures needed to get it on this falls ballot.

This is the group of California voters everyone will be watching in 2018 

Two proposals would ask California voters to rework or throw out existing law. Crime victim advocates seek to expand the definition of a violent felony and thus exclude more prisoners from the expanded parole rules championed in 2016 by Gov. Jerry Brown. Critics of last years $52-billion state transportation plan, meanwhile, are pushing a constitutional amendment that would force an up-or-down vote on the increased gas taxes in 2020.

Only one other proposal seems likely at this point: an $8.9-billion bond for water supply and watershed protection.

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Whether any of the measures can actually win on election day isnt clear. But on the journey of 1,000 political miles, the first step is getting your signature outside that local store. And soon.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast

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Updates on California politics
Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt m
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At appropriate times past, I have broken my strict rule not to interject my personal life stories into this column. With that said, anything to do with the pursuit of an Alzheimers disease cure and/or care compels me to share private family experience. Alzheimers devastated my talented, intelligent mother at the early age of 65 and it ripped a giant hole in the heart of the family.

My late sister Susan saw it coming years earlier. The signs were all too familiar. Forgetfulness, short-term memory failure while displaying crystal clear long-term memory. Then it progressed to getting lost driving in neighborhoods she had lived in for decades. Meanwhile, I refused to face it.

Its just an age thing; shell bounce back, I said.

But she did not bounce back. It only got worse.

I was forced to face the truth one Saturday afternoon visiting Mother in Palm Springs. She wanted to go to the movies. The theater close by was only featuring one film, a Sylvester Stallone epic and I do not remember the title. Not exactly Mothers choice, but that was it so we went.

Ten minutes into the film she began to cry. First her tears were soft and silent. She dabbed her checks with a Kleenex. Shortly thereafter the tears flowed like a river.

Whats wrong? I asked, worried and confused. She hesitated, then turned to me and answered, This movie is a disgrace. It makes me so sad. Hollywood once made some fine films. The world has changed.

She wasnt wrong. But her reaction scared me. I now knew something was wrong. We got up and left the theater and I drove back to the house. She asked me to put the top down on the convertible car.

I want to feel the wind in my hair, she said. She never wanted to feel the wind in her hair, or anywhere.

We arrived back at the house and she left me, going outside to the pool, taking a chair and proceeding to communicate with the birds on a wire for the remainder of the day.

Difficult times lay ahead. Many more poignant stories were to follow. She passed away several years later, ironically not from Alzheimers, yet it had taken her life sometime earlier. The final year was unbearable.

So many people share similar stories.

The statistics are alarming.

Guests braved the dance floor trying out Hula-Hoops. (Photo by Jeffrey Rovner )

Dr. Joshua Grill, co-director of UCI MIND proclaims that Alzheimers is a growing epidemic.

At a recent annual UCI MIND event held in Newport Beach at Balboa Bay Resort fronted by esteemed national Alzheimers spokeswoman and celebrated journalist Maria Shriver, Grill commented: The number of people living with Alzheimers in the U.S. is expected to triple by 2050. This is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

Interestingly, and unknown to many, guest speaker Shriver brought up a shocking statistic in her address.

Two out of three Americans living with Alzheimers disease are women. By 2050, 16 million people in the U.S. and 135 million people worldwide will have fallen victim to this disease, and many more family members and friends will suffer alongside those diagnosed  mostly women.

Shriver comes to the cause with her own personal family connection.

Her experience propelled the former California first lady to become a national advocate for Alzheimers research.

Shriver was invited by UCI MIND (Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders) to share her passion. She continued: Women are at the epicenter of the Alzheimers crisis. Thats why we must be at the heart of the situation.

Gala co-chairs Robert and Virginia Naeve of Laguna Hills and Joshua Grill. (Photo by Stan Sholik )

The Newport Beach event, attended by UCI dignitaries including Pramad Khargonekar, Carl Cotman, Leslie Thompson, Malcolm Dick, Mathew Blurton-Jones and UCI MIND co-directors Dean Frank La Ferla and Joshua Grill was a platform for announcing a new research initiative in partnership with the Womens Alzheimer Movement (WAM) founded by Shriver.

Based on a collaborative fundraising approach by both organizations, the partnership will make research dollars available to UCI scientists investigating the role of sex and gender in Alzheimers disease.

Local activists supporting the UCI MIND gala at Balboa Bay Resort included event co-chairs Robert and Virginia Naeve, supported by a committee including Jaqueline Du Pont, Alison Beaumont Hoeven, Diane Mondini, Kathleen Olson, Marla Noel, Joseph Pryor and Costa Mesas Dee Vollendorff.

Appropriately the gathering was billed as A December To Remember, raising a net $275,000 for Alzheimers research.

To learn more, contact Linda Scheck at UCI MIND at lscheck@uci.edu or visit mind.uci.edu.

For information on Maria Shrivers WAM, visit thewomensalzheimersmovement.org.

B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
The stretch of the 101 Freeway between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara that has been closed for two weeks reopened Sunday, Caltrans announced on its Twitter feed. Massive debris from deadly mudslides that flooded the roadway is in the final phases of being cleared.

Caltrans The California Department of Transportation would not say exactly when the freeway segment would reopen but advised drivers to stay tuned to its Twitter account, @CaltransD5, for updates (@CaltransD5).

For the record: A previous version of this story mistakenly said local and state beaches near Santa Barbara were closed. They are closed to swimming and surfing but the sand areas remain open.

Just days ago this was a swamp on the 101 Highway. Today, its showing huge signs of progress. @CaltransD5 Rcovery in full swing. pic.twitter.com/FdLp3R4YGL  Cal OES (@Cal_OES) January 18, 2018

The closure had turned the 87-mile trip from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Barbara into a detour on the 5 Freeway and Highway 166 that takes three times as long.

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Meanwhile, many local and state beaches remain closed to swimming and surfing because of high bacterial counts related to the early January storm and dumping of sediment from the freeway.

Santa Barbara Countys Public Health Department on Saturday warned the public to respect the buffer zone on beaches because of unknown amounts of untreated sewage and possible chemical contaminants in the water and sand.

Emergency permits allowed federal and state agencies to dump sediment at places such as Goleta Beach and Carpinteria State Beach at the end of Ash Avenue, media reports say.

These beaches tested last week showed unsafe bacterial levels and are closed to swimming and surfing until further notice:

Arroyo Burro Beach, or Hendrys Beach, in Santa Barbara

Carpinteria State Beach, 12 miles south of Santa Barbara

East Beach at Mission Creek and at Sycamore Creek, near downtown Santa Barbara

El Capitan State Beach, 17 miles west of Santa Barbara

Hope Ranch Beach, in a private Santa Barbara suburb

Goleta Beach, in Goleta

Summerland Beach, in Summerland

Beaches that remain fully open include Gaviota State Park, Refugio State Beach and Leadbetter Beach.

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel

UPDATES:

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8:43 p.m. Jan. 21: This article was updated with details about the reopening of the 101 Freeway in the Santa Barbara area.

This article was originally published at 5:30 a.m. Jan. 21.
Afghan officials raised the death toll at Kabuls Intercontinental hotel to 19 on Sunday as the Taliban claimed responsibility for the latest major attack on civilians in the Afghan capital.

U.S. military advisors responded to the attack along with Afghan special operations forces during a 14-hour siege that began when four gunmen raided the six-story hilltop hotel Saturday evening.

Witnesses said the assailants shot at diners in the hotel restaurant and went floor to floor searching for more victims as panicked guests barricaded themselves in rooms and others escaped by leaping from balconies.

Of the 19 people killed, 14 were foreign nationals, said Najib Danish, spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry. Eleven were employees of Kam Air, a private Afghan airline. All four attackers were killed, officials said.

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Twelve people were wounded, but some survivors said they believed the death toll was higher than the government had acknowledged. Some Afghan news organizations, citing unnamed official sources, said 43 people were killed.

Three of my friends, two waiters and two other Afghans were killed in front of me, so I believe more were killed than what officials are saying, said Abdulhaq Omeri, a journalist with Afghanistans Tolo news network.

Omeri was visiting friends at the hotel when they heard gunfire and explosions reportedly caused by grenades carried by the assailants.

We were stuck in a room on the fourth floor after they attacked, he said. As smoke filled the air, he was separated from his friends and sought refuge on a balcony, waiting outside in freezing temperatures until about 3 a.m.

About an hour later, he heard U.S. soldiers call for everyone to come into the hallway. His friends, including an Afghan diplomat based in Pakistan, were killed. Security forces rescued more than 126 people, interior ministry officials said.

Waiters told Omeri that they recognized two of the attackers as hotel guests.

The hotel is surrounded by several checkpoints, and Afghan officials said they were investigating how attackers were able to smuggle weapons into the building and why it took security forces so long to end the siege.

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The hotel, formerly part of the InterContinental Hotels Group chain but now owned by the Afghan government, is a favorite of officials and a frequent site for meetings and seminars. Some of the victims were government employees preparing to attend a technology conference that was to begin Sunday.

Perched on a hill in west Kabul, with a swimming pool and lavish buffets, the hotel is a landmark in the Afghan capital. Like other Kabul hotels and guesthouses known to attract foreigners, it has been targeted by the Taliban before, in 2011, when insurgents raided the hotel and took hostages.

In a statement, the insurgent group said its targets were government officials who were meeting with international supporters. But the United Nations mission in Afghanistan said that among the events taking place at the hotel Saturday evening was a wedding ceremony.

It is a moral outrage that the Taliban entered the hotel with the intention of killing civilians, said Tadamichi Yamamoto, head of the U.N. mission.

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Special correspondent Faizy reported from Kabul and Times staff writer Shashank Bengali from Mumbai, India.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia
Jan 21, 2018, 5:01pm ET

With Opel's help, Peugeot, Citroen, plan US comeback by 2026

Thanks to engineers from recently acquired Opel, the French companies are developing US-compliant cars.

Peugeot and Citroen may be returning to the US. The brands have already begun to develop products that follow US regulations.

The PSA Group, which includes both French brands, recently acquired Opel when GM sold off its former European subsidiary. The result is that PSA now has access to engineers experienced in making cars that comply with US regulations. As reported by Automotive News, PSA CEO Carlos Tavares said at a conference at the Detroit Auto Show, "Our engineering teams, using some of the Ruesselsheim engineers, are making our next generation of products U.S.-compliant."

Opel was sold to PSA in August 2017. Formerly, as part of the GM family, Opel has been selling cars in the US since the late 1950s via Buick dealerships. More recently, cars like the fifth-generation Buick Regal, Buick Cascada, and Cadillac Catera have all been rebadged Opels.

PSA has also hired for key positions individuals from companies experienced in the US market such as FCA and Nissan.

PSA's plan is to return to the US market by 2026. They are currently trying to determine which brand will appear first. This is not a vanity project, though. "Our success in Europe could lead to a very arrogant position that I want by all means to avoid," AN reported, "My only focus in the U.S. is to do the right things right."
No one takes rejection easily. But is anyone languishing in lament about the Lehigh Valley being penciled out of the running for HQ2, Amazon's proposed second headquarters?

Not really. Business recruitment can be a little like fishing for muskellunge -- if you don't know the lures and you aren't willing to make a thousand casts for one strike, you're in the wrong line of work.

Of course, Amazon is a once-in-a-lifetime lunker.

The online retail giant announced Thursday that 20 metropolitan areas made the cut, meaning that 200-plus communities -- all of which had put together tax-break packages -- are out of the running. Including the Lehigh Valley.

It's clear that the Valley was a marginal candidate, as a mid-level market. In return for a $5 billion investment and jobs for up to 50,000 people, Amazon set the bar high -- a region with a population of more than 1 million, a deep labor pool, access to young technical graduates, solid public transportation, affordable housing and a healthy business environment, among other criteria.

The Valley didn't get over the population hump, but it has a solid labor pool, ample higher education institutions -- and location, location, location. Lehigh Valley International Airport is becoming a big player in the cargo market. That's one reason Amazon has two distribution facilities in the Valley now, with more than 3,000 workers.

The big drawback?

We can't divine what went on with Jeff Bezos' evaluation team, but the combination of the Valley's crowded highways, coupled with a limited public transportation system, seems like a non-starter.

One site offered up to Amazon was 200 acres next to Lehigh Valley International Airport. That area is going to have its hands full, traffic-wise, with a new FedEx hub nearby. It's not that the Valley couldn't grow in transportation capacity (highways, air, rail, mass transit) to handle a project of this size. It could. But an Amazon headquarters next to LVIA could quickly render the ongoing Route 22 widening obsolete long before it is finished.

Other development sites mentioned were Allentown and Bethlehem's tax-incentive zones, and land along Route 33 in Northampton County.

The Valley is growing. New projects have been approved for the Bethlehem Majestic Center on former Bethlehem Steel land. Others are in the works for the Route 33 and Route 222 corridors, and in the Valley's three cities. While none of these developments approach the size of Amazon's HQ2, collectively the Valley's industrial and distribution centers dwarf even the largest single development.

One benefit of the Amazon application process is the process itself -- getting the Lehigh Valley on the map, gearing up to appeal to other large employers on the horizon.

Don Cunningham, president of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., said local officials knew they were "punching above our weight class" in the Amazon stakes.

"We developed a great proposal, got our name out there to a big audience, and fine-tuned our analysis and understanding of the Lehigh Valley's competitive assets against larger markets. In the big picture, this will make us better and lead to wins in the future when we're not competing against the entire country," Cunningham said.

A footnote: Two Pennsylvania cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, made the top 20, along with Newark. A new Amazon facility in Philly or Newark would have benefits for the Lehigh Valley -- in terms of jobs, education, cargo shipping. Either would be a good choice.
Business EMERSON INAUGURATES NEW FACILITY IN SAUDI ARABIA TO SUPPORT LOCALIZED INNOVATION AND TRAINING



21.01.2018 14:27:38 -



(live-PR.com) - Dammam, Saudi Arabia, January 17, 2018  Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province, His Excellency Suliman Abdulrhman Al-Thunayan, Governor of Al Khobar, inaugurated today Emersons (NYSE: EMR) new technology and innovation center at Dhahran Techno Valley, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The ceremony was held - Dammam, Saudi Arabia, January 17, 2018  Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province, His Excellency Suliman Abdulrhman Al-Thunayan, Governor of Al Khobar, inaugurated today Emersons (NYSE: EMR) new technology and innovation center at Dhahran Techno Valley, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The ceremony was held with the participation of Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco; Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad, Vice Rector for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM); David Farr, Emersons chairman and CEO; and Mike Train, executive president of Emerson Automation Solutions.



The 11,370-square-meter built area facility, which represents an Emerson investment of SAR 94 million (USD 25 million), enables the company to host Saudi students, entrepreneurs, researchers and industry stakeholders to collaborate with Emersons technical experts to develop process automation technologies and design innovative products and solutions that meet the countrys goals as well as ensure global access to Emersons research and development (R&D) expertise. The facility houses a collaboration center, educational classrooms, an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) laboratory for R&D, and concept test laboratories.



The technology and collaboration focus of Emersons new facility aligns with Saudi Arabias National Transformation Plan and the Saudi Vision 2030 development agenda which looks at technology as a key enabler to boost job creation and economic activities in the non-oil sector. The project is also in alignment with the In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) program, the initiative created by Saudi Aramco to baseline, measure, and support increased levels of localization in the Kingdom.





David Farr, chairman and CEO of Emerson, said: The opening of this facility marks the beginning of a new era for our operations in Saudi Arabia. This project is part of Emersons long-term commitment to Saudi Arabias growth and to make our technology expertise easily accessible for stakeholders. The state-of-the-art systems in this facility will facilitate our education and collaborative research activities with our partners and customers. We also look forward to helping develop the knowledge and skills of industry stakeholders, university students, and entrepreneurs, as well as providing opportunities for local small to medium-size enterprises to participate in our supply chain for our innovative products and solutions.



Emerson has made a significant additional investment to equip the collaboration center with modern technology-enabled capabilities including five research pods (for individual and team initiatives) fully equipped with a distributed control system and simulation panels, a collaboration and brainstorming space for creativity and idea sharing, a solutions theater for exploring a wide range of solutions in the process automation field with full 3D capabilities, and an advanced teleconferencing room for connecting to Emersons network of centers, experts and consultants or any external site.



Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad - Vice Rector for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), added: We welcome the opening of Emersons Saudi Arabia technology and innovation center as a strategic initiative which underscores Dhahran Techno Valleys role as an ideal location to advance the Kingdoms digital transformation goals in its quest to fulfill its mandate towards vision 2030. This is a new milestone in Dhahran Techno Valleys efforts to advance Saudi Arabias objective of building a knowledge-based economy and promoting growth in the non-oil sector. We are positive that Emersons facility will attract huge interest for collaboration from universities and research institutions in the country and the region.



Emerson is one of the leading technology providers in the Middle East and Africa, helping businesses achieve Top Quartile performance in capital projects and ongoing operations in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater treatment, mining and metals, food and beverage, life sciences and other industries.

with the participation of Amin Nasser, CEO of Saudi Aramco; Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad, Vice Rector for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM); David Farr, Emersons chairman and CEO; and Mike Train, executive president of Emerson Automation Solutions.The 11,370-square-meter built area facility, which represents an Emerson investment of SAR 94 million (USD 25 million), enables the company to host Saudi students, entrepreneurs, researchers and industry stakeholders to collaborate with Emersons technical experts to develop process automation technologies and design innovative products and solutions that meet the countrys goals as well as ensure global access to Emersons research and development (R&D) expertise. The facility houses a collaboration center, educational classrooms, an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) laboratory for R&D, and concept test laboratories.The technology and collaboration focus of Emersons new facility aligns with Saudi Arabias National Transformation Plan and the Saudi Vision 2030 development agenda which looks at technology as a key enabler to boost job creation and economic activities in the non-oil sector. The project is also in alignment with the In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) program, the initiative created by Saudi Aramco to baseline, measure, and support increased levels of localization in the Kingdom.David Farr, chairman and CEO of Emerson, said: The opening of this facility marks the beginning of a new era for our operations in Saudi Arabia. This project is part of Emersons long-term commitment to Saudi Arabias growth and to make our technology expertise easily accessible for stakeholders. The state-of-the-art systems in this facility will facilitate our education and collaborative research activities with our partners and customers. We also look forward to helping develop the knowledge and skills of industry stakeholders, university students, and entrepreneurs, as well as providing opportunities for local small to medium-size enterprises to participate in our supply chain for our innovative products and solutions.Emerson has made a significant additional investment to equip the collaboration center with modern technology-enabled capabilities including five research pods (for individual and team initiatives) fully equipped with a distributed control system and simulation panels, a collaboration and brainstorming space for creativity and idea sharing, a solutions theater for exploring a wide range of solutions in the process automation field with full 3D capabilities, and an advanced teleconferencing room for connecting to Emersons network of centers, experts and consultants or any external site.Dr. Sahel N. Abduljauwad - Vice Rector for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), added: We welcome the opening of Emersons Saudi Arabia technology and innovation center as a strategic initiative which underscores Dhahran Techno Valleys role as an ideal location to advance the Kingdoms digital transformation goals in its quest to fulfill its mandate towards vision 2030. This is a new milestone in Dhahran Techno Valleys efforts to advance Saudi Arabias objective of building a knowledge-based economy and promoting growth in the non-oil sector. We are positive that Emersons facility will attract huge interest for collaboration from universities and research institutions in the country and the region.Emerson is one of the leading technology providers in the Middle East and Africa, helping businesses achieve Top Quartile performance in capital projects and ongoing operations in the chemical, oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, power, water and wastewater treatment, mining and metals, food and beverage, life sciences and other industries. Contact information:

Orient Planet PR & Marketing Communications



P.O.Box. 500266, Dubai, UAE



Contact Person:

Eyad Zeidan



Phone: 0097144562888

eMail: eMail



Web: http://www.orientplanet.com

Author:

Pratik Karkera

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Phone: 0097144562888 21.01.2018 14:27:38 -

Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party.
Laredo Police Department /Courtesy photo

Laredo police said they are searching for a person who struck a 2-year-old child with a vehicle Saturday night and fled the scene.

The child was critically injured. Police said at about 8 p.m. Saturday that he was being airlifted to a San Antonio hospital.
MOSCOW - The latest attempt at Russian-American rapprochement came in the guise of a shirtless U.S. ambassador.

Wearing black swimming trunks, U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman on Sunday plunged into the icy waters of the Istra River outside Moscow, as Russian journalists' cameras rolled. The former Utah governor was trying out an Orthodox tradition for the Epiphany holiday, commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. His frigid dip had a geopolitical air to it: Huntsman was following Russian President Vladimir Putin, who did his own shirtless Epiphany photo op on Friday.
FREDERICK, Md. - The candidates forum had the feel of a group-therapy session at times, as three of six Democrats running for an open congressional seat shared stories of close relatives who overdosed on opioids.

A brother-in-law. A nephew. A father.

"In the next 10 years with opioids, there will be probably a million people dead," Total Wine co-founder David Trone said Wednesday night at a Hood College forum focused on health care and opioids.

Drug addiction has emerged as a central issue in the race to replace outgoing Rep. John Delaney, D-Md., as candidates nursing personal loss find common ground with the residents they seek to represent on Capitol Hill.

Wherever he goes, Trone asks audiences if they have been impacted by the scourge of opioids. Typically more than half the hands go up. Wednesday's forum was no different.

Pediatrician Nadia Hashimi, who will compete with Trone and four other Democrats in the June 26 primary, talked to voters at the forum about caring for jittery, addicted newborns. Patients at her husband's neurology practice sometimes "lose" their prescriptions and request more powerful painkillers, she said later in an interview.

Andrew Duck, a retired intelligence officer also seeking the nomination, learned how to administer the overdose reversal drug Narcan after a treatment provider told him addicts often repeat rehab two, three and four times before it sticks.

"I made a personal commitment that if I'm in that situation I want to be able to keep a patient alive," Duck said at the forum, explaining why he always carries Narcan with him.

Years of spiking overdose rates have spurred action on opioids at all levels of government. President Donald Trump declared a public health emergency. Gov. Larry Hogan, R, whose cousin died of an overdose, boosted funding, and Maryland's legislature passed a package of laws.

But the six Democrats and two Republicans vying for their parties' nomination to represent Maryland's 6th District say Congress can - and should - do more.

Republican front-runner Amie Hoeber, a defense contractor who challenged Delaney in 2016, agreed with other candidates that more federal funding is needed. She said a young man in her family overdosed about 20 years ago and recovered only after inpatient treatment.

"I still tear up when I talk about it," she said. "You don't lose those memories."

Trone, who ran in a neighboring congressional district in 2016, says it will take $100 billion over 10 years "just to scratch the surface of the problem."

He wants the government to negotiate lower prices for overdose reversal drugs, expand K-12 prevention programs, rewrite guidelines for opioid prescribers and make it easier for doctors to prescribe medically assisted treatment, according to a detailed 12-point plan on his website.

"It's talk, talk, talk and now we have Kellyanne Conway who's talking about it. But where's the money?" Trone said in an interview, referring to the White House adviser who Trump made America's opioid czar.

Trone's passion is born from years of trying to steer his opioid-addicted nephew through multiple arrests and rehab stints. All appeared well when Ian, 24, celebrated Christmas 2016 with Trone and his family. Days later, after visiting a bar near his North Carolina halfway house, he began using drugs again and ended up dying alone.

"We thought he was going to be able to do it," Trone said, his eyes brimming with tears. "He had been clean for probably 30 or 36 months, so we had made awesome progress, but . . . it's fleeting."

Until earlier this month, the field of candidates included a recovering addict, Republican Matthew Mossburg, who made opioids the centerpiece of his platform. Mossburg quit the race to focus full-time on advocating for better addiction treatment.

The 6th District includes rural counties of Allegany, Garrett and Washington - where a total of 53 people died of opioid overdoses during the first half of 2016, according to the latest numbers from the state health department - and parts of Montgomery and Frederick counties, where there were 77 deaths.

Statewide, there were 1,029 opioid-related deaths in the first half of 2017, up from 873 compared to the same period in 2016 and 508 in 2015. The numbers are highest in Baltimore City, which saw 358 opioid-related deaths in the first half of 2017.

Just over one-third of Marylanders say they have a family member or close friend addicted to prescription pain pills or heroin, according to a March Washington Post-University of Maryland poll.

State GOP-sponsored surveys in parts of the 6th District identify health care and tax relief, followed by jobs and growth, as the top concerns for voters - not opioids. But candidates say addiction is fueled by inadequate health care and a lack of job opportunities.

"It's a symptom of what happens when people lose hope," state Sen. Roger Manno, D-Montgomery, said in an interview.

That sense of despair was on display last month at the opening of the first medical marijuana dispensary in Western Maryland as users lined up for hours to buy an alternative to potent painkillers.

A 60-year-old woman with joint problems, who has taken fentanyl and hydrocodone, said she was already using marijuana to alleviate sharp, radiating pain that makes it hard to stand or sit for extended periods.

"I just want to be normal again . . . and to get off the opioids, even though they help," said the woman, who asked that her name not be published. "I will not be a vegetable smoking marijuana, but with pain medications, some of them make you feel so comatose you don't want to get out of bed and function."

Republican candidate Lisa Lloyd, a nurse practitioner who says her family has also been touched by addiction, proposes after-school apprenticeships to better occupy young people. "To be free of addiction, there has to be something else in their life," she said.

Democratic candidate Chris Hearsey, an aerospace executive, was 12 years old when his feather overdosed on Percocet in front of him. "He just collapsed," Hearsey said in an interview.

As a child, he constantly heard about the war on drugs, but at the same time watched his father and uncle, both police officers, drink and take pills to cope with stress and pain.

Del. Aruna Miller, D-Montgomery, said her brother-in-law, 55, died four months ago of an opioid addiction that no one knew he had "until it was too late."

"This is something that we as a society need to be able to embrace as a public health issue," she said at the forum. "This is a disease. There shouldn't be a stigma associated with it."

Clay Stamp, a longtime paramedic and emergency manager who Gov. Hogan put in charge of Maryland's opioid command center, agreed.

"In my 30 years of doing this," he said, "I've never had a crisis where there's such a propensity of people wanting to put their heads in the sand."

It took a national education and awareness campaign to reduce smoking, Stamp said. "And that's what it's going to take for this - and it's going to take money."

- - -

The Washington Post's Fenit Nirappil contributed to this report.
ISLAMABAD - The long struggle to eliminate polio from Pakistan has faced many obstacles - public ignorance about the disease, myths about a Western plot to sterilize Muslims, claims about fake vaccination drives being used to cover up spying. Add to that list: Attacks by anti-government insurgents on teams delivering the polio vaccine, mostly around the lawless northwest tribal areas.

Now, just as the campaign was nearing its total eradication goal - with only eight new cases of the crippling virus reported in the past year - an especially coldblooded assault has left a mother and one of her seven children dead, slain on Thursday as they were distributing polio drops in the violence-plagued southwest city of Quetta.

The mother and her 16-year-old daughter were not accompanied by armed security guards, although they have long been provided for vaccination teams in Pakistan. A police official in Quetta said the local guards had been removed because they were "drawing attention." Pakistani commentators noted there is an ongoing debate about whether such guards help or hinder vaccinators' safety.

The anti-polio campaign is supported by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and other international agencies, which have assisted in successfully eradicating the virus in most of the world. The slain women were participating in a new drive in which hundreds of mobile vaccination teams are providing polio drops in communities across the country.

The killings were carried out by unknown drive-by killers, who shot the mother and daughter in the head as they sped past on motorbikes. There was no warning, no explanation, and no claim of responsibility. But the attack resembled previous ones by militant groups such as the Taliban, which have killed more than 100 Pakistani vaccinators and their police guards in the past five years.

Officials of national anti-polio organizations vowed the latest attack would not deter or slow efforts to end polio in Pakistan, one of the last countries where the virus remains endemic. Another is Afghanistan.

"The killings are very, very sad, but they will not have any impact on the eradication campaign, because the federal government and all the international partners are fully committed to eradicate polio from Pakistan. We will not be brought down by this," said Aziz Memon, chairman of the Pakistan Polio Plus Committee in Karachi.

Memon said the last known attack on vaccinators in Balochistan Province, a vast desert region where Quetta is located, took place more than two years ago, when organized opposition to the anti-polio drive was high and many families were refusing to allow their children to be vaccinated.

Suspicion was aggravated in 2011 by the arrest of a Pakistani doctor who visited homes in a purported vaccination drive in the northwest region. He was later found to have been part of U.S. intelligence effort to locate al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who was then killed in a U.S. raid on a Pakistani compound in 2011.

Since then, some prominent Pakistani clerics have publicly endorsed the anti-polio campaign and attacks have become less frequent.

"We thought the refusal and violent agitation were over," Memon said. He suggested the Quetta attack could have been more broadly aimed at opposing the government, and he noted that three provincial policemen were also shot dead there the same day. The Pakistani Taliban claimed that attack.

The slain mother and daughter were identified by police as Sakina, 38, and Rizwana, 16. The mother, whose youngest child is a year old, was paid $150 per month for her work. Memon said her husband is a truck driver and the family lives in an urban shantytown. He said the government has promised to provide about $4,000 to help support the surviving family members.
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Two trapped drivers died Sunday morning after an apparent head-on collision east of Bexar County, according to Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

County emergency personnel responded just after midnight, Sunday, to U.S. 90 and Texas 211 where they say two vehicles collided after one veered into oncoming traffic.
A South Texas politicians attempt to regain his office while appealing his conviction on public corruption charges is politics at its worst and only serves to erode public trust in government.

Former Starr County Justice of the Peace Salvador Zarate Jr., who was convicted on bribery charges and suspended from his judicial job by the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct after his arrest in 2014, is seeking to get his old job back.

He is on the March ballot seeking the Democratic nomination for the Starr County Precinct 3 justice of the peace bench. Zarate was convicted in May 2016 of accepting a $500 bribe for reducing the bonds on two defendants in jail on drug charges.

There is nothing in the law that prevents Zarate, who held the post for two decades, from filing for the office he was forced to vacate. State election law prevents candidates who have a felony criminal conviction from filing, but in this case the conviction is not final because it is on appeal.

Zarates appeal alleges there was insufficient evidence for a bribery conviction and that the judge erred by not allowing for a jury instruction on entrapment.

As part of the five-year probated sentence on the public corruption charges, Zarate, who has a prior DWI arrest, was ordered to have drug and alcohol monitoring. Court records indicate he has tested positive for cocaine and alcohol twice since he was placed on probation.

If Zarate wins the Democratic nomination and then loses his appeal before the 4th Court of Appeals in San Antonio, that means a special election.

Voters need to make an informed choice at the polls. This information about Zarate is something they need to know, and lawmakers should take a closer look on whether this loophole can be closed.
As chair of the of the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council and the Owasco Lake Inspection Program, I would like to applaud Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his commitment and continued investment in Owasco Lake. In his Executive Budget, Governor Cuomo announced a $65 million investment to fight against the harmful algal blooms plaguing some of New York's lakes. Protecting our water quality is imperative, and this aggressive investment shows Governor Cuomo's serious commitment to clean water and protecting the health of all New Yorkers for generations to come.
Kristin LaFratta | kristin.lafratta@masslive.com

By Kristin LaFratta

Cambridge Common filled with protestors Saturday as part of a continuation of last year's Women's March. The event, hosted by left-wing political action groups in Massachusetts, was part of a series of marches across the state and country on Saturday, the first day of a government shutdown which was, in part, caused by political division over immigration policy.

RELATED: At Women's March 2018, Maura Healey calls Donald Trump an 'embarrassment'

Organizers of the Cambridge event say the march was intended to support the rights of women and marginalized groups. The event and its speakers, including Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, also voiced harsh opposition to President Donald Trump and his administration. Many handmade signs at the event reflected protestors' disdain for the president.

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Update: As of 12:30 p.m. Police remain at the scene and the highway is still closed.

ENFIELD - Three people have been killed in a rollover crash that has closed Interstate 91 southbound Sunday morning.

Connecticut State Police said a fourth person has also been taken to the hospital with a non-life threatening injury.

Police have not said how many cars have been involved in the crash and have not released other details of the accident. They remain on the scene of the crash.

The crash happened at about 7 a.m. The highway is closed and traffic is being diverted off Exit 47 in Enfield, causing serious traffic backups in the town and on the highway, Enfield Officer Thomas Pyrcz said.

Traffic is being diverted down Phoenix Avenue and South Road to Route 5, he said.

"There is no easy to get around it unless you come on Route 159 in Suffield," he said.

This is the second fatal accident that has happened on a five-mile stretch of the highway this weekend. Saturday morning a six-car pileup that killed a tractor trailer truck driver closed Interstate-91 northbound at Exit 49 in Enfield and caused major traffic jams in the town.

Springfield Fire Department also assisted at the scene.
A fight between brothers inside a Massachusetts home led to them both being rushed to an area hospital with gunshot wounds, according to WPRI.

Taunton police told the television station the brothers were fighting and eventually a knife and gun were pulled out. One brother was shot four times while the other brother was shot once by his own gun, WPRI reports.

Officers were called to a home on Erin Road around 3 p.m. Saturday for a report of a shooting, NECN reported. The brothers lived inside the home.

Police told NECN the brothers argued and then the argument became violent. The shooting remains under investigation. Police have not released any information about the victims' conditions.
A Texas man is accused of stealing $60,000 from a Massachusetts couple after he pretended to be their grandson and told them he had been arrested.

Authorities are in the process of bringing 27-year-old Jason Temprachah, a Fort Worth, Texas resident, to Massachusetts in order to face larceny charges in Salem District Court, according to the Essex County District Attorney's office.

A Beverly couple received a call on Jan. 9 from a man who was crying. The couple believed the man on the phone was their grandson.

"The caller told them he was riding in an Uber on his way to the airport, the car had been pulled over by police, narcotics were discovered in the car and both he and the driver was arrested," authorities said in a news release.

A second man then called the couple and said he was an attorney for their grandson. He asked for the money to be sent in order to help their grandson.

The couple wired $60,000 to an account provided by the caller, the district attorney's office said.

"A short time later, after talking with their real grandson and realized they had been scammed, they contacted Beverly Police," the district attorney's office said.

Temprachah was arrested last week in Texas.

Beverly Police Officer Dana Nicholson and Detective Joshua Pickett were able to recover $54,000 and return it to the couple.

"As we always try to remind people, you have to be diligent and on guard against potential scam artists," District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said. "Please don't hesitate to contact your local police department if you think you are being victimized."
LONGMEADOW - A tractor trailer truck driver killed in a six-car pileup Saturday morning that also injured three other people, has been identified as a 33-year-old man from Thomaston Connecticut.

Anthony Gentile was killed in the crash that happened at about 7 a.m. on Interstate-91 north in Longmeadow. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, Massachusetts State Police said.

The crash sent two other people to the hospital for minor injuries. A third person declined treatment, police said.

Preliminary investigations show Gentile was driving a 2014 Peterbuilt tractor-trailer truck and struck the rear of a 2017 Freightliner tractor-trailer truck which had slowed due to construction on Interstate-91 in Springfield. He then continued northbound hitting several other vehicles that were also traveling slowly and then crashed through a guardrail before stopping in the median.

A passenger riding in a 2010 Honda CRV and a passenger in a 2011 Nissan Rogue were treated at an area hospital. Also involved in the crash was a 2017 Toyota Corolla and a 2015 Honda Pilot. Most of the six vehicles were badly damaged in the crash and were towed from the scene, police said.

The northbound side of Interstate-91 from Exit 49 in Enfield was closed for hours and at least one lane of Route 91 southbound was closed for a shorter period of time. It caused gridlock on side roads as traffic was diverted onto Route 5, police said.

Gentile was carrying bottles of shampoo. When his trailer split open during the crash, it covered about 300 yards of the highway with debris, police said.
A former Fitchburg postal employee admitted to stashing more than 700 pieces of mail inside his car after he felt stressed over the job.

Stephen Lehto, 37, pleaded guilty in federal court recently to obstruction of mails and will be sentenced in April.

According to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, prosecutors said Lehto had been fired from his postal service job in January 2017 for drinking and didn't serve hundreds of pieces of mail because of stress.

Lehto was a letter carrier for the United State Postal Service at the Fitchburg post office between June 2016 and January 2017. Investigators say he began taking mail home instead of delivering it.

"Law enforcement agents received a tip and interviewed Lehto at his home," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. "Lehto admitted to taking mail home and provided consent to the agents to search his vehicle for mail. The agents located and recovered a total of 758 pieces of mail from Lehto's vehicle, 341 pieces of which were first class pieces of mail."

Lehto faces a sentence of no more than six months in prison.
A Sunday morning fire inside a barn in Holliston killed several animals living inside the structure.

Firefighters from Holliston and Ashland along with police rushed to 755 Concord St. around 6:25 a.m. and found the barn engulfed in flames. Firefighters from Framingham and Sherborn then responded to the scene to help extinguish the fire.

Holliston Deputy Fire Chief Jim Moore told the MetroWest Daily News that roughly 60 animals including goats, cows, pigs and chickens lived in the barn. Dozens of animals died.

The fire was under control in about an hour. Investigators will determine the cause of the blaze.
As a mentor to startups and new entrepreneurs, I continue to hear the refrain that business plans are no longer required for a new startup, since investors never read them anyway. People cite sources like this recent Inc.com article "5 Reasons Why You Dont Need a Business Plan," or my own blog discussion on this subject, "Situations Where A Business Plan Does Not Add Value."

Let me be clear  business plans are never "required," they should never be written "just for investors," and if you sold your last startup for $800 million, most investors will not ask for a written plan for the next. On the other hand, if you are a first-time entrepreneur, the discipline of building a business plan will dramatically improve your success odds, and your odds of finding an investor.

Marty Zwilling

http://blog.startupprofessionals.com/2018/01/5-new-venture-deliverables-put-you.html
After a year of testing with its own employees, Amazon plans to open its store that lets you browse, grab and walk out  skipping the checkout line, but not the bill  to the public Monday.

Elizabeth Weise, USATODAY

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2018/01/21/amazon-set-open-its-grocery-store-without-checkout-line-public/1048492001/
Political commentator, social activist and Artsakh Liberation War veteran Sarkis Hatsbanian died on January 20 in Lyon while undergoing medical treatment for cancer.

Hatsbanian was born in 1962 in Alexandretta, Turkey, and fled to Europe in 1980 after the Turkish military coup.

Residing in Armenia since 1990, Hatsbanian faced political persecution following the March 1, 2008 public protests opposing what many regarded as the illegal election of Serzh Sargsyan as president.

He was sentenced to three years and six months on the charge of giving false testimony.

Hatsbanian frequently commented on the plight of Armenians and other national minorities in Turkey, Diaspora-Armenia relations, and the political situation in Armenia.

Always noting that his roots were in Armenian Cilicia, Hatsbanian gave many lectures in Yerevan on political developments in Turkey, particularly focusing on Western Armenia.

News of Hatsbanians death was posted on his Facebook page by his close friends.
Which are your favorite 3 combos? You can vote for one of them, or two or three, its entirely up to you; the maximum, however, is three.

Only one vote per person is allowed.

Voting for this category will end on Tuesday January 23.

Combo #506 (Sebastian Kroll)

Exposure: -0.1  Clarity: 10  Definition: 5  Highlights: -25  Vibrancy: +10  Vibrancy: +25

"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted."  Bill Bryson

Photos by Sebastian Kroll

Combo #541 (Kathleen Magner Rios)

Exposure: +0.1  Clarity: 23  Vibrancy: +34  Temperature: 6160

"Like Lilium, a genus of herbaceous flowers that is varied and prevalent throughout the world, this is a combo that can be used in many varied situations. It has true and vibrant color without being overwhelming or looking like youve overdosed on the vibrancy tool. Lilium handles bright light well and you wont get lost in the shadows either. The clean, borderless frame allows for the focus to be solely on your photograph."

Kathleen Magner Rios

Combo #557 (Anita Elle)

Exposure: +0.1  Clarity: 15  Highlights: -45  Shadows: +16  Vibrancy: +45  Vignette: 20

"Madalena in Corsica: its like mixing up chic, elegant (Madalena) articles of clothing with grunge (Love 81). It adds a little whoosh to the outfit, with a few accessories (more brightness, in particular) and thats how Madalena and I have become one, since I arrived in Corsica!"

Anita Elle

Combo #563 (Marina Macchi)

"I love the Eric lens for summer holidays shots, because of its contrasted tones under strong light. This time I chose to pair it with DC for its neutrality that doesnt affect the lens characteristics and, for its discrete black frame. And this is it: it was the only combo I used during my stay in the beautiful Gran Canaria islands."

Marina Macchi

Combo #567 (Polina Sarri)

Clarity: 20  Definition: 10  Highlights: -20  Vibrancy: +20  RGB: modified  Temperature: 6000  Vignette: 20

"The Vacationers"

"For me, vacations are all about living in the open air, day dreaming, taking photos, gazing at the sky, diving in the vast sea. It is all about feelings, smells, and natural sounds. It is all about the Vacationers, a whole tribe worth observing during the long hours of relaxing restlessness. It is all about the colour blue and all its hues, tints and shades.

When I was choosing a combo to capture the vibes of this debonair mood, I picked the Daydream film. It provides a whole range of colours from bright turquoise to deep purple, wrapped in a cloud of happiness, just with a little shake in post editing. By adding the Florence lens to this new recipe, I got pictures conveying the emotion and feeling of the things and people around me, more than the definition and crispness which I thought were irrelevant. The actual thing that happens when you squint your eyes to avoid too much light or you try to focus in the distance... And then there was the Apollo flash, which complemented this new combo by adding the exact amount of summer warmth. So, here is my new series "The Vacationers, feel free to follow them wandering around."

Polina Sarri

Combo #570 (Christine Mignon)

Clarity: 65  Definition: 12  Shadows: +27  Temperature: 7410  Texture: 12  Vignette: 50

"All pictures were taken in Porto, the beautiful town in the north of Portugal with its charming alleys, friendly people and great architecture. The light is really special there!

The Libatique lens is not the most popular Hipstamatic lens but, used with flashes it offers great results (by the way: its also very good in low light conditions). Combined with Rasputin it brings a warm tone to the pictures. I used Apollo to saturate the colors."

Christine Mignon

Combo #580 (Marco Gianfranco Spampinato)

"Boccadasse is a picturesque village with pastel-colored houses clinging to each other and encircling a small bay, even though it's completely surrounded by the city. It has remained almost unchanged over time, as one might have seen one or two centuries ago, a fact that made it one of the most famous tourist attractions in Genoa. This place has not simply been preserved for tourists, instead it is a lively and vital village where fishermen continue their ancient activities."

Marco Gianfranco Spampinato

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Adults aged 65 years and older who are hospitalized with fever or respiratory symptoms during influenza seasons are less likely to have a provider-ordered influenza test than younger patients, shows new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. This year's flu season is shaping up to be an especially serious one, and it's important for clinicians to promptly recognize, diagnosis, and treat influenza in hospitalized patients, especially in vulnerable populations such as older individuals.



The highest rates of hospitalization and death associated with influenza infections are experienced by older adults. To see if these individuals are being adequately tested for influenza by their doctors when they present with symptoms, Lauren Hartman, MD of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and her colleagues conducted a study that included 1422 adults hospitalized with symptoms of acute respiratory illness or non-localizing fever at four hospitals in Tennessee during the influenza seasons from November 2006 to April 2012.

While younger adults are more often tested for influenza than older adults, the highest rates of hospitalization and death associated with influenza infections are experienced by older adults.





"Influenza is a common cause of hospitalization in older adults, but it is often under-recognized. It is important that physicians consider influenza in hospitalized older adults because antiviral treatment is beneficial if given early, and so spread to other vulnerable patients can be prevented," said Dr. Hartman.







Source: Eurekalert The investigators in the study conducted laboratory tests of influenza for all patients, regardless of whether their providers ordered testing. Among the 399 patients with influenza confirmed by these laboratory tests, influenza-like illness was the only significant predictor of provider-ordered testing. Nearly half of patients with confirmed influenza did not have testing ordered by their providers."Influenza is a common cause of hospitalization in older adults, but it is often under-recognized. It is important that physicians consider influenza in hospitalized older adults because antiviral treatment is beneficial if given early, and so spread to other vulnerable patients can be prevented," said Dr. Hartman.Source: Eurekalert

The researchers found that overall, 28 percent of participants had provider-ordered influenza testing. Patients who were tested were younger than those not tested (an average age of 58 years versus 66 years) and more likely to have influenza-like illness (71 percent versus 49 percent). Influenza-like illness decreased with increasing age: 63 percent for those 18-49 years, 60 percent for those 50-64 years, and 48 percent for those 65 years. Among all patients, presence of influenza-like illness and younger age were independent predictors of provider-ordered testing.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, will participate in a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, on Monday, 22 January.



Discussions will focus on the latest developments in the Peace Process and the broader aspects of the situation in the Middle East region. In this context, there will be a working luncheon with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.



The situation in Libya and the EU partnership with African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) after 2020 will be also discussed.

Finally, on the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council, the EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs will have a working breakfast with the President of the European Investment Bank, Werner Hoyer.
The 2018 North American International Auto Show is all about trucks, with the Ram 1500, Chevy Silverado, Ford F-150 diesel and returning midsize Ranger as some of the top highlights.

In 2017, the Ford F-series, Chevy Silverado and Ram 1500 combined for more than 1.9 million vehicle sales.

Joe Wiesenfelder, executive editor of Cars.com, said this year's Detroit auto show -- which began last week with media and industry previews, and opened to the public this weekend -- is highlighted by pickup trucks, "numerous, significant consumer products" that made headlines at the show with the trucks - and Volkswagen's top-selling Jetta.

"I don't know if we should be assigning too much significance to it, Wiesenfelder said about the rare confluence of new truck unveilings by each of the Big Three. "It might just be timing.

"These vehicles were due for redesigns, one in the Ram that was arguably overdue, even with the current model still being desirable."

Fiat Chrysler debuted its 2019 Ram 1500 with new hybrid technology, an impressive interior and a leaner weight at 225 pounds lighter than the previous model.

Chevrolet's Jan. 13 reveal of its new Silverado, which comes in 450 pounds lighter, kicked off the 2018 Detroit auto show.

As for Ford, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker revealed its first-ever diesel F-150 leading into the auto show, and made the return of its midsize Ranger official at its auto show press conference. Wiesenfelder said he was pleased to see the Ranger return to the North American market after being absent for the better part of the decade.

"I'm really glad to see it back. I like it. It's a really great, desirable size and clearly there's demand for that," Wiesenfelder said. "Let's be honest, being sold next to the best-selling model (Ford's F-series) in the country can't be a bad thing.

"You have to know someone is going to go in there and say I was thinking of that one but I'll go with that one instead, and vice versa."

Production on the Ranger will start later this year at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne.

With trucks and Ford's return to the midsize truck segment being the main topic of discussion, it was noted that FCA is the only member of the Big Three without a smaller pickup. GM has the Chevy Colorado and the GMC Canyon.

"So, no, FCA doesn't have a midsize truck because if you think about it, if they wanted to, it would require a much bigger commitment and investment (than that of the Ford Ranger)," he said. "The Ranger didn't go away, it just went away from North America, so I would not put money on them bringing the (Dodge) Dakota back."

Of the three trucks to make their debut in Detroit, Wiesenfelder said he thought the Ram looked the best at a glance. He noted that Chevrolet took a lot of weight out of the Silverado and did a lot with it, but added mechanical and technological aspects that "aren't going to make much of an impression" when it comes to an auto show.

As for something that would have been an eye-turner at an auto show, the mid-engine Corvette was rumored to be a potential surprise from Chevy in Detroit, but that was squashed early at the Silverado debut. Wiesenfelder said it's his suspicion that the reason the mid-engine Corvette didn't make an appearance is because it wasn't ready.

"That's the only good reason," he said. "I mean, next year or maybe they'll find a different way to introduce it. Just seems unlikely they would introduce it at the New York Auto Show, which is the last one with a lot of media."

The 2018 press and industry preview days are already in the books, and the North American International Auto Show opened to the public Saturday, Jan. 20. The massive annual event will remain open through Jan. 28. The show takes place at the Cobo Center, 1 Washington Blvd. in Downtown Detroit.

Tickets cost $14 per adult, and $7 each for seniors and children.

Hours between Jan. 20 and 27 run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., with no admittance after 9 p.m. On the show's last day, hours run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with no admittance after 6 p.m.

For those wondering what Wiesenfelder recommends checking out on the floor, the Cars.com executive editor points to Ford's self-delivery pizza demonstration in its area, and some of the virtual reality displays at Ford and Chevy, among others.

Ford also has a green screen set up where those in attendance can act their way into the automaker's new commercial for its special edition Ford Mustang Bullitt.

"The Ford Fusion autonomous fleet pizza delivery vehicle is here. The only reason I say that is, they have a laptop computer sitting on the truck connected to the Lidar system," he said. "They are displaying what those things see. So, you see this graphical representation of the car and everything and everyone around it.

"It's fascinating and creepy, and I just think it's a rare opportunity to visualize what's going on there."
Starting the 2019-20 school year, students who are at least a grade level behind in their reading ability by the end of third grade could be held back under a new state law.

In preparation, Michigan schools are providing additional support systems to make sure their young students are proficient in reading and getting parents involved in the efforts.

Below, you can try your hand at some sample questions from the third-grade English language arts portion of the M-STEP.

But first, a quick note about the six sample questions: These are from the paper-and-pencil version of the M-STEP. Students also can take an online version of the test, in which the difficulty of questions presented adapts to students' ability level as the test progresses.

This sample quiz includes only multiple choice questions. The third-grade ELA portion of the M-STEP also includes answering questions about a longer passage, writing paragraphs and matching notes with main ideas, for example.

How did you do?

Comparing the percentage of questions you got right in this sample quiz to how the M-STEP is actually scored is a little tricky.

M-STEP results are reported as scale scores, and students' performance is rated as "advanced," "proficient," "partially proficient" or "not proficient" based on their scale score.

Kimberly Gillow, principal of Symons Elementary School in Milan, offered some additional insight on what literacy skills students are expected to have by the end of the third grade.

Phonemic awareness: the ability to hear and distinguish letter sounds;

Phonics: the ability to understand the relationship between letters

Fluency: the ability to read with expression and appropriate pacing

Vocabulary: the ability to know and remember the meaning of words

Comprehension: the ability to understand a passage and make connections to prior knowledge

Students in kindergarten through third grade practice those literacy skills every day within the regular curriculum, Gillow said. At Symons, teachers incorporate a "mini lesson" into their reading time, Gillow added, in which they explain a specific literacy skill to the students and then encourage students to practice that skill, reading at their own pace.
ANN ARBOR, MI - More than 3,000 women and their supporters rallied in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 20, according to organizers, and they hope to make their presence known at the polls in November too.

The rally held at the University of Michigan Diag marked the one-year anniversary of the historic Women's March of 2017, which was one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history and included gatherings in cities across the country.

The emphasis of this year's rally in Ann Arbor was much the same as last year's march - to demand equal rights and protections for all people, celebrate diversity and take a stand against what the protesters see as opposition from the White House administration.

Related: Anniversary of Women's March to see rally, conference in Ann Arbor

Many of the calls to action on Saturday centered on the opportunity presented at the midterm elections in November to elect more women and allies to positions where they can influence policy. Several speakers at the rally highlighted key issues, including gun control, better protections for victims of domestic violence and fair wages.

State Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, said the past year has been unique in her 11 years serving in the state legislature.

"I have never experienced anything like what has happened over the last year," Warren said, recalling the disappointment, anger and fear she observed in the wake of Trump's inauguration. "... Over the past year, we have seen that we were right to be worried. ... But what a difference a year makes. Because standing here with you all today, knowing what you have done with us over the last year, I'm not quite as worried as I was last year. In fact, I'm standing in front of you incredibly hopeful."

Warren pointed to the election of minority candidates to local and state governments across the country in recent months as signs of hope. She also urged attendees not to get comfortable and instead continue their advocacy work.

The Women's March rally in Ann Arbor was organized by Progressives at the University of Michigan and other groups, with Claire Cepuran, co-founder of Progressives at UM, and Washtenaw County Commissioner Michelle Deatrick coordinating the event.

Speakers included activist Michelle Elizabeth Brown; poet Zilka Joseph; Rowan Conybeare, of the UM College Democrats; Lily Buday, of the Progressives at UM; domestic violence survivor Nicole Beverly; state Rep. Donna Lasinski, D-Scio Township, and others.

"A year ago, we said that we would not let the sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia and economic injustice that the Trump administration represents and advances become the new normal," Buday said. "It's time to keep proving that we meant it. A revolution is not a one-time event, so we all have to keep revolting. If you can afford to forget how bad things are, try to remember that there are those who cannot."

Kristen Alvarez, 40, and her husband Jose Alvarez, of Commerce Township, joined the rally to draw attention to the plight of people in Puerto Rico. Some of their relatives who live in Puerto Rico still do not have power, Kristen Alvarez said, now nearly four months after Hurricane Maria hit.

They also participated in the Women's March in Ann Arbor in 2017, and Kristen said she saw the momentum of that event carry through the past year - specifically in the increased number of women running for elected office and the #MeToo movement calling for an end to sexual harassment and sexual assault

Ann Arbor residents Marieka Kaye and Penelope Frenette thought it was important to bring their young daughters to Saturday's rally to show them how a community can come together.

"What's going on right now is so historical and we need to really make sure she's part of it," Frenette said.

Her 6-year-old daughter Lola said she came to the rally to support equal rights.

David Abler, of Bloomfield, hoped Saturday's rally would inspire further action. He and his wife Kathy May-Abler and their friend Deb Stevens, of Westland, held signs that promoted compassion and said "history is watching."

Abler said the uptick in civic engagement in the first year of Trump's presidency has been positive, and he hopes it will continue.

"His election's a disaster, but it doesn't mean historically that something good won't come of it," Abler said. "That's what a free democracy is all about it. Sometimes it takes a step back to take multiple steps forward. That's what I want to encourage."
ANN ARBOR, MI - The University of Michigan is paying the full tuition of around 1,700 in-state students this semester who qualified as the first recipients of the Go Blue Guarantee initiative the university approved last summer.

Based on fall enrollment numbers, that means around 7.2 percent of current in-state students on the Ann Arbor campus are now receiving four years of free tuition under the guarantee, due to the fact that their family's income is no greater than $65,000, within certain asset limits. Eligible students began receiving funding from the guarantee with the start of the winter semester on Jan. 3.

The figures, provided to The Ann Arbor News, offer the first indication of how much of an impact the free tuition initiative is having on the current student population at UM.

Ultimately, the guarantee, which was passed with the university's budget in June 2017, should begin to have a more significant impact on prospective high-achieving students from low and moderate-income households in future classes, UM Spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said.

"The Go Blue Guarantee was really designed to generate new applications from in-state students from families with modest incomes up to $65,000," Fitzgerald said. "So, we were really looking for those high-achieving, low to moderate income students throughout the state.

"This is being implemented now, but it's really a long-term commitment and program of making an up-front commitment to get that message out more broadly," he added.

The Go Blue Guarantee arrives at a time when the population of out-of-state students continues to increase at a higher rate than UM's in-state student population. This fall, UM saw its out-of-state enrollment increase by 1,059 students over the previous fall, while in-state enrollment increased by 225 students.

Over the past five years, UM's in-state enrollment has dropped by 426 students (23,320 students in the fall of 2017), while out-of-state enrollment has increased by 2,718 students (22,682 in the fall of 2017) during the same period of time.

After the Go Blue Guarantee passed in June, UM's Office of Financial Aid went back into the university's current enrollment and applied the basic rules of the free tuition intiative to determine which in-state students would qualify, Fitzgerald said.

Many of those students already qualified for some form of aid prior to the Go Blue Guarantee, Fitzgerald said, and a good number of them still could qualify for additional aid that goes beyond covering the cost of tuition.

As an example, the Office of Financial aid identified an additional 800 students currently enrolled at UM who are receiving financial aid equal to or greater than full tuition support who don't fall under the terms and conditions of the Go Blue Guarantee.

"It's important to know they were already qualified for and receiving financial aid," Fitzgerald said. "It was really setting new parameters, looking back at those students and finding which ones qualified.

"I think for the most part, they were getting either (full tuition) or more financial aid than just covering tuition," he added. "New students who may qualify for it, that doesn't mean it's their only financial aid. It could be more."

The financial aid for future students who are accepted to UM and qualify for the guarantee will include scholarships and grants totaling at least the cost of tuition assessed each semester.

Financial aid may contain a variety of awards, including the federal Pell Grant, federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant, State of Michigan Competitive Scholarship, non-UM tuition scholarship and institutional scholarship and grants.

Since it introduced the Go Blue Guarantee, UM has not put out a target number of students it ultimately would like to attract through the free tuition effort.

Although early indications show that admission applications are up, Fitzgerald said, it is too early to speculate whether the spike is related to the guarantee or if it is part of the regular increases in the number of applicants UM has seen since it started using the Common Application.

The university has created a website to assist those who might have questions about the guarantee, along with some digital advertising efforts, Fitzgerald said. That's in addition to the initial wave of publicity the Go Blue Guarantee received, while enrollment management at UM has spread the word to high school counselors in the state.

So, while the current student population has already started to experience the benefits of free tuition this winter, the efforts to find talented in-state students from low to moderate income families will determine the guarantee's overall success.

"We believe there are high-achieving students from modest needs in the state of Michigan who haven't been applying to Michigan in the past," Fitzgerald said. "Those are the students and families this program is trying to reach with a clearer, earlier message on the amount of financial aid that is available. We hope that will help them get over the hurdle of applying to Michigan.

"The real success of the Go Blue Guarantee is in the long term - several years down the road," he added. "Are we able to have sustained increases in the number of applications from high-achieving students from low-to-moderate-income families throughout the state? That will be the true test of the success of the Go Blue Guarantee."

Earlier this week, UM President Mark Schlissel's was recognized by the Rainbow PUSH Automotive Project in Detroit for his efforts in making college more affordable for in-state students through the Go Blue Guarantee.

Schlissel was one of four recipients of the inaugural Let Freedom Ring Awards, which paid tribute to the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for his legacy in uplifting the human condition. Additionally, the project recognized Schlissel for his efforts in the areas of improving diversity and inclusion on campus.
FLINT, MI -- The documentary series "Flint Town" offering some insight into the Flint Police Department is set to come to Netflix later this year.

Netflix has approved an order of eight episodes from the project by directors Zackary Canepari, Jessica Dimmock and Drea Cooper set to launch on March 2, according to a Hollywood Reporter story.

The trio of directors were embedded with the department amid the water crisis.David Pritikin and P.G. Morgan are serving as executive producers of the series produced in partnership with Anonymous Content.

Canepari and Cooper's name may be familiar to docuphiles, with the duo having teamed up with producer Sue Jaye Johnson on the 2015 documentary "T-Rex" that followed boxer Claressa Shields from Flint to her gold medal performance at the 2012 Olympics in London and back home.

The documentary drew high praise and won several awards, including the Audience and Special Jury Recognition at the San Francisco Film Festival and the Student Choice Award at HotDocs.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Darrell Brown paused outside of his home on Montgomery Avenue SE.

This, he said, would probably be the last time back.

"I can't even walk inside the house without crying," Brown said. "I don't think - I don't think I can go back."

Brown takes little comfort in the makeshift memorial outside of his home: All he can see are the bodies of his wife, Germaine, 46, and his precious 2-year-old grandson, King Talbert, in an upstairs hallway.

He found them after they were shot Wednesday, Jan. 17.

Brown, 59, on Saturday stopped with a daughter, Crystal, to get clothes and a few belongings for himself and his son, Darrell Brown II, 10, who was at school when the killings happened.

Brown said he cannot go into the house alone.

Grand Rapids police detectives have worked around the clock to the find the killer or killers but have released few details about the investigation.

Brown said his wife's struggle with drugs could be tied to the killing, and thinks police are already looking for a suspect.

Germaine Brown struggled with addiction. She got clean when became pregnant with their son. The couple were thankful because she didn't think she could have more children.

Darrell Brown met her years ago when she lived down the street from his house on Montgomery. Coincidentally, she grew up in the house he was living in, and later shared.

A church deacon and self-described "nerd," he knew her troubles but said she was a beautiful person. He wanted to help her. She called him a "Godsend."

Before the killings, he said, he could tell something troubled her. She said she was fine.

But Brown said he found out later that she confided in a friend that a man had threatened her.

"The night before, she told a girlfriend, if anything happens, he told her he was going to kill her," Brown said.

"We know who it is. He's just on the run."

Germaine Brown, 46, and King Talbert, 2

Brown said he would have called police or taken other steps to protect his family if he had known.

He wonders if his wife was shot first. Or, his grandson, to further torment her? It's bad enough to kill an adult, but a child?

"He didn't have to hurt the child," Brown said, holding to his daughter's side.

"Whatever it was, they wanted to hurt her and kill my grandson. It was intentional."

His wife was pronounced dead at the scene. His grandson later died at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

Family members are struggling with the losses. Darrell II, who lost his mother, considered King his little brother. He's going to get counseling.

The father won't let his son back in the house. They are trying to find a new place to stay.

Germaine Brown's body was found partially in the boy's bedroom. She might have been trying to reach the attic to hide with her grandson, Brown said.

The couple baby-sat their grandson.

Brown said he and his grandson were inseparable.

When his grandpa - he called him "Paw Paw" - sat in his chair, the little boy would grab a snack, climb onto his chest and ask to watch Batman and Superman cartoons. That's where he took naps, too.

He also liked to help his grandfather, a handyman, with projects. He mostly made messes. Brown didn't mind.

"He was my little 'Mr. Fix It Man,'" he said. "He looked like my eldest son, like I had him all over again."

He still sees that little face looking up at him after he found their bodies. He thought she was sick and passed out, with King taking a nap next to her.

He called for help. He said he was shocked when he heard they had been shot.

Brown said he had gone to a hardware store where he once worked, then stopped at a friend's house to look at an electrical problem, when the killings happened.

He wished he brought King with him.

He missed his wife's calls. He wondered if she was calling for help, or calling to warn him. He called back and she didn't answer.

Police said the killings likely happened between noon and 3 p.m. Police asked anyone who saw anything unusual in the neighborhood that day to contact police at 456-3400 or Silent Observer at 774-2345.

Brown said he was questioned by police and cleared. Police said last week that they would not discuss any interviews.

Brown said he always told his wife that God would take care of things. He still believes that but says this is so much to handle.

"It's like a nightmare. When am I going to wake up?"
Andre Davis (MLive.com File Photo)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A man was arrested in connection to the 2013 homicide of Andre T. Davis.

According to a release from the Grand Rapids Police Department, Cameron Davon Wright, 26, was arrested on Jan. 19 after a felony warrant for murder was issued by the Kent County Prosecutor's Office. Wright was located and apprehended by the FBI Fugitive Task Force Team during a high risk traffic stop near Logan Street SE and Morris Street SE.

Davis was shot and killed on Aug. 25, 2013, while riding as a passenger in a vehicle near Division Avenue and Sycamore Street. He was 20 years old.

After the incident, police said the bullets weren't meant for Davis, and the gunman was after another person in the car who'd been in an altercation that night at Latvian Hall.

Davis was in the car with four friends when another vehicle pulled up and opened fire. He died at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital after spending more than a day on life support.

Wright is being held at the Kent County Correctional Facility without bond. He was arraigned on charges of open murder, using a firearm to commit a felony, felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and parole violation.
HOLLAND, MI - A Holland man missing since Jan. 14 was found dead Saturday, Jan. 20, police said.

Samuel Rodriguez, 22, who lived in Grand Rapids before recently moving to Holland, was found partially covered with snow in a wooded area near a path, police said.

Police had released information about the man's disappearance, including a description of the hat he was wearing. Someone called police and reported seeing the hat on the ground.

Police and firefighters searched the area and found the body. An autopsy will be conducted but police said it does not appear foul play was involved in the death.
ADRIAN, MI - Stephanie Jass, a "Jeopardy!" champion and former Adrian College professor, took advantage of a campus-wide password reset to access the email accounts of President Jeffrey Docking, and outgoing Vice President Agnes Caldwell, according to a Michigan State Police report.

As a result, Jass had a document "that consisted of notes and comments and 'problems'" regarding faculty members, a fellow professor told a detective.

The co-worker, since promoted, learned this during a lunch meeting with Jass on May 3 at an Adrian cafe. The two talked of academic staff in need of improvement and mentoring, Jass revealed the document on her cell phone, and told her associate it was from the accounts of Docking and Caldwell.

"During the conversation, Jass commented to (the professor) that Caldwell did not like her and that Docking was 'crooked,'" states the report, obtained this week through a Freedom of Information Act request

"Based on the tone used... (the fellow professor) stated that she felt like the information was being downloaded for blackmail although this was never verbalized."

Jass, 47, of Tecumseh was charged in December with unauthorized access to a computer, program or network, and using a computer to commit a crime, both felonies.

She waived her right to a preliminary examination last month in Lenawee County District Court and is next to appear for a pretrial hearing Feb. 28 before Circuit Judge Margaret Noe, according to court records.

Jass, once an assistant professor of American history, was "terminated with cause," spokesman Frank Hribar, vice president for enrollment and student affairs, said Saturday.

Efforts to contact both Jass and her Farmington Hills-based attorney Raymond Correll, for this and past stories, have been unsuccessful. Jass, though cooperative in surrendering her computer devices, did not submit to a police interview.

Jass admitted to school authorities to accessing the emails of Docking, Caldwell, Assistant Vice President Bridgette Winslow, several unnamed fellow faculty members and students, including her stepson. She made these acknowledgements May 8 in a meeting with Human Resources Director Renee Burck; Vice President of Business Affairs Jerry Wright; and Patrick Quinlan, president of the faculty union, according to a timeline put together by the college and contained in the police report.

Because of the ongoing criminal proceeding and a pending arbitration case involving the union, Hribar said the college would be "quiet" in its response to the the allegations against Jass or her suggested motivation.

"This is an internal issue and we feel it inappropriate to offer public comment on it," Quinlan wrote in an email Saturday.

In an interview with state police Detective Sgt. Rich Cruz of the Cyber Command Center, the fellow professor and whistleblower said Jass' stated acts "felt criminal immediately" and the professor emailed Burck the following day, May 4.

On May 5, the college deactivated Jass' email account and access to all other college software. The locks to her office door were changed and her desktop computer was confiscated, according to the timeline.

As the inquiry was underway, the college suspended Jass with pay because she "allegedly breached the expectations of professional conduct" outlined in a collective bargaining agreement, states a May 8 letter signed by Burck and contained in the report. Hribar, out of state this weekend, was not certain of her date of termination.

Other information about the content of the hacked emails is redacted from the report. According to Jass' lunch companion, Jass downloaded all materials from Caldwell's account. Caldwell, then the dean of academic affairs, is now a college administrator in Ohio.

There was not concern about sensitive information being circulated, Hribar said. "I just think some specific emails have been compromised and that is absolutely inappropriate."

Jass was able to access the accounts because of an April 24 issue with the college email system, hosted by Google. Hribar said there was network outage caused by loss of power.

On April 25, users received a text message with a generic, standard passcode: "Please attempt to login to Gmail using this password. You should be prompted to change password after login..."

Not everyone, however, was prompted to do so. Some did make the change using a tutorial. Some received an error and were unable to create a new password, the timeline states. Others did not alter the password at all. Neither Docking nor Caldwell immediately changed the password.

"That moment with IT publishes a universal passcode for EVERYONE's email and you freak out for a second until you realize that: 1. No one wants to read your stupid emails; 2. You've been forwarding all your work emails to your private Gmail, so there is nothing there anyway," Jass wrote April 25 on Facebook.

The method "worked just fine, had there not been manipulation of the system," Hribar said.

Such procedure has since been modified, he said. "Clearly, now, we have a fully secure database and system."

At no point were student, client or personnel records vulnerable, Hribar said.

On May 5, Burck contacted the state police.

The subsequent police report, often relaying technical details, indicates Jass accessed emails while using an internet network at First Presbyterian Church of Tecumseh, where she served as an elder. Police also linked the breach to Jass' own internet provider.

Authorities conducted a "forensic analysis" of a college laptop Jass used and found "numerous text fragments." Caldwell and Docking confirmed the fragments referenced emailed information that would not have been shared with Jass.

"Docking added that some of the emails were covered by attorney-client privilege," Cruz reported.

Until recently, Jass was in the news for her success on the long-running TV quiz show "Jeopardy!" She previously had the record for most wins by a woman. Jass competed in the champions and Battle of the Decades tournaments.
EAST LANSING - Michigan State University trustee Mitch Lyons is calling for the resignation of school president Lou Anna K. Simon amid growing criticism for the school's handling of the Larry Nassar fallout.

In a statement released on Saturday night, Lyons became the first prominent member of the school's board or administration to publicly call for Simon's departure.

"I feel that our best recourse is for President Simon to resign immediately in order to allow the healing process to begin, first and foremost for the survivors and secondarily for our university," Lyons said.

Lyons' statement goes against the rest of the school's Board of Trustees, which issued a statement of support for Simon just a day earlier.

The board held a work session on Friday in which it discussed the Nassar situation. Nassar, the longtime Michigan State physician, has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. This week, more than 80 women have read statements in an Ingham County courtroom saying they were assaulted by Nassar, and several have been critical of Michigan State's handling of the situation.

Afterward that work session, board chairman Brian Breslin read a statement that said, in part, "we continue to believe that President Simon is the right leader for the university, and she has our support," Breslin said.

The board's statement came after multiple state lawmakers and Michigan State's student body president had called for Simon's resignation.

Lyons said on Saturday that he "expressed repeatedly" during that Friday meeting that "I don't feel that President Simon can survive the public outcry that has been generated by this tragedy and even less so after hearing the testimony of these brave survivors of Larry Nassar's abuse."

Lyons said he agrees with the school's decisions to request a review from the Michigan Attorney General and said that the board has not been presented any evidence that Simon "knew anything of the monster that Larry Nassar is until 2016."

"While mistakes were made, I don't believe anyone at MSU, including President Simon, knowingly engaged in any coverup or criminal wrongdoing at any time," Lyons said. "However, while President Simon has done many great things during her time at MSU, this atrocity is simply too much to overcome and our institutional accountability has been compromised. I have empathy for the position she is in but her legacy does not take precedence in this situation."

Lyons' current term expires on Jan. 1, 2019. He said in the statement he will not seek reelection. Earlier on Saturday, the Michigan Republican Party said Breslin will also not run for re-election when he term expires at the end of the year.

Here is Lyons' full statement. He declined to comment further.

Let me start by saying, as a husband and father, I hurt for the survivors of Larry Nassar's abuse and have been moved by their brave testimony this week.

I have been very troubled since yesterday's board statement. While I do agree that bringing in the Attorney General to review the situation is in MSU's and the public's best interest, and that bringing outside counsel in to help guide this board through this unprecedented time is wise, I do not agree with our statement of support for President Simon. As I expressed repeatedly to fellow board members during our discussion Friday, I don't feel that President Simon can survive the public outcry that has been generated by this tragedy and even less so after hearing the testimony of these brave survivors of Larry Nassar's abuse. I feel that our best recourse is for President Simon to resign immediately in order to allow the healing process to begin, first and foremost for the survivors and secondarily for our university. I believe that without question, the public has lost confidence in Dr. Simon to effectively lead this university and I believe that this loss of confidence is irreparable.

This is not a personal indictment of President Simon. To date, this board has not been presented with any evidence that would suggest she knew anything of the monster that Larry Nassar is until 2016. I believe he hid behind the legitimacy of known medical procedures to prey on young girls and women. While mistakes were made, I don't believe anyone at MSU, including President Simon, knowingly engaged in any coverup or criminal wrongdoing at any time. However, while President Simon has done many great things during her time at MSU, this atrocity is simply too much to overcome and our institutional accountability has been compromised. I have empathy for the position she is in but her legacy does not take precedence in this situation.

This board has prided itself on presenting itself as a unified board over the years, even when we had disagreements. However, on this issue I strongly disagree and, while I am only one voice on this board, I can't in good conscience remain silent on this issue.

Lastly, before people question whether I'm doing this for political gain given that my term ends the end of this year, I have no intention of running for re-election in November of 2018. My only hope is that everyone impacted by this tragedy can begin healing with God's grace. God bless the survivors.
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Iron & Steel | Imports from China, 2019: 4 percent. (Image: Moneycontrol)

Ahead of the Union Budget 2018- 19, the steel ministry has sought waiver of the import duty on coking coal to boost the sector, a top official said.

"We have written to the finance ministry to bring to zero the import duty on coking coal from present 2.5 per cent," Steel Secretary Aruna Sharma said.

The ministry in its recommendations to the finance ministry has also suggested to bring down the import duty on steel scrap to nil, the secretary said.

India has to heavily depend on import of coking coal, as the domestic quality has higher ash content, which is unsuitable for the steel industry with present technology.

During April-September of the ongoing fiscal, 22.6 million tonne (MT) (provisional) of coking coal was imported, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal had said in reply to the Lok Sabha last month.

While 41.6 MT coking coal was imported in 2015-16, the import was 43.5 MT, he had said.

To bring down the imports of coking coal, the steel ministry had earlier said that it was in discussion with the coal ministry for investment in washeries.

Secondary steel industry body All India Induction Furnaces Association (AIIFA) had also recently urged the government to remove 2.5 per cent import duty on steel melting scrap in the upcoming budget.

The Union Budget for 2018-19 will be presented on February 1.
The Nifty which started the day on a muted note rose to fresh record highs towards the end of the trading session on Friday and made a strong bull candle on the daily candlestick charts. The candle engulfed the profit booking seen in the previous session.

The index rose as much as 213 points or nearly 2 percent for the week ended January 19. The index which looked as if was losing steam bounced back sharply negating the effects of a bearish candle formed in the previous trading session.

The index broke out above 10,900 to hit a fresh record high of 10,906.85 but failed to close above the same. For the coming week, analysts advise investors to remain long with a strict trailing stop loss below 10,790.

The liquidity rally pushed the index above crucial resistance levels so far in the month of January and the next target for the index stands at 11,000 which is also its crucial resistance level.

The Nifty which opened at 10,829.20 slipped below 10,800 to hit an intraday low of 10,793. It bounced back from its 5-day exponential moving average (DEMA) placed at 10,793 to close 77 points higher from its previous close at 10,894.70.

It was yet another action-packed a day on the bourses as Nifty recovered from a mild dip before signing off the week with a strong bullish candle on both days as well weekly time frame. However, it needs a breakout above 4-month-old ascending channel which should throw up bigger targets for the indices going forward, Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist  Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia.in told Moneycontrol.

On such a breakout, a modest target of 11,100 looks certain. However, as we are entering into a truncated week with technical oscillators in steeply overbought zone, profit booking in next trading session cant be ruled out, he said.

Mohammad further added that traders are advised to book profits by taking advantage of initial euphoria, if any, on Monday and maintain a tight stop below 10,790 levels on a closing basis and look for higher targets ushered in by the breakouts.

We have collated the top fifteen data points to help you spot profitable trade:

Key Support & Resistance Level for Nifty:

The Nifty closed at 10,894.7 on Friday. According to Pivot charts, the key support level is placed at 10,823.47, followed by 10,752.23. If the index starts to move higher, key resistance levels to watch out are 10,936.37 and 10,978.03.

Nifty Bank:

The Nifty Bank closed at 26,909.5. Important Pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 26,576.13, followed by 26,242.77. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 27,100.33, followed by 27,291.17.

Call Options Data:

Maximum call open interest (OI) of 54.29 lakh contracts stands at strike price 11,000, which will act as a crucial resistance level for the index in the January series, followed by 10,800, which now holds 42.74 lakh contracts in open interest, and 10,900, which has accumulated 34.96 lakh contracts in OI.

Call writing was seen at the strike price of 11,100, which saw the addition of 3.55 lakh contracts along with 11,200, which added 2.29 lakh contracts.

Call unwinding was seen at 10,800, which saw shedding of 8.43 lakh contracts, followed by 11,000 at 7.96 lakh contracts and 10,900, which saw shedding of 6.84 lakh contracts.

Put Options Data:

Maximum put OI of 75.54 lakh contracts was seen at strike price 10,500, which will act as a crucial base for the index in January series; followed by 10,700, which now holds 64.41 lakh contracts and 10,600 which has now accumulated 64.40 lakh contracts in open interest.

Put Writing was seen at 10,900, which saw addition of 14.56 lakh contracts, followed by 10,800, which added 14.26 lakh contracts and 10,500, which added 5.11 lakh contracts.

Put unwinding was seen at 10,600 which saw shedding of 3.84 lakh contracts in Open Interest.

FII & DII Data:

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth Rs 988.25 crore, while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 209.86 crore in the Indian equity market, 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.

136 stocks saw long build-up:

34 stocks saw short covering:

A decrease in open interest along with an increase in price mostly indicates short covering.

38 stocks saw short build-up:

An increase in open interest along with a decrease in price mostly indicates short positions being built up.

5 stocks saw long unwinding:

Long unwinding happens when there is a decrease in OI as well as in price.

Bulk Deals:

Gitanjali Gems Limited: AKG Finvest Ltd sold 12,41,693 shares at Rs 69.23 per share.

Sunteck Realty Limited: Fidelity Investment Trust Fidelity Emerging Markets Fund bought 35,01,308 shares at Rs 404.96 per share while The Sri Gopikrishna Trust sold 30,00,000 shares at Rs 405.52 per share.

(For more bulk deals click here: https://goo.gl/qrXHCH)

Analyst or Board Meet/Briefings:

The Board of Apollo Tyres will be meeting on February 6, 2018 to discuss financial results.

Stocks in news:

14 companies declare results over the weekend. DCM Shriram, Lux Industries, Vertex Industries and Gruh Finance.

JM Financial: Companys net profit grows 42 percent at Rs 168.1 Cr against Rs 118.6 crore year on year.

Wipro Q3 profit down 12% at Rs 1,930.1 cr; sees Q4 IT services revenue growth at 1-3%.

ABB: The company has opened a new factory in Nashik for power distribution products

10 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, Dish TV, DLF, Fortis, GMR Infra, HCC, HDIL, IFCI, Jain Irrigation, and Kaveri Seed Company.
20:36 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.

20:25 India helping us more than Pakistan: Afghan Cricket board CEO

Not disregarding the initial support given by Pakistan, Afghanistan

Cricket Board CEO Shafiq Stanikzai says the BCCI has played a bigger role in the rapid rise of the game in the strife-torn nation.

Afghanistan cricketers trained a lot in Pakistan in their formative years and some of them even picked up the sport in refugee camps on the other side of the border. The team from the war-ravaged nation even made its T20 and ODI debut against Pakistan. (PTI)

20:03 Will share vision for India's global engagements at Davos: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he will share his vision for India's future engagements with the international community during his Davos trip, as he sought "serious attention" of world leaders on existing and emerging challenges to the contemporary global systems. (PTI)

19:33 India Inc in full force at Mumbai Marathon, Tatas' Chandra clocks personal best

Having bagged the title rights of the coveted marathon in the financial capital, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran today clocked his "best" time of just over two hours in completing the 21-km half-marathon.

The marathoner chairman, popularly called as 'Chandra', finished the half marathon in two hours and three minutes, his fastest or "personal best" in marathoners-speak at the maiden Tata Mumbai Marathon, 2018. (PTI)

18:49 BREAKING | Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner. He will take over from January 23. Ex-finance secretary Ashok Lavasa has been appointed as the Election Commissioner, according to PTI.

18:40 ONGC hikes maiden debt-raising by 40% to fund HPCL buy

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has increased its first ever debt-raising plans by 40 percent to as much as Rs 35,000 crore to fund its Rs 36,915-crore acquisition of Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL).

The acquisition would create India's first integrated oil company. This would be ONGC's biggest acquisition and second buyout this fiscal after its Rs 7,738 crore acquisition of 80 percent stake in Gujarat State Petroleum Corp's KG basin gas block. (PTI)

18:17 Railways, road transport ministry agree on speedy clearances for projects: Piyush Goyal

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal today said that he and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had agreed to extend complete cooperation in issuing clearance for infrastructure like overbridges at spots where rail lines and highways intersect. (PTI)

17:57 India has shown it won't hesitate to cross border: Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said India has shown it can attack its enemies not only on its soil, but also in a foreign territory, if need be.

Singh's remarks came almost a week after the Indian Army carried out a "retaliatory action" against Pakistani troops, killing seven of their soldiers and injuring four others along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Read the full story here.

17:43 Airbus to get '10 years of visibility' from Emirates deal: CEO

A USD 16 billion deal with Emirates airline for A380 superjumbos will give Airbus "at least 10 years of visibility", the European manufacturer's CEO Tom Enders said in an interview published today.

Emirates announced the deal on Thursday to buy 36 Airbus A380s - just days after the group said it would have to halt production without new orders. (AFP/PTI)

17:23 'Padmaavat' protests: GSRTC suspends bus services in north Gujarat

The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) today suspended its bus services in northern part of the state, following violent protests by Rajput community members against the release of the film "Padmaavat", an official said.

The bus services were suspended in Mehsana, Patan, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha districts till the situation improves, he said. (PTI)

17:03 Wanted to quit in 2012, but stayed on after Nirbhaya: Sheila Dikshit

Sheila Dikshit wanted to step down as Delhi chief minister in 2012 because of health concerns and also to enable the Congress to find another leader before the next Assembly elections, but the December 16 gang rape of a young woman firmed up her resolve to stay on.

Resigning then would have been seen as fleeing the "battlefield", the former chief minister says in her memoir. (PTI)

16:47 GST anti-evasion: Cess likely on pan masala at manufacturing stage

The GST Council is likely to consider levying cess on certain commodities like pan masala at the manufacturing stage itself, a move aimed at checking tax evasion and shoring up revenues.

The Council will look at levying the cess at the manufacturing stage based on production capacity as against the current practice of imposing it on supplies made by the manufacturer.

This proposed amendment to the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017, would be deliberated upon by the council in its meeting later this month. (PTI)

16:41 England beat Australia by 16 runs at Sydney to seal 5-match ODI series 3-0.

16:01 Gujarat verdict big boost for Congress; Rahul will lead party to victory in 2019: Ahmed Patel

The Gujarat poll outcome has instilled the belief in Congress workers that the BJP can be defeated, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said today and exuded confidence that the party would emerge victorious in the 2019 general elections under Rahul Gandhi's leadership.

Patel, who had won the Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat last year in a close contest, also said the poll verdict in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state was a "moral victory" for the Congress as the BJP, which had talked about getting 150 seats, was wrapped up under 100. (PTI)

15:52 Some of the AAP MLAs disqualified today include:

> Alka Lamba was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Tourism> Sharad Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Revenue Minister> Shiv Charan Goel was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Finance Minister> Sanjeev Jha was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Transport Minister> Kailash Gahlot was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Law

> Manoj Kumar was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Food and Civil Supplies

15:35 Earthquake measuring 3.6 on Richter scale near Koyna dam, Maharashtra

An earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale jolted areas near the Koyna dam in Maharashtra today, the MeT department said. (PTI)

15:26 BREAKING | The President has approved Election Commission's recommendation to disqualify 20 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), according to CNN News18.

15:13 BigBasket to invest Rs 500 crore to ramp up farmer sourcing, tech

Online grocery store BigBasket expects to spend up to Rs 500 crore to strengthen its technology and back-end farmer supply chain as it looks to more than double its customer base to 20 million by 2020, a top company executive said. (PTI)

14:19 JUST IN: CPM will not ally with the Congress for the 2019 polls

14:17 Saudi Arabia calls for extending non-OPEC cooperation

Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khaled al-Faleh today called for extending cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers beyond 2018 after a deal to shore up crude prices.

"We should not limit our efforts to 2018. We need to be talking about a longer framework for our cooperation," Faleh said before a meeting between OPEC and non-OPEC countries in Muscat.

This is the first time OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia explicitly calls for extending a 2016 deal between oil producers to cut back production to combat a global oil glut.

13:47 We want to maintain good relations with our neighbour (Pakistan) but they don't stop doing mischief. We have given a strong message to the world that India can kill its enemies not only on this side but on that side of the border as well: Home Minister Rajnath Singh (ANI)

13:22 Develop a US-style online platform to sell bad loans: Viral Acharya

The Reserve Bank has called for putting in place an online trading platform on the lines of the system in the US, to sell distressed assets to ensure more transparency and better price-discovery.

Deputy Governor Viral Acharya has opined that such an online trading platform can help create a thriving market for selling bad loans, which is plaguing the domestic banking system, and asked all the stakeholders to come together to develop such a mechanism.

The banking system is saddled with over Rs 10 trillion of bad loans, which is over 10.2 per cent system wide, as of the September 2017 quarter.

13:08 India's role needed to curb autonomous weapons use, says ICRC

After the real threat of nuclear terrorism, the world is now faced with yet another emerging challenge from autonomous weapons like drones or weaponized robots which can be programmed to identify and attack any target.

Autonomous weapon systems are those which can independently search, identify and attack targets without human intervention.

Taking note of this new and growing threat, a top official of a global agency which aims to ensure humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of war and other situations of violence has said India can play a big role in diplomacy to maintain human control over the use of such autonomous weapons.

12:50 Kabul Intercontinental Hotel siege ends, all gunmen killed

Afghan Special Forces ended an overnight siege at Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday, killing the last gunman from a group of three attackers who stormed the hotel, taking hostages and battling security forces for hours.

12:47 Volkswagen Group to invest Rs 7,800 crore in India

Germany's Volkswagen group, led by Czech automaker Skoda, plans to invest around 1 billion euros (over Rs 7,800 crore) in India over the next few years to develop six new models.

Skoda is driving the emerging market strategy for the VW group and is leading the development process for new models in India which are expected to be rolled out post 2020 when new regulations related to safety and emissions come into force in the country.

12:33 Government to auction 8 more mineral blocks in three states

The government has identified eight more mineral blocks with a cumulative reserve of 1,133 million tonnes (MT) in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to be auctioned by mid-march.

So far, a total of 88 mineral blocks have been notified by nine states for auction, of which 33 blocks have been successfully auctioned with an estimated revenue of Rs 1.28 lakh crore over the lease period to the states.

Of the eight mines, six are of lime stone - five in Rajasthan and one in Chhattisgarh, one of iron ore and the remaining one is of graphite & quartz - both in Jharkhand.

11:16 India's automated ocean pollution system to begin this year

India is all set to have its own automated ocean pollution observation system this year which will help keep a tab on ocean pollution levels apart from offering insights on how the marine system is changing, a top scientist has said.

According SSC Shenoi, director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), the system will become functional by April this year and the cost of the project is estimated to be at Rs 100 crore.

INCOIS is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

11:09 India to become fastest growing large economy in 2018: Report

India will overtake China to be the fastest growing large economy in 2018 and the country's equity market will become the fifth largest in the world, says a report.

According to a Sanctum Wealth Management report, when the rest of the world offers low growth and insufficient structural change, India, by contrast, is seen as a reforming economy with the prospect of strong long-term growth.

"India will become the fastest growing large economy in the world, eclipsing China. Indian equity market will jump to become the fifth largest in the world," the report noted.

10:55 N Korea delegates arrive in Seoul for pre-Olympics inspection

North Korean delegates arrived in Seoul today on their way to inspect venues and prepare cultural performances for next month's Winter Olympics, in the first visit by Pyongyang officials to the South for four years.

Television footage showed a group of seven officials led by Hyon Song-Wol, the leader of the North's popular Moranbong band, crossing the heavily-fortified border on a bus before arriving at Seoul train station about an hour later.

The stony-faced officials, surrounded by hundreds of Seoul police officers, then took a train to the eastern city of Gangneung, where one of the planned musical concerts is due to be held.

10:37 JUST IN: Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation has decided to suspend bus services to North Gujarat in the wake of protests by Rajput organisations (CNN News 18)

10:36 Commerce ministry for removal of sunset clause for SEZs

The commerce ministry has pitched for continuation of tax incentives being enjoyed by units in special economic zones (SEZs) with a view to boost shipments and job creation, a government official said.

In a letter to the finance ministry, the department of commerce has also asked for removal of minimum alternate tax on SEZs.

In the Budget 2016-17, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had stated that the income tax benefits to new SEZ units would be available to only those units which commence activity before March 31, 2020.

10:29 Steel ministry seeks import duty waiver for coking coal

Ahead of the Union Budget 2018- 19, the steel ministry has sought waiver of the import duty on coking coal to boost the sector, a top official said.

"We have written to the finance ministry to bring to zero the import duty on coking coal from present 2.5 per cent," Steel Secretary Aruna Sharma said.

The ministry in its recommendations to the finance ministry has also suggested to bring down the import duty on steel scrap to nil, she said.

09:51 No fresh firing by Pakistan along LoC, IB overnight

Calm prevailed along the International Border and the Line of Control in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir overnight after three days of intense shelling by Pakistan which left 10 persons, including six civilians dead, and over 50 others injured.

There was no report of firing by Pakistan along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts since last night, and along the LoC in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch from 4 am, BSF and police officials said.

International Border was almost calm except a few rounds of shelling in Arnia sector last night, a BSF spokesman said.

09:49 UPDATE: At least five dead in Kabul hotel attack: Afghan spy agency

Gunmen killed at least five people and wounded eight others in an attack on Kabul's

Intercontinental Hotel, an official said today, as the eleven hour-long siege continues.

"Five are dead," an official with the Afghan spy agency told AFP, adding 100 hostages have been released.

09:34 PM Narendra Modi anguished at loss of life in Bawana fire

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed anguish at the death of people in a fire at a factory in Delhi's Bawanaon Saturday.

"Deeply anguished by the fire at a factory in Bawana. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. May those who are injured recover quickly," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted quoting Modi.

A Delhi Fire Services official said 17 people are feared dead as the fire ripped through a two-storeyed factory in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area on Saturday evening.

09:27 Gunmen storm Kabul luxury hotel, multiple casualties

Gunmen burst into Kabul's luxury Intercontinental Hotel, shooting at guests and staff and setting the building on fire, officials said, as security forces battled to end the more than eight hours-long assault.

Special forces were lowered by helicopters onto the roof of the landmark hilltop hotel during the night-time siege, interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP, adding two attackers had been killed.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest assault in the war-torn Afghan capital that followed a series of security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners.
Unocoin | One of the leading exchanges in India, Unocoin serves a customer base of over a million. It is a member of NASSCOM and has featured among the top 20 out of 350 companies in The FinTech 20: India list. Users are also given a chance to earn free bitcoin by referring the exchange to friends and family.

Gold failed to glitter, equities made a mark, real estate found itself struggling with regulations but what took investors by surprise was the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin in particular saw widespread interest not just across the world but in India as well.

Bitcoin rallied from $1,000 rose to nearly $20,000 in December. Not just Bitcoin, but other cryptocurrencies did pretty well in 2017.

Well, if you have found this particular asset class interesting and are planning to take a dip into the unknown, tread with caution  a word of advice which comes from not just analysts on D-Street but also astrologers and numerologists.

The sharp run-up in Bitcoin could be attributed to number 5, which belongs to Mercury, says astro-numerologist Sanjay B Jumaani.

Bitcoin adds to 23, the best form of Number 5, Mercury the fastest Planet of Speed! It has already made the owner of Bitcoin, Satoshi an overnight Billionaire, he told Moneycontrol.

Guess what? Its founder, Satoshi is a Number 5 himself! Though we never encourage fast money or gambling, I would like to throw some light on Bitcoin. The flip-side of Mercury is that its slippery & can go either way, said Jumaani.

Cryptocurrencies mainly Bitcoin, Ethereum or Ripple enjoyed a bumper year in 2017 as mainstream investors entered the market and drove prices higher. We saw an explosion in so-called initial coin offerings (ICOs) - digital, token-based fundraising rounds which drove demand.

But, for India, things are little complicated. As of now, India hasn't banned Bitcoins, but the cryptocurrency is largely unregulated. In a statement last month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said that it has not given any licence or authorisation to any entity to operate schemes or deal with bitcoin or any virtual currency.

Bitcoins have been volatile  having surged as much as 1,900% in 2017 to a high of $20,000 in December, they have crashed by half since then, ending at $10,000 on Friday, said a report.

So what do stars foretell about the cryptocurrency for the year 2018?

Cryptocurrencies are still not recognized by Reserve Bank of India & it has cautioned investors & traders about the potential financial & legal risks. With the current strong placement of Jupiter & Venus, Bitcoin is expected to do well till the end of July 18, Astrologer Richa Pathak of Jyotishdham told Moneycontrol.

It has to be noted that combination of Mars & Retrograde Saturn from 7th March '18 to 2nd May 2018 will bring the sharp volatility for about two months. However, even with volatility, prices will see an upward trend till July 18.

August 18 will experience the debilitation of Venus & its placement in Virgo, which would affect Bitcoins prices. During this period, currency may be mired in regulatory, legal & taxation controversies which shake investors confidence which in turn would lead to dropping in prices, said Pathak.

She further added that September 18 will see the shift of Venus in Libra (which signifies Balance). This planet position will give Bitcoin the much-needed stability & this trend will continue until the middle of October 18.

After this period, change in planetary position of Jupiter will again bring back the volatility & Bitcoin would face a price pressure. There would again be advent/ rise of other Cryptocurrencies in the markets, which would keep the pressure on for Bitcoins prices for the remainder of the year, she said.
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Markets regulator SEBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 16 lakh on one Umashankar Agarwal for indulging in fraudulent trading in the securities of Somani Cement Company.

As per an order dated January 19, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) had conducted an investigation in the share transaction of Somani Cement Company Ltd (SCCL) for the period from July 2004 to April 2005.

During the course of the investigation, Sebi observed that SCCL made several corporate announcements during 2004-05 which appear to be false and misleading in nature.

The shares of SCCL were traded on BSE for 161 days during the period July 2004 to April 2005 and immediately after the corporate announcements, the scrips witnessed a steep rise in price and traded volume.

In its order, the regulator noted that SCCL's chairman and director Bimlesh Kumar Mishra had transferred 41.31 lakh shares including unlisted excess scrips through various off- market transfers to a web of entities who in turn sold them in the market after the corporate announcements.

Agarwal had admitted to Sebi that he had sold 6.12 lakh shares of SCCL during the investigation period and got twenty five paise per scrip to sell them in the market.

Noting that Agarwal has committed serious offence by acting as a conduit or front for Mishra and aided him in offloading the fraudulently dematted excess shares of SCCL to the innocent investors, Sebi said that large number of investors were defrauded by purchasing the scrips.

"It is established beyond doubt that the noticee (Agarwal) had indulged in fraudulent and unfair trade practices in securities and indulged in acts which created false and misleading appearance of trading and price manipulation in the scrip of the SCCL and, therefore, violated... the PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) Regulations," Sebi said.

Accordingly, the regulator has imposed a penalty of Rs 16 lakh on Agarwal.
If you think simple mathematical calculations such as addition, subtraction, division and multiplication are child's play, they are not. At least according to the findings of the Annual Status of Education Report, 2017.

About 57 percent of the country's youth aged 14-18 years are unable to solve a basic division problem, the report states. "ASER 2017 indicates that a large proportion of 14-18-year-olds can at least read simple texts. Their math levels are quite poor and do not show improvement with age," the report said.

The findings are a departure from ASER Centre's rhetoric of rising student enrolment figures. The survey instead focuses on quality of education at various institutes.

Currently, about one-third of Indias working age population are between 15-64. Indians aged 14-18 years seem to have a math problem  nearly 63 percent cannot calculate the amount one requires to pay after a 10 percent discount is applied to a T-shirt.

Source: ASER 2017 report.

"More than half struggle with division (3 digit by 1 digit) problems. Only 43 percent are able to do such problems correctly. The ability to do division  a task that is usually done in ASER, can be thought of as a proxy for the ability to do basic arithmetic operations," the survey states.

Devil is in the Details

Teens surveyed couldn't successfully perform simple activities like counting money, adding weights and telling time.

 76% of surveyed youth could count money correctly.

 56% could add weights correctly in kilograms.

 83% could get time right on the hour, but for the slightly harder task (hour and minutes) a little less than 60% got it right.

The youth surveyed also faced problems in understanding instructions on an ORS sachet.

 More than 75% can read a Std II level text fluently. But only 54% could answer at least 3 out 4 questions based on the written instructions on this ORS packet.

Warning Bell

The survey's findings ring a warning bell as India, in the coming decade, will come to supply over 'half of the increase in Asias potential workforce', according to a report by Deloitte LLP. India's young population won't be getting older any time soon, and to become an an economic superpower, the teens must know their numbers.

Also Read  DATA STORY: Young India set to replace China as Asia's superpower

Currently, India has 125 million students aged between 14 and 18 years of which 86 percent are enrolled within the formal education system  67.5 million are in Class X, 31 million in Class XI and XII and 7.5 million are pursuing undergraduate or other degree courses.

Also Read  DATA STORY: Girls are fast gaining on boys in literacy and how. Find out

Of the 107.5 million teens enrolled currently, 84 percent (90.3 million) teens who study in class X or below cannot calculate a loan repayment at the end of one year for a Rs 20,000 loan.

This reflects a dire state of education in the country, where the quality of education imparted remains poor.

India's adult literacy rate, currently at 71 percent, has shown a gradual improvement since 1981. Similarly, the number of students increased to 78.5 percent in the secondary high school, according to a 2016 report by Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Source: National University of Educational Planning & Administration.

For quite some time, the discourse around education in India revolved around these improving figures, however, the ASER 2017 report draws attention to a much serious concern  the quality of education.

"Class VII [or elementary] enrolment has doubled in past decade, rising from 11 million to 22 million. But over the years, the proportion of youth acquiring even foundational skills has been worrying low," the report said.

While enrolment increased at primary and secondary schools, the number of students opting for post elementary education declines sharply.

Damage Control

The government is making efforts to prioritise education, especially among teens. To that extent, the Centre is considering to expand the purview of Right to Education Act to 6-16 years age group from the existing 6-14 years age band.

Students drop out of schools owing to lack of infrastructure, shortage of teachers, among other reasons.

A rough estimation based on the government sources indicates that there is a shortage of 30-40 percent faculty in colleges and universities at all levels. On January 6, President Ram Nath Kovind had asked universities to fill vacant posts urgently during a meeting held with Vice Chancellors of 17 varsities.

"Vacancies should be filled quickly and urgently. Vacancies in teaching staff are unfair on students who have enrolled, and a disservice to their education," Kovind had said.

On an average, the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) stood at 21 in 2016, according to the MHRD report. The report also stated that the PTR had remained unchanged for the past five years, indicating a shortage of teachers as India's student population grows.

Source: Ministry of Human Resource Development.

As PTR ratio plateued, private tutoring institutes have doubled in one year. According to the 2016 ASER survey, around 21.1 percent of public high school students in rural India received private tutoring in 2016.

ASER 2017 shows that nearly 40 percent students attending government schools also opt for tuition.

Another reason for enrolment decline is the lack of infrastructure at the government institutions. According to a draft report submitted by the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), fewer enrolments were recorded in government schools which lacked proper facilities like building, water, electricity, computer and so on.

Source: Central Advisory Board of Education.

Until 2015, over 50 percent of the government schools did not have electricity facility and 86 percent of them lacked computer facility, according to the report.

Apart from the missing infrastructure, there has been a stark decline in the credibility of educational institutes in India. Like school certificates, graduation certificates too have lost credibility and meaning, as it has become harder to find employment. Fresh graduates find it hard to acquire jobs without an additional qualification.

"There was a time when university examination marks and certificates were enough to join a professional course such as medicine or engineering. By bringing in separate entrance examinations, the devaluation of university examinations was formally stamped," the report said.

The government is now taking steps to contain the damage by reworking the age criteria under RTE Act to fill these gaps and subsequently reform India's education system.

Industry body Assocham has also sought an enhanced outlay for education in the upcoming Budget 2018 and pitched for exempting higher education from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in a letter to the Finance Ministry.

"The last amendment brought in March 2017, denying tax relief for listed services for higher educational institutions, needs to be immediately withdrawn and end the untenable discrimination against higher education institutions," Assocham said in the letter. Perhaps these steps would ease the burden of fees and taxes from the students who want to study.

Rome was not built in a day, but any delay in implementing and overhauling the country's education system poses a threat.
Representative image

With the strike by taxi operators in Goa entering the third day today, the tourism industry is worried about facing a backlash from travellers.

The tourist taxi operators in Goa are on a strike since Friday to protest the state government's rule making it mandatory for their vehicles to have speed governors.

The BJP-led government has refused to exempt the tourist taxi operators from installing speed governors citing a Supreme Court order.

Taxis without the speed-limiting gadgets will not be issued fitness certificates by the Transport Department from February 24, it has said.

Several tourists who arrived in the state were stranded at the airport for hours together as their holiday package included pick-up and drop facility.

In the absence of tourist taxis, hotels have failed to arrange for any transport for their guests, who have to manage on their own to reach their destinations.

A few tourists complained of over-charging by autorickshaws and other transport services which are doing a brisk business due to the strike.

"The strike will affect the industry in the long run as a lot of people are going back from Goa with bad memories of being fleeced or over-charged during their vacation here," Savio Messiah, President, the Travel and Tours Association of Goa, told PTI today.

"People plan their holidays with hard-earned money and now they are going back totally disappointed due to the inconvenience caused by the strike," Messiah said.

If the strike continues, the industry will face a "lot of cancellations", he said.

"Some of the travellers have booked their holiday inclusive of pick-up and drop facility at the airport. But now they are complaining hotels are not picking up the phone as they don't have vehicles to transport them," Messiah said.

The impact of the strike has already started showing on the tourism industry, a major revenue earner for the government.

The internationally-famed Saturday Night Market at Arpora, North Goa, which witnesses a rush of tourists, wore a deserted look yesterday.

"The restaurant business is also getting affected as people can't move around. They prefer to stay indoors in hotels or spend day on the beach," said Caetan Fernandes, a hotelier from Calangute.

Shack owners, too, are apprehensive about their business taking a hit.

"In absence of taxi services, tourists spend more time on the beach which will help our business but that will not work in the long-term," said Cruz Cardoso, President of the Shack Owners Welfare Society.

Goa is currently witnessing peak tourist season which will continue till the monsoons.
Representative Image

Pakistan summoned India's deputy high commissioner here for the fourth consecutive day today over the alleged "unprovoked firing" by Indian troops across the Line of Control which resulted in the death of two people.

The tensions have increased between the two sides due to ongoing skirmishes and Pakistan has summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh five times since Monday.

Director General (South Asia and SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Singh and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces, the Foreign Office said.

In a statement, it claimed that the latest violation by Indian forces occurred on January 20-21, when 18 Indian posts resorted to "unprovoked firing" with mortars and heavy weapons in the Nikial sector at the LoC.

The firing killed two civilians - a 33-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman - and injured another women and a girl, the Foreign Office said.

Faisal said the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and against the human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws.

The repeated ceasefire violations by India "are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," he asserted.

He urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the repeated incidents of ceasefire violations, the statement said.

Faisal also urged the Indian side to allow the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

India maintains that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control.

The FO, apart from today, had summoned India's deputy high commissioner on January 15, 18, 19 and 20.
Maharashtra has constructed the maximum number of individual household toilets under the Centre's flagship Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) scheme, followed by Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, according to official data.

Till November last year, as many as 42.72 lakh household toilets have been constructed against the target of 66.42 lakh, recording an achievement of nearly 64 per cent.

The government lauched Swachh Bharat Mission in October 2, 2014 with an aim of eliminating open defecation, manual scavenging and scientific management of municipal waste by October 2, 2019.

The Centre is focusing on construction of toilets to make the cities open defecation free by 2019.

Till November last year, Maharashtra constructed 6.33 lakh individual household toilets, while Gujarat built 5.60 lakh and Madhya Pradesh 4.93 lakh. The BJP is in power in these states.

According to revised guidelines in Ocotber last year, the states have to contribute a minimum of Rs 2,667 towards individual toilets to match the central share of Rs 4,000 per beneficiary.

For north eastern and Himalayan states, the central share is Rs 10,800 for construction of each household toilet and state's share is Rs 1,200 per beneficiary.

For UTs with an elected government, the Centre will contribute Rs 4000, while the UTs share will be Rs 1,333 per beneficiary. For UTs without an elected government, the Centre will contribute 100 per cent funding of Rs Rs 5,333 per household toilets.

According to the ministry data, Tamil Nadu could construct 4.29 lakh household toilets, Chhattisgarh 2.97 lakh, West Bengal 2.80 lakh, Rajasthan 2.64 lakh, Jharkhand 2.29 lakh, Uttar Pradesh 2.28 lakh and Andhra Pradesh 2.03 lakh,

Tripura could construct only 184 household toilets, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 384, Delhi 361, Goa 471, Daman and Diu 671 and Meghalaya 817.

Maharashtra also consructed the maximum number of community and public toilets (no. of seats) with figures nearly touching 1 lakh, followed by Madhya Pradesh 22,350; Uttar Pradesh 17,205; Chhattisgarh 17,083 and Delhi 17,008.
Local government debt expanded again in China last year despite Beijing's pledge to rein in a growing national debt load that has sparked fears of a financial crisis in the world's number two economy.

The 7.5 per cent increase is almost double the rate in the previous year, although the total figure of 16.47 trillion yuan (USD 2.56 trillion) is within Beijing's target of below 18.82 trillion yuan. The figures were released yesterday by the finance ministry.

Since the global financial crisis in 2008, China's debt as a percentage of gross domestic product has grown more than 10 percent a year on average, according to IMF estimates, which assessed the ratio had ballooned to 234 percent of GDP by 2016.

While China's leaders vowed to tackle local government debt during a major economic planning meeting in December, they also called for reasonable credit growth in 2018.

The economy is in the process of rebalancing away from the investment-heavy and export-dependent model that brought four decades of breakneck economic growth but left China heavily in debt.

Beijing traditionally has struggled to force its priorities on local governments, but has vowed to take on financial risk this year, including how local governments finance themselves.

In 2016 the Bank for International Settlements, dubbed the central banks' central bank, warned over China's growing debt pile fuelling worries over a spillover into the global economy.
US President Donald Trump's trip to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week is now in flux because of the federal government shutdown, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said on Saturday.

Trump already canceled a weekend trip to his Florida resort after a funding impasse in Congress shut down the federal government on Saturday.

"The president will not be going to Florida now and we're taking Davos, both from the president's perspective and the Cabinet perspective, on a day by day basis," Mulvaney said.
The US government officially shutdown today for the first time in five years after the Senate rejected a short-term spending bill to keep the federal government running, marking a chaotic end to Donald Trump's first year as president.

Military will still go to work, the border will still be patrolled, fire folks will be fighting the fires and the parks will be open. But in each of these cases people will not be paid, Director of Office of Management of Budget Mick Mulvaney said.

The shutdown began at 12:01 am (local time) after a few Republicans joined Democrats in blocking the crucial measure would have provided short-term funding for the Pentagon and other federal agencies.

Trump blamed the Democrats for the shutdown which comes exactly a year after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

"Dems want a shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the tax cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy," he said.

"This is the one year anniversary of my presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present," Trump said.

"DemocratShutdown. Democrats are holding our military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration. Can't let that happen!" he said in another tweet indicating that he has toughened his position against the Opposition Democratic party.

"For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 election! We can then be even tougher on crime (and border), and even better to our military and veterans!" Trump said.

Despite last minute bipartisan meetings, the bill to fund the government until February 16 did not receive the required 60 votes. The Senate voted 50-48 to block the stopgap funding measure.

While the Republcian party enjoys a majority of 51 votes in the 100-member Senate, a procedural issue that requires 60 votes for legislations to move forward prevented the shirt- term spending bill pass through the Senate.

The short-term spending bill was passed by the House on Thursday.

This is part of the Democrats strategy to force President Trump and the Republicans to negotiate with them on illegal immigrants who are facing deportation.

The effect of the shutdown would be felt most from Monday when the federal government employees would not be able to join for their work and be forced to stay at home without pay.

It is estimated that more than 800,000 federal employees would be furloughed. Only the essential services would be open. The last time that a government shutdown happened was in 2013.

The White House said it has taken measures so that there is less impact of the government shutdown, but hundreds and thousands of federal government employees are now forced to stay at home till the time the Congress passes the short-term spending bill.

For this to happen, the Republican, the Democrats and the White House need to agree on a deal.

US Vice President Mike Pence, who is on a trip to the Middle East, said that his administration worked in good faith to put a bipartisan deal on the table that would strengthen our borders, end chain migration, eliminate the visa lottery, and deal compassionately with DACA.

"But rather than solve problems, Democratic leadership preferred a shutdown that has dangerous consequences for our national defence. Their action tonight  or lack thereof  is unconscionable," he said.

"Our administration will do everything within our power to support the brave men and women in uniform who stand on the frontlines of freedom. But as of tonight, due to a completely avoidable government shutdown, they'll stand their post without pay," Pence said.

But the Democrats blamed Trump for the shutdown.

"Tonight, on the eve of the first anniversary of his inauguration, President Trump earned an 'F' for failure in leadership," said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.

"President Trump and Congressional Republicans' obsession with passing a tax scam to benefit the wealthiest and corporations has blinded them to their responsibilities to the American people.

"Despite controlling the House, Senate and White House, the Republicans are so incompetent, so negligent that they couldn't get it together to keep government open," she said.

In a memorandum to the Department of Defence, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis reassured the nation of taking all necessary steps to protect the nation during the time of government shutdown.

The White House said that the military will be working without pay.

"We will continue to execute daily operations around the world - ships and submarines will remain at sea, our aircraft will continue to fly and our warfighters will continue to pursue terrorists throughout the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.

"While training for reservists must be curtailed, active forces will stay at their posts adapting their training to achieve the least negative impact on our readiness to fight, Mattis said.

"I recognize the consequences of a government shutdown. You have my personal commitment that the Department's leadership will do our best to mitigate the impacts of the disruptions and any financial burdens to you and your families," Mattis said.

Earlier, the Office of Management of Budget said it was preparing for "what we're calling the Schumer Shutdown".

Mulvaney said that Fanny and Freddy will be open, the post office will be open, the TSA will be open, but again all of these people will be working for nothing, which is simply not fair, he said.

The last government shutdown lasted for 16 days in October 2013. The previous shutdown before that was for 21 days that ended on January 6, 1996.

However, this is for the first time in recent history that a shutdown has taken place when both the House and the Senate and the White House is controlled by the same party.

Trump has cancelled his scheduled weekend trip to Mar-a- Lago in Florida. However, he would continue with his trip to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum meeting next week.

"Democrats can't shut down the booming Trump economy. Are they now so desperate they'll shut down the government instead?" said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and described it as a "Schumer shutdown".

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer is the Senate Minority Leader.
Carlos Giusti/Associated Press

Nearly six dozen Oncor trucks are expected to reaching the northern shore of Puerto Rico on Friday morning, in a coordinated effort to restore power to the island following Hurricane Maria.

Around 80 Oncor employees and contractors who volunteered to help with the effort will be traveling by air to meet the trucks, including five from the West Texas region, one of them being from Odessa.
A man was killed in a deputy-involved shooting Saturday, according to the Polk County Sheriffs Office.

Man accused of shooting at Polk County deputies

Deputies responded to home after domestic violence call

Deputies returned fire, striking the man



Deputies initially responded at about 8 a.m. to a home on Cottage Hill Street in Lake Wales after receiving a domestic violence call.

According to deputies, 46-year-old Shannon Cables threatened his 45-year-old wife and 19-year-old daughter with various weapons.

His wife told deputies he hit her with in the head with a pool cue and sprayed mace on her and the daughter.

Cables then armed himself with a gun, Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference.



Thats when the 19-year-old actually jumped on the suspect and wrestled and choked him, and somehow, they got the gun away from him, Judd said.

The women fled the home and went to a neighbor's house before calling law enforcement.

Both women were taken to a hospital for treatment.

When deputies arrived, they set up a perimeter around the house. However, they discovered that Cables had fled into the woods nearby.

Investigators spent hours searching for Cables but were unable find him.



Hours later, deputies escorted both women back to the home. Once inside, one of the women spotted Cables outside the house.

He was walking toward the house while holding an AR-15 and a shotgun, deputies said.

One of the deputies confronted Cables and told him to put down his weapons. Cables pointed the AR-15 at the deputy and gunfire was exchanged, the Sheriff's Office said. The other deputies who were inside the house came outside and returned fire.



Cables was critically injured in the shooting. He was taken to Lake Wales Regional Medical Center where he died.



No deputies were injured in the shooting, the Sheriff's Office said.

"In one week, two different suspects have chosen to shoot at our deputies," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "Our message is clear--if you point a gun at or shoot at a deputy sheriff, we will shoot back until the threat is eliminated."

Four deputies have been placed on administrative leave while the case is investigated, Judd said.

The incident remains under investigation.
Hundreds of women, and men, gathered at Lake Eola Park to mark the first anniversary of the Womens March.

Hundreds gathered for Orlando Women's March

Event focused on urging women to vote, run for office

March among others across the country



Last years march in Orlando was among 600 nationwide, including the Womens March in Washington, D.C.

Many marched last year in response to incoming President Donald Trump.

This years march focused on urging women to vote during Novembers mid-term elections.

Organizers and speakers also urged women to run for office.

We need more faces in our political leadership that are women to represent the issues that affect us most, said Neila Wilson, co-captain of Central Florida Womens March. Thats what were championing more women at the table. If that table isnt giving us a seat, then we are making our own table.

The event included speeches from community leaders and meet-and-greets with women who are running for office later this year.
Several members of Congress are asking for their pay to be withheld during the government shutdown.

Members of Congress asking for pay to be withheld

Many also plan to donate pay to charity

Spending bill failed in the Senate



Many also said they would also donate their pay to charity.

Rep. John Delaney of Maryland shared his plans in a Twitter post on Saturday.

I dont think its right for me to get paid while my constituents are being furloughed and important services are being limited, Delaney, a Democrat, wrote in a tweet.

Delaney also said he would donate the pay he receives during the shutdown to charity.

Republicans Reps. Mia Love of Utah and Rick Allen of Georgia joined him. Both tweeted on Saturday they would not accept pay during the shutdown.

On Sunday, Rep. Ron DeSantis of Florida joined the growing list of lawmakers who will not be accepting pay while the government is shut down.

Members of Congress should be treated like everyone else, DeSantis, a Republican, wrote in a tweet. It is wrong that Congress gets paid during a lapse in appropriations yet members of our military do not. Im having my pay withheld and will donate any backpay to charity.

Members of Congress should be treated like everyone else. It is wrong that Congress gets paid during a lapse in appropriations yet members of our military do not. Im having my pay withheld and will donate any backpay to charity. pic.twitter.com/u2VCFHjIgN  Ron DeSantis (@RepDeSantis) January 21, 2018

Attached to his tweet was a picture of a letter addressed to the chief administrative officer asking that his pay be withheld.

Other members of Congress who plan to donate their pay during the government shutdown include Republican Rep. Bob Latta of Ohio, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and Republican Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri.

The U.S. government shut down midnight Friday after the Senate failed to pass a short-term spending bill.
USAA plans to offer no-interest loans to its members who are in the military to substitute for their paychecks if a government shutdown occurs, a spokesman said on Friday.

USAA stands ready to assist our members should a government shutdown occur, spokesman Roger Wildermuth said in an email. If a funding agreement is not reached and a disruption in military pay seems likely, USAA will email eligible members with information about how to sign up.

On Friday afternoon, Congress was headed toward a government shutdown as bitterly-divided Republicans and Democrats were unable to reach a compromise on a bill to continue funding the federal government.

President Donald Trump and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer met Friday afternoon in a last-minute effort to prevent a government shutdown, but they failed to reach an agreement.

Active duty members of the military will keep working if a shutdown occurs, but they wont be paid until Congress makes funds available, according to a memorandum issued by the U.S. Department of Defense on Friday. Civilian employees who are necessary for the militarys activities will also keep working without a paycheck, while other employees will go on furlough, the memo says.

Any shutdown would have a big impact in Texas, which has 15 major active-duty and reserve installations, which pump an estimated $150 billion a year into the states economy.

Our polarized, partisan environment rears its head again, and there are no winners, Mayor Ron Nirenberg told the Express-News earlier this week. But the clear losers are the American public.

If a shutdown comes, civilian employees in the Defense Department will bear the most visible burden.

When the federal government shut down in 2013, more than 400,000 were sent home. Thats half of the Pentagons civilian workforce. About 23,000 civilians were furloughed in San Antonio. That shutdown occurred when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, persuaded Republican leaders in Congress to make defunding the Affordable Care Act a condition of keeping the government running.
A light plane that had run out of fuel made an emergency landing on a busy highway near a major intersection in this northwestern Chicago suburb Friday evening, but authorities say no one was injured.

Pilot Enrique Dubois of Arlington, Texas, said he was in Illinois to visit family and was heading to Campbell Airport in nearby Grayslake when the engine of the Cherokee Cruiser began sputtering.

"I ran out of fuel but had enough to taxi down here," Dubois told the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald. "I just looked for a street to land on."

Dubois brought the plane down on Northwest Highway near the intersection with Quentin Road. It came to rest in front of a popular restaurant, and Dubois and his wife stepped out unharmed.

Officials said the plane clipped a neutral power line on the highway and grazed the roof of a Mini Cooper driven by Lin Chandler before landing.

"I called my wife, told her that I was hit by an airplane and would be late for dinner," said Chandler, of Arlington Heights.

Palatine police and fire officials remained on the scene after the accident, diverting traffic and figuring out how to get the plane towed.

"I've been here 20 years and haven't seen a plane on a street before," Palatine police Cmdr. Tom Murphy said.
H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media

DANBURY  The fire department quickly extinguished a small fire Sunday morning in the basement of a home.

The fire was soon reduced to smoke after units arrived at the home on Padanaram Road around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, said James Gagliardo, spokesman for the Danbury Fire Department.
HARTFORD  Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to immediately reverse it sudden decision to rescind Transitional Shelter Assistance housing benefits for 36 Puerto Rican families residing in Connecticut since being displaced from the island by Hurricane Maria.

At the very least, I urge you to correct this egregious error and immediately grant a TSA extension, through February 14, to these 36 families, Malloy said in a letter to FEMA.

The State of Connecticut has welcomed our fellow citizens, including at least 1,972 students into Connecticut schools and has gone above and beyond to provide an array of state services and disaster case management, Malloy said. The federal government has an obligation to these citizens as well. If FEMAs decision stands and you displace these 36 families from their temporary homes, it will be nothing short of tragic.

Three days after the state was informed by FEMA that its request to extend TSA eligibility had been granted through February 14, Malloy said FEMA notified the state that the extension had been sent in error and the families were once again ineligible for TSA and would be forced to vacate their hotel rooms.

Despite FEMAs unexpected and damaging reversal, the state will provide assistance to ensure the 36 families are able to temporarily stay in their current housing, the governor said.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, added This cold-hearted and irrational decision will have disastrous consequences for these families from Puerto Rico. I saw the devastation in Puerto Rico with my own eyes when I visited the island last month - these families homes have been ruined, and they dont have access to clean drinking water. I am working hard to make sure FEMA reverses this decision, and to assure the Puerto Rican families in Connecticut that we are fighting on their behalf.
Mark Beausoleil is a candidate for 253rd District Judge in the March Republican primary.

In his written statement to the media, Beausoleil promises that, if elected, he will bring fairness and impartiality to the office.

"It is my hope that I may contribute to make a positive difference in the 253rd District Court for both Liberty and Chambers counties," he said. "My love and devotion for public service came from watching my father honorably serve in the United States Air Force for 23 years. Personally, I began my public service as a fulltime firefighter/paramedic in Houston for 15 years."

While working as a firefighter, Beausoleil earned a business degree in finance from the University of Houston and a law degree from South Texas College of Law.

"I continued in public service after graduating from Law School when I served as a prosecutor for 10 years in the Liberty County Attorney's office.

"My experience while working in the County Attorney's Office afforded me the opportunity to practice in many courts, handling thousands of cases. I also learned, as a trial attorney, how to present cases to both judges and juries. For the past 10 years I have maintained a private practice serving private clients in areas of law ranging from: Juvenile, Criminal Defense, Family, Business and Insurance Litigation," he said.

Beausoleil says the greatest blessing of his life is his family, which includes his wife of 18 years, Eisabeth, who grew up in Hardin and graduated from Hardin High School, and their three children, Nicholas, Liam and Olivia.

"Through my public service and legal career experiences, I have learned to deal with people and issues with empathy and fairness. I have learned to see both sides and know there are at least two and sometimes more sides to a story. I have also learned the importance of having fair and impartial judges and the risks to our democracy and society when they are not. It's time for change. It's time to elect a judge that makes fairness and impartiality their primary goal," he said.
Before the sun rose on Saturday over a Washington gripped by gridlock, pink hats and poster-board signs already were emerging around the world.

The second iteration of the Women's March began in cities such as Rome, where crowds raucously rallied on a clear, sunny morning. "Came for the carbonara, stayed for the resistance," read one of the thousands of signs that protesters carried throughout the day.

From Beijing to Buenos Aires, from Denver to Dallas, from California to the Carolinas, hundreds of thousands of activists once again took to the streets to protest the policies and presidency of Donald Trump. The number of participants might not have eclipsed the millions who marched in cities a year ago, but the "resistance" still brought out swarms of people from Los Angeles to Philadelphia.

Saturday's march made clear how a movement that began as a protest has evolved. A year of the Trump presidency, coupled with the galvanizing experience of the #MeToo moment, has made activists eager to leave a mark on the country's political system. As a result, a key component of Saturday's demonstrations was an effort to harness the enthusiasm behind the Women's March and translate that into political sway at the polls this fall.

"Last year it was about hope. This year it's about strength," said Diane Costello, 67, a retired teacher and member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a group that advocates for gun violence prevention, said as she marched through Manhattan.

"2018 is going to be a great year to get more progressive people elected," said Julie Biel-Claussen, 59, executive director of the McHenry County Housing Authority in northwest Illinois, as she marched through a chilly Chicago morning.

Outside Washington, one of the biggest demonstrations on Saturday unfolded in New York.

Hundreds of protesters streamed out of the subway stop at Broadway and West 72nd Street, heading toward the march route along Central Park West. The atmosphere was festive, with people chanting, "This us what democracy looks like!" Hawkers sold knitted pink "pussy hats," #MeToo buttons and American flags.

Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg gave a short but fiery speech thanking the thousands of people who came out for the march. "I love the fact that I can't see the end of this," she said as she gestured toward the crowd stretching before her. "We started a movement that's still moving. We are here as women to say we're not going to take it any more."

Deanna Santana, 60, of Hamden, Connecticut, a veteran and retired professional in children services, said she came to this year's march to voice her support for immigrants and the right to health care.

"My family is half Mexican and half Puerto Rican, and I recently lost my husband to cancer," she said. "I'm doing this for him."

Trump, who was celebrating the first anniversary of his inauguration on Saturday, weighed in on the marches from the White House. "Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March," he tweeted. "Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!"

Nearby, demonstrators gathered near the Lincoln Memorial and along the still-frozen reflecting pool on the National Mall. The group heard from speakers such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who told the crowd, "It is women who are holding our democracy together in these dangerous times."

Although many protesters were returning for a second year, many came for the first time - some so young they had not been able to vote in the 2016 election.

Madeleine Greenberg, an 18-year-old from Newport Beach, California, went to the march in New York with her three roommates from New York University. She couldn't make it last year because she had high school exams. She said as excited as she was to join the march, she's just as excited to vote in November.

"It's really important for people to recognize that every election matters, not just the big presidential election," Greenberg said. "I wasn't able to vote in the last election, so this will be the first election I'll be able to vote."

Across the river in Morristown, New Jersey, a line of charter tour buses unloaded marchers behind the town hall, an overflow crowd that Police Chief Peter Demnitz estimated had reached 15,000 by 11:30 a.m., along with some counterprotesters.

Organizers say they chose Morristown because of its Revolutionary War history as the winter encampment site of George Washington's army. Last year's event in Trenton drew an estimated 7,500.

"If one man can build a wall, one girl can destroy it ALL!" read a large handmade sign being carried by a young girl making her way down South Street.

Megan Hertlein, a 13-year-old middle school student from Vernon, New Jersey, took an hour-long train ride with her mother, Patti Hertlein, 44, a paralegal. Megan had stayed up late making a poster with a line borrowed from the musical "Hamilton": "Tell your [sister] that she's gotta rise up!"

Nearby, Michael Shapiro, a 55-year-old resident of Belleville, New Jersey, was waving a "Make America Great Again" sign as several marchers tried to hold their signs in front of his. "I'm here to support President Trump," Shapiro said.

By late morning, crowds in Chicago stretched from Jackson Street two blocks south to Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park, and clogged Congress Parkway to Michigan Avenue. Organizers claimed to have eclipsed the 250,000 marchers from last year, despite only 40,000 signing up online.

For some young people, the march was less about politics and more about the normalization of sexual harassment and the mistreatment of women during the Trump presidency.

Jane Bailey, a 15-year-old from the suburb of Indian Head Park, was marching because she said her rights have been threatened. She and her friends said since Trump was elected, boys at their high school have become more emboldened to bully girls online. "It really made me angry and want to fight," she said.

The majority of signs protesters carried through Chicago focused on the Republican Party and Trump. Among them: "Ikea has better cabinets," "The GOP is responsible for making America hate again" and "GOP, OMG, WTF."

At last year's march, Dana Hundrieser, 56, of Chicago was not allowed to carry a sign that displayed her political views because she was a federal employee. But she ended her 34-year career in April, when she retired from the Internal Revenue Service. She said Trump's election led to her decision to walk away from a job where she prosecuted large corporate tax cases.

"I thought, 'It's not going to be better,' " she said. Her sign thanked late-night comedians - including Jimmy Kimmel and Trevor Noah - because she said they have provided "huge relief" since last January.

"I never would have guessed my mental health depended on these people," she said.

- - -

Diana Crandall in New York and Pamela Babcock in New Jersey contributed to this report.
Private investigators believe a prominent billionaire couple found dead in their Toronto mansion last month were murdered by multiple people two days before their bodies were discovered, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday, citing a source "with direct knowledge of the parallel probe" into the deaths of Honey and Barry Sherman.

The private investigation - which contained graphic details of the alleged ways the Shermans had been killed - at times contradicted early reports about an ongoing investigation by Toronto police, who have remained tight-lipped about the case over the past month.

The bodies of the Shermans were discovered Dec. 15 in the lowest level of their $7 million home, reportedly by a real estate agent who was preparing the mansion for an open house.

The Shermans had been strangled, and were found with their bodies dangling from the railing around their basement lap pool, Toronto police said. A coroner later determined the cause of death to be "ligature neck compression," a form of strangulation in which a cord or rope is used to exert fatal pressure on a person's neck, according to police, who labeled the death "suspicious."

Police said there were no signs of forced entry at the Shermans' home and have not arrested anyone in the case.

The gory deaths were a shock to the Shermans' neighbors in Toronto's affluent North York neighborhood, who called the couple "lovely people." Well known in Canada, the Shermans made billions in the pharmaceutical industry, then gave a significant chunk of their fortune away to charity.

Since December, police have released scant new information about the case, though local media outlets have reported seeing officers continuing to guard the Shermans' home around the clock. The week after his parents' deaths, grieving son Jonathan Sherman said the family had been trying to navigate "a terrifying maze of non-information."

More for you News Tech reporter guilty of rape scheme gets nearly 3 years

The family vehemently rejected an early report by the Toronto Star that said police were investigating the possibility of a murder-suicide.

In late December, attorney Brian Greenspan said the family said they had hired private investigators "to provide a second lens and to ensure that no stone is left unturned."

The CBC report is the first to release details from the private investigation, including that the couple was seated upright when they were found dead near their basement lap pool:

"The team of private investigators believes that the Shermans were, in fact, killed on Dec. 13, two days before they were found. This conclusion is based on the fact that Honey was wearing the same clothes she was last seen in, on Dec. 13, according to the source.

"Private investigators also believe that Honey struggled with her killer or killers. She had cuts on her lip and nose, and was sitting in a pool of her own blood when she was discovered. However, there was comparatively little blood apparent on her upper-body clothing, suggesting that she had been facedown on the tile, bleeding, for some time before being bound to the handrail in an upright position, the source said."

The source also told CBC that private investigators believed the couple had been bound together at some point and showed evidence that their necks had been tied to a handrail near the pool with leather belts. The Shermans were, however, limp and not bound together when their bodies were found, the source told the news site.

A Toronto police spokeswoman said Sunday the department had no updates pertaining to the Sherman case. Greenspan, the attorney for the Sherman family, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday morning.

Barry Sherman, 75, was the founder of Canadian pharmaceutical giant Apotex and one of the richest people in the world. Forbes estimated his net worth at $3.2 billion, earning him the 12th spot on the list of the wealthiest Canadians. He'd appeared on the Forbes list of the world's billionaires for 15 years.

The Shermans were known for their largesse, doling out tens of millions of dollars to universities, hospitals and the United Jewish Appeal, according to the Globe and Mail. Honey Sherman was a board member at several institutions: York University, the Baycrest Foundation and Mount Sinai Hospital. She had been chair of the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto and the Holocaust Education Centre.

They are survived by their four children, including one who had just given them a grandchild.

Their deaths brought condolences from the highest rungs of Canadian society and government, including from the organizations they had spent years supporting. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among those expressing grief.

But Barry Sherman's rise had not been without conflict.

Apotex, according to Sherman's biography in the Globe and Mail, "revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry in Canada."

Sherman started the company in 1974 after using his mother's life savings to buy out a similar business started by his uncle; it manufactures and exports generic drugs to more than 115 countries.

But his gains came at the expense of larger pharmaceutical companies. The Globe and Mail obituary described him as a "ruthless fighter capable of waging as many as many as 100 lawsuits at a time against business rivals."

"He was the bane of the existence of the branded drug companies in Canada. He was not their favorite person, but he was respected," Paul Grootendorst, associate professor at the University of Toronto's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Some of the conflicts over the years were familial.

For more than a decade, Barry Sherman had been involved in an acrimonious legal battle with three cousins and the widow of a fourth - sons of the uncle who instructed him in the generic-drug business that preceded Apotex. That uncle, Louis Winter, died in 1965, 17 days before his wife died.

At the legal fight's lowest point, Winter's sons accused their now-billionaire cousin of plotting to kill Winter, according to the Globe and Mail.

They said that he used handouts to silence them, and that they deserved a stake in Apotex.

"Barry's father died when he was young, and my dad took him under his wing and taught him the family business," Kerry Winter, one of the cousins, said in filing the lawsuit. "It's disappointing that we're fighting this way now."

The original suit was dismissed in 2015 but reinstated a year later, according to Forbes. A judge ruled in favor of Sherman in September, but the cousins have appealed.

It was unclear what Sherman's death would mean for the suit - or for his company.

Sherman stepped down as chief executive in 2014, but he remained chairman, according to Forbes.

Before they died, the couple had been planning to head south to their winter home in Palm Beach, Florida.

Honey was scheduled to arrive the Monday after she was found dead; her husband would follow a week later, according to the Globe and Mail, which talked to some of their Toronto friends slated to attend a dinner party.

"Looking forward to getting together in Florida," Honey wrote in an email to friends. "Please let me know your dates south ASAP so i can place in my calendar ... Looking forward to hearing back ASAP. Xoxo Honey."
RATON, N.M. - Andra Cobb was frantic when she called for help, telling an emergency operator that a helicopter she was riding in with her father, longtime partner and others had crashed in a remote part of New Mexico and that she was watching her "family burn."

Police released 911 recordings Friday from the crash near the Colorado-New Mexico line that killed five people, including Zimbabwean opposition leader Roy Bennett, and his wife, Heather.

Cobb, 39, was the sole survivor, escaping with broken bones before the helicopter burst into flames. Her father, Paul Cobb, the co-pilot, and her longtime partner, Charles Burnett III, a Texas-based investor who owned the ranch where the group of friends was headed, also were killed in the crash Wednesday, along with pilot Jamie Coleman Dodd.

"I'm watching my family burn in a fire," Andra Cobb screamed on the call. "I don't know what to do. There's a big fire. I'm covered in gasoline."

Zimbabwe mourns

Dodd also was able to call 911 before he died, telling authorities immediately after the crash that there were three victims and three survivors - him, Andra Cobb and Roy Bennett, who was suffering from a head wound as authorities tried to determine their location.

Officials launched a search but said the response was slow because of the rugged terrain and lack of access. Andra Cobb remained on the call for about an hour as she waited for authorities to arrive.

Bennett's death was met with an outpouring of grief in Zimbabwe. A white man who spoke fluent Shona and drew the wrath of former President Robert Mugabe, Bennett had won a devoted following of black Zimbabweans for advocating political change.

Bennett, treasurer-general of the Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change opposition party, previously survived a traumatic year in jail and death threats over his work.

He and his wife had traveled to New Mexico to spend their holiday with their friend Burnett, friends and family said. The wealthy businessman was described as a fun-loving person who enjoyed entertaining, at times extravagantly.

Burnett's friends Dodd and Cobb were experienced aviators who would not have taken unnecessary risks in the helicopter, according to the investor's personal lawyer, Martyn Hill. Hill and Cobb's wife, Martha, said the co-pilot had survived being shot down while flying a helicopter in the Vietnam War.

Cause being probed

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Despite frigid temperatures, there was no indication of bad weather that night.

Engulfed in flames, the wreckage of the helicopter registered to an aviation company linked to Burnett was eventually found by authorities, who said it had sparked a grass fire.

Dodd, the pilot, said on his call that he had a broken pelvis and was trying to move away from the blaze.

Andra Cobb said the helicopter had been in the air for just three to five minutes after taking off from the airport in the small community of Raton. In the call, she can be heard weeping and telling Bennett to breathe.

"I'm very, very cold," she tells the 911 operator.
WASHINGTON - The government shutdown headed into its third day after frantic efforts Sunday by a bipartisan group of moderate senators failed to produce a compromise on immigration and spending.

"We have yet to reach an agreement on a path forward that would be acceptable for both sides," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, adding that talks would continue ahead of a procedural vote scheduled for noon Monday.

The effects of the shutdown over the weekend were relatively limited - halting trash pickup on National Park Service property, canceling military reservists' drill plans, and switching off some government employees' cellphones.

But the shutdown continuing into Monday, the start of the workweek, means that hundreds of thousands of workers will stay home and key federal agencies will be affected. Passport and visa applications will go unprocessed, federal contractors will see payments delayed, and the Internal Revenue Service will slow its preparations for the coming tax season.

The impasse continues as it was unclear whether the public would blame the Republicans, who control the White House and Congress, or Democrats taking a stand on immigration while shuttering government agencies.

The moderates' proposal - to link a three-week extension of government funding to the consideration of an immigration bill in the Senate - prompted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to announce that he would be willing to start debating immigration legislation if an agreement of the issue was not otherwise reached by early February.

"Let's step back from the brink," he said. "Let's stop victimizing the American people and get back to work on their behalf."

But the pledge came with caveats that led senior Democratic aides to question whether it would ultimately be workable. Mindful of the failure of a sweeping immigration bill that passed the Senate in 2013 but languished in the House, Democrats want stronger assurances that the legislation they are demanding to protect young undocumented immigrants will ultimately become law.

Whether Republicans can find compromise on immigration remained as uncertain as ever Sunday, with no clear backing from House Republican leaders or President Trump, who showed no sign of retreating from his hard line on immigration.

Still, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he was "optimistic" the Senate would vote tomorrow to break the impasse. Schumer, he said, "wants to just give everybody a chance to chew on it and sort of understand it, and so that's why he didn't want to have the vote tonight."

Matt House, a spokesman for Schumer, said the Democrats "made some reasonable offers to Senator McConnell and he hasn't accepted them yet. The caucus is waiting for him to move some in our direction."

The bipartisan group scrambled for a compromise, but the decision ultimately belonged to McConnell and Schumer.

"We're trying to be helpful in showing them that there is a path forward," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who hosted more than a dozen fellow moderates in her office for an early afternoon meeting.

Sunday began with more of the partisan posturing that marked much of the previous week, delivered on the morning news programs, on the House and Senate floors, and in a presidential tweet.

Trump wrote that if the "stalemate continues," then Republicans should use the "Nuclear Option" to rewrite Senate rules and try to pass a long-term spending bill with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes needed to pass most legislation - a notion Trump has previously floated to McConnell's repeated dismissal.

The president otherwise remained uncharacteristically quiet, heeding the advice of senior advisers who argued that he has the upper hand over Schumer and the Democrats and that they would soon be forced to capitulate.

On the Senate floor, Schumer showed no signs of caving and kept pressure on Republicans.

"Not only do they not consult us, but they can't even get on the same page with their own president," he said. "The congressional leaders tell me to negotiate with President Trump; President Trump tells me to figure it out with the congressional leaders. This political Catch-22, never seen before, has driven our government to dysfunction."

As the clock ticked toward a scheduled 1 a.m. Monday vote - set by McConnell in part because of arcane Senate rules but later postponed - the moderates made the most visible progress toward a deal. Among the participants in the Collins meeting were a number of Democrats who are seeking reelection in states Trump won in 2016 - five of whom voted Friday against sparking the shutdown in the first place.

"There are more than just moderate Democrats or conservative Democrats - a majority of Democrats want it to end," said Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

All of that weighed on lawmakers who milled around the Capitol, many in flannel shirts, sweater vests and other casual garb.

"If it doesn't happen tonight, it's going to get a lot harder tomorrow," said a windbreaker-and-baseball-cap clad Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has pressed for action on immigration legislation and met with the moderates' group Sunday.

No firm proposal emerged from the meeting, but senators discussed a broad outline that could unlock a deal: modify the temporary spending bill now under consideration in the Senate to expire on Feb. 8, and then find some way to guarantee that immigration legislation moves forward in the interim.

The White House has said it supports the plan for funding through Feb. 8 but has been wary of making concessions on immigration. While legislation protecting DACA recipients could probably move through the Senate with Democrats and a handful of Republicans supporting it, Trump has rejected proposals along those lines and House GOP leaders are under fierce pressure not to bring up any bill that a majority of Republicans would reject.

Speaking on ABC's "This Week," White House legislative affairs director Marc Short declined to provide assurances that the president would guarantee a vote on an immigration bill in exchange for a short-term spending deal. "We want to have the right resolution," he said.

Other Republicans also saw little advantage in making any concessions to advance legislation that would provide protections for "dreamers" - undocumented immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children, 690,000 of whom face potential deportation after Trump canceled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

In a brief closed-door meeting of House Republicans, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reassured lawmakers that there would be no negotiations on the issue as long as the government remained shuttered, affirming the White House position.

Cornyn told reporters that the deadline for action to address DACA remained March 5, when the last of the program's participants will see their protected status expire.

"We're more than happy to have a vote on it well before the deadline. We've committed to that," Cornyn said. "But turning the agenda over to Democrats who just shut down the government makes no sense to me. It just seems like it encourages bad behavior."

While there have been talks since early last year about trading DACA protections for more border security funding, as many Republicans want, negotiations have failed to produce a deal.

Democrats said they made a significant concession over the weekend, agreeing to put major funding behind Trump's promised border wall, something that has been anathema to liberals since the 2016 presidential election.

Schumer on Sunday said that in a Friday meeting, Trump "picked a number for the wall, and I accepted it."

"It would be hard to imagine a much more reasonable compromise," he added. "All along, the president saying, 'Well, I'll do DACA, dreamers, in return for the wall.' He's got it. He can't take yes for an answer. That's why we're here."

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, D-Ill., one of the most outspoken Democratic advocates for immigrant rights, also said in a Sunday appearance on ABC's "This Week" that he would agree to the funding.

"I think the wall is a monumental waste of taxpayer money," he said. "Having said that . . . if that's what the hostage takers [demand for] the dreamers, if that's their ransom call, I say pay it."

But the concession was rejected on two fronts. Doubts remained that the Democratic rank and file would agree to wall funding - even with the blessing of Schumer and Gutierrez. Asked about a deal that could deliver Trump as much as $20 billion for the border wall, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., scoffed, "Oh, come on."

"None of us is at a table where they're talking about $20 billion," she said. "Should there be fencing? Should there be technology? Should they mow the grass so that people can't hide in it? Should there be some bricks and mortar someplace? Let's see what works."

And Republicans themselves scoffed at Schumer's claim that he offered Trump precisely what was demanded. The Democratic offer, they said, fell short of the full, immediate funding the president sought and instead involved yearly installments of funding that could be subject to future shutdown threats.

Moreover, Republicans have demanded concessions on other aspects of the immigration system, including an end to rules authorizing permanent legal immigrants to sponsor family members for legal status and an end to a "diversity visa" program that distributes visas based on a lottery system.

The wall is "one of the three legs of this three-legged stool," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., a key House conservative. "I'm glad to hear that there is some movement there, but there's a couple of other legs of that stool that have to be put forth."

The battle lines over immigration have become especially firm as spending talks falter. Republican leaders have cast the shutdown as the product of Democrats' prioritization of undocumented immigrants over American citizens.

But a debate has opened up in the party about how far to push that argument. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., questioned an online ad from Trump's campaign that said the president's immigration proposals are "right" and "Democrats who stand in our way will be complicit in every murder committed by illegal immigrants."

"I don't know if that's necessarily productive," Ryan said on CBS.

Most senators remained cautious about the developments, adding quickly after each burst of optimism that any vote late Sunday or early Monday could easily fall apart and that the moderate group was sparking discussion but was hardly in control.

Sen. Joe Donnelly, Ind., one of the five Democrats who crossed over on Friday, said he and other Democrats met with Schumer on Sunday morning.

"The pitch is we need to do what's right for the country and he does, too. He feels the same way, and that's what we're trying to do," said Donnelly, who faces a tough reelection fight in a state Trump won.

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The Washington Post's Paul Kane, Ed O'Keefe, Jacob Bogage, Cindy Boren, Jenna Johnson, Karoun Demirjian, Elise Viebeck and Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report.

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Video: Lawmakers from both parties and White House officials on Jan. 21 laid out their positions in the negotiations to reopen the government.(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

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San Antonio police are investigating the death of a man after he was shot while outside of his Northeast Side apartment Sunday afternoon.

Officers received several calls for shots fired at the Bellevue at Windcrest apartments, 5341 Gawain Drive, around 1 p.m.
Courtesy Bexar County Sheriff's Office

San Antonio police have arrested a man for an alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl behind a movie theater three years ago.

Franky Rene Esparza, 26, was taken into custody by police on Jan. 17 following an investigation and has been charged with sexual assault of a child, a second degree felony.
San Antonio police report the driver of a 18-wheeler was killed after colliding with another 18-wheeler rig on the far South Side Sunday.

Martin Huerta, 42, died at University Hospital Saturday morning after having to be cut out of his 18-wheeler following a wreck about 12:33 along the 12300 block of Somerset Road.
WASHINGTON - Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., who has taken a leading role in fighting sexual harassment in Congress, used thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to settle his own misconduct complaint after a former aide accused him last year of making unwanted romantic overtures to her, according to several people familiar with the settlement.

A married father of three, Meehan, 62, had long expressed interest in the personal life of the aide, who was decades younger and had regarded the congressman as a father figure, according to three people who worked with the office and four others with whom she discussed htrier tenure there.

But after the woman became involved in a serious relationship with someone outside the office last year, Meehan professed his romantic desires for her - first in person, and then in a handwritten letter - and he grew hostile when she did not reciprocate, the people familiar with her time in the office said.

Pulled from committee

Life in the office became untenable, so she initiated the complaint process, started working from home and ultimately left the job. She later reached a confidential agreement with Meehan's office that included a settlement for an undisclosed amount to be paid from Meehan's congressional office fund.

On Saturday, John Elizandro, Meehan's communications director, issued a statement saying that the congressman "denies these allegations" and "has always treated his colleagues, male and female, with the utmost respect and professionalism."

Meehan called on the former aide to waive the confidentiality agreement in the settlement "to ensure a full and open airing of all the facts." Elizandro did not respond to follow-up questions about why Meehan had agreed to the settlement and the confidentiality provision if the accusations were false.

Alexis Ronickher, a lawyer for the former aide, called Meehan's statement "a desperate effort to preserve his career." She said the congressman had demanded confidentiality in the first place and was now asking her client to waive it knowing that she would not agree because she "prizes her privacy above all else."

After this article was published online, AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for the House speaker, Paul D. Ryan, said that Meehan was being removed immediately from the House Ethics Committee, where he has helped investigate sexual misconduct claims, and that the panel would investigate the allegations against him. In addition, Ryan told Meehan that he should repay the taxpayer funds, Strong said.

Secretive processes

Sexual misconduct accusations against powerful men across a range of industries in recent months have prompted a national conversation about gender dynamics in the workplace and the inadequacy of support systems for victims. In Congress, several lawmakers have left office or announced their retirements in recent months over sexual harassment claims.

Still, Congress remains a workplace where victims say they have few effective avenues for recourse. Meehan's case sheds new light on secretive congressional processes for handling such complaints, which advocates say are slanted to favor abusers - allowing them to use the vast resources of the federal government to intimidate, isolate and silence their victims.

As a member of the Ethics Committee, Meehan was tasked with being a part of the solution. The panel has initiated investigations into sexual misconduct claims against at least four congressmen in recent months. Two have resigned: Trent Franks, R-Ariz., and John Conyers Jr., D-Mich. The other two, Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, and Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., remain in office but have said they will not seek re-election.

Meehan has been pushing for protections for domestic violence victims since his time as a local prosecutor.

In Congress, he has sponsored legislation mandating the reporting of sexual violence, and he is a member of a bipartisan congressional task force to end such violence.

This account is based on interviews with 10 people, including friends and former colleagues of the former aide and others who worked around the office. The New York Times is not naming the former aide, who followed the recommended procedures for reporting harassment but came away from the experience feeling traumatized, according to several people with whom she shared her feelings.
Re: Penca Books a chapter to highlight in W. Sides literary history, Rafael Castillo, Other Views, Jan. 8:

Thank you for reviving a seldom remembered past.

More than 37 years after Penca Books closed its doors and cleared its inventory, the op-ed by Castillo on the bookstore rekindled many indelible moments experienced during those heady days. For many of us, Penca Books provided a venue for creative literary expression for gifted Chicano writers, as well as an outlet for community cultural awareness to students, educators and aspiring artists.

RELATED: Penca Books a chapter to highlight in San Antonio neighborhood's literary history

Poetry readings and art exhibits were commonplace at Pencas original location, namely, the historical Patio Andaluz, as were frequent visits from noted authors such as Ricardo Sanchez, Max Martinez, Evangelina Vigil, Rudy Anaya and, yes, Rafael Castillo. Some even affectionately referred to themselves as Lost Literatontos (crazy about literature).

Even though our presence was local, our reach was much greater, selling books by mail order to universities, city libraries, and school districts nationwide and abroad. Our first publication, Canto Al Pueblo: An Anthology of Experiences, is described as featuring a Whos Who in Chicanismo in the arts during the 1970s. The great accordionist Esteban Steve Jordan recorded the song Canto Al Pueblo, which we considered a great honor. He was born in Elsa to migrant farmworkers and was partially blinded as an infant.

My business partner, Rudy Ramirez, and I have often wondered if todays digital tools and high-speed technology would have enhanced our operations and given us greater opportunity for success. Nevertheless, we thank you, Rafael Castillo, for capturing the past and acknowledging a small but significant part of San Antonios West Side cultural history as we enter San Antonios Tricentennial celebration.
Its been a year since President Donald Trump took office, and he hasnt destroyed the Constitution, reinstated slavery, rounded up millions of immigrants, or done any of the other things we were warned about.

The economy is strong, the stock market is soaring, and wages are rising. Unemployment, poverty and illegal immigration are down. Taxes have been cut, regulations removed, government size reduced, the Obamacare mandate ended, a conservative appointed to SCOTUS, and ISIS decimated.

Hes the right man at the right time, a nonpolitician who loves the country, makes no apologies or excuses, and doesnt worry about political correctness. He knows were in dire straits due to a lack of good jobs, high taxes, a huge national debt, open borders, illegal immigration, failing infrastructure, drugs, gangs and terrorism. Hes solving these problems and ruffling a lot of feathers that needed to be ruffled. We havent seen this kind of leadership since Ronald Reagan.

Democrat, Republican, and media elites, left-wing bureaucrats and celebrities despise him because he threatens the status quo. That people of this ilk hate him so vehemently tells me hes doing the right things. We need to focus less on what he says and more on what he does. Barack Obama talked a good game but did little to help the country. MAGA!

Liam Harvie

Response to Trump

Following President Donald Trumps recent statements about El Salvador, Haiti and Africa, it has become apparent that he is not alone in believing that immigrants from shithole countries come to the U.S. simply to abuse the system.

The truth is, chances are high that, if you are ever in a hospital, your nurse, nurses aide or doctor is from one of these shithole countries.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, Sub-Saharan immigrants have much higher educational attainment compared to the overall foreign- and native-born populations. In 2015, 39 percent of sub-Saharan Africans (ages 25 and over) had a bachelors degree or higher, compared to 29 percent of the total foreign-born population and 31 percent of the U.S.-born population. Nigerians and South Africans were the most highly educated, with 57 percent holding at least a bachelors degree.

The deputy secretary of South Africas African National Congress reflected with wisdom on President Trumps statements. In an interview, Jesse Duarte had this to say: Ours is not a shithole country. Neither is Haiti or any other country in distress.  But all we can say is that developing countries do have difficulties. Those difficulties are not small matters. And its not as if the United States doesnt have difficulties.  And we would not deign to make comments as derogatory as that about any country that has any kind of social, economic or other difficulties.

Anene Ejikeme, associate professor, Department of History, Trinity University

The crisis continues

In October, President Donald Trump announced a public health emergency to get the opioid problem under control. Its disappointing that states and local governments have not received any funding. Sadly, the Office of National Drug Control Policy has no director, known as the drug czar, because this administration hasnt appointed anyone, which is exacerbating the problem. More than 60,000 are estimated to die this year.

Former drug officials say not enough is being done. The Trump administration does not have agency directors to educate the medical community, as well as the public. And, of course, we need to fund such programs.

This is just one more example of this administrations failure. It is more focused on tax cuts for the wealthy while cutting programs on education and health. This year will be even worse for the weak and the poor unless Robert Mueller can prove collusion, money laundering and/or treason to replace this whole administration.

Adam Castillo
By ANI

NEW DELHI: Mayor of North Delhi Preeti Aggarwal was caught on camera, cautioning the officials from speaking against the firecracker factory, where fire broke out on Saturday, as it was registered with them.

A massive fire broke out at a firecracker unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area killing 17 people and injuring two on Saturday evening.

#WATCH: In the aftermath of Bawana factory fire, BJP leader & North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Preeti Aggarwal caught on cam telling her aide, 'iss factory ki licensing hamare paas hai isliye hum kuch nahi bol sakte.' The incident has claimed 17 lives. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/zXfVjNADl2  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2018

Aggarwal, who visited the spot to take stock of the situation, was heard telling officials before talking to ANI, Is factory ki license humare paas hai, isliye kuch nai bolna. (The license of this factory is with us, so we should not speak against it.)

However, she later called the video fake and demanded an apology from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for spreading a lie.

The worst part amidst this entire painful incident is that a fabricated video has been made viral. I expect Arvind Kejriwal to apoligise to me for spreading this lie, Aggarwal told ANI in the national capital.

The industrial area recorded three fires on Saturday - the first around 4 pm in a carpet manufacturing company in Sector 1, the second in the firecracker unit in Sector 5, and the third in Sector 3 at 7.30pm.

Immediately after the incident, the city police arrested Manoj Jain, the owner of the firecracker factory.

A probe revealed that the factory had "cold firecrackers", used in stage shows and Holi celebrations, said Rajneesh Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini).

Firecracker packages found at the site suggest the same, the official added.

Jain had rented the factory from January 1, the DCP said.

Seven of those killed have been identified as Baby Devi (40), Afshana (35), Sonam (23), Reeta (18), Nadeen (55), Rakho (65) and Dharma Devi (45), he said.

The fire had started in the storage unit on the ground floor of the two-storey building and ripped through the structure.

Of the 17 killed, ten were women. A man and woman were injured.

Police said an FIR had been registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible material. The maximum punishment under the sections is 10 years.

Jain was apprehended and questioned yesterday.

The other partner of Jain has been identified as Lalit Goel.

One of the injured labourers told police that the firecrackers used to be brought from outside and were only packed at the unit.

(With Inputs from PTI)
By IANS

NEW DELHI: A day after a factory fire killed 17 persons in west Delhi's Bawana area, 14 victims were identified and the factory owner arrested on Sunday, police said.

The case was transferred to the Crime branch for a probe by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik.

Those identified included nine women and five men, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta said.

They are Baby Devi, 40, Afshana, 35, Sonam, 23, Reeta, 18, Madeena, 55, Rajjo, 65, Sukhda, 42, Khusna, 47, Soni, 21, Suraj, 20, Ravi Kant, 18, Rohit, 19, Sanjeet, 19, and Ajeet Ranjan, 22.

Gupta said Manoj Jain, owner of the plastic factory that was also used as a warehouse for firecrackers, had been arrested. He rented it on January 1.

Jain was taken into custody on Saturday night after brief questioning as police filed an FIR against him under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Explosives Act dealing with negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing hurt by acts endangering life or personal safety of others.

The DCP said an injured labourer claimed that firecrackers were packed in the factory.

The fire in the Bawana Industrial Area was reported to the Police Control Room around 6.20 p.m. on Saturday. The victims were trapped in the basement and the first and second floors when the fire spread from the basement.

After visiting the spot, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered a probe and announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased.

He said it will be investigated how a licence was given to the establishment, who gave it and also how the incident happened.

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoj Tiwari also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the victims families.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Industries and Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain told reporters that a probe committee has been formed and strict action will be taken after the report is submitted.

However, on Sunday, a blame game started as the BJP said the factory licence was issued by the Delhi government since the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had cancelled it in February 2015.

In PICS | 17 dead, two injured in blaze at firecracker storage unit in Delhi's Bawana industrial area

"This place, this factory, its licence and everything was with the Delhi government and its Industry Department. It was being run illegally," Tiwari tweeted.

Echoing him, BJP MP from New Delhi Meenakshi Lekhi said: "Bawana Industrial Area is a confirmed industrial area of Delhi maintained by the DSIIDC (Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation) which is responsible to check for the fact that no illegal manufacturing happens in the factories situated there."

"In this immediate case of the factory where the fire started, the North MCD had cancelled the licence in February 2015 itself.

"The DSIIDC owes an explanation to the people of Delhi on how the factory was running," she said.

Tiwari also attacked Kejriwal after he retweeted a video of North Delhi Mayor Preeti Agarwal where she is seen cautioning officials not to say anything on the tragedy.

Kejriwal on Saturday night retweeted a video wherein Agarwal is heard saying: "The licence of this factory is with us. That's why we cannot speak on the issue."

Tiwari took to Twitter and wrote: "What can be more shameful than this, where 17 people have lost their life and the Chief Minister is retweeting a false video."

The North Delhi Mayor told the media: "I only made some inquiry about the place from my co-workers and I meant we shouldn't say anything about such an unfortunate incident at this time."

The Mayor demanded an apology from the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, the Congress demanded a judicial probe into the Bawana factory fire.

"We demand a judicial inquiry into the fire in Bawana industrial area in west Delhi on Saturday evening since the magisterial inquiry ordered by the state government is meant to save its own departments. We also demand the judicial inquiry for a fair probe," Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken told reporters after visiting the spot in west Delhi.

The former Union Minister also condemned Agarwal for what he called her "insensitive statement".
By Online Desk

KABUL: Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul killing at least 18 people, including 14 foreigners, sparking a twelve-hour fight with security forces that left terrified guests scrambling to escape and parts of the building ablaze.

Afghan security forces killed four attackers during the night-time siege, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told Tolo News, during which people trapped inside the landmark hotel were seen climbing over balconies to escape.

Six other civilians were reported wounded and more than 100 people, including 16 foreigners, have been rescued from the hotel, said Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish.

"The security forces are going room-by-room to make sure that there is no any other attacker in the building," he said.

UPDATES:

"Fourteen foreigners were killed and four Afghans," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told Afghanistan's Tolo News, without specifying the nationalities involved. Ukrainian officials have already said at least one Ukrainian is among the dead.

The Taliban claimed the attack, which began late Saturday, saying five gunmen armed with suicide vests targeted foreigners and Afghan officials.

"The attack is over," says Interior Ministry spokesperson Najib Danish. But an official with Afghanistan's spy agency told AFP the attack was "not over yet" with attackers "still shooting on security forces".

Six other people, including three security forces, were reported wounded, and more than 150 people, including 41 foreigners, have been rescued from the hotel, said Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish. The bodies of three attackers were recovered as security forces continued to clear the landmark building, he said. "For the time being we can only confirm that one foreigner was among those who were killed in the attack," he added. "The security forces are going room-by-room to make sure that there are no more attackers in the building," Danish said.

TOLO News has quoted Ministry of Interior's spokesperson Danish saying that by 8:30 am, two attackers were killed and security forces were still looking for at least one more assailant.

The bodies of four attackers were recovered as security forces continued to clear the landmark building, Interior Ministry spokesman said.

Afghan news organisation TOLONEWs, reports that witness who managed to flee the hotel says 15 people are killed and others wounded in the ongoing attack.

According to Afghanistan media, two attackers have been killed and clearance operation is ongoing in Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel.

Five floors of Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel have been cleared. Interior Ministry says that 100 people, among which 16 are foreigners, have been rescued.

ALSO READ: Islamic State cells operate in Kabul under noses of Afghan and US forces

It was not clear how many people had been inside the hotel, which was attacked by Taliban militants in 2011.

Afghan security forces were still trying to clear the landmark hilltop hotel with at least one attacker on the loose, a security source said.

Dramatic images broadcast on Afghanistan's Tolo News showed thick black smoke and flames billowing from the top floor of the hotel.

A man dropped himself from the 6th floor of the intercontinental hotel. Two others managed to get to the fifth floor and continue to the next floors. Shocking video #AFG #KabulAttack pic.twitter.com/vxEl4SguNZ  Ahmad Mukhtar (@AhMukhtar) January 21, 2018

At least one person could be seen climbing over a top-floor balcony using bedsheets to escape, before loosing his grip and plunging to the ground.

ALSO READ: Taliban safe havens across border main hurdle to peace, says Afghanistan

Policemen block the main road near the Intercontinental Hotel after

a deadly attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018.

(Photo | Associated Press)

Four gunmen burst into the hotel on Saturday night, opening fire on guests and staff and taking dozens of people hostage, including foreigners.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest assault in the war-torn Afghan capital that followed a series of security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners.

The Intercontinental Hotel is located on a hilltop in the Bagh-e Bala area of the capital and is heavily guarded because it hosts both Afghan and foreign guests as well as official conferences. Last night's attack unfolded almost six years after Taliban insurgents launched a similar assault.

The property is not part of the InterContinental chain of worldwide hotels.

The Interior Ministry said a private firm assumed responsibility for securing the hotel around three weeks ago. The ministry says it is investigating how the attackers managed to enter the building.

Afghan security officials confirmed that 34 provincial officials were gathered at the hotel to participate in a conference organized by the Telecommunication Ministry.

A guest hiding in a room said he could hear gunfire inside the 1960s hotel where dozens of people attending an information technology conference on Sunday were staying.

"I don't know if the attackers are inside the hotel but I can hear gunfire from somewhere near the first floor," the man, who did not want to be named, tolf AFP by telephone.

"We are hiding in our rooms. I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us."

His phone was switched off when AFP tried to contact him again.

No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which started around 9 p.m. Saturday. As the fighting raged, a fire broke out. Firefighters are still battling the blaze. Live TV footage showed people trying to escape through windows on the upper stories.

Security forces stand guard near the Intercontinental Hotel after a

deadly attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018. (AP)

Capt. Tom Gresback, the spokesman for NATO-led forces, said in a statement that Afghan forces were leading the response efforts. He said that according to initial reports, no foreign troops were hurt in the attack.

Afghan Telecom regional director Aziz Tayeb, who was attending the IT conference, said he saw the attackers enter the hotel as he was walking towards the exit.

"Everything became chaotic in a moment. I hid behind a pillar and I saw people who were enjoying themselves a second ago screaming and fleeing like crazy, and some of them falling down, hit by bullets," Tayeb told AFP.

Local resident Abdul Sattar said he had spoken by phone to some of his friends who are chefs and waiters at the hotel and had been trapped inside.

"Suddenly they attacked the dinner gathering... (then) they broke into the rooms, took some people hostage and they opened fire on some of them," he told AFP.

Rahimi said the attackers were armed with small weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when they stormed the hotel, which is a popular venue for weddings, conferences and political gatherings.

The last major attack on a high-end hotel in Kabul was in March 2014 when four teenage gunmen raided the Serena, killing nine people including AFP journalist Sardar Ahmad.

The Intercontinental was previously targeted in June 2011 when a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people, including 10 civilians.

Security at the Intercontinental is relatively lax compared with other luxury hotels in Kabul.

Even before the attack was over, authorities were questioning how the assailants got past the hotel's security, which was taken over by a private company three weeks ago, Danish said.

"We will investigate it," he said.

A hotel employee told AFP that as he fled the staff living quarters located in a building next to the hotel he saw the new security guards running for their lives.

"They didn't do anything, they didn't attack. They had no experience," the man said on the condition of anonymity.

Afghan forces have struggled to combat the Taliban since the U.S. and NATO formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014. They have also had to contend with a growing Islamic State affiliate that has carried out a number of massive attacks in recent years.

(With inputs from agencies)
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today strongly condemned a deadly terror attack at a luxury hotel in Kabul and called for cooperation among countries for effectively combating and eliminating the scourge of terrorism.

Gunmen stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul killing at least six people, sparking a twelve hour fight with security forces.

"Pakistan strongly condemns the brutal terrorist attack at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul last evening, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Kabul Intercontinental Hotel attack UPDATES: 12-hour siege ends, leaving six dead, four assailants neutralised in Afghanistan capital

"In our view, cooperation among the states is important for effectively combating and eliminating the scourge of terrorism," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of providing safe havens to militants who carry out terror attacks in Afghanistan.
NEW MILFORD  Fernando Martins and his business are settling in nicely in Connecticut.

Martins opened FernEllie Creations, an embroidery and personalization shop on Church Street, in October and business picked up faster than he expected.

Small Business Saturday was insane here, he said of the Saturday following Thanksgiving. There were so many people who came in. Its such a different feeling. Its awesome here.

Martins makes the comparison to Orlando, Fla., where he previously had his shop. The mall in which he was located closed with little notice and he had two weeks to close the shop and figure out what to do next.

At about the same time, his wife lost her job her Florida, so they packed up a truck with their belongings, the inventory from the shop and headed north with their three children. The plan was to visit friends in Springfield, Mo., first and then head to Danbury, where Martins had lived in the early 2000s and still had connections.

En route, they decided to come to Connecticut first and they never looked back.

The kids loved it so we stayed here. We found a house in New Milford within five days, he said. We loved the town. Its totally different than what we were used to. Orlando is getting to be dangerous now. Crazy stuff happens there all the time. Its all you see on the news.

His wife Ellie has found a good job in the area and his children are in the local school system after being home-schooled in Orlando.

We came here and its, like, this is perfect, Martins said.

It was a good move for the business, as well, he said. He moved his business to an online model after the mall in Orlando closed. A post office employee in New Milford, after seeing Martins ship dozens of packages every day, suggested he open a brick-and-mortar store, as well.

Martins was instantly attracted to the space on Church Street, even though it had been vacant for about two years and the interior needed a lot of work.

I didnt expect it to work out as well as it has, said Martins, who is originally from Brazil. I thought it would take a long time to get a following and for people to find us.

Martins said he started the business selling clothes at a flea market. The initial investment into the business was $300.

Nelson Merchan, a business adviser with Connecticut Small Business Development Center, is working with Martins to grow the business. He said the uniqueness of FernEllie is the main reason it has been successful in the area.

Fernando has created a store like no other, which has been a very nice addition to New Milford, Merchan said. Their customers cannot believe that a personalized message/name can be embroidered to a high-quality product while they wait. No need to wait weeks to get the product.

As Fernando wants to continue growing his business, we are working on the sales and marketing plan and the financial projections, he added. We have worked on enhancing the online presence, too. As the holiday season created more demand than he anticipated, Fernando had to concentrate his efforts on meeting their customer orders.

FernEllie offers a variety of items that may be personalized. The childrens section includes shirts, backpacks, hats, lunch bags, hand puppets and stuffed animals from Cubbies. He said gifts for brides, such as makeup bags and robes, are hot sellers in March and April ahead of wedding season.

Martins said FernEllie differentiates itself by offering personalized embroidery for orders as small as one item or as many as 100. The personalization is done in a matter of minutes, too, allowing customers to wait while the item is embroidered.

Go grab a cup of coffee and it will be ready when you come back, Martins said. Customers can also bring in their own items to be personalized. Most places wont do that.

Martins said he will work with Merchan on a growth plan that may include hiring employees and opening another store.

FernEllie Creations may be reached at 203-826-0252.

The writer may be reached at cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
3 1 of 3 Contributed Photo / Brookfield Fire Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed Photo / Brookfield Fire Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





BROOKFIELD  A large American flag hung over Pocono Road outside the firehouse Saturday as a tribute to a resident that died earlier this week.

The towns volunteer fire department put its flag on display for the funeral procession of longtime Brookfield resident Mark Modzelewski, officials said.
On January 21, 2018, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attended opening events of Aarhus European Volunteering Capital 2018. Aaurhus city which was European Capital of Culture in 2017 was selected as European Volunteering Capital in 2018 because it attached great importance to volunteering in local level. Crown Princess Mary is the patron of Aaurhus European Volunteering Capital City 2018.

The aim of the initiative, co-funded by the EUs Europe for Citizens programme, is to promote volunteering at local level by recognising municipalities that support and strengthen partnerships with volunteer centres and organisations that involve volunteers.

RALPH LAUREN Maurine Dress

Bottega Veneta Knot Clutch Gianvito Rossi Pumps
New Delhi: For the first time, Airports Authority of India (AAI) plans to raise funds through various means, including loans, to meet its capital expenditure needs in the next fiscal, a senior official said.

The state-owned airport operator is preparing to develop a number of aerodromes in different parts of the country, including as part of the ambitious regional air connectivity scheme.

"AAI enjoys a very good credit rating and like any other organisation is planning to leverage debt and raise funds through loans, borrowings, debts...," its Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra told PTI in a recent interview.

He noted that efforts would also be made to raise funds by way of internal resources, budgetary support or grants from the central government to meet the capital expenditure requirements.

However, he did not provide any estimate on the amount that is likely to be raised.

In 2016-17, AAI reported a 23 per cent jump in net profit to record Rs 3,115 crore.

An official said capital expenditure is set to increase significantly from next financial year onwards as more projects are about to come.

The capital expenditure is projected to be around Rs 4,100 crore for 2018-19 compared to Rs 2,500 crore for the current financial year, he added.

According to him, AAI would start borrowing for the first time in 2018-19.

Among others, "airports/ terminal buildings" are likely to be ready at five places -- Jharsuguda in Odisha, Tezu (Arunachal Pradesh), Calicut (Kerala), Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Pakyong (Sikkim).

Also, mega projects of new terminal buildings are to start at Guwahati, Leh, Patna, Trichy, Vijayawada, Jabalpur, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Srinagar, Pune, Lucknow, Mangalore, Dehradun and Jaipur, Mohapatra said.

The national airports operator also has a vital role in the implementation of the regional connectivity scheme -- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) -- that seeks to connect unserved and under-served aerodromes.

When asked about the impact of the scheme on AAI, Mohapatra said it would be a "win-win situation" in due course.

Under the scheme, AAI is required to provide certain concessions to UDAN flights for a three-year period. These include exemption from paying landing and parking charges.

"This will impact AAI. However, as the operations increase, it will be a win-win situation for AAI as the RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) operations can transform the erstwhile non-operational/ underserved airports of AAI into profit-making entities," Mohapatra said.

He also noted that once the route develops over a period of time, then it would come out of the RCS ambit and "will definitely prove to be a source of revenue for AAI through collection of usual charges as at other airports".

A total of 128 routes connecting 70 airports were awarded in the first round of bidding under the RCS.

In the second round, as many as 141 initial proposals have been received by the civil aviation ministry.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to give the World Economic Forum at Davos a miss this year to focus on the Union Budget, which he will present in Parliament on February 1.

The upcoming budget would be the last full-fledged one to be presented by the Modi government ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

Jaitleys decision to skip the marque event in Switzerland, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the largest Indian contingent of six Union ministers and top CEOs, comes exactly 10 days before the budget.

Sources close to the Finance Minister confirmed that he had arrived at the decision on Friday.

Modi would be the first Indian PM since HD Deve Gowda in 1997 to attend the World Economic Forum.

India is making its presence felt in a big way by participating in numerous sessions like readiness for the future of production, next generation industrial strategies, designing for smart mobility, game-changers with respect to Asia, India's role in the world, the future of employment in manufacturing and production along with reimagining policy-making for the fourth industrial revolution.

The Prime Minister will reach Davos on January 22 and hold bilateral meetings with Swiss counterparts during the day.

The main event begins from January 23 when Modi will address the plenary session. Last year, the plenary session was addressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

US President Donald Trump was also scheduled to attend the meet, the first US presidential visit to the summit in 18 years. The White House, however, said on Sunday that the trip was in flux after the government shutdown.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday indicated that the upcoming Budget will not be a populist one and said it's a myth that the common man expects "freebies and sops" from the government.

In an interview to a TV channel, he also pledged that his government will stay on the course of the reforms agenda that has pulled out India from being among the 'fragile five' economies of the world to being a 'bright spot'.

Modi stoutly defended his economic policies, saying demonetisation was "a very big success story" and that he was open to changes in the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) to plug loopholes and make it a more efficient 'one-nation-one-tax' system.

He rejected criticism of providing a jobless growth, saying "lies" were being spread about employment generation and his government's policies were oriented towards creating jobs.

Acknowledging farm distress, he said it was the responsibility of the Centre and the state governments to identify and address farmers' issues.

Asked if his government will turn populist in its last full-year Budget before the general elections in 2019, Modi said the issue falls under the ambit of the finance minister and he does not want to interfere in it.

"But those who have seen me as the chief minister (of Gujarat) and also as the prime minister (would know) common man does not want all these things. It is a myth," he said.

The common man, he said, expects honest governance. "He doesn't demand sops and freebies. It is our myth."

Modi said his government was taking decisions to fulfill the needs and aspirations of the common man.

Asked specifically if he will resist populism in the Budget to be presented on February 1, he said it needs to be decided if the country needs to grow and become strong, should "this political culture, the Congress culture, be followed".

On job-less growth, the prime minister said, "Lies are being spread about employment generation."

Explaining in detail, he said the formal sector accounts for 10 per cent of the employment and the remaining 90 per cent jobs are in the informal sector.

In last one year, 70 lakh new retirement fund or EPF accounts have been opened for the youth between 18 and 25 years of age, he said. "Doesn't this show new employment," he asked.

Stating that there is no statistics for people working the informal sector, he said there are new chartered accountants, lawyers, doctors and consultants who have joined the vocation since 2014.

On farm distress, Modi said the "criticism is justified" and "we can't deny this". It is the responsibility of the central and state governments that problems faced by farmers are understood and resolved, he said.

Schemes like crop insurance, irrigation projects, soil health cards, increasing urea availability and stopping diversion of subsidised crop nutrient are all aimed at addressing farm distress, he said and added that making available solar pumps, increasing agro-product processing and focus on rural and agro-based industries were high on his mind.

Referring to economic achievements, he said in 2013-14, just before the BJP government came to power, India was considered "among the fragile five economies" in the world.

"Within three years, India has come not just come out of being among fragile file but also its economy is seen as a shining star with optimism and expectation," the prime minister said.

India has on all economic parameters done well - inflation or the rate of price rise, has averaged 3 per cent in last three years as against 10 per cent previously, FDI inflows have more than doubled to USD 62 million from USD 30 billion; fiscal deficit has been brought down to 3.5 per cent of GDP from over 4.5 per cent, current account deficit has come down to 1-2 per cent from 4 per cent, he said.

"The world looks at these parameters and says India is a bright spot," he said. "We believe that India's growth rate will rise in the coming days."

About being the first prime minister to be addressing plenary at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, he said this has been made possible because India has progressed. "India has shown its economic strength to the world and so it is but obvious that the world wants to know India, it wants to know India directly (from the top leader) (and) understand it," Modi said.

"India has become a land of great opportunity now," he said. "India has become an attractive investment destination."

The prime minister said institutions like the IMF and World Bank and rating agencies like Moody's are all complimenting steps taken by India.

Attacking critics of demonetisation, Modi said people attempted to "ignite a fire, incite riots and knocked at doors of the Supreme Court. They tried everything possible just to save those who were hoarding black money, to save the corrupt, to save the dishonest."

The overnight decision to ban 86 per cent of the currency in circulation was "a very big success story", he said. It wasn't about just one currency note going and another coming, but the move brought worldwide respect for India and its governance and to the central bank, RBI, he said.

Modi said India has jumped 42 places on ease of doing business ranking since the NDA came to power. "This in itself is a big achievement," he said.

"The world is astonished that India has ended over 1,400 obsolete laws have been scrapped in last three years. Freeing a person from the clutches of these laws is a bigger achievement than making a new law," he said.
New Delhi: Ahead of the Union Budget 2018- 19, the steel ministry has sought a waiver of the import duty on coking coal to boost the sector, a top official said.

"We have written to the finance ministry to bring to zero the import duty on coking coal from present 2.5 per cent," Steel Secretary Aruna Sharma said.

The ministry in its recommendations to the finance ministry has also suggested to bring down the import duty on steel scrap to nil, the secretary said.

India has to heavily depend on import of coking coal, as the domestic quality has higher ash content, which is unsuitable for the steel industry with present technology.

During April-September of the ongoing fiscal, 22.6 million tonnes (MT) (provisional) of coking coal was imported, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal had said in reply to the Lok Sabha last month.

While 41.6 MT coking coal was imported in 2015-16, the import was 43.5 MT, he had said.

To bring down the imports of coking coal, the steel ministry had earlier said that it was in discussion with the coal ministry for investment in washeries.

Secondary steel industry body All India Induction Furnaces Association (AIIFA) had also recently urged the government to remove 2.5 per cent import duty on steel melting scrap in the upcoming budget.

The Union Budget for 2018-19 will be presented on February 1.
Gurugram: A 55-year-old man, who was admitted to a hospital, died allegedly after falling from a bed at the health facility on Saturday.

Ram Phal died on Thursday and his family members lodged a complaint on Saturday, alleging negligence by doctors and hospital staff, police said.

He was admitted to the Metro Hospital for fever, Phal's son Sukendra Kumar said.

Kumar alleged that doctors admitted his father to the emergency ward and asked him to stay outside, despite he informing them that he was the only relative present at that moment.

"Three hours later, doctors informed me that my father's condition was very serious and he had to be shifted to the ICU. I went inside the ICU with my brother-in-law Sandeep. He was lying on the bed with head injuries and blood on his sweater," he claimed.

The complainant alleged that when he inquired about the injuries, doctors did not have a satisfactory reply and said that he was on a ventilator, police said.

"There was no movement. Moreover, they behaved rudely with us and only said the treatment was underway," Kumar said.

The family members along with villagers assembled at the hospital and launched a protest. They claimed that doctors had accepted that Phal had fallen from the bed, police said.

However, Dr Anup Sinha, medical superintendent and GI surgeon at the hospital, said that the patient could have suffered a stroke as his hemoglobin and platelet counts were very low.

"There were two nurses present inside the ICU. He probably suffered a stroke and his head could have hit the bed's support rods," he said.

Sinha said that he was unaware of the allegations levelled by Phal's family.

"We don't know what happened inside the hospital. Doctors say that he accidentally fell from the bed, but we suspect he could have fallen during shifting from stretcher to the bed," Sandeep said.

The police have registered a case under sections 304A (causing death due to negligence) and 34 (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code against the hospital's administration, Ravinder Kumar, PRO, Gurgaon police, said.

"The case has been recommended to the civil surgeon of Gurgaon for detail investigation as it appears to be of medical negligence," the police PRO said.
Madhya Pradesh has lost 29 tigers since January 2017, bringing into question the implementation of conservation schemes in a region once known as the tiger state of India. Four of these deaths have been reported in the first month of 2018, with the latest one being recorded on Saturday.

Blessed with dense forests, Madhya Pradesh had 308 tigers as per the 2014 wildlife census in six tiger reserves  Panna, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Pench and Sanja. This was a significant improvement over the previous 2010 wildlife census conducted in 2010 which put the big cats number at 257.

Since January 19 last year, MP has lost 29 tigers, with 25 of them dying in 2017. The number is an alarming jump from 2012 to 2015, when the state lost 46 tigers in all.

While the tiger deaths itself is a big dent on efforts to save the big cats, more worrying is the cause of death itself. Of the 25 tigers that died in 2017, 13 perished in forest areas that were not part of tiger reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, mostly due to electrocution by illegally powered farm fences.

Tiger conservationists say the main reason the striped carnivores ventured outside the protected area was to hunt for food and escape overpopulation in the limited area.

No remedial measures seemed to have been taken as two tigers died under similar circumstances this year  a tigress was electrocuted in Seoni near Pench tiger reserve and a tiger fell into a well near Balaghat. Another tigress was killed by a dominant male in Kanha tiger reserve, while the cause of death of the fourth tiger was yet to be ascertained.

According to a former field director of a tiger reserve in the state, the deaths point to lack of coordination and management among forest staff. Frequent transfers also disrupt the pace of conservation efforts, he said on condition of anonymity.

There should be proper coordination among officers of tiger reserves and the officers who man general forest area, he said, questioning the Forest Departments inaction despite the tiger deaths.

A big area of tiger conservation ignored in the state is overpopulation in protected areas. Tiger is a territorial animal which marks its territory. Several tiger reserves are overpopulated, forcing cubs to venture out of protected areas in search of their own territory after detaching from their mothers.

Cubs fear dominant male tigers. So after being detached from their mothers, they tend to venture out of protected areas to mark their own territory and often settle in dense forest areas, including those between Shahdol-Umaria and Katni. Tracing and monitoring them is important, but usually not done, said a volunteer working in wildlife conservation in the state.

The tiger reserve staff and forest staff from unprotected areas keep passing the buck to each other, added the volunteer. Natural tiger corridors, he added, are never taken care of by the Forest Department.

On many occasions, the forest staff are unaware of a tigers death. When a tigress died in Umaria, the forest staff recovered the remains on December 11, a week later.

Jumping to the defence of forest staff, former chief wildlife warden RS Negi said the officers, too, have limitations. A forest guard at times keeps vigil in areas up to 10,000 hectares, he said.

Challenging Negis stand, wildlife activist Ajay Dubey said the authorities, especially the chief wildlife warden, are aloof to ground realities. Effective monitoring is the key as big cats like tigers cant be restricted with geographical boundaries, Dubey said, batting for establishment of Special Tiger Protection Force on the lines of those established by Karnataka.

Dubey also pointed towards weak prosecution of poachers getting away after being arrested by forest officials.

According to Nitin Desai, Central India director of Wildlife Protection Society of India, the big cats also fall prey to illegally electrified farm fences. It has been a common phenomenon in last two decades in Madhya Pradesh that tigers keep getting electrocuted at farms in Rabi season (winter), Desai said. Tigers hunt plant-eating animals that flock farmland in search of crops in Rabi season and get killed by the powered fences, he explained.

Desai advised the MP government to follow Maharashtras example, where the forest department and electricity board joined hands to caution farmers against such power traps.

Sources in forest department, however, cited financial reasons for not implementing a plan to insulate 11KV lines hovering over farmlands.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the watchdog for tiger conservation in India, also seems to pass the buck.

The NTCA has issued generic guidelines for preparing a security plan which inter alia covers the issue of electrocution. Further, an advisory has been issued in context of electrocution by this authority which recommends exploring solar fencing, replied the authority to an e-mailed query from News18.

When asked how it planned to protect tigers that venture out of protected areas, the authority replied, There are no specific guidelines for the purpose, but sporadic monitoring is carried out using PIPs and camera traps if tiger dispersal is observed.

Given the declining tiger population and Gujarats refusal to share its Asiatic lions with MP, the state is fast losing out on earnings via wildlife tourism.

(More Sunday Features)
New Delhi: Ten women and seven men were killed while a man and woman were injured in a massive blaze at a firecracker storage unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area on Saturday evening.

A man who was apprehended by the police in connection with the fire accident has said that he took the factory premises on rent and was running it alone.

The fire, which started at the storage unit on the ground floor of a two-storey building, ripped through the structure, a Delhi Fire Services official said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Rajneesh Gupta said a person named Manoj Jain has been apprehended.

Jain told police that he was running the factory alone and had taken it on rent.

Earlier, the police had said that Jain was running the unit in partnership with one Lalit Goel.

The police had said that an FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible material. The maximum punishment under section 304 is 10 years.

The Delhi government has ordered an inquiry into the blaze. While the fire department said the blaze occurred at a firecracker storage unit, the DCP had said they are yet to confirm this. He said it was a matter of investigation if firecrackers were being manufactured too.

Fifteen fire tenders were rushed to the site to douse the flame. (Photo: CNN-News18)

The Delhi Fire Services received a call about the blaze at the factory around 6:20 pm and 10 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, the fire department said, adding the fire has been brought under control.

GC Mishra, Director, Delhi Fire Service, said it was a firecracker storage unit and the building comprised a basement, ground floor and two upper floors.

"One body was recovered from the basement, three from the ground floor and 13 from the first floor. One person sustained fractures after he jumped from the second floor to save himself," he said.

Mishra said the fire was doused by 9.20 pm but search and rescue operations were underway. "We are taking no chance. We don't have a definite number of people who were in the building when the fire broke out," he said.

The police said the people were either charred or got choked to death.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the death of people in the fire. "My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. May those who are injured recover quickly," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted quoting Modi.

The Delhi government ordered an inquiry into the blaze even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he was keeping a "close watch" on the rescue operations. "V(ery) sad to hear abt large no of casualties. Keeping a close watch on rescue operations," he said in a tweet.

Delhi Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident. "Learnt about a serious fire incident in a private factory at Bawana. Several casualties reported. Monitoring the situation. Ordered enquiry," Jain tweeted.

North Delhi Mayor Preety Agarwal rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. "The factory falls in the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) area," a senior NDMC official said.

The medical superintendent of Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Hospital Dr Punita Mahajan said they received a disaster alert which was called off at 11.30 pm
New Delhi: Twenty Delhi MLAs of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were disqualified on Sunday with the President of India approving an Election Commission recommendation against the lawmakers in the office-of-profit case.

"...Having considered the matter in the light of the opinion expressed by the Election Commission, I, Ram Nath Kovind, president of India, in exercise of the powers...do here hold that the aforesaid 20 members of the Delhi legislative assembly stand disqualified from being members of the said assembly," read the notification issued by law ministry, quoting the President.

The disqualification will not endanger the Arvind Kejriwal government but its numbers will come down significantly in the 70-seat Delhi Assembly. They would still enjoy a comfortable majority, with 46 out of 50 seats in the pruned House.

The Presidents assent also paves the way for by-election in the 20 seats, giving a chance to the BJP and the Congress to increase their tally. While the BJP has four seats in the Delhi Assembly, the Congress has zero.

The AAP was quick to denounce the President's decision, with its leader Ashutosh describing it as unconstitutional and dangerous for the democracy.

Alka Lamba, one of the 20 disqualified AAP MLAs, said the party would appeal against the decision in court. Unfortunate that the President took the decision in such haste, without giving us chance to speak. It's an act of Centre using constitutional institutions. We've trust on judiciary. Doors of HC & SC is open for us, she said.

Gopal Rai, the president of the Delhi unit of the AAP, claimed "victimisation" and asserted the party was "not afraid of elections".

Both Sisodia and Rai claimed the 20 MLAs did not receive even a "single" penny as parliamentary secretaries or any other benefit like office space or accommodation while serving on the post.

"They were appointed to help the government as it was working on Mohalla Clinics, skill centres, unauthorised colonies development and trader-friendly VAT scheme. They used to travel on their own expense. They were not paid even a single paisa as salary or facilities like office and bungalow," Sisodia said.

The issue in front of the Election Commission was whether the office of Parliamentary Secretary in the GNCTD, 1991 constitutes an office of profit. Article 191 of the Constitution has not defined what is an office of profit, which has paved the way to the Courts to lay down the law.

The entire issue came into existence when on March 13, 2015, the Arvind Kejriwal government passed an order appointing 21 MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries. This was challenged by Advocate Prashant Patel who petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee on June 19, 2015, that these MLAs were now holding office of profit and should be disqualified.

The Delhi Legislative Assembly, then passed the Delhi Member of Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualification) ( Amendment Bill ), 2015 excluding Parliamentary Secretaries from  office of profit with retrospective effect.

The AAP has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on EC's recommendation. The court has listed the case for a hearing on Monday.
New Delhi: Two months after it first offered security consultancy to schools, CISF experts have begun a mega exercise of auditing some big names in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata to ensure that any Gurugram-like student killing incident does not recur in educational institutions.

The central paramilitary force, that is mandated to guard major Indian civil airports and has a unique security consultancy wing, has also received over Rs 15 lakh of the government prescribed service fee for rendering this service, from few schools.

The consultancy fee is around Rs 4 lakh for an average school.

A blueprint prepared by the force, accessed by PTI, shows that separate team of experts have begun work to provide foolproof security solutions at the Podar Education Network in Mumbai, Oakridge International Schools in Hyderabad and St Xavier's in Kolkata.

"Separate board of officers have been constituted and they are on job to draw a professional and sound security plan for the safety of students and staff of these schools.

"Five more schools across the country have sent in their final approvals and such expert teams will soon begin their work at their facilities too," a senior force official said.

When contacted, CISF Director General (DG) O P Singh said the proposal made by the force to the schools, first in November last year, is getting a "good and positive response."

"I have already said we took up this initiative as part of our responsibility towards the society. We are always happy to extend help of our professional services," Singh said.

The senior official, quoted earlier, added that as of today, the force is in talks with about three dozen schools in various parts of the country.

"Members of the elite security consultancy wing has been asked to be prepared and move out to schools at a short notice so that this task is carried out as fast as possible.

"The command of the force has categorised this work as a priority subject," the official said.

The force, last year, had dispatched letters to a number of schools in the country offering its help in creating a safe and secure environment for their students.

The trigger for this all-India exercise by the force was the September 2017 killing of a Class 2 student of the Ryan International School in Gurugram, who was found dead in the school bathroom with his throat slit.

The force, in its message, had assured the schools that its professional but chargeable security solutions will be custom-made for them like it does for each of its clients.

"It is felt that in the wake of the recent unfortunate incident in one of the reputed schools in the national- capital-region in which a young student lost his life, there is now a need for revisiting the security infrastructure of our schools.

"You will agree that a healthy and secure environment is a right of every child and schools have a major role to play in the providing the same," the CISF letter addressed to the schools read.

The CISF's security audit provides professional advice to schools as to where to install CCTV cameras, where to deploy security staff, how to check access control, how to train their security staff and install emergency response gadgets.

The consultancy wing has shared its expertise with over 150 organisations or institutions, including IITs, IIMs, RBI and the National Police Academy in Hyderabad among others.
Jammu: One civilian was on Sunday killed and another injured when Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling along the IB and the LoC in Jammu and Poonch districts, drawing retaliation from Indian forces, an official said.

Also, the neighbouring country's troops violated ceasefire for a fourth consecutive day by resorting to heavy shelling along the International Border (IB) and the LoC in three sectors of Jammu and Rajouri districts.

"Two brothers were injured when shells hit their house in Kanachak-Pragwal sector along the IB in Jammu district tonight. One of them, Gopal, later succumbed to his injuries and the other is in hospital," a senior police official said. He said heavy shelling is going on in the area.

Meanwhile, an Army jawan, injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan on Saturday night, succumbed to injuries on Sunday, the police said, adding, with this, the death toll in the border firing in Jammu and Kashmir since Thursday rose to 12. "Pakistan Rangers resumed (shelling) along the IB in Kanachak sector of Jammu tonight. There have been mortar shelling and it is being replied back," a BSF spokesperson said.

Pakistan resumed heavy shelling along LoC in Bhawani, Karali, Said, Numb and Sher Makri areas of Rajouri district on Sunday evening, DC of Rajouri Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said. In Akhnoor, Pakistani forces resorted to firing along the Line of Control (LoC), police officials said. Troops are retaliating, they said.

Sepoy C K Roy, who was posted in a forward post in Mankote sector of Poonch district, was injured in Pakistani firing on Saturday and succumbed to injuries at a military hospital the same night, a police official said. While a BSF jawan and a teenage girl were killed on Thursday, four persons - two civilians and one BSF jawan and an Army jawan - were killed and over 40 others, including two BSF personnel, injured in the Pakistani firing on Friday.

Three civilians and an Army jawan were killed and 16 others injured in the ceasefire violations on Saturday. There was no report of firing by Pakistan along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts since last night, BSF and police officials said.

A BSF spokesperson said firing from across the border stopped in Samba and Kathua districts in the afternoon but was going on intermittently in some areas of Jammu district. A police official said the authorities were keeping an eye on the situation and rushed police teams to affected areas to ensure prompt assistance to the people.

The people were asked to stay indoors and not to touch any suspicious object in their area as it could an unexploded mortar shell, he said.

Firing from across the border started on Thursday and has forced thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.
New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Governor Narinder Nath Vohra warned on Sunday that allegations of corruption against judiciary is not just damaging to its reputation but also has the potential of creating an internal security problem for the country.

We need to weed out corruption from police and judicial system. The entire criminal justice system needs reform. Allegations (are) made against higher judiciary, including the Chief Justice of India. The need is to clean the system and effectively ensure justice," Vohra said while speaking at RAW's annual Kao Memorial Lecture.

Addressing the top most intelligence officers of the country, he said that people might fall prey to those who want to sabotage the internal security of the country if they feel that corruption is the reason they are not getting justice.

"Varied threats to national security also originate from corruption in the administrative systems, all over India. As past experience has shown, corruption vitiates the Constitution and the Rule of Law and destroys the very foundations of the administrative and legal systems, he said.

It generates unaccountability and inefficiencies which, in turn, cause anger and helplessness among the people at large, particularly the poor and marginalized segments, who may be even further alienated and compelled to resort to arms, he added.

Calling for a complete overhaul of India's internal security apparatus, the Governor said that the need of the hour is a separate Ministry of Internal Security Affairs. "The Ministry of Home Affairs has ever increasing pressure. Senior echelons have many things to take care off. Internal security is just one of them. Internal security requires operational decisions without delay. Time has come for a ministry of internal security affairs," he said.

Elaborating on the proposal, he said that a National Security Administrative Service must be raised which would be the core of the said internal security ministry. He also called upon the states to play a more active role in tackling potential internal security threats rather than depend on the union government.

"The union has also been hesitant in exercising its authority under Article 256 of the Constitution to issue appropriate directives to the affected states for taking the required actions to timely quell arising disturbances, he said.

On the contrary, the practice actually followed in the past decades has been for the home ministry to merely issue advisories to the concerned states in regard to the management of emerging situations. Thanks to this amiable approach, it has not been possible to pre-empt any arising disorder," he said.

He also said that the Law governing the National Investigation Agency must be strengthened and the NIA should be aided by all state and central agencies for swift investigation in anti-terror cases.
New Delhi: The probe into the Bawana fire incident that claimed 17 lives was handed over to the Crime Branch from the district police today.

The case was transferred to the Crime Branch by Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik since it "requires extensive investigation and a proper detailed follow-up", a Delhi Police statement said.

Ten women and seven men were killed while a man and woman were injured in the massive blaze at a "cold firecrackers" unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area yesterday.

The 49-year-old Manoj Jain, who was running the factory, has been arrested.

"He was produced before the duty magistrate today who sent him to judicial custody. The police will request for production and police custody tomorrow before the regular magistrate," the police statement said.

A Forensic Science Laboratory team visited the site again today and conducted an extensive survey of the premises for about four hours with the assistance of the police, it added.
Lucknow: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India has shown it can attack its enemies not only on its soil, but also in a foreign territory, if need be.

Singh's remarks came almost a week after the Indian Army carried out a "retaliatory action" against Pakistani troops, killing seven of their soldiers and injuring four others along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

"A few months ago, Pakistan, in an act of cowardice, attacked and martyred 17 of our jawans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi consulted all of us on this serious issue, and the Indian Army entered the Pakistani area and killed the militants," Singh said at a public meeting here.

"India's image in the world has become that of a strong nation and we have given a strong message to the world that we can attack our enemies not only on our soil, but also in their territory," he said.

Singh said India wants to maintain a friendly relationship with its neighbour.

"But Pakistan is not mending its ways," he says. Singh said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country's economy is moving ahead at a fast pace.

"..and now even the global economists and experts accept this," he said.

Singh was addressing the meeting of 'Bharatiya Railway Maal Godaam Shramik Sangh' in Lucknow on Sunday.

He said he would take up the issues and problems of the railway labourers with higher authorities.
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra has examined suggestions from stakeholders to bring transparency in allocation of sensitive PILs to judges and is likely to bring in the public domain soon the system he is going to adopt for it, sources close to him said on Sunday.

They said that the listing of two petitions demanding an independent probe into the death of CBI special judge BH Loya before a bench headed by the CJI manifests that all issues, including allocation of cases, raised by the four senior-most judges in their controversial January 12 press conference, are being considered.

The Loya case petitions will come up for hearing on Monday.

The sources said that Justice Misra has held deliberations with fellow judges and also taken into account the suggestions put forth by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and a clear-cut roster system is likely to be followed in the apex court for allocation of cases.

"The apex court registry is very likely to upload on its website the decision of the CJI on allocation of matters. The system will be brought in the public domain as to who will hear what categories of cases," a highly placed source said.

When contacted, SCBA President Vikas Singh said there was a demand from the bar to follow the roster system of allocation of work prevalent in the Delhi High Court.

"We are quite hopeful that the CJI in all likelihood is going to accept our suggestions and all misunderstanding that has come out in the open after the press conference of the four judges can be resolved," Singh said.

He said that a system for allocation of cases identical to that in the Delhi High Court is followed in the Bombay High Court.

During the press conference, the four judges - Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph - had raised various issues, including the allocation of important and sensitive PILs, and questioned the manner in which the CJI was allocating them to a particular bench.

The PILs in the Loya case was one of them which was being heard by a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra who later recused himself from it.

The list of the top court's business for January 22 had on January 19 shown that it has been referred to an appropriate bench and late in the evening the website showed that it will be heard by a bench headed by the CJI.

Sources said that some of the judges who are the future CJIs - Justices S A Bobde, N V Ramana, U U Lalit and D Y Chandrachud - have been holding parleys with the CJI to resolve the crisis that hit the judiciary after the January 12 presser.

They also said that the judges who have been having talks with the CJI for bringing the house in order were also not happy that the four senior-most judges went public with their grievances.

After January 18, there was no meeting between the CJI and the four judges as Justice Chelameswar was out of the national capital on a scheduled visit to Chennai and Bengaluru. There is a likelihood that the CJI and the four judges would meet on Monday before the court commences hearings, the sources said.
Mumbai: A case of cheating and forgery was filed after a person in a Mercedes car showed a fake letter to escape paying toll of Rs 60 at the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

Police said that the incident happened around 8:20pm on Thursday and the fake letter identified the holder as Bhavik Bhanushali.

"The car had a protocol sticker and the driver showed a letter to the toll attendant informing him that the car was exempt from toll," said Senior Police Inspector Pandit Thackeray of the Bandra police station.

Thackeray said the letter stated that the car was exempted from paying toll at the Mumbai Entry Point Ltd ( the firm which collects toll on behalf of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation) and IRB tolls on Mumbai Pune Express Way, MSRDC, National Highway 4 and Pune-Nashik toll points till December 2018.

"The letter had a logo of the MEPL and signature of the firm's vice chairman and managing director. The toll attendant grew suspicious and cross-checked it by sending an image of the letter to his senior colleague," Thackeray nformed.

Police said that the car was allowed to proceed at the time as the inquiry and cross-checking was creating a bottleneck at the booth, much to the irritation of cars lined up behind the Mercedes.

Once the staff at the booth got a confirmation from their superiors that the letter was fake, a case of forgery and cheating was registered with the police, the official added.

"The entire episode has been captured on CCTV. We have forwarded the registration of the car to the Regional Transport Office to track down the owner of the car," the official added.
New Delhi: Air India aircraft will be hired by the home ministry to facilitate travel of personnel of central armed police forces, Intelligence Bureau and the NDRF serving in remote areas of the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir from home and place of postings, an official said.

An amount of Rs 109.84 crore has been sanctioned by the ministry to offer the air services to the security personnel during the first seven months of 2018 by hiring the Air India planes.

Priority will be given to those personnel availing the facility for the first, second and third time respectively and those going on temporary duties, subject to availability of seats, a home ministry official told PTI.

Air services were introduced a few years ago by the ministry for limited sectors but the scheme has now been expanded with new sectors, enhanced frequency and aircraft with more seats.

The Air India is expected to deploy its narrow-body jet Airbus A319 which has around 144 all-economy seats.

The sectors in which the air service will be available are: Delhi-Leh-Delhi, Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu-Delhi, Delhi-Dibrugarh-Guwahati-Delhi, Kolkata-Imphal-Kolkata, Kolkata-Agartala-Kolkata, Kolkata-Aizwal-Kolkata and Kolkata- Silchar-Kolkata.

The service will end a major grievance of the personnel of the CAPF like CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB etc, Intelligence Bureau and National Disaster Response Force deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast as they have to spend at least six days of their leave only in travelling, another ministry official said.

The official said though the scheme has been approved until July 31, it will be further extended for the whole year and subsequent years too.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he will share his vision for India's future engagements with the international community during his Davos trip, as he sought "serious attention" of world leaders on existing and emerging challenges to the contemporary global systems.

A day before his visit to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, being attended by over 70 heads of states and governments, Modi said India's engagement with the outside world in the recent years has become "truly and effectively multi-dimensional covering the political, economic, people to people, security and other spheres".

In a series of tweets with 'IndiaMeansBusiness' hashtag, he said, "At Davos, I look forward to sharing my vision for India's future engagement with the international community."

Modi, who will deliver opening plenary address at the WEF summit on Tuesday, said he is also looking forward to separate bilateral meetings with Swiss President Alain Berset and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in Davos.

"I am confident that these bilateral meetings would be fruitful and give a boost to our relations with these countries and further strengthen economic engagement," he said.

"The existing and emerging challenges to the contemporary international system and global governance architecture deserve serious attention of leaders, governments, policy makers, corporates and civil societies around the world," he tweeted.

"I look forward to my first visit to the World Economic Forum at Davos, at the invitation of India's good friend and Founder of the WEF, Professor Klaus Schwab," he said, while describing the theme of the Forum, 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World' as "both thoughtful and apt".

The comments assume significance in the wake of several leaders expected to talk about various risks facing the world, including those from economic protectionism and differences amongst various world powers. The summit is also being attended by US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emannuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Theresa May, among others.

Modi will also host a dinner for global CEOs tomorrow. On Tuesday, he will interact with global business community members, besides delivering his keynote address.
New Delhi: With exquisite desi cuisine on the platter and live yoga sessions on display, the annual Swiss jamboree of the rich and powerful from "a fractured world" will begin on Monday in Davos where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to pitch India as a growth engine for the global economy.

Over 3,000 world leaders from business, politics, art, academia and civil society will attend the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting over the next five days in the small ski resort town on snow-covered Alps mountains, where the Indian presence will be the largest ever with over 130 participants.

WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab will declare the summit open on Monday evening with a welcome message on the meeting's theme, 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World'.

It will be followed by honouring Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, Australian actress Cate Blanchett and legendary musician Elton John with the annual 'Crystal Awards' for their respective work towards improving the state of the world.

The evening will also see a ballet performance, while India will host the 'welcome reception' with the country's "exquisite cuisine and age-hold Yoga heritage as well as the spirit of a young, innovative New India".

The official sessions will begin on Tuesday when Modi will deliver the 'opening plenary', during which he is expected to pitch India as an open economy that is ready for investments from across the world and also as a major engine to drive the global economic growth.

Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to attend Davos meeting in about 20 years since H D Deve Gowda in 1997.

During his 24-hour-visit, described by officials as "short but very focused", Modi will also host a dinner for CEOs from across the world -- 20 of Indian companies and 40 from elsewhere -- on Monday evening and will interact with a large gathering of 120 members of WEF's international business community on Tuesday.

Besides, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset, among other pull-asides, as per the government officials.

Modi is scheduled to be accompanied by six union ministers  Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, M J Akbar and Jitendra Singh.

The CEO delegation, led by apex industry body CII, will include Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Azim Premji, Rahul Bajaj, N Chandrasekaran, Chanda Kochhar, Uday Kotak and Ajay Singh, among others.

Among global leaders, US President Donald Trump will be there to deliver the closing address, but any meeting with Prime Minister Modi is unlikely as the two would not be in town on the same day.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will also be in Davos, but officials in India have said no meeting is planned between him and Modi.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among the other attendees.

While Trump is expected to talk about his 'America First' policy, officials in India said Modi's central message at this multilateral forum will be about India being an economy that can be an engine of global growth and which wants others to participate in its growth and also wants to contribute to others' development.

A lot of focus is expected on what Trump says and what would be the response of other world leaders, including from Germany, France and the UK.

Ahead of the summit, an annual WEF survey, likely to be discussed in detail during the meeting, showed that the world will see risks related to the environment, economy and international relations intensify this year with a majority of stakeholders expecting political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen.

In a first at the WEF summit, India will also host yoga training sessions for the entire duration of the meeting, while also showcasing Indian heritage and culture in Davos.

On the sidelines of the WEF summit, the Swiss government will also host the annual informal WTO ministerial meeting, which will be attended by Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu and his global counterparts.

According to a Swiss government statement, negotiations on a bilateral investment protection pact and the envisaged free trade agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, will figure prominently during Modi's meeting with Berset.

Modi is expected to encapsulate making of 'a new, young and innovative India', while he is also expected to talk about his experience with 'cooperative federalism' in India while urging the world for a collective crackdown on terrorism, economic imbalances, cyber threats and various societal ills.

According to officials, Modi will also talk about numerous steps they have taken to make it easier to do business in India, check corruption, clamp down on black money, streamline taxation and boost sustainable growth.

Another star speaker will be ex-RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, who has been praised as well as criticised often for his vocal views on everything from politics to economics and is credited for predicting the global economic crisis of 2008.

He will speak on the power of economic narratives and how policymakers can address the challenges of the 21st century.

Bollywood king Shahrukh Khan, for a change, would not be seen serenading heroines with his signature 'open-arm' charm on Swiss Alps, but will rather talk about creating a change in India through women empowerment.
Jaipur: Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has sent an invitation to Shri Rajput Karni Sena and other Rajput associations to watch "Padmaavat", its patron and founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi said. He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban the film.

In a press conference here on Saturday, Kalvi said the letter has been sent after the date of release of the film has been fixed which shows that this is well-planned gimmick.

"This letter will be put into flames as it is just a part of show-off which has been done in an endeavour to prove that 'we have invited Rajput community leaders'."

Kalvi has now appealed to the Prime Minister to ban the film under "section 6 of the Cinematography Act".

He said: "(A total of) 1908 Kshatriya females have registered their names to perform jauhar in Chittorgarh on January 24 if the film's screening is not stopped."

The letter reads that the Rajput community has been misled in this context.

It reads: "The film will maintain the honour and dignity of Queen Padmavati... The dream sequence being talked about in the film is just a rumour and we have already apprised you about the same in the letter sent on January 29, 2017. There is no such scene... We assure that the entire Rajput community will feel proud after watching the film."

Talking about the move, Kalvi said: "We never asked him to show us the film but we wanted nine historians to be shown the film, out of which the film has been shown to three historians only. On top of it, the advice of these historians was also not considered. We now want that the film should be shown to the six remaining historians as well and their opinion on the same sought."

He added that the historians have been insulted as their opinions were ignored and the film's release date was decided.

"Now at this point of time, the only solution is to ban the film completely."

Padmaavat has had a long history of trouble. It stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, Shahid Kapoor as Maharawal Ratan Singh and Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji.

From being assaulted on the film's set in Jaipur to the set being vandalised in Kolhapur to getting threats from detractors -- Bhansali has been facing the ire of organisations that are up in arms against the period drama since its inception -- from when it was titled "Padmavati".

Months after facing opposition, the makers, Bhansali Productions and Viacom18 Motion Pictures, clarified that the film was based on 16th century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic poem "Padmavat", and does not distort historical facts -- as was being alleged by some Rajput outfits.

The makers of "Padmaavat" secured a U/A certificate from the censor board after incorporating five modifications, and locked the release date as January 25.

The Supreme Court on Thursday paved the way for the all-India release for "Padmaavat" on January 25 by staying the operation of orders by the Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana governments banning its release.

But Kalvi said that "like every year, January 25 will come but (it will) not (be) the day of the release of the film".

"I feel obliged as Rajasthan and Gujarat film distributors have assured us that the film will not be released," he said.

He also made an appeal to the "public to impose public curfew", saying they should not go to watch the film.

Kalvi also said that Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi and lyricist Javed Akhtar will not be allowed to attend the upcoming Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF).
Mumbai: Actress Shraddha Kapoor, who was present at the inauguration of "The Wedding Junction Show" here on Saturday, said working with actor Prabhas in "Saaho" has been a great opportunity for her.

After "Haseena Parkar" in 2017 Shraddha's upcoming projects is bilingual film "Saaho" with Prabhas and newly announced Hindi release "Stree".

Talking about "Saaho", Shraddha said: "I am definitely excited to be able to work with Prabhas. It's the first time I am shooting for a Hindi and Telugu bilingual film. It will also be dubbed in other languages. This is a great opportunity for me."

Shraddha and Rajkumar Rao-starrer "Stree" is currently on floors, and the actress is very excited for the same. "This is the first time, I will be part of a horror-comedy film, and that makes it even more exciting."
Just before daybreak of September 18, 2016, four terrorists cut the wire fencing of Uri garrison and attempted to sneak into the camp.

Seeing a sentry post ahead of them, they retreated. About 200 meters away, they found a relatively safe spot and cutting the fence again, gained entry. As they moved into the garrison, they came across rows of neatly lined tents, with soldiers sleeping inside.

The soldiers were from a newly inducted battalion which was on its way to replace a unit that had completed its field tenure. The new unit was to spend a few days at Uri to drop off its heavy stores before moving on foot to its high altitude posts, some above 13,000 feet.

Uri garrison is the headquarters of an infantry brigade and has sufficient accommodation only for stores and a few men of the infantry battalions that are deployed along the Line of Control. Tents had been pitched for the additional soldiers.

The initial attack was a complete surprise. The attackers were armed with rifles, grenades and an incendiary chemical mixture. As the firefight raged, the tented camp and surrounding barracks were completely gutted. By the time the terrorists were gunned down, 19 soldiers had been martyred.

In the afternoon, I accompanied General Dalbir Singh, who had flown from Delhi to Uri. As we picked our way through the ash of burnt tents, it was clear to both of us that a strong and swift response to this terrorist attack had become inevitable; to restore the pride of the Indian Army if for no other reason.

The Commanding Officers (COs) of the two Special Forces (SF) units in Northern Command were tasked to prepare a tentative list of terrorist targets which could be struck across the Line of Control. Meanwhile, I flew down to Delhi for a discussion on the scope, aim and purpose of the planned cross-border operation. It was necessary that there was clear political guidance to the military plan.

In Northern Command, we had been planning for a strike on terrorist camps since the last 12 months. Information about targets had been gathered and broad plans prepared. However, there is a difference between theoretical planning and the real thing.

Suddenly, responsibility weighs heavily, worries about failure and casualties are constantly in the back of your head, and small bits of missing intelligence become magnified. In this uncertainty, what gave me assurance was the total confidence exuded by the COs in their ability to successfully complete their tasks.

The operation was complicated  multiple targets had to be hit across both Jammu and Kashmir regions. Hours were spent in discussing, debating and finalising the plans. For reasons of secrecy, the planning team was small, but that did not limit the scope, quality and decibel level of the deliberations.

Views were freely expressed and no information was considered too small to be ignored. The safe return of our soldiers, after having carried out the strikes, occupied a lot of our time and attention.

Perfect intelligence is almost never available. One target (Camp A) was particularly challenging. It was the deepest in Pakistan territory and the most heavily guarded. The route involved crossing a number of Pakistan Army posts.

After a lot of discussion, it was decided to send a reconnaissance party across the Line of Control to confirm the path to be taken by the strike team. It was a risk but deemed worth taking. A small team slipped across the border, scoped out the route and returned without detection. This was a tremendous help in finalising the plan.

On the night of the 'surgical strike', we were watching live images of the attacks on terrorist camps playing out on a large screen in the Udhampur operations room. As daylight approached, all strikes had gone in except Camp A. As we waited anxiously, we could make out a sudden flurry of movement in the camp. Terrorists were running around and had started carrying out some speculative firing. We still do not know if they had sensed something, but at this time it required nerves of steel by the SF team to wait this out. At 6:12 am, we saw the black plume of a rocket launcher shell exploding against a hut housing the terrorists. The attack had begun.

There are many ways to measure victory but a key component is always the protection of your soldiers. A soldier readily puts his life at risk, but in the Army, we always put tremendous premium on how this life is lost. To me, one of the biggest successes of the surgical strike was the fact that everyone returned safe.

There is an old saying that 'victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan'. There is no doubt that many contributed to the success of the surgical strikes, from the political will displayed to those who assisted in preparing a brilliant plan.

However, the main credit must go to those officers and men who put their lives on line when they stepped into hostile territory. They were not looking at some future gains or rewards. They did it simply in obedience to the orders given to them. They are the real heroes.

(The author is former Northern Commander, Indian Army, under whose leadership India carried out surgical strikes against Pakistan in 2016. Views are personal.)

(A documentary on the dramatic events of September 29 will be telecast on History TV18 at 9pm on January 22. History TV18 India is a part of Network18.)
Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader A.K. Antony on Sunday slammed the CPI-M's Kerala delegation, whom he termed as instrumental in the decision, arrived at the party's Central Committee meeting in Kolkata, ruling out any alliance with the Congress to fight the BJP.

Speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram soon after hearing what the ruling Left party decided in Kolkata, Antony said that opposing Congress in the fight against the BJP is as good as turning a traitor.

"The Kerala CPI-M leadership is behind this as they want Modi more than protecting the secular fabric of our country. History will never forgive them, nor will the people of Kerala," he said.

With the sole exception of State Finance Minister Thomas Issac, all Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) Central Committee members from the state voted against their party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury's point of view, favouring a soft attitude towards the Congress to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

At the end of the meeting, 55 members voted in favour of former General Secretary Prakash Karat's strong position that there should not be any truck with the Congress in any form, with 31 voting against it.

Among the 14 central committee members from Kerala which includes politburo members, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and M.A.Baby and others, it was only Issac who did not take part in the voting as he was absent, stating that he has urgent work with regards to the presentation of the state budget on February 2 and was on his way back to the state.

Vijayan and Balakrishnan had early this month categorically emphasised that under no circumstances, should the CPI-M have any sort of adjustments with the Congress, even while declaring that the BJP as the main enemy.

The only notable dissenting voice to this adamant stand from Kerala was Issac, who had made his point of view quite clear in his speech at the Central Committee meeting on Saturday.

Vijayan, who is now the final word in the CPI-M in Kerala, also ensured that in case voting takes place, it should, under no circumstance go Yechury's way, by ensuring that each member from Kerala takes part, including the ailing 82-year-old former state minister P.K.Gurudasan, who had collapsed at a party meeting here recently.

Former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, who is only an invitee to the Central Committee and has no voting rights, did not go for the meeting but he wrote a letter to Yechury expressing moral support to his stand that to fight the BJP, all options should be explored, including an understanding with the Congress.
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said AAP got 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly three years ago because god knew that 20 of his party's MLAs will be disqualified after three years.

"I have always said that it was God's grace. He also knew that after three years these people would declare 20 of our MLAs disqualified. That's why he gave us 67 seats out of 70 in the Delhi Assembly polls," he said in a statement on the AAP's Twitter handle.

His remarks came after President Ram Nath Kovind approved Election Commission's recommendation to disqualify 20 AAP MLAs on the charges of holding 'office of profit'.

The disqualification will not endanger the Arvind Kejriwal government but its numbers will come down significantly in the 70-seat Delhi Assembly. They would still enjoy a comfortable majority, with 46 out of 50 seats in the pruned House.

Attacking the BJP for the decision, Kejriwal said that the disqualification was its last resort after all the other tricks failed. He claimed that the Centre first let lose the CBI on the Delhi government, but failed to find anything despite all its efforts.

Then, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor seized all our files for four months, but did not find anything out of order, he said. When they failed, they disqualified our MLAs, he told a public gathering in Najafgarh area in west Delhi.

"They (BJP-led Centre) have tremendously victimised us by imposing fake cases on our MLAs. They conducted CBI raids on me and didn't get anything and today they declared 20 of our MLAs disqualified," he said.

The Delhi CM said the party will now approach the High Court against this "extremely unconstitutional, unethical and biased decision of the EC". "If required we will go to the Supreme Court. The Constitution is supreme and is the law of the land and has been protected by our Judiciary time and again."

AAPs chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj also slammed the BJP for the decision. A first reading of the Narendra Modi government-appointed Election Commissions biased opinion and subsequent notification issued by the BJPs central government to hastily disqualify 20 elected Delhi MLAs shows constitutional authorities today are behaving like hand maidens of the central government, he said.

Following Kovind's approval, the Union Law and Justice Ministry issued a notification saying that the President has held that the 20 members of Delhi Legislative Assembly stand disqualified under 15 (1) (a) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) act.

The Election Commission had on Friday recommended disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for holding office of profit as Parliamentary Secretaries, giving its opinion to the President on a complaint by advocate Prashant Patel, a member of the Hindu Legal Cell, in June 2015, who petitioned then President Pranab Mukherjee alleging the appointments were illegal and in violation of the Constitution.
Kolkata: The die has been cast. The CPI(M)s central committee has adopted its draft political resolution and decided not to join hands with the Congress to take on the BJP in the forthcoming elections, including the general elections of 2019.

With 55 votes against 31, the political line of CPI(M)s former general secretary Prakash Karat trumped the opinion of reigning general secretary Sitaram Yechury in the highest policy making body of the party.

The vertical division at the top leadership of the CPI-M on whether or not to go with the Congress had struck such high chords during the three-day meet in Kolkata that Yechury even offered to resign at one point. He was coaxed to retract from his position by senior comrades at the meeting, it was reliably learnt.

The resolution adopted by the 91-member committee will now be put up for formal adoption at the CPI(M) party congress, which is scheduled to take place in Hyderabad in April. Once adopted, the party is bound to follow and implement its political-tactical line till its next party congress, which takes place once every three years.

The voting took place in the wake of the committees unwillingness to carry two separate documents on the political tactical line to the party congress.

We have resolved not to go into any kind of electoral alliance or political understanding with the Congress party. This is a draft resolution which would be adopted by the party only after the party congress. It would be released for discussion within the party two months ahead of the congress, Yechury told reporters after the meet.

Asked whether this was a setback, Yechury defended the partys official position: We have always maintained our distance from the Congress party this is not new, he said.

Political observers believe that the task of toeing this political line would become especially difficult for some state units like Tripura where elections are scheduled to take place less than a month from now. While the Left has identified the Sangh-BJP combine as the biggest threat to one of its last standing bastions in the country, it may not be able to rope in the Congress, a formidable political force in that state, in its fight against the BJP.

Asked if the partys central leadership would leave it to the state leaders to take a final call on that, Yechury said, The Left Front is well poised to win the Tripura elections on its own.

The partys former general secretary, Prakash Karat, whose anti-Congress stand is well known ever since he pulled the plug on the first UPA government in 2008 over the Indo-US nuke deal, had support from the southern units of the CPI-M, especially Kerala.

The states chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan is believed to be an active advocate of the Karat line. The fact that special invitee to the CC meeting and former Kerala CM, VS Achyutanandan, who couldnt attend the meeting but wrote a letter calling for ouster of the BJP with support of the secular and democratic forces including the Congress evidently failed to cut ice.

It remains to be seen in this backdrop whether April does indeed turn out be the cruellest month for Yechury who is battling one of the lowest phases of his party in its entire history.
Berlin/Paris: Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday they wanted to deepen Franco-German cooperation and give the European Union a fresh push towards closer integration.

After meeting in Paris on Friday, Merkel and Macron talked up the prospect of agreeing reforms to the euro zone, saying they were committed to strengthening the bloc.

"We are doing that in order to bring the people in our countries even closer together. And we do it to give the whole of Europe a new boost, to make it even stronger," Merkel said in a joint video podcast.

In a joint statement on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Franco-German Cooperation Treaty, also known as the Elysee Treaty, Merkel and Macron said they had agreed to draw up a new treaty this year.

"We want to consolidate and renew our cooperation with a view to moving ahead with a prosperous and competitive Europe, more sovereign, united and democratic," the two leaders said.

They want their new bilateral compact to define common positions on all key European and international issues.

Signed on January 23, 1963 between Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer, the Elysee Treaty sealed the reconciliation between the two countries following World War Two and defined the organisation and principles of their bilateral relation, including twice-yearly meetings between their heads of state.

In a speech on Europe at the Paris Sorbonne university in September, days after the German election, Macron had said he wanted to work on a new treaty.

Nearly four months later, Merkel is still trying to form a coalition government, making it hard for her to respond to Macron's proposals for EU reform.

Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) decided on Sunday to start formal coalition talks with Merkel's conservatives.

In their statement, Merkel and Macron said a new treaty would more deeply integrate their countries' economies, boost sustainable development and the shift to a digital economy, and favour economic, fiscal and social convergence.

They want to boost defence, security and intelligence cooperation, and draft a joint response to the challenges of uncontrolled migration.
Jerusalem: Terming as "historic" his recent visit to India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that his six-day trip will be "long remembered" as it contributed in the strengthening of bilateral ties.

Netanyahu arrived in New Delhi on January 14 and was received by his "friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport, setting aside protocol.

"I returned last week from a historic visit to India. I thank my friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the exceptionally strong and warm reception," Netanyahu told his cabinet at the start of the weekly meeting.

"It reflects the close ties between us, very close, as well as the close ties between our countries and peoples," he said.

"This is a visit that will be long-remembered. It contributed, and will yet contribute, to Israel in the economic, security, technology and diplomatic spheres," he added.

Modi accompanied the Israeli Prime Minister for most part of the trip.

India and Israel signed nine agreements across several sectors to boost bilateral trade and cooperation.

Netanyahu also recollected some moving moments from his trip, particularly his meeting with Moshe, the now 11-year-old kid who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which his parents were killed.

"I must say that there were many very moving moments, but above all, I will remember two special events that touched our people," Netanyahu said.

"First was the meeting with Moshe at the Chabad House. A sweet boy who is living with his loving grandparents, in effect with the love of the entire Jewish People. Thanks also go to the Indian nanny, Sandra, who saved him and accompanied him on the visit," he said.

Moshe was two-year-old when his parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, who were serving as Directors at Chabad House, were killed along with six others when the place was attacked by Pakistani terrorists during the November Mumbai attacks.

The attack on Chabad House and other locations like the Taj Hotel left 166 people dead.

Moshe was rescued by his nanny Sandra and he later moved to Israel, where he stays with his grandparents.

Sandra has been given honorary citizenship by Israel and now lives in Jerusalem where she works with kids with special needs.

"The second moving event was with the Indian Jewish community. This is a very small community most of whose members have come to Israel and contributed to the building up of the country and the development of the state. But their contribution to India is out of proportion to their numbers," Netanyahu said.

"They carried the flame for generations and looked forward to this moment when the Prime Minister of Israel came to India. They spoke there, each one in turn, and many simply wept with joy, not because there has ever been anti-Semitism in India; there never has.

"But they hoped for the meeting between cultures and between states and peoples, and it happened before their eyes," he noted.

"It was simply an extraordinary experience", the Israeli Premier stressed.

Netanyahu's successful visit to India has brought the Israeli leader a sigh of relief from a hostile local press that has been critical of him on allegations of corruption.

He has also faced flak for an embarrassing recording of his son who had made demeaning remarks about women during a visit to strip club in Tel Aviv about two years ago.
Washington: US President Donald Trump's trip to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week is now in flux because of the federal government shutdown, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said on Saturday.

Trump already cancelled a weekend trip to his Florida resort after a funding impasse in Congress shut down the federal government on Saturday.

"The president will not be going to Florida now and we're taking Davos, both from the president's perspective and the Cabinet perspective, on a day by day basis," Mulvaney said.
Kabul: At least four gunmen stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in the Afghan capital on Saturday evening, triggering a shootout with security forces, officials said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said the hotel came under attack at 9 pm. Afghan Special Forces arrived at the hotel in response to the attack, Danish said.

One of the four attackers was killed and the three others were still battling the forces from inside the hotel, said Nasrat Rahimi, a deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

He said that three people have been reported wounded so far, but that the number might rise.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

It was not clear how many people were still inside the hotel, which was previously attacked by Taliban militants in 2011, or whether any foreigners were among them.

A guest hiding in a room told AFP he could hear gunfire inside the 1960s hotel where dozens of people attending an information technology conference on Sunday were staying.

"I don't know if the attackers are inside the hotel but I can hear gunfire from somewhere near the first floor," the man, who did not want to be named, said by telephone.

"We are hiding in our rooms. I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us."

His phone was switched off when AFP tried to contact him again.

'Hostages taken'

Local resident Abdul Sattar said he had spoken by phone to some of his friends who are chefs and waiters at the hotel and are trapped inside.

"Suddenly they attacked the dinner gathering... (then) they broke into the rooms, took some people hostage and they opened fire on some of them," he told AFP.

An official at Afghanistan's spy agency told AFP at the beginning of the attack that four assailants were inside the building.

They are "shooting at guests", the National Directorate of Security official said.

Rahimi said the attackers were armed with small weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when they stormed the hotel, which is a popular venue for weddings, conferences and political gatherings.

"Seven wounded people have been taken to hospital," Rahimi said.

"Some other guests have been rescued. We will be able to release casualty figures once the operation ends."

But several hours after the attack started Afghan security spokesmen switched off their mobile phones or refused to answer AFP's calls for an update on casualties.

Afghan media is reporting multiple casualties in the attack, which comes days after a UN Security Council delegation visited Kabul for a close-up view of the conflict.

The fourth floor of the hotel, which boasts several restaurants and an outdoor swimming pool, had been set on fire during the raid, the NDS official said.

Security questioned

The last major attack on a high-end hotel in Kabul was in March 2014 when four teenage gunmen raided the Serena, killing nine people including AFP journalist Sardar Ahmad.

The Intercontinental was previously targeted in June 2011 when a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people, including 10 civilians.

Even before Saturday's attack was over, authorities were questioning how the assailants got past the hotel's security, which was taken over by a private company two weeks ago, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

"They probably used a back door in the kitchen to enter," he said.

Abdullah Sabet, an official at the communications and information technology ministry, said IT officials from around the country were staying at the hotel ahead of a conference on Sunday.

"There were 40 of them in the hotel. We don't know if any of them have been killed or wounded," Sabet said.

Security at the Intercontinental, which is not part of the global InterContinental chain, is relatively lax compared with other luxury hotels in Kabul.

A conference on Afghanistan-China relations was held in one of its function rooms earlier Saturday, attended by the Chinese embassy's political counsellor Zhang Zhixin.

An AFP reporter who attended the conference passed through two vehicle security checkpoints.

At the entrance to the building, there was a physical inspection that could be easily evaded by scaling a low-level barrier and entering the lobby.

Security alerts sent in recent days to foreigners living in the Afghan capital warned that "extremist groups may be planning an attack against hotels in Kabul" as well as public gatherings and other locations "where foreigners are known to congregate".

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it was not known if any American citizens had been caught up in the attack.

Security in Kabul has been tightened since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others -- mostly civilians. No group has yet claimed that attack.

The Islamic State group has claimed most of the recent attacks in the Afghan capital, but authorities suspect that the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network has been involved in at least some of them.

The deadliest of the recent attacks happened at a Shiite cultural centre on December 29 when a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing more than 40 people.
Amman: Around 25,000 Free Syrian Army rebels are joining the Turkish military operation in northern Syria with the goal of recapturing Arab towns and villages seized by the YPG Kurdish militia almost two years ago, a rebel commander said on Sunday.

Major Yasser Abdul Rahim, who is also the commander of Failaq al Sham, a main FSA rebel group in the operations room of the campaign, said the rebels did not seek to enter the mainly Kurdish city of Afrin but encircle it and expel the YPG.

"We have no interest in entering the city only the military targets inside the city and the villages around it. We aim to encircle the city and ensure the militias are evicted. We won't fight in the city as we have no problem with civilians," he said.

A leading goal of the military operation was to recapture Tel Rifaat, a town southeast of Afrin, and a string of Arab villages the YPG captured from rebels in February 2016, driving out tens of thousands of inhabitants, Abdul Rahim said.

"The task of the Free Syrian Army is first to regain sixteen Arab towns and villages occupied by the foreign militias (YPG) with the help of the Russian air force," Abdul Rahim told Reuters in a phone interview from inside Syria.

The fighting forced at least 150,000 residents of these villages to flee to Azaz. They are sheltering in camps at the Turkish border and rebels say they have not been allowed to go back to their homes.

The mainly Arab rebels accuse the Syrian Kurdish militia of forcibly displacing Arabs from the villages in what they say is a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing. The YPG denies these allegations.

Tel Rifaat and nearby areas including the Menigh air base fell to the YPG as the rebels were trying to fend off a major assault by Syrian government forces backed by the Russian air force and Iranian-backed militias.

It was a prelude to the rebels defeat in eastern Aleppo - their biggest single setback of the civil war.

Turkish troops have targeted these YPG-held Arab villages in artillery and aerial attacks on the U.S.-backed Kurdish militia it aims to sweep from its border, rebels said.

The capture of Tel Rifaat and the villages would allow the rebels to create a territorial link from a Turkish protected northern border strip stretching from Azaz and Jarablus on the western banks of the Euphrates to mainly rebel-held Idlib province further southwest.

Currently tens of thousands of civilians living in this de facto Turkish-backed buffer zone have to pass through Kurdish YPG-controlled border crossings, where residents and traders say they pay hefty taxes to move further south to Idlib province, the only province that is nearly fully under opposition control.

The rebels taking part in the assault are mainly the same factions that took part in the Turkey-backed operation launched in 2016 to drive Islamic State from the border and to prevent further expansion of YPG influence.

Abdul Rahim, an army defector, also said reinforcements and weapons were moving to the YPG from the mainly-Arab populated city of Manbij, south of rebel controlled Jarablus and west of the Euphrates, across government controlled territory.

"Their convoys are moving from Manbij to Afrin ...they are passing through regime territory," Abdul Rahim said.

Diplomats say Syria's government has tolerated the Kurdish militia because it focused its firepower on fighting the mainly Sunni Arab-led insugency against President Bashar al Assad's rule. Damascus denies any support for the YPG.
Dubai: A 27-year-old Indian worker was crushed to death after a diesel container fell on him while unloading goods from a small ship near Khalid Port in Sharjah in the UAE, a media report said today.

Police received a call at the operation room about the incident and rushed to the site where the worker was found dead, the Khaleej Times reported.

The identity of the victim was not disclosed.

The body has been shifted to a forensic laboratory for an autopsy to determine the cause of the death, the paper said.

The incident is being investigated, it added.
Amman: Jordan's King Abdullah voiced concern on Sunday over a decision by Washington to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, saying East Jerusalem had to be the capital of a future Palestinian state.

In remarks during talks with U.S. Vice Mike Pence in Amman, the king said the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a two-state one.

"The U.S. decision on Jerusalem ...does not come as a result of a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," the monarch told Pence at the start of the talks in the royal palace.

Jordan lost East Jerusalem and the West Bank to Israel during the Arab-Israeli war in 1967.

Pence was in Amman on the second leg of a three-country tour that concludes in Israel.

In comments delivered in Egypt, he said Washington would support a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians if the two sides agreed to it.

Last month's endorsement of Israels claim to Jerusalem as its capital by President Donald Trump drew universal condemnation from Arab leaders and widespread criticism elsewhere.

It also broke with decades of U.S. policy that the citys status must be decided in negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Pence told the king that Washington was committed to preserving the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem.

"We take no decision on boundaries and final status, those are subject to negotiation," he said.

Pence's is the highest-level visit by a U.S. official to the region since Trump made his declaration on Jerusalem last month.

Jordanian officials fear Washington's move on Jerusalem had also wrecked chances of a resumption of Arab-Israeli peace talks which the monarch had sought to revive.

King Abdullah said the U.S. move on Jerusalem would fuel radicalism and inflame Muslim and Christian tensions.

King Abdullahs Hashemite dynasty is the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, making Amman sensitive to any changes of status of the disputed city.

"For us, Jerusalem is key to Muslims and Christians, as it is to Jews. It is key to peace in the region," he said.

Jordanian officials are further worried the move could trigger violence in the Palestinian territories and a spillover into Jordan, a country where many people are descendants of Palestinian refugees whose families left after the creation of Israel in 1948.
Cairo: Vice President Mike Pence and Egyptian leader Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi pledged a united front against Mideast terrorism on Saturday as Pence, the highest-level American official to visit the US ally in nearly a decade, began a trip through the region amid a government shutdown in Washington.

Pence told reporters that he raised the issue of two Americans who have been imprisoned for several years in Egypt and that el-Sissi said "he would give personal attention" to their cases. "We'd like to see our people come home. I made that clear to him," Pence said before flying to Jordan.

Pence and el-Sissi held 2 hours of talks at the presidential palace in Cairo, with acknowledgements of friendship and partnership between the two countries. Through a translator, Pence listened as el-Sissi cited the need to address "urgent issues," including "ways to eliminate this disease and cancer that has terrified the whole world."

Pence pointed to President Donald Trump's efforts to forge stronger ties with el-Sissi in his first year in office, "after a time when our countries seemed to be drifting apart."

The vice president said that "we stand shoulder to shoulder with you and Egypt in fighting against terrorism" and that "our hearts grieve" for the loss of life in recent terrorist attacks against Egyptians.

The vice president noted the deadly attack against Christians in late December, when a militant opened fire outside a suburban Cairo church, killing at least nine people. He also cited the killing of 311 worshippers inside a mosque in northern Sinai last November.

"We resolve to continue to stand with Egypt in the battle against terrorism," Pence said.

Pence arrived in Cairo hours after the US Congress and Trump failed to reach agreement on a plan to avert a partial federal closure. Pence went ahead with his four-day trip to the Middle East, citing national security and diplomatic reasons.

Pence's meetings with el-Sissi delved into security cooperation, economic ties and efforts to fight the Islamic State group. The vice president called it a "very productive" meeting and said he pressed el-Sissi to cut diplomatic ties with North Korea, urged him to respect religious diversity and told him the US was committed to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

His visit to the region came more than a month after Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a step that's enraged Palestinians. El-Sissi identified "the peace issue" as one of the most important issues in their discussions.

"We heard President el-Sissi out," Pence said. "He said to me about what he said publicly about a disagreement between friends over our decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel."

Pence said he assured el-Sissi that "we're absolutely committed to preserving the status quo with regard to holy sites in Jerusalem, that we have come to no final resolution about boundaries or other issues that will be negotiated. ... I reminded President el-Sissi that President Trump said that if the parties agree, we will support a two-state solution. My perception was that he was encouraged by that message."

When Pence's motorcade arrived at the palace, journalists traveling with the vice president were initially barred from exiting their bus. After they were taken into the palace, media were not allowed into a photo session with the two leaders. Negotiations between US and Egyptian officials followed, and Pence personally requested to el-Sissi that American media be allowed to cover the event. Members of the media were eventually taken into the meeting and heard the leaders deliver short statements.

Pence was meeting Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman and visiting with US troops in the region. He was traveling to Israel later Sunday but was not expected to meet with Palestinians officials.

El-Sissi has built a strategic alliance with Trump and urged the American president to become more involved in the fight against Islamic militancy in the Middle East. Trump has praised el-Sissi for the April release of Egyptian-American charity worker Aya Hijazi, who had been detained for nearly three years.

But Trump's designation of Jerusalem as Israel's capital poses a dilemma for Egypt, which receives extensive military and economic aid from Washington but does not want to appear dismissive of Palestinian concerns.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has condemned Trump over the Jerusalem announcement and warned that the US can no longer play any role in future peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

El-Sissi has tried to reassure Abbas of his continued efforts to secure an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Pence had initially planned to visit the region in December, shortly after Trump's announcement, but the trip was postponed after Abbas' refusal to meet the vice president in Bethlehem.
Islamabad: Amid mounting global pressure on Pakistan to act against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and entities linked to him, a UN Security Council team will visit the country this week for an assessment of Islamabad's compliance with the world body's sanctions regime.

The two-day visit of the UN Security Council's sanctions monitoring team will begin on Thursday.

"The monitoring team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee will be here on January 25 and 26," a senior Pakistani official was quoted as saying by Dawn.

The UN monitoring team's visit is taking place amid increasing pressure on Pakistan from the US and India with respect to the inadequate implementation of the sanctions on Saeed and entities linked to him.

However, Pakistani officials, insist that the trip is a routine visit.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

On Friday, the US State Department said it has told clearly to Islamabad that Saeed is a "terrorist" and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, reacting strongly to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's remarks that there was no case against the Mumbai attack mastermind.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said: "He is listed by the UNSC 1267, the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with Lashkar-e- Taiba, which is a designated foreign terror organisation."

"We believe that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Nauert had said.

Saeed, the chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

"The terms of reference of the monitoring team for Pakistan visit are not publicly known, but as per its general mandate it assists the 1267 Committee in keeping an eye on the freezing of the financial assets of listed persons and entities and checking provision of training and other material to them and their travel," the paper said.

The UNSC monitoring team intimates instances of non-compliance to the committee through its reports. At the same time, it also advises and assists member states on implementation of the regime.

Pakistan has remained under the Financial Action Task Force scanner over allegations by the US and India about the UNSC sanctions not being fully implemented, the paper said.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.
New York: Protestors took to the streets en masse across the United States, hoisting anti-Donald Trump placards, banging drums and donning pink hats for a second Women's March opposing the president  one year to the day of his inauguration.

Hundreds of thousands of marchers assembled in Washington, New York, Chicago, Denver, Boston, Los Angeles and other cities nationwide, many donning the famous pink knit "pussy hats"  a reference to Trump's videotaped boasts of his license to grope women without repercussions.

Protestors hoisted signs emblazoned with slogans like "Fight like a girl" and "A woman's place is in the White House" and "Elect a clown, expect a circus."

The Los Angeles mayor said estimated turnout in the city was 500,000, while New York police estimated about 200,000 protesters.

In Manhattan, a diverse crowd descended on Central Park West, the avenue that borders the city's beloved park and arrives at the foot of the Trump International Hotel  part of the magnate-turned-commander-in-chief's real estate empire.

"We live in an alternate universe -- it is so bad," said Althea Fusco, 67, who travelled to the city from upstate New York with two neighbours.

"I see an erosion of democracy," she said.

Speakers at the New York rally included activist and actress Rosie Perez and entertainer Whoopi Goldberg, who emphasized that "we are here to say  as women  we're not taking it anymore."

Throngs of demonstrators paraded in Los Angeles, where actress Natalie Portman was among the celebrities pumping up the crowd: "Because of you the revolution is rolling."

The marches aim to build on the movement launched last year when more than three million people turned out nationwide to voice opposition to Trump.

The weekend of demonstrations is aimed at translating enthusiasm into political action with the theme "Power to the Polls" -- a message designed to drive voter registrations and maximize women's involvement in the 2018 midterm elections.

The president meanwhile posted a deadpan tweet referencing the rallies protesting his policies, urging people to "get out there and celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months."

"Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March," he wrote.

Many of the demonstrations indeed took place under sunny skies but marchers in Park City, Utah -- where the annual Sundance Film Festival is underway -- braved chilly temperatures and steady snow to make their voices heard, led by celebrities including activist and actress Jane Fonda.

This year's edition of Sundance took on a political bent in light of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct, a campaign that has rippled through Hollywood and beyond since scores of actresses leveled sexual assault allegations against disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Crowds in the North Carolina city of Charlotte heard an address from its first black female mayor, while Washington protestors rallied at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial and marched to the White House, speaking out on a raft of issues ranging from immigrant protections to racial equality to sexual assault.

"We feel like our work isn't done and that there's so much more that we need to fix," said Tanaquil Eltson, 14, who also participated in Washington's 2017 march.

"I know the world around me isn't happy colours; it's scary. But I'm excited to be able to fix it," she said, clad in a red and blue Superwoman outfit.

Her mother Vitessa Del Prete, a retired US army lieutenant colonel, pointed to the recent flood of sexual abuse and harassment allegations against powerful men that has galvanized women to fight back against injustice.

"I've lived through decades of sexual harassment issues and it's getting better -- but it's nowhere near where it needs to be," the 51-year-old said, sporting a Wonder Woman costume in coordination with her daughter.

"Issues that face women are just not being represented well enough in our country, so it's a privilege to be able to get out here and try to do something from a citizen standpoint."

More than 300 towns and cities had organized anniversary marches and rallies. Other protests are set for Sunday, notably in Las Vegas, as well as in several European cities including Berlin.

"We cannot rest," said Pam Morris in Washington. "We have to keep energized until we overcome this administration."

"We cannot get worn down. We have to be here."
Kabul: An Afghan official says a roadside bomb has killed at least 12 civilians in the western Herat province.

Abdul Ahad Walizada, a spokesman for the provincial police chief, says a 13th person was wounded in the explosion early Sunday, which struck a vehicle in the Gulran district.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Walizada blamed Taliban insurgents, who often plant roadside bombs to target Afghan security forces.
Azaz, Syria: Turkish ground forces pushed into northern Syria's Afrin province on Sunday, the army said, after Turkey launched artillery and air strikes on a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia it aims to sweep from its border.

The Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia, supported by the United States but seen as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, said it had repulsed the Turkish forces and their allies after fierce clashes.

It marked the second day of fighting after Ankara opened a new front in the nearly seven-year-old Syrian war. Under what the Turkish government has called "Operation Olive Branch", Turkish air strikes on Saturday pounded YPG positions in Afrin.

Turkey is targeting the U.S.-backed fighters at a time when ties with ally Washington appear close to breaking point.

Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has carried out a deadly, three-decade insurgency in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast. The United States is backing the YPG in Syria, seeing it as an effective partner in the fight against Islamic State.

"The Olive Branch Operation is going on as planned, and the ground operation has started," the Turkish army, NATO's second-largest, said. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the operation would create a 30-km (19-mile) "safe zone", according to broadcaster HaberTurk.

SHELLING, CLASHES

Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army rebel factions had captured a Kurdish village with no resistance and were clearing landmines, a Turkish official said.

The YPG said it had repulsed the Turkish forces.

"All the Turkish military's ground attacks against Afrin have been repelled so far and they have been forced to retreat," Nouri Mahmoudi, a YPG official, said. Since the morning, the combatants have exchanged shelling and clashed along several frontlines around Afrin, he said.

The Turkish military said it had hit 153 targets so far, including shelters and hideouts used by Kurdish militants. The YPG has said Turkey's strikes killed six civilians and three of its fighters and wounded 13 civilians.

The YPG has also accused Turkey of striking civilian districts and a camp for the displaced in Afrin.

Intense Turkish artillery fire and strikes continued to hit some villages, the YPG said. Fierce battles raged to the north and west of Afrin against Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies, said Birusk Hasaka, the YPG spokesman in Afrin.

ARTILLERY BOOM

A Reuters reporter on the outskirts of the northern Syrian town of Azaz, under the control of rebels from the Free Syrian Army factions, heard several blasts and saw smoke rising from a hill to the west, where a fighter said the YPG were.

There were no signs of conflict in the town itself, where life appeared to continue as normal with traffic on the muddy, potholed roads and uniformed rebel police at the main roundabouts. Still, Azaz was bleak and the toll from the war was plainly seen in some of its crumbling buildings.

At one of the car repair workshops on the outskirts of the town some men were fixing a gun-loaded vehicle.

"In its second day, #OliveBranchOperation continues to ensure peace and security for our people, protect Syria's territorial integrity and eliminate all terrorist elements in the region," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter.

"Turkey expects its allies to support its fight against terrorism in all of its forms," he added, in comments that appeared aimed at Washington.

On Saturday, a Pentagon official said: "We encourage all parties to avoid escalation and to focus on the most important task of defeating ISIS (Islamic State)."

Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency reported that four rockets fired from Syria hit the border town of Kilis overnight, damaging houses. Turkish security forces retaliated, it said.
The mass dismissal of top police officers on Thursday and the surprise about-turn by government, rehiring most of them less than 24 hours later, has exposed a possible rift and simmering conflict within President Emmerson Mnangagwas government, The Standard has established.



According to sources, the office of Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga (pictured right) allegedly ordered the mass dismissals without Mnangagwas approval or knowledge, resulting in the president overturning some of the terminations upon his return from a working visit in Zambia.



Sources within government said while Mnangagwa had authorised the firing of 11 top police officers, described as retirements, the number had been increased to 32 during his absence.



The Standard heard that the purges were earmarked to cascade to officers commanding provinces as the axe continues to fall on officials linked to the vanquished G40 faction in Zanu PF.



Since the firing and reinstatement saga last week, government has failed to give a satisfactory explanation about what transpired.





Presidential spokesperson George Charamba yesterday dismissed the rift and conflict allegations as wishful thinking by people who were too obsessed with conflict.





He, however, admitted Mnangagwa overturned the decision after realising it was done without following the proper procedure. He said the action appeared to be an overreaction to public disaffection with the police by the Police Service Commission chaired by Mariyawanda Nzuwa.





We are dealing with security here. We dont treat it like we are treating civilian structures, Charamba said.





Yes, it was done when the president was away and when he came back, he discovered we had thrown away the bath water with the child and corrective measures had to be taken.





Charamba added: As I speak, I am sitting with two more names which have been removed from the list  Erasmus Makodza and Douglas Nyakutsikwa. We are now down to nine. It was a well-meant move by the Police Service Commission, but spoiled by overreaction and the president, with his two deputies, reversed the decision.





They [Mnangagwa and Chiwenga] are all at one. The decision to reverse the dismissals was done by the president and his two deputies [Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi]. We are actually out to evolve into a harmonious administration. Such allegations [of rift and conflict] are made by people who wish for us to go back to conflict, Charamba said.





But government sources claim that Mnangagwa approved the firing of 11 senior officers only but an order was given to the Police Service Commission to retire all top police officers above 50 years of age.





It was not immediately clear who gave the order that was later reversed by Mnangagwa, but sources claim the directive came from Chiwengas office.





It showed some sort of discord in government. But I think the problem was caused because the sacking of some police officers was done without the full knowledge and approval of the president who was away in Zambia, a well-placed source in government claimed.





Initially, those who were reportedly shown the exit door included Deputy Commissioner-Generals Innocent Matibiri (Human resources), Levi Sibanda (Operations) and Josephine Shambare Crime). Commissioners Olga Bungu, Mekia Tanyanyiwa, Grace Ndebele, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, Godfrey Munyonga, Angelina Guvamombe, Justice Chengeta, Robert Masukusa, Eve Mlilo, Grace Maenzanise, Prudence Chakanyuka, Erasmus Makodza, Wiklef Makamache, Edward Fusire and Douglas Nyakutsikwa.



The retirement letters were signed by Acting Commissoner-General Godwin Matanga and were titled Retirement from the Zimbabwe Republic Police in Terms of Section 22(3) of the Police Act Chapter 11:10.

The following day on Friday, Commissioner Rabson Mpofu (Planning and Development) made the surprise about-turn saying only 11 had been retired. These included Senior Assistant Commissioners Munyonga, Chengeta, Nyakutsikwa, Masukusa, Makodza, Chakanyuka, Mlilo, Maenzanise and Taedzerwa.





According to sources the axe will soon fall on several top CIO operatives, mainly directors, deputy directors and assistant directors. They would be replaced by personnel from the military intelligence, sources said.





About 20 directors in the CIO have been listed for dismissal and the letters await to be signed by the CIO Director General Isaac Moyo, a source said.





Chiwenga is also reportedly targeting directors and senior personnel at Zimpapers and the national broadcaster, ZBC over alleged links to former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo. Most of them were reportedly appointed when Moyo was still with the ministry of Information.





Some raft of changes were also likely at the Police Support Unit, with Chiwenga, who is the VP in charge of defence, planning to integrate some police officers with military training into the army.





During the military intervention that toppled former president Robert Mugabe, the military reportedly put the Chikurubi Support Unit under siege following perceived resistance to Operation Restore Legacy. The police in that unit had reportedly refused to surrender keys of the armoury.





Police officers from the Support Unit with alleged links to G40 will be retired while the army will provide senior top officers to command the station and the current troop commanders reposted, sources said.





However, no such purging is expected in the military where, in contrast, many officers have recently been promoted. Many senior army officers with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel upwards also reportedly received twin cab vehicles during the operation which they still possess, the government source said. Standard
President Emmerson Mnangagwa will next week review his ministers work since appointment late last year.



Ministers are undergoing e-governance and rapid results training ahead of the review that will focus on attainment of targets each of them put forward in December 2017.



The project-oriented targets have a 100-day time-line and fall under the ambit of President Mnangagwas vision of speedy economic turnaround.





The Transport and Infrastructure Development Ministry, for instance, aims to  among other targets  kickstart dualisation of the Chirundu-Harare-Beitbridge-Chirundu Highway and the US$400 million recapitalisation of the National Railways of Zimbabwe.





The Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ministry wants to expedite global re-engagement and attract FDI; while the Home Affairs Ministry is infusing professionalism throughout the police service, tightening border security and developing an e-passport.





The President last Thursday indicated he was continually tracking his teams progress via an electronic dashboard with implementation data.





Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda told The Sunday Mail that the mid-term review was imminent and work status will be published.





Said Dr Sibanda: He cannot judge (ministers) performance right now; they have only just identified their priorities. However, implementation is ongoing. We have been training them, exposing them to the rapid results approach, training them on how they can work on that methodology (and that training) included ministers and their officials.

The minister is the main sponsor of priorities, therefore, they have undergone training and are now at implementation stage. We will start assessing after next week. This will be after training so that we begin to assess whether they are making progress in terms of days. We evaluate after 50 days and then 100; that is when we will publish the results.





Special Advisor to the President, Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, said his boss was cautiously upbeat about his teams performance.





Ministers have already begun implementing their programmes. Some are reaching out to business investors  local and foreign  sending out the signals. Zimbabwe is a country that has been bypassed by several investment waves for the past 30 years.





So, there is palpable hunger for Zimbabwes business to come out of the shell and the 100-day programme is an opportunity for ministers to get focused and they are now picking low-hanging fruit.

There should be announcements that will excite both the Zimbabwean public and the international investment community. The team is working at frantic breakneck speed, and I believe the President is upbeat; to make sure they deliver a new investment era for Zimbabweans. Some of the projects should be taking off anytime.





Ambassador Mutsvangwa said among the achievements were revival of the Midlands steel corridor, which could turn Zimbabwe into the worlds biggest steel supplier.

The announcement of the Gweru-Kwekwe stainless steel sector is a milestone because world class companies in the steel sector have for some time been knocking on Zimbabwes door. We are optimally placed to be cheapest steel producer in the world, the reason being that ingredients needed to make steel are within a 200-500 km radius of each other.





China staked out its place in this industry by importing from abroad and Japan does the same. But in Zimbabwe, the coking coal, thermal coal for power, limestone, chrome, nickel and iron ore itself are all in a cluster  a God-made cluster. So, why shouldnt Zimbabwe be the major steel producer in the world?





There is rationalisation of the Chinese steel industry and some Chinese partners are now looking at going abroad because China has more stringent anti-pollution controls under COP. These companies, which are worldclass by their own right, are looking at Zimbabwe.





He also said, The quality of local labour is good and that stability which has been installed by the new Government is a factor which gives a long-term view to the global investor. But all-in-all, the mantra for the new Government is that because of the high quality of Zimbabwean labour, we should make high-quality products for the global market.





Our internal market of 15 million is too small. We should have an outward-looking market and because of the capabilities of our labour force which has shown that it can earn hard currency in other jurisdictions beyond the national one.





We need to give them a similar jurisdiction on the internal stage, within Zimbabwe so that capital can make them produce goods they want. So, attracting Foreign Direct Investment is the equalising factor which makes a Zimbabwean who went abroad and a Zimbabwean who remained at home manufacture world class goods destined for the global market. Sunday Mail
(Newser)  A new report says the world is moving closer to eradicating Guinea worm disease, in which a meter-long worm slowly emerges from a blister in a person's skin. The US-based Carter Center, which leads the eradication campaign, says just 30 cases were reported last year in isolated areas of Ethiopia and Chad. All 15 cases in Ethiopia occurred at a farm where workers drank unfiltered water from a contaminated pond, the AP reports. Mali has not reported any cases in 25 months, and civil war-torn South Sudan has reported no cases in 13 months. The Carter Center called that a "major accomplishment." Three decades ago, the disease affected more than 3 million people in 21 countries in Africa and Asia. The meter-long worm incubates in people for up to a year before painfully emerging, often through extremely sensitive parts of the body.

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Unlike diseases that are controlled primarily by medicines or vaccines, Guinea worm can be eradicated by educating people how to filter and drink clean water. Globally, the Guinea worm program is entering the final stretch, though the World Health Organization warns that the remaining cases can be the most difficult to control as they usually occur in remote and often inaccessible areas. If South Sudan continues to report no cases, the world's youngest country will be on track to be certified Guinea worm-free in the next couple of years. In an interview last year, former President Jimmy Carter praised South Sudan for making steady progress despite the "tremendous problems" in the East African nation.

(Read more guinea worm stories.)
(Newser)  Russian police had an unexpected encounter while searching a house in St. Petersburg  a crocodile in the basement, the AP reports. The Fontanka.ru news portal said the incident happened Thursday while detectives were looking for undeclared weapons in the house of a man involved in staging reconstructions of historic military battles with period uniforms and antique weaponry. When they went down to the basement, they saw a crocodile resting in a small pool of water. The owner of the house explained that he got the crocodile years ago. City prosecutors said Friday they were checking whether the man was complying with local laws. (Read more crocodile stories.)
(Newser)  Symbols of American promise have turned into emblems of American dysfunction amid a shutdown that has forced scores of federal agencies and outposts to close their doors. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island turned away visitors in New York, due to what the National Park Service called "a lapse in appropriations," reports the AP. In Philadelphia, crowds of tourists were told that Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed, and the Liberty Bell are closed. Funds ran out at midnight Friday, leaving 48 hours before the most dramatic effectthe furloughing of nearly a million federal employeesgoes into effect. As in shutdowns past, federal services were carved into two categoriesessential and non-essentialwith the former set to carry on. Mail will be delivered and Social Security checks still go out, the air traffic control system stays up and running, as do the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, and veterans hospitals. Other effects:

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Football: The American Forces Network, which broadcasts American radio and television programming in Europe and other locations outside the US, said services would not be available. That sparked angry reactions, with several noting that the NFL conference championships will be played Sunday. "During NFL PLAYOFFS?!" one post read.

The American Forces Network, which broadcasts American radio and television programming in Europe and other locations outside the US, said services would not be available. That sparked angry reactions, with several noting that the NFL conference championships will be played Sunday. "During NFL PLAYOFFS?!" one post read. Also on hold: New veterans benefits claims to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's support for the seasonal flu program. At the Internal Revenue Service, more than half of 80,565 employees will be barred from working just as tax season is beginning and the agency is dealing with sweeping changes made by the new GOP tax law.

New veterans benefits claims to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's support for the seasonal flu program. At the Internal Revenue Service, more than half of 80,565 employees will be barred from working just as tax season is beginning and the agency is dealing with sweeping changes made by the new GOP tax law. DC: There were few signs of shutdown at the Capitol, where lawmakers spent most of the day making speeches about the dispute. A women's march carried on as planned, under the eye of US Park Police protection.

There were few signs of shutdown at the Capitol, where lawmakers spent most of the day making speeches about the dispute. A women's march carried on as planned, under the eye of US Park Police protection. In the South: Martin Luther King Jr.'s childhood home, historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the visitor center at MLK National Historic Site in Atlanta are closed. And Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and other federally managed natural areas in Florida will be partially closed.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s childhood home, historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the visitor center at MLK National Historic Site in Atlanta are closed. And Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and other federally managed natural areas in Florida will be partially closed. Old Ironsides: The USS Constitution, the world's oldest commissioned warship, will remain open to tourists at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.

(Read more government shutdown stories.)
(Newser)  An Afghan official says that at least 18 people, including 14 foreigners, have been killed when the Taliban attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. Spokesman for the Interior Ministry Najib Danish said that 11 of the 14 foreigners killed were employees of KamAir, a private Afghan airline, reports the AP. He added that 10 others were wounded, including six security officers and four civilians. KamAir also put out an announcement saying some of its flights were disrupted because of the attack. Witnesses tell the BBC that the gunmen burst into a dining room yelling, "Where are the foreigners?" Guests were photographed attempting to escape the hotel via bed sheets tied to their balconies.

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Ukraine says one of its citizens was killed in the attack. Afghan officials say insurgents' assault on the luxury hotel began late Saturday and set off clashes with security forces that lasted more than 13 hours. All the attackers were killed by security forces. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents initially planned to attack the hotel Thursday night but postponed the assault because there was a wedding underway and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties.

(Read more Taliban stories.)
(Newser)  Just hours into the government shutdown, the Trump campaign released a video claiming that Democrats in Congress will be "complicit" in every murder committed by immigrants in the country illegally, the Hill reports. "President Trump is rightbuild the wall, deport criminals, stop illegal immigration now," the ad says. "Democrats who stand in our way will be complicit in every murder committed by illegal immigrants." (Watch it here.) The campaign posted the ad Saturday after negotiations over a short-term spending bill stalled over protections for immigrants in the US under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

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The ad was greeted with anger by Democrats and Independents in Washington and with consternation by some of the president's fellow Republicans. "It is really unbelievable and so sad for our country that we have a President of the United States that says such nonsense and such outrageous statements," said Bernie Sanders, per CNN. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, meanwhile, said the ad "doesn't work," ABC News reports. "The American people are not going to accept the premise that immigrants are criminals and that we ought to deport the 'dreamers,'" Durbin said. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan told CBS's Face the Nation he doesn't know if the ad is "necessarily productive." (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
(Newser)  A woman who's become known as the "Serial Stowaway" thanks to her repeated attempts to sneak onto commercial flights has been arrested once again. Marilyn Jean Hartman, 66, was detained last week after officials tell the Chicago Tribune she made it past TSA at O'Hare and spent the night in the airport before boarding a flight without a ticket and flying all the way to London. Hartman was charged with felony theft related to the British Airways ticket and with trespassing. Despite her colorful criminal history, which includes three attempts to stowaway to Hawaii, Hartman was released on her own recognizance following a court hearing held Saturday in Chicago. A judge ordered Hartman to wear an ankle monitor until this case is closed. Per the Tribune, Judge Stephanie K. Miller deemed Hartman a flight risk, "no pun intended."

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Hartman's mental health and history of homelessness have long been a concern as she appeared time and again in criminal courtrooms on the same charges, NBC Chicago reports. Hartman was living at a mental health facility when she was last sentenced to a year in Cook County Jail for violating the terms of a 2016 probation sentence by going to O'Hare. On Saturday, Judge Miller ordered Cook to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, according to the Tribune. TSA officials did not say how Hartman is alleged to have made it past airport security. In a statement, the agency called the investigation "ongoing." The Chicago Department of Aviation told the Washington Post that no passengers were endangered by Hartman's actions. This is Hartman's first arrest since 2016. (Read more stowaway stories.)
(Newser)  Jordan's king appealed Sunday to Vice President Mike Pence to "rebuild trust and confidence" in the possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, following fallout from the Trump administration's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Pence tried to reassure King Abdullah that the US was committed to restarting peace efforts and to a two-state solution, if both sides agree. Such a caveat deviates from long-standing US support for that approach as the only possible outcome of any peace deal. Jerusalem is the emotional centerpiece of the long-running conflict, and Trump's policy shift set off protests and condemnation across Arab and Muslim countries. We hope that the US will reach out and find the right way to move forward in these challenging circumstances, said the king, per Reuters.

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Abdullah also reiterated that he thinks East Jerusalem should be the future capital of a Palestinian state. "Look, friends occasionally have disagreements and we agreed to disagree on the decision by the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," said Pence, per the AP. "But what we agreed on was the need for all parties to come back to the table." Another cause of concern for Jordan is the Trump administration's decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Jordan vehemently opposes such a move if taken ahead of an Israeli-Palestinian partition deal. Israel views Jerusalem as its unified capital. An international consensus has long held that the city's final status should be decided through negotiations.

(Read more Israel and Palestinians stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 42F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 42F. Winds light and variable.
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New Delhi:

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said he does not regret firing James Damore, the employee who authored a controversial note about alleged gender differences.

I dont regret it, said Pichai in a live interview in San Francisco. Pichai said that the decision on firing Damore was fine as it was all about ensuring safety for women and that women felt Google as the company which is committed in creating a welcoming environment.

I regret that people misunderstand that we may have made this for a political belief one way or another. Its important for the women at Google, and all the people at Google, that we want to make an inclusive environment. I dont regret it. I think it was the right decision, Pichai said.

Damore, who was fired in August 2017, had filed a lawsuit earlier in January alleging that Google discriminates between male and women employees.

Also Read: Software engineer fired by Google over 'sexist' letter threatens to sue tech giant

The overall gist of Damores memo, titled Googles Ideological Echo Chamber, was that Googles diversity efforts are misplaced, that women can be biologically less suited for engineering and programming jobs in the tech industry, and that Google creates an aggressive environment for conservatives.

Damore said, At Google, were regularly told that implicit (unconscious) and explicit biases are holding women back in tech and leadership. The 10-page memo listed several other perceiving of Damore.

Pichai, who made the decision of firing Damore with other top executives of the company, wrote in a statement, To suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not OK, and in response to Damores lawsuit, Pichai replied, We look forward to defending against Mr. Damores lawsuit in court.

Pichai, who took over as the CEO on October 24, 2015, started working with Google since 2004. He is also the Board of Member for Alphabet Inc., CapitalG, and Magic Leap.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir Shesh Paul Vaid on Sunday attended the passing out parade of new Police constables.

The passing out parade was being held at Subsidiary Training Centre in Baramulla.

Addressing the gathering Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said, Jammu and Kashmir Police has the toughest work because you have the biggest challenges in front of you. You will have to face your people while maintaining law and order and you have to keep patience while dealing with it.

Hamare border pe iss waqt, khuda na khasta, ek tarah se khoon ki Holi chal rahi hai (unfortunately on our borders a bloody Holi has been going on). The country is on a path of development, it is what PM talks about, but the opposite is happening in our state. I appeal to PM and to Pakistan, J&K ko jung ka akhada mat banaiye, dosti ka pul banaiye (I appeal to PM and Pakistan not to turn J&K into a war field instead create bridges of friendship), said Mufti.
New Delhi:

The Punjab School Education Board has released the date sheet for Class 10 and Class 12 examinations on Friday. The board has made the schedule available at their official website which is pseb.ac.in. PSEB will start the Class 10th examinations from March 12 and end on March 31, 2018. The exams of Class 12 will commence on February 28 and will conclude by March 24.

The board will conduct the exams in different shifts for both the classes. While the Class 10th exam will be held between 10 am to 1:15 pm, the Class 12 examination is scheduled to begin at 2 pm and will conclude at 5:15 pm.

Students must note that they should reach examination hall on time. Moreover, they need to work hard, as necessary steps have been taken to prevent them from cheating. PSEB has also tried to provide sufficient gaps between difficult papers for the sake of students. The results for both Class 10 and Class 12 examinations are expected to be announced by the last week of May.

Candidates can also visit the official website for downloading their admit cards and sets of previous year papers. PSEB has uploaded the previous year questions so that it becomes easy for students to understand the format and they can practice those in advance.

Over 3 lakh students have been registered for these examinations. Candidates can visit the official website pseb.ac.in for further details.

Students who are waiting eagerly for the PSEB board date sheet 2018 may go through the following steps.

Check out the steps:

1. Visit the official website i.e. pseb.ac.in

2. There will be a link where class date sheet will be available.

3. The date sheet will be available in pdf form.

4. Download the date sheet.

5. Take a print out of the same for future convenience.

Also Read: Haryana board date sheet 2018 | HBSE releases Class 10, 12 exams schedule at bseh.org.in; Click here for details

About Punjab School Education Board:

Punjab School Education Board is a school board based in Chandigarh, India. It was founded in 1969 under a legislative act of the Government of Punjab to administer the curriculum taught in public schools in the Punjab state and conduct standardized examinations in addition to conducting administration of scholarships, and publishing of textbooks. The headquarters of the Board are located in SAS Nagar near Chandigarh.
Jaipur:

The Shree Rajput Karni Sena, a fringe organisation protesting against film 'Padmaavat', claimed on Saturday that it had received an invitation from Bhansali productions to watch the movie.

The production company sent a missive to Shree Rajput Karni Sena and Shree Rajput Sabha Bhawan, its leaders claimed but alleged that the move was only a ploy "aimed at fooling".

"This is nothing but drama by the filmmaker. There is no date of the proposed screening the film and they have called our objection as misguided grievances which shows their approach and intention," Karni Sena's Lokendra Singh Kalvi told reporters in Jaipur.

He said that the Karni Sena has decided not to reply to the letter but would burn its copies as a protest.

Mr Kalvi said that the Supreme Court had given its ruling against a ban on the film but now a 'Janta curfew' would be imposed to its release.

"As a mark of respect to the Republic Day on 26 January, we are not calling for a 'bandh' now but we are calling for a Janta curfew," he said.

He claimed that historians who were shown the film by the censor board were also of the opinion that the movie should not be released.

He said that prime minister was in Barmer recently and he mentioned the name of several Rajput personalities but he did not mention the name of Rani Padmavati.

When contacted a source close to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali said they had no intimation about the screening but there was "a letter". They refused to divulge any further details about the letter.

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New Delhi:

Aam Aadmi Partys Gopal Rai on Sunday announced that an investigation in the Labour Department has been set up in the Bawana Industrial area fire incident. The party had also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh will be given to the next of the kin of the victims and a compensation of Rs 1 Lakh will be given to the families of those injured.

We have set up an investigation in the Labor Dept. We have also announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 Lakh to the next of kin of the victims & Rs 1 Lakh compensation to the injured.: Gopal Rai, Delhi Minister #BawanaFire pic.twitter.com/JL38T0HIQa  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2018

Rai, who is the Minister of Rural Development under CM Arvind Kejriwals ministry, said that the right to issue license to a factory is owned by only Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) or the Delhi government, so either MCD or the Delhi govt is accountable for the occurrence and investigation is underway, and only probe will reveal who is solely responsible.

MCD issues license. Delhi Govt issues licenses too. The investigation is underway, only the probe will reveal who was responsible for it - MCD or Delhi's govt's officers.: Gopal Rai, Delhi Minister #BawanaFire pic.twitter.com/85jlGrUq3G  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2018

The statement comes a day after a massive fire broke out in three different factories of Delhis Bawana Industrial area, which killed as many as 17 people, including nine women. 12 fire tenders attended the spot to get the fire under control. The cause of the fire is yet to be discovered.

Earlier on Sunday, the Rohini Duty Magistrate sent Manoj Jain, the owner of one of the factory, to one-day judicial custody. Jain will be produced before the court on Monday where the police will demand for Police Custody.

Also Read: Fire in Bawana Industrial area kills 17; Health Minister J P Nadda assures help from AIIMS and Safdarjung hospital

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed deep anguish over the unfortunate incident. CM Kejriwal took to Twitter and directed Satyendra Jain, Minister for Industries and Urban Development, to keep a strict probe over the matter.

V sad to hear abt large no of casualties. Keeping a close watch on rescue operations https://t.co/yHwQAH0bKi  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 20, 2018

PM Modi also expressed his grief on the incident.

Deeply anguished by the fire at a factory in Bawana. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. May those who are injured recover quickly: PM @narendramodi  PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 20, 2018

Congress President Rahul Gandhi also took to Twitter to express his sorrow over the unfortunate fire.

My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the fire at Bawana, Delhi. My prayers and thoughts are with you as you struggle to come to terms with this tragedy. I also pray that those injured make a speedy recovery.  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) January 21, 2018

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New Delhi:

The tragic fire accident in Delhi's Bawana area tonight also assumed political hues, as several leaders from the BJP, visited the site, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the family of the deceased.

AAP chief Kejriwal, who visited the site late tonight, said the truth will come out only after the inquiry, which has been ordered by the government.

A compensation of Rs five lakh each will be given to the next of kin of those who have lost their lives and Rs one lakh each to the two injured persons, he told reporters.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain also visited the site and met the two survivors at the hospital.

"Prima facie it appears packaging of the firecrackers were going on, but no machines have been found," he said.

Prior to Kejriwal, Union ministers Harsh Vardhan, Vijay Goel and party's Delhi unit president Manoj Tiwari headed to Bawana following the fire incident in a firecracker factory that claimed 17 lives.

"Visited the site of #BawanaFire and #MahirshiValmikiHospital at Pooth Khurd, where two of the injured are being treated 24-year-old Roop Prakash and 45- year-old Sunita. Both have fractures on their legs and would require surgical interventions. Appear to be out of danger," Vardhan tweeted.

"Saddened at the loss of 17 lives in the Bawana cracker factory fire. My thoughts are with the families of the persons killed in the mishap.

Government should enforce strict safety regulations to such hazardous industries to avoid at least future accidents," Vardhan said.

North Delhi Mayor Preety Agarwal also visited the site and took a swipe at Kejriwal as the area falls under DSIIDC.

"He calls himself messiah of the poor. Where is he now. Where is the AAP MLA of Bawana," she had said earlier, before Kejriwal reached the site.

Entire local BJP Unit led by district president Neel Daman Khatri and North Delhi Mayor Preety Agarwal were working to ensure relief for victims, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor had earlier said.

The Delhi BJP spokesperson also questioned the "delay" by the ruling AAP's leaders in visiting the affected site and the people.

"Almost 5 hours have gone by after the accident and from local AAP MLA to the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, none have yet reached out to victims for help," Kapoor said earlier.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Sunday met families of those killed in the Bawana factory fire at BR Ambedkar Hospital in Rohini.

Health Minister Satyendra Jain, who accompanied the LG, said autopsies were conducted only on the bodies that had been identified.

"We have formed a committee to look into the matter. People showed us wrappers of firecrackers, I do not think anyone has a licence to manufacture firecrackers in Delhi," Jain said, adding it was a serious offence.

Does not matter if the culprit is a private owner or a government official, action will be taken, he added.

The fire, which erupted on the ground floor of the two-storey firecracker storage unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area, killed 17 people on Saturday and injured two others.

The owner of the factory has been arrested.

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New Delhi:

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday had disqualified 20 MLAs of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for holding offices of profit, a move that was described as unconstitutional and dangerous for democracy by the party.

President Kovind gave his assent to the recommendation by the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday. On the Presidents assent, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said in a rally in Najafgarh, Many obstacles come into your way when you walk on the path of truth and honesty. The path of the truth is full of obstacles but visible and invisible powers of the universe come out to help you when you walk on it. And in the end, the truth prevails.

He indirectly targeted the BJP over disqualification of the MLAs and said, They tried to harass us. They lodged fabricated cases on our MLAs. They even targeted me with CBI raid but found nothing. Ultimately, they disqualified our 20 MLAs.

He took to Twitter and told his supporters to remain united and keep the faith as truth will prevail in the end.

   67       



          ,               Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 21, 2018

The Election Commission on Friday recommended to the President that the 20 MLAs were liable for disqualification for holding offices of profit between March 13, 2015 and September 8, 2016, following which President Kovind gave his acceptance on Saturday.

The MLAs were appointed parliamentary secretaries, who assist ministers with their work and this was described as them holding offices of profit by petitioner Prashant Patel. The party insisted that despite holding the office, these MLAs did not take any salaries or perks.

The Election Commission gave its opinion on the matter, and said, Whether or not the individual Parliamentary Secretaries had actually derived the benefits or participated in executive functions of the government is of no relevance.

The Commission had said that it is basing its opinion on judicial pronouncements of the past, the Government of National Capital Territory of Deli Act, and the Constitution.

The 20 MLAs who have been disqualified include Adarsh Shastri, Alka Lamba, Anil Bajpai, Avtar Singh, Kailash Gahlot, Madan Lal, Manoj Kumar, Naresh Yadav, Nitin Tyagi, Praveen Kumar, Rajesh Gupta, Rajesh Rishi, Sanjeev Jha, Sarita Singh, Som Dutt, Sharad Kumar, Shiv Charan Goel, Sukhbir Singh, Vijendar Garg, and Jarnail Singh.

Also Read: AAP's Gopal Rai announces compensation to Bawana Fire victims, says probe will reveal who was responsible

The Aam Aadmi Party had also approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the Commissions recommendation and a hearing has been listed by the court for Monday. On Friday, the court had refused to pass any interim order of protection to AAP MLAs from being disqualified.

Madan Lal, one of the disqualified MLAs, said, We are expecting relief from the court. Our petition is coming up for hearing tomorrow. Alka Lamba, also one of the 20 MLAs to be disqualified, described the decision of the President as painful and said that the President should have heard them out once before arriving to any conclusion.

Yashwant Sinha, former Minister of Finance and External Affairs took to Twitter and said that the decision of the President was complete miscarriage of natural justice.

President's order disqualifying the 20 AAP MLAs is complete miscarriage of natural justice. No hearing, no waiting for High Court's order. It is Tughluqshahi of the worst order.  Yashwant Sinha (@YashwantSinha) January 21, 2018

The Election Commissions decision was to disqualify 21 MLAs of the party but one had resigned a few months back.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Amman:

Jordans King Abdullah II on Sunday voiced concern over Washingtons controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, as US Vice President Mike Pence visited Amman during an uncomfortable Middle East tour.

Arab outrage over President Donald Trumps decision to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem had prompted the cancellation of several planned meetings ahead of Pences trip, originally scheduled for December.

Abdullah, a key US ally, said he had continuously voiced over the past year... my concerns regarding the US decision on Jerusalem that does not come as a result of a comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian Israeli conflict.

Jerusalem is key to Muslims and Christians as it is to Jews, he added. It is key to peace in the region. And key to enabling Muslims to effectively fight some of the root causes of radicalisation.

Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967 and later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

The US move to recognise the city as Israels capital broke with decades of international consensus that the citys status should be settled as part of a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its united capital, while the Palestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

Israelis and Palestinians alike interpreted Trumps move as Washington taking Israels side in the dispute over the city.

Also Read| India-Israel relationship a marriage made in heaven, one UN vote cant change it: Benjamin Netanyahu

Pence will head to Israel later on Sunday for a two-day visit, during which he can expect a warm welcome from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin.

Pencea devout Christianwill visit the Western Wall, one of the holiest Jewish sites in Jerusalems Old City, and pay his respects at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

He will also deliver a speech to Israels parliament on Monday. A coalition of Arab parties said it would boycott the address, calling Pence dangerous and messianic.

The US vice president arrived in Jordan yesterday from Egypt, where he met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a key Trump ally.

The leaders of both Egypt and Jordan, the only Arab states that have peace treaties with Israel, would be key players if US mediators ever manage to revive a stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, as Trump says he wants.

Speaking in Amman today, Pence called Trumps Jerusalem move a historic decision but said the United States respected Jordans role as custodian of the citys holy sites.

The United States of America remains committed, if the parties agree, to a two-state solution. We are committed to restarting the peace process, and Jordan does now and has always played a central role in facilitating peace in the region, Pence said.

Abdullah said he was encouraged by Trumps stated commitment to finding a solution to the decades-long conflict, which he called a potential major source of instability.

We hope that the US will reach out and find the right way to move forward in these challenging circumstances, he said.

Sisi had urged the US president before his Jerusalem declaration not to complicate the situation in the region by taking measures that jeopardise the chances of peace in the Middle East.

The international community considers east Jerusalem illegally occupied by Israel and all embassies are currently in commercial capital Tel Aviv.

Pences trip has also been overshadowed by the White Houses decision to freeze tens of millions of dollars in aid to the United Nations agency for Palestinians, as well as by a federal government shutdown looming over Washington.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The Tokyo metropolitan government will survey foreign tourists on what they enjoy about the city's nightlife, aiming to better cater to their interests while encouraging them to spend, a source said Saturday.

The central government, which is also considering a similar survey, is joining Tokyo authorities in stepping up efforts to increase tourist spending. Japan has seen a decline in the average expenditure per traveler in recent years, even as there has been a rapid increase in inbound visitor numbers.

The Tokyo government plans to spend up to 50 million yen to conduct the survey in fiscal 2018 on what foreign tourists like to do at night in the capital, the source said.

The survey results will be used to tailor information on the Tokyo government's website to promote a variety of popular spots to visit.

The number of foreign tourists surged 19.3% from the previous year to a record 28.69 million in 2017 and the Japanese government has a stated target of 40 million annual foreign visitors by 2020, the year Tokyo hosts the Olympics and Paralympics. Total spending by foreign visitors increased 17.8% in 2017 from a year earlier to a record 4.42 trillion yen.

But average spending per visitor fell 1.3% to 153,921 yen in 2017 following an 11.5% decrease the previous year. Chinese tourists, the largest source of foreign visitors to Japan who account for a fourth of the total, have cut back on spending.
The New York office of the Japan National Tourism Organization has produced four videos to promote tourist attractions of Japan's Tohoku northeastern region to American people.

The videos, each as long as about five minutes, were posted on a related website (http://us.jnto.go.jp/go_tohoku/) and YouTube. Through the video, the JNTO aims to increase American tourists to Japan and make Tohoku a major tourist destination.

The videos, which were created in cooperation with a U.S. production company, show four Americans--two men and two women--who visited Japan for the first time touring such famous scenic spots as Lake Towada, which straddles the border between Aomori and Akita prefectures, and the Geibikei gorge in Iwate Prefecture.

In the video, they also experience "shakyo," or hand-copying of Buddhist scriptures, at Chusonji, an Iwate temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, enjoy "wanko soba" in Morioka, the capital of Iwate, and eat grilled oysters in the Matsushima area in Miyagi Prefecture. Wanko soba is a style of quickly eating "soba" Japanese noodles served in a small bowl, with the bowl refilled with fresh soba repeatedly as soon as the food in it is eaten.

The four Americans are known as "influencers," or those who have major influences in social media. A JNTO official said that the organization expects the four to issue powerful messages to promote Tohoku.
As addresses go, one name sums up Norwalk real estate as well as any, encompassing modest ranches, spacious McMansions, tony townhouses and big condominium complexes.

The name is Rowayton, and in 2017, it was the hottest address in town.

Rowayton Avenue led all Norwalk streets for single-family home sales in 2017, with Hearst Connecticut Media tracking a dozen home sales during the year via filings at Norwalk City Hall; along with half as many more transactions involving condominiums and townhouses.

At the sprawling Rowayton Woods Drive, 18 condominiums sold last year at prices ranging between $235,000 and $565,000 for one- and two-bedroom units, with the complex just off Highland Avenue near Brien McMahon High School.

In William Pitt Sothebys International Realtys annual review this past week of single-family home sales in southwestern Connecticut, the brokerage firm calculated roughly 40 fewer Norwalk sales from the year before to just under 660 in all, a 6 percent decline.

Add in condos and townhouses, however, and the actual number of sales transactions in Norwalk topped 1,000 units, amounting to turnover of nearly 3 percent of the citys total housing stock; and with a higher percentage of homes generating changing hands the result of wills and other family transfers.

Individual nuances

CEO Paul Breunich told Hearst Connecticut Media that those in the market to buy a home are still sorting through the implications of the new federal tax credits.

Consumer confidence is at the highest level its been, the stock market is at an all-time high and unemployment is ... low, (and) those are all driving consumer confidence, Breunich said. I dont know what the effect is going to be on the real estate market. Its too new, there are too many individual nuances. To me, the driving factor is not whether your state or property taxes can be deducted  (it) is consumer confidence.

Confidence ran high on Rowayton Avenue last year, from the new Five Mile Landing condominiums on Rowayton Harbor running north much of its two-mile route to Flax Hill Road. Along that stretch, the Norwalk Town Clerks office recorded transactions ranging from a $421,000 farmhouse as described in a sale listing, to a $4.5 million townhouse overlooking Rowayton Harbor.

At nearly $1.3 million, the median home sold on Rowayton Avenue fetched about triple the price of a group of residences priced at the median of all Norwalk, factoring in both condominiums and traditional houses.

A buyers market?

Other streets to see major sales activity in 2017 included Silvermine Avenue and West Rocks Road with 10 sales each as tracked by Hearst Connecticut Media, and Newtown Avenue with nine.

The Winnipauk Village condominiums on Aiken Street generated 22 sales filings at City Hall last year, the single largest number for any condo complex, with the nearby Rolling Ridge condos not far behind with 18 sales. Washington Street remained a popular destination for singles and couples in the heart of SoNo, with other condo or townhouse developments seeing ample activity including Foxboro Drive near the Wilton line, Wolfpit Avenue in East Norwalk and Oakwood Avenue perched above the Merritt 7 commuter rail station.

Unlike other parts of the country that are seeing double-digit increases in sales and where multiple offers are the norm, lower Fairfield County continues to be a buyers market, said Deb Alderson, a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties agent who is president of the Mid-Fairfield County Association of Realtors. Norwalks number of homes sold was down almost 6 percent, but (the) average sales price was up 5 percent.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse University Professor Sean O'Keefe -- a former NASA administrator -- said the removal of local astronaut Jeanette Epps from a crew headed to space is likely temporary.

O'Keefe, who headed the administration between 2001 and 2004, said in an email to Syracuse.com that he does not know Epps or why she might have been reassigned.

But he said crew reassignments are common and likely don't spell the end of astronauts' lifelong dreams.

"Crew changes aren't unusual and when they do happen, the reassigned astronauts almost always fly on a later mission," O'Keefe said. "The exceptions are very few and far between."

Epps, a Syracuse native, was set to become the first African-American woman to serve as a crew member on the International Space Station. However, on Thursday, NASA announced she was being replaced on the mission leaving in June.

The administration announced that Serena Aunon-Chancellor was reassigned to the ISS mission. She's a surgeon who spent nine months in Russia supporting medical operations for ISS crew members, according to her biography.

Syracuse native will travel to space 17 Gallery: Syracuse native will travel to space

O'Keefe offered a couple possible reason Epps was reassigned, based on his experience as the administration's former chief.

For one thing, the notice NASA released Thursday said Epps will be considered for assignment to future missions.

"That terminology is often used by NASA to explain reassignments due to medical or health factors which are never discussed to protect personal privacy," O'Keefe said.

It's also possible, O'Keefe said, that the astronaut going in her stead is better suited for this particular expedition's research mission.

"Dr. Epps is an engineer. The astronaut replacing her is a medical doctor," O'Keefe said. "(It) could well be there are now more human factors research projects on the mission manifest than material science research."

On NASA's website, one of the expeditions Epps would have been assigned to -- No. 57 -- is listed as conducting 28 research experiments.

Of them, 12 are designated as "human research," three are "physical science," two are "educational activities," five are "earth and space science," and six are "technology."

NASA typically does not release the rationale for reassigning astronauts, O'Keefe said. But there are typically many considerations involved in such a choice.

"Crew changes are not unusual," he said. "There are multiple factors that might be contributing in this case that have often factored into previous crew reassignments."

Before becoming a SU professor, O'Keefe has also served as the Secretary of the U.S. Navy, the chancellor of Louisiana State University and the CEO of Airbus.

He said, should Epps' become the first African-American woman to serve as a crew member on the ISS, she would join the ranks of a diverse and talented pool of people who have sought knowledge beyond Earth's orbit.

"The first African-American woman on the International Space Station will join an impressive list of astronauts who have endured the rigors of space flight which includes women and men of a wide variety of nationalities, cultures, religions and ethnicity.

"The quest of human exploration throughout history includes a rich diversity of explorers and space is no exception," he said. "Their common bond is that of humans seeking a deeper understanding and the wonder of discovering what's on the other side of a ridge."
Gov. Jerry Brown again denied parole to Leslie Van Houten, one of the youngest followers of murderous cult leader Charles Manson and who participated in two murders in 1969.

Manson, who died in prison Nov. 19, was the leader of a group that committed a string of brutal and highly publicized murders in California. Van Houten, 68, was part of Mansons family and participated in the murders of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca on Aug. 10, 1969, when she was 19. She is now serving a life sentence.

Van Houten was recommended for parole in September for the second year in a row by a state panel, but California law gives the governor final authority. Brown rejected the decision Friday, citing the violent nature of the murders and what he viewed as her attempts to shift too much of the blame to Manson.

Even today, five decades later, Van Houten has not wholly accepted responsibility for her role in the violent and brutal deaths of Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca, Brown wrote in his decision. These crimes stand apart from others by their heinous nature and shocking motive.

Van Houten and two other Manson followers entered the home of the LaBianca family on a mission to murder someone as part of Mansons plan to spark a race war. Van Houten stabbed Rosemary LaBianca at least 16 times, while a companion stabbed Leno LaBianca.

Brown noted that after the murders, Van Houten changed into LaBiancas clothes and drank chocolate milk from the refrigerator before leaving. Another member of the group later testified that Van Houten told her that she stabbed a woman who was already dead and that the more she did it the more fun it was.

Van Houten had not participated in the previous nights murder spree  which became infamously known as the Tate murders, because of the stabbing of Sharon Tate, an actress who was eight months pregnant at the time.

No one who participated in the LaBianca or Tate murders has been released from prison. Brown also denied parole to Manson follower Bruce Davis in 2017 and in 2016 denied it to Van Houten, citing similar reasons. Though she appealed his original reversal, a judge upheld Browns decision.

Brown wrote that he had weighed a number of factors in his decision, including Van Houtens young age when she committed the crimes, her model behavior in prison and Mansons abusive and manipulative behavior.

She has never been disciplined for serious misconduct during her incarceration, he wrote. She has received her bachelors and masters degrees and has received exceptional work ratings as a tutor for the past decade.

Despite this, Brown wrote that he viewed the case as extreme.

Van Houtens lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. He told the Associated Press on Friday that he plans to appeal Browns decision.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
(Editors note: This is the third and final installment in Jean Chernis three-part series about her trip to Africa.)

Near Giraffe Manor is the former home of Karen Blixen, the author of Out of Africa, on which the film of the same name is based. It was fascinating to tour her home, although it looked much smaller than it had in the film and I was astounded to see the very poorly equipped rudimentary kitchen, knowing her cook had somehow managed extensive, elegant menus when dignitaries visited this former coffee plantation.

Her furnishings and clothes are also in the house and it is so realistic I almost expected to see Robert Redford (her lover in the movie) come galloping by at any moment. If you havent seen the movie check it out, because the spectacular scenery is just what we were seeing.

Leaving our large suitcases at Giraffe Manor, we packed a carry-on bag for our small, eight-seater plane which was to take us to Solio Lodge, situated on a game conservancy. The airfield was a flat, dusty plain in the middle of nowhere, and when I saw the fragile, small ladder one had to climb to enter the plane, I momentarily froze. But with my daughter, Marianne, pushing from behind and assuring me I could do it, I made it into the plane for a bouncy ride to our next destination.

The Lodge was rustic but luxurious and we enjoyed game drives in a large open Land Rover and saw elephants, rhino, gazelles, a few giraffe and even a lion, sound asleep draped over the branch of a tree. Following two days here we departed (once again by small plane) for Salas Camp, a group of only seven en-suite stylish canvas tent homes near a river bank in the southern Maasai Mara.

Although the tents are beautifully furnished, complete with a patio and small pool, you are awakened by small, black-faced monkeys in the morning and after a staff member comes down the road with breakfast, you dont see another living person. It was here that I came down with some kind of influenza-like cold and didnt get out of bed for two days; very worried as to how I would be evacuated to a hospital if I worsened.

Marianne pulled out all the different meds we had brought and even borrowed some others from guests in a nearby tent and I recovered, but missed several game drives as well as a balloon flight we had scheduled. After one more small plane flight, back for one night and Christmas dinner at Giraffe Manor, we picked up the luggage and drove to Nairobi, where Marianne spent some time with a former college chum who now lives there.

Then it was time to catch our final flight to Istanbul, where we parted; Marianne for San Francisco and me for JFK (thankfully, just days before snowfall caused complete chaos there). I was bone-tired but oh so grateful that I had this wonderful shared experience with my daughter. And so, dear readers, I will say lala salama, which in Swahili means goodnight.

Memo to our president: I suggest you visit Africa. You might discover a beautiful country with equally beautiful people.
MILFORD  For many people, the word coyote conjures up the old Wile E. Coyote vs. Roadrunner cartoons set in the desert Southwest.

Skinny Wile E. is always hatching a harebrained scheme for a meal. He chases his prey down a sandy road, with a knife, fork and napkin. Hes got a bundle full of new ideas, and they always backfire.

But City Open Space and Natural Resource Agent Steve Johnson has another take on coyotes.

No. 1: You dont have to go West to find them; coyotes live in Milford.

No. 2: Theyre intelligent.

Johnson will present information and tips on Eastern coyotes at a program, Living with Coyotes, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the Milford Public Library, 57 New Haven Ave.

One of the important things Im hoping is that we can learn to understand the benefits that they provide us and to learn about threatening, aggressive behaviors that need to be brought to the publics attention, Johnson said.

We need to be aware of coyotes without being unduly concerned, he said.

The animals began extending their range eastward from the West and Midwest about 100 years ago and were first reported in Connecticut in the mid-1950s, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. They are now part of the states ecosystem and can thrive near populated areas, DEEP said.

As for Milford, there are no estimates on their numbers, Johnson said. There has been a range of sightings across the city, but that doesnt mean there is a large population of aggressive, threatening coyotes. And we want to learn the difference between the two, he said.

Coyotes mostly go out searching for food in the early evening and at dusk. They are attracted to residential yards by food left for other wildlife, Johnson said.

Because they are so smart, sometimes coyotes learn the patterns of people with pets, Johnson said. Unsupervised pets are vulnerable to attack, the DEEP website said.

Clearly, small pets can be a target of coyotes, Johnson said. People should take care and walk pets on a leash, he said.

But are coyotes like Wile E.?

Its been a long time since Ive seen those cartoons, Johnson said with a laugh.

The Eastern coyotes are larger, about the size of a small German shepherd, thinner and more lanky. Some people have reported them being even a little bigger.

Theyre probably a range of sizes, Johnson said.

They are capable of taking down bigger prey such as a deer, especially when there is a pair of them, and they can attack a large dog, Johnson said.

Just because you have a larger dog doesnt mean theyre immune to threats, Johnson said.

Snow date is Jan. 30. Call the library at 203-783-3290 for more information.
Angry with President Donald Trumps administration and inspired to participate in local, state, and federal politics, thousands of women, and men, marched Saturday on the Capitol in Hartford.

Womens marches nationwide, including one in New York that drew an estimated 200,000 people, according to police there, commemorated the one-year anniversary of Trumps inauguration  and the birth of a resistance movement.

We were told to forget our truths. We were told to be silent, said Cindy Boynton, a Milford author, professor and first-time political candidate for state representative, addressing a Hartford crowd that police estimated at 10,000.

Embracing the spirit of the Me Too movement that declares women will no longer remain silent about sexual violence, Boynton said, Without gender equality, there is no justice.

Hartford marchers chanted This is what democracy looks like, Love not hate, make America Great, and Womens Rights are human right and human rights are womens rights, on their way to the Capitol to hear a series of speakers.

Fairfield resident Nancy Lefkowitz said God was on the side of the resistance in providing such a nice day, with sunshine and temperatures reaching nearly 50 degrees.

In New York, Connecticut groups converged on the West Side, joining hundreds of thousands of marchers in a crowd that appeared to be at least 80 percent women.

At the 72nd Street subway entrance on Broadway, two Westport-based contingents  the Unitarian Church and DefenDemocracy  happened upon each other, and celebrated the day as the march began. That was one small, symbolic reflection of the entire movement  coming together to focus on the elections.

The idea is that unification has to happen and is happening, said Darcy Hicks, who founded DefenDemocracy after last years inaugural protest marches.

Last years march was about the power of women and womens voices being heard, said Laura Totten, holding a DefenDemocracy banner with Hicks and Jeanne Bowles, a Westport teacher. This year, its about the vote.

And with that, the chanting began, and the pink mass moved toward Midtown Manhattan.

Focus on local politics

Many of the Hartford marchers said they were inspired to political engagement in the year since Trumps inauguration, and to even run for office.

The movement has evolved in a year, and theres huge recognition that local politics and local participation is so necessary, which is why were here in Hartford, said Lucy Tancridi, a Redding resident and member of the resistance group Indivisible Connecticut 4 (ICT4).

Many said a renewed interest in local politics informed their decisions to March Saturday in Hartford.

The first year, I went to D.C.; this year Im going to Hartford, Stamford resident Miriam Matos said.

Frustration with the Trump administration motivated many.

Im marching to promote human rights, DACA, Planned Parenthood and pretty much everything thats happened in the last 100 days I want to undo, Lauren Bove, a Fairfield resident said, adding, Trump did one thing: He got us motivated.

Gubernatorial candidate and Greenwich resident Dita Bhargava said the shock of Trumps election inspired her candidacy.

This was not the time to lean back, and absolutely the time to lean it, she said. I felt a sense of duty to step forward with my economic plan as a women in a (candidate) field of men.

Bhargava said she hopes to enact more expansive paid family leave and other family-friendly policies, if elected.

Sights set on the election

State Rep. Christin McCarthy Vahey, D-Fairfield, said that with less than 25 percent of the state Legislature made up of women, we need more women at the table.

We need humanity back in our government and I think women can help with that, Fairfield resident Karen Wackerman said.

Many women said theyre focused on electing women in the 2018 mid-term elections. As Weston resident Debra Marrone said, the weight of the resistance will build and show up at the polls.

For some, the march brought back the feeling of activism from another era.

We cut our teeth in the Vietnam War and are marching again, said Westport resident Cynthia McDonald.

Although many in the New York crowd said the goal this year is progress in elections, speakers at the corner of Central Park mostly told stories about inclusion and exclusion  as lesbians, Muslims, Jews, Mexicans and people from other groups.

The more diverse their stories are, the more opportunities there are for the crowd to really empathize and connect and vote, Hicks said.

In Hartford, the sense of a regression in womens equality and social justice, coupled with a renewed commitment to political participation, was palpable.

I just felt something has gone terribly wrong with womens voices. We turned our backs somewhere along the way, Margarita Garces-Shapiro, a Weston resident and former employee of U.S. Rep. Jim Himes congressional office, said at the Hartford march.

Im here to start the second year of the resistance and make sure autocracy doesnt happen in Washington, said Mark Einsenberg, a Bridgeport resident and ICT4 member. Im marching against the march towards tyranny.

Emphasis on inclusion

(Democracy) only function we make it function, said state Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford, whos exploring a run for state attorney general.

Were only strong when we all have a voice, columnist, author, and activist Susan Campbell said in her speech.

Echoing Campbells call for inclusion, McCarthy Vahey said she wanted marchers to be aware that many women who have to work on Saturdays to feed their kids did not have the same privilege to join in.

Many women said the community of marchers brought them joy and hope.

To stand up here and see the physical representation of the spirit and energy of the movement is reassuring for the days we loathe in this country, said Jacqueline Kozin, a New Haven resident and one of the march organizers.

Closing her speech on a positive note, Boynton said, We have the power to change the way the world sees women and we have the power to change the world itself.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for bagging a doctorate degree at the National Open University(NOUN).



Buhari, who was the visitor at 7th Convocation of NOUN on Saturday in Abuja, described Obasanjo as the Father of Open and Distance Education in Nigeria.



Obasanjo who was among the 14, 769 graduands, was conferred with Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Theology, thereby making him the first PhD product of NOUN. Out of the number, 41 bagged first class honours.



Represented by Prof. Abubakar Raheed, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Buhari said that it was Obasanjos belief in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) that made him enroll in NOUN.



Obasanjo, because of his quest for quality education, could have opted to fulfill his desire for university education in Ivy League universities of the world and none of them could have denied him this opportunity.



NOUN and indeed Nigerians, will continue to appreciate your belief, recognition of and support for ODL in Nigeria; we are proud of you, he said.



Buhari said that his administration desired that Nigerian universities, irrespective of their mode of delivery, would deliver on national needs and aspiration as well as be strategically positioned to compete internationally.



The visitor said that as a result of the centrality of the curriculum in the delivery of quality university education, he had charged NUC to ensure periodic review of Nigerian university curriculum.







In his remark, Obasanjo expressed delight for being awarded doctorate degree by NOUN.



He described NOUN as one of the best institutions of learning in Africa.



The former president said that he had many honorary degrees but none was as fulfilling as bagging a doctorate degree from NOUN.



I feel a different sense of joy today from when I receive honorary degrees; at last count, I have received about 20 honorary degrees from top grade universities all over the world.



The earned doctorate degree I receive today comes with a different sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.



My studentship of NOUN confirmed that via the ODL platform, there is no age limit, no status barrier, no social lineage.



He said that during his students days at NOUN, he requested that he should not be given any special privilege because he wanted to go through it as other students.



I went through the rigours and discipline of post graduate studies like any other post graduate student.



I thank my supervisors for giving me the opportunity of going through the grail and the crucible of research for my doctoral work.



I could not have had better supervisors; they were firm, strict but meticulous and tortuous, he said.



He thanked the staff and management of NOUN and congratulated fellow graduands.
United States visa processes across the world may not be disrupted following government shut down at the stroke of midnight Friday.

United States visa processes across the world may not be disrupted following government shut down at the stroke of midnight Friday.All but the most essential operations of the US government are affected including the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trumps inauguration.There were fears that all US offices overseas handling visa issuance and federal regulatory agencies, including those overseeing grants and contracts will remain closed while the shutdown lasts.However, the spokesman of the US Embassy in Abuja, Russell Brooks, told The Nation last night scheduled visa appointments would hold.He said: The State Department has informed the public on travel.state.gov that scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at posts overseas will continue during the lapse on appropriations as the situation permits.Earlier yesterday a State Department official said:We are expected to still show up for work on Monday and figure it out from there,In an email sent to State Department employees Friday morning, acting Director General William Todd said: a number of government activities would cease due to a lack of appropriated funding, and that a number of employees would be temporarily furloughed, if a government shutdown were to occur.He did not specify which activities would stop or which employees should stay home next week.Heather Nauert, a spokesperson for the State Department, on Thursday said that the department had yet to make any decisions about which services it could provide during a shutdown but that we will be prepared for all contingencies.The shutdown was sparked by the Senate rejection of a short-term spending bill to keep the federal government running.A few Republicans joined Democrats in blocking the crucial measure, which would have provided short-term funding for the Pentagon and other federal agencies.The bill to fund the government until February 16 did not receive the required 60 votes.The Senate voted 50-48 to block the stopgap funding measure.The short-term spending bill was passed by the House on Thursday.This is part of the Democrats strategy to force President Trump and the Republicans to negotiate with them on illegal immigrants who are facing deportation.Trump, in a series of tweets, accused the Democrats of being more concerned with illegal immigrants than the countrys armed forces and holding the military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration.Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the Democrats insistence that the interim measure include protection for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children killed the deal.Senate Democrats own the Schumer Shutdown, she declared, referring to the minority leader, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who met with Trump earlier Friday.Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our countrys ability to serve all Americans.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order promoting the Affordable Care Act on Sunday while visiting the Hackensack church of a pastor who was among his earliest campaign supporters.

Murphy attended the 10:45 a.m. service at Mount Olive Baptist Church, where he slammed an "us versus them" approach that he attributed to President Donald Trump, and by implication to former Gov. Chris Christie.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed his fourth executive order at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Hackensack. The order concerns healthcare. Following the signing, Murphy attended a Sunday service at the church.

"We've had a state that was 'us versus them' for eight years. We've got a president, now, for one year -- 'us versus them,' dividing us," said Murphy, a Democrat who succeeded the two-term Republican governor.

"There's a lot of fear," Murphy added. "There's a lot of anxiety."

Fifteen minutes before the service began, Murphy was surrounded by supporters in a nearby conference room as he signed an executive order -- his fourth since taking office Tuesday -- aimed at bolstering the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, in New Jersey.

"Our administration will continue to stand strong against any further efforts to repeal, or continue to chip away, at the Affordable Care Act," Murphy said.

The Affordable Care Act has provided health insurance to approximately 265,000 people in the state. The enrollment deadline for 2018 was Dec. 15, and the next opportunity is not until the fall.

While the Republican-led Congress failed to repeal the law last year, the tax overhaul bill signed by Trump in December removed a provision requiring the purchase of health insurance, and his administration has significantly reduced funding for promotional activities such as sign-up events and assistance -- services that under Murphy's order will be boosted.

Murphy, a U.S. ambassador to Germany under Obama, said he remains committed to the law.

"This is simply common sense," Murphy said. "Lowering the ranks of the uninsured helps everyone, not just the people who get insured. It helps all of us and it protects public health. Doing everything possible to help residents sign up for the Affordable Care Act should be regular practice."

Asked about it afterward, the Democratic chair of the state Senate health committee said Murphy's executive order could boost enrollment when it reopens for 2019.

"It's helpful that they're preparing everyone for that time period," said state Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex.

A Republican state legislator was unimpressed, stating that if Murphy feels so strongly he should propose a single-payer health care system for New Jersey.

"What he's basically saying is there's this federal program out there, and we ought to encourage people to make use of it because it isn't costing me any money," state Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll, R-Morris, said of Murphy.

Murphy received a warm greeting at the predominantly African-American church, whose pastor, Rev. Gregory Jackson, was an early supporter of his campaign.

"I don't think anybody in this state stood up earlier than your pastor on our side," Murphy said, citing their shared views on social justice and the economy.

Murphy alluded to getting 94 percent of the black vote during the campaign, his stint as an NAACP board member and connection to Obama, who named him the U.S. ambassador to Germany.

"As he would say, and we say all the time, ours is an imperfect nation," Murphy said.

Murphy drew a contrast with Trump, who often has expressed the view that the nation was stronger decades earlier, in referencing his final meeting on the NAACP board about nine months ago.

"Somebody said to me, 'what was the discussion like,' and I said, let's put it this way: People weren't pining for the good old days of 1955. So let's not put on the rose-colored glasses and say that everything was rosy back in the day," Murphy said.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook
Police are searching for the tractor-trailer involved in a hit-and-run accident that left a 60-year-old man dead off Interstate 295 on Sunday.

John Farino, of Cinnaminson, was killed after a tractor-trailer allegedly rear-ended his Dodge Caravan near milemarker 45.9 in Westampton Township, New Jersey State Police said.

Officers are asking for the public's help in finding the truck -- and its driver.

At 5:12 a.m., troopers said they responded to a crash on I-295 and found Farino dead in his vehicle. The tractor-trailer was nowhere to be found.

Police said Farino, the driver of the Dodge Caravan, was driving northbound on I-295 when his car was struck from behind by the tractor trailer. As a result of the impact, the Dodge ran off the road, hit a tree and overturned.

Officers said Farino died in his vehicle as a result of his injuries; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The tractor-trailer is believed to be an older model Peterbilt, which has an elongated front, with significant front-end damage, police say.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bordentown Station at 609-298-1171. Anonymous tips are welcome.

Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Hollywood awards season carries on with the 2018 SAG Awards on Sunday, Jan. 21. The show, known for recognizing actors for their work in TV and film, is presented by the Screen Actors Guild and airs at 8 p.m. on both TBS and TNT. Unlike other awards shows, the SAG Awards, held annually since 1995, honor whole casts and ensembles for their performances. Nominations span 13 categories for actors and two for stunt performers.

SAG Award winner and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman will receive the SAG Life Achievement Award.

The first-ever host of the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be actress Kristen Bell ("The Good Place"). This year, the show will feature a mostly female lineup of presenters, which was a decision made in the wake of the 2017 Women's March, but now functions as a celebration of women after the Hollywood reckoning that sparked the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.

Among the nominees this year are Aziz Ansari and James Franco, actors who have recently faced allegations of sexual coercion or misconduct. Ansari, who has been at the center of a debate about sexual consent over the past week after a 23-year-old photographer claimed in a story for the website Babe.net that Ansari had pressured her to have sex, is nominated for best actor in a comedy series for his Netflix series "Master of None." Franco, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by several women, is nominated for best actor for the film "The Disaster Artist," which he also directed.

Voting for the awards was open through Friday, Jan. 19.

Here are all the nominees:

CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

"The Big Sick"

"Get Out"

"Lady Bird"

"Mudbound"

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Judi Dench, "Victoria & Abdul"

Sally Hawkins, "The Shape of Water"

Frances McDormand, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Margot Robbie, "I, Tonya"

Saoirse Ronan, "Lady Bird"

MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Timothee Chalamet, "Call Me By Your Name"

James Franco, "The Disaster Artist"

Daniel Kaluuya, "Get Out"

Gary Oldman, "Darkest Hour"

Denzel Washington, "Roman J. Israel, Esq."

FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Mary J. Blige, "Mudbound"

Hong Chau, "Downsizing"

Holly Hunter, "The Big Sick"

Allison Janney, "I, Tonya"

Laurie Metcalf, "Lady Bird"

MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Steve Carell, "Battle of the Sexes"

Willem Dafoe, "The Florida Project"

Woody Harrelson, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Richard Jenkins, "The Shape of Water"

Sam Rockwell, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES

"The Crown"

"Game of Thrones"

"Handmaid's Tale"

"Stranger Things"

"This is Us"

FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Millie Bobby Brown, "Stranger Things"

Claire Foy, "The Crown"

Laura Linney, "Ozark"

Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale"

Robin Wright, "House of Cards"

MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Jason Bateman, "Ozark"

Sterling K. Brown, "This Is Us"

Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones"

David Harbour, "Stranger Things"

Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul"

ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES

"Black-ish"

"Curb Your Enthusiasm"

"Glow"

"Orange is the New Black"

"Veep"

FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Uzo Aduba, "Orange is the New Black"

Alison Brie, "Glow"

Jane Fonda, "Grace and Frankie"

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"

Lily Tomlin, "Grace and Frankie"

MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Anthony Anderson, "Black-ish"

Aziz Ansari, "Master of None"

Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Sean Hayes, "Will & Grace"

William H. Macy, "Shameless"

Marc Maron, "Glow"

FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Laura Dern, "Big Little Lies"

Nicole Kidman, "Big Little Lies"

Jessica Lange, "Feud: Bette and Joan"

Susan Sarandon, "Feud: Bette and Joan"

Reese Witherspoon, "Big Little Lies"

MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Benedict Cumberbatch, "Sherlock: The Lying Detective"

Jeff Daniels, "Godless"

Robert De Niro, "The Wizard of Lies"

Geoffrey Rush, "Genius"

Alexander Skarsgard, "Big Little Lies"

STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES

"Game of Thrones"

"Glow"

"Homeland"

"Stranger Things"

"The Walking Dead"

STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

"Baby Driver"

"Dunkirk"

"Logan"

"War for the Planet of the Apes"

"Wonder Woman"

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
What are Newark's chances for landing the new Amazon headquarters after being confirmed as a finalist city?

According to "Saturday Night Live," pretty slim.

In a recent sketch on the show, emissaries from Boston, Miami, Atlanta and Newark make their pitches to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Representing Boston: A delegation including actor Casey Affleck, who mistakenly advocates for his new home, Los Angeles. Atlanta: A group including a wild-eyed Paula Deen. Miami: A trio fronted by Pitbull.

Newark: None other than Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., played by Chris Redd.

"I am so proud to be representing Newark, a city on the rise!" Redd says, punching his fists in the air and approximating Booker's signature brand of enthusiasm. "By the way, I know we're not getting this, at all! And that gives me tears of rage!"

No word yet on what Booker thinks of this assessment.

When the state submitted its bid to Amazon for the company's second headquarters in North America -- the first is in Seattle -- it offered $5 billion in tax breaks if Newark were to be chosen. Newark has offered an additional $2 billion in local tax breaks. Other positive aspects of Newark's candidacy are the city's tech landscape and its proximity to New York, Newark Liberty International Airport and interstate truck routes.

Yet a NJ Advance Media analysis of data associated with each finalist city, including percentage of unemployed residents, job growth, corporate taxes and monthly housing costs, gave Newark an "F."

"SNL" also mentioned former Gov. Chris Christie -- a favorite character on the show, often played by former cast member Bobby Moynihan -- during the show's "Weekend Update" segment (see clip below).

"This week marked Chris Christie's final days as governor of New Jersey," said host Colin Jost. "And to honor Christie, pants were worn at full mast."

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY - The parking lot for ferry users was empty at Liberty State Park, a rare sight for a sunny Sunday afternoon.

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were closed this weekend after federal lawmakers failed to pass a budget, forcing a government shutdown for the first time since 2013.

While the waterfront wasn't overly crowded, some still had thought they would be able to visit both monuments on Sunday afternoon. Instead, they were met with a sign posted inside the terminal with big letters that read: "Important," in all capital letters. "Government shut-down."

"It's disappointing," one visitor said.

He and two others have spent the past couple months visiting Jersey City from India. Sunday was their first and last opportunity to visit the Statue of Liberty before the end of their visit.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday afternoon both islands would reopen beginning Monday. The state will pay $65,000 a day to pay federal employees at both landmarks.

"Shutting down the park jeopardizes an economic driver for the State of New York," Cuomo wrote on Twitter. "But the Statue of Liberty is more than just an economic driver. This park is a symbol of New York and our values. And her message has never been as important as it is today.

Visitors who could not access the islands today could opt for a sightseeing tour instead.

Diane Martinez, a 12-year-old from Jersey City, was walking through the park with her father, both unhappy with President Donald Trump's recent immigration decisions and the inability for tourists to visit the Statue of Liberty.

"That's pretty bad," Diane said. "Because a lot of people have the dream to work here in the United States so that's not really fair for them not to see the Statue of Liberty."

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
An 80-year-old passenger was airlifted off the Anthem of the Seas cruise ship on Friday after suffering a medical emergency.

The 6 p.m. rescue off the Staten Island shore was recorded by the NYPD Aviation Unit. The ship had just departed from the Cape Liberty Port in Bayonne.

WATCH: Our @NYPDSpecialops elite Quick Response Team rescued a 80-year-old man having a cardiac episode aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Brooklyn.

An ESU Tactical Medic was lowered to bring the man back and they flew him to a hospital #NYPDprotecting pic.twitter.com/QUNnkbF950  NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) January 20, 2018

In a tweet, the NYPD said it was notified of passenger suffering a "cardiac emergency" on board the ship. CBS New York reported police determined after speaking with the captain the 80-year-old needed to get to a hospital immediately.

The ship changed its path towards Coney Island where Special Operations and Emergency Service Unit officers were lowered from a helicopter onto the ship. The man was secured and hoisted up into the helicopter.

CBS New York reported the man was brought to Staten Island Medical Center in serious condition.

Anthem of the Seas continued on its nine night sail to the Bahamas.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
It was an old trick, but it worked - at least for a while.

I learned of Chris Christie's latest stunt when I received an email from a reader Wednesday morning.

I'd spent the day before covering the ceremony in which Democrat Phil Murphy was sworn in as governor, replacing Republican Christie.

But as my reader watched TV Tuesday evening, he saw the now ex-governor featured in a televised ad highlighting the state's addiction services.

"I can't believe they don't temporarily suspend the commercials until the spokesperson can be changed," he wrote. "What gives?"

What gave was that Christie pulled a fast one on Murphy. The outgoing governor set aside funding so those commercials could keep running after he was back in private life.

The stunt seems to have blindsided the new governor's staff. By Friday afternoon, Murphy's communication people still hadn't responded to emails in which I asked them when the Democratic administration would stop giving free air time to the state's most prominent - and ambitious - Republican.

Perhaps the new people are a bit too trusting. There are indeed some innocent souls out there who believe that elected officials appear in such public-service announcements out of the goodness of their hearts.

But anyone who understands politics knows that these are simply campaign ads - paid for out of the public purse.

The master of this art was the Republican governor Christie campaigned for as a teenager back when both lived in Livingston.

In 1983, Gov. Tom Kean Sr. managed to get his mug plastered on TV screens all over the tristate area in tourism ads in which he memorably proclaimed "New Jersey and you: Perfect together!"

The pretext - a brilliant one - was that these ads had to be carried on the big networks in New York and Philadelphia to attract out-of-state tourists to New Jersey. But of course the ads were seen by Jersey voters as well.

It was no coincidence that the grinning governor seen making that pitch went on to a landslide re-election victory in 1985.

By the way, the earliest of those ads had Kean co-starring with none other than Bill Cosby. Now there's a guy who could do an anti-drug commercial: "Ladies, never put down your drink when you're with a guy!"

But at least those ads were funded through the normal budget process. That's not the case with the Christie ads.

News reports said Christie freed up about $40 million for the ads by moving money around in the budget from other programs. Another $100 million was moved around to fund expanded treatment programs for drug addicts.

We're only halfway through the 2018 fiscal year, so it's up to Murphy to decide whether he wants to spend that money the way Christie intended. That's another question I couldn't get answered by his people.

But I know how I feel about that expenditure. I'm against it. I don't buy the central premise of Christie's personal war on drugs. That's the idea that addiction is a disease.

I've come to reject that approach after my many conversations with Stanton Peele, a psychologist who until recently lived in Christie's own Morris County.

Peele is perhaps the most prominent critic of what you might call the addiction-industrial complex. That complex consumes ever-increasing amounts of state and federal funding, about a billion dollars a year in New Jersey.

But as spending increases, so do overdose deaths, Peele said. So what are we getting for our money?

"One way to put it is to ask is addiction treatment effective?" he said. "Well in terms of cutting overdose deaths, no. But in terms of generating never-ending sources of funding, yes."

Perhaps the best example of that came from Christie himself. In his speeches about drugs, he often cites the example of a family friend who became addicted to pain-killers and eventually overdosed - despite being in and out of rehab.

In other words, he provides proof that rehab often fails to work. And then he insists we need more rehab.

The problem, said Peele, is that the providers insist on convincing patients that they are dependent on drugs. Instead they should be emphasizing self-reliance, he said.

"Getting high is something you do on your own and quitting is something you do on your own as well," said Peele.

And then there's the question of marijuana legalization. Studies show that in states where people have easy access to marijuana they consume less opioids. Yet Christie is an avid anti-pot crusader.

If Christie truly thinks it's his calling in life to extend the nanny state, then that's certainly his right as a private citizen.

But he should find someone else to pay for it.

My tax dollars are needed elsewhere.

PLUS: Read this New York Times article on how the town of Delray Beach, Fla., became a haven for addicts:

"Unlike other places in the United States that have been clobbered by the opioid crisis, most of the young people who overdose in Delray Beach are not from here. They are visitors, mostly from the Northeast and Midwest, and they come for opioid addiction treatment and recovery help to a town that has long been hailed as a lifeline for substance abusers. But what many of these addicts find here today is a crippled and dangerous system, fueled in the past three years by insurance fraud, abuse, minimal oversight and lax laws. The result in Palm Beach County has been the rapid proliferation of troubled treatment centers, labs and group homes where unknowing addicts, exploited for insurance money, fall deeper into addiction."

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
By John Farmer Jr.

Sometime in the next few months, Gov. Phil Murphy and his senior staff will be sitting around a conference table in the makeshift governor's office up the street from the Statehouse -- a gift from his predecessor -- and someone will say out loud the question on all of their minds: "Why is this state so (bleeping) hard to govern?"

It's a question that governors of both parties and their staffs have asked in frustration and answered -- mostly inadequately -- for decades. Here is an assessment of the usual answers and why they point to a larger underlying failure:

The predecessor: A perennial favorite scapegoat, the previous governor and his or her record is fair game. For a time. History suggests, however, that such criticisms have a short half-life. Gov. Jim Florio blamed Gov. Tom Kean for the need to raise taxes to pay for school funding, among other items; that critique didn't stick. Gov. Jim McGreevey blamed Gov. Christie Whitman for quite literally everything under the sun when he faulted her for a drought his first summer in office. Again, to little avail. Gov. Chris Christie never ceased blaming Gov. Jon Corzine for everything from Turnpike toll increases to the ethics law that prevented Christie from profiting on a book he wanted to write while in office. How did that work out? It never really does. Voters elect governors to handle the realities they confront, not to blame others for the existence of those realities.

The budget: There is merit to each new administration's frustrations with the budget, for the truth is that the governor is held responsible for spending, over which the governor has little control. As former state budget director Richard Keevey pointed out recently, "Many folks believe the state government spends most of their tax dollars. In fact, 73 percent of all expenditures in this state are at the local units of government." The state income, sales and corporate taxes raised, as of 2016, $26.8 billion, but every cent of the state income tax and one-half of 1 percent of the sales tax must be used for property tax relief, to supplement the $28.4 billion raised in local property taxes. Despite being held accountable for the overall cost of government, there is in fact little a new governor can do to control, reduce or redirect spending.

The Legislature: Make no mistake: The institutional rivalries in Trenton among the executive branch, the Senate and the Assembly count for as much if not more than party differences, particularly when one party controls both branches of government. The reason is simple: The institutional perspectives differ. The governor's perspective is necessarily statewide; the Legislature historically has been the voice of local interests. Conflict is unavoidable.

The county and local governments: The revenues from the state income and sales taxes were supposed to provide property tax relief; instead, over time they have proved to be an accelerant to property tax growth, freeing local governments and school districts to negotiate salary and benefit increases at state expense. Two percent caps on property tax increases and on arbitration awards for police and fire have been helpful, but the property tax cap is rife with loopholes, and the arbitration cap was allowed to expire. Recognizing that he will be held responsible if local budgets begin to escalate, any responsible governor will favor tightening the property tax cap and reinstituting the arbitration cap.

The public employee unions: It is no surprise that Christie and Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, have been engaged in steel-cage death matches with the public employee unions. For years, these unions have been the most effective lobbies in Trenton, and their success in negotiating pension and health benefits and compensation packages statewide has benefited their membership tremendously, but has also been the single-largest cost-driver in New Jersey government at every level. Their successes have compounded the challenges inherent in governing the state.

These answers to why New Jersey is so difficult to govern are fine, as far as they go. But they ignore the failure that underlies everything else, a failure that dates to modern New Jersey's inception.

When the mid-20th-century framers established the most powerful governor in the nation, an independent judiciary, a strong attorney general and a statewide university, they left the power structures of local and regional interests intact. It was a matter of political expediency. The assumption was that, over time, the statewide institutions would erode the historically destructive power of local and regional interests.

Instead, since the tenure of the late Gov. Brendan Byrne ended in 1982, the opposite has occurred. Each of the statewide institutions created 70 years ago has been challenged by a reassertion of local interests. The governor's powers have been eroded by a resurgent Legislature and the persistence of regional bosses. Progress under the court's signature rulings on school funding and housing has been halting.

Although the judiciary has assumed control of the county courts, the quality of justice still varies widely with local funding from town to town, from county to county. Rutgers barely survived an attempt to remove its Camden campus, and its efforts to compete nationally are challenged locally by the transformation of New Jersey's state colleges into state universities.

This, then, is Murphy's moment. The state whose history has been marked by deferring every hard choice must now make them.

It isn't hard to identify the measures by which the administration can restore the state to health: reinstitute the caps, mandate shared services, restructure pensions and health benefits, encourage regionalization of law-enforcement resources and school districts, continue to promote and strengthen statewide institutions, and ultimately require municipal consolidation.

Such measures will become possible, however, only with a shift in culture that a governor alone can lead. New Jersey's interests as a state -- the interests that motivated visionary leaders 70 years ago -- must be recognized once again as paramount.

John Farmer Jr., a former New Jersey attorney general and senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission, is a university professor and special counsel to the president of Rutgers University.

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Gov. Phil Murphy wants to legalize pot in his first 100 days in office, but needs the votes to do it - and is facing some opposition even within his own party.



It's especially troubling to hear Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex), who chairs the black caucus, and a Newark bishop claim that marijuana legalization will hurt black communities.



In fact, it's quite the opposite, which is why so many black leaders and groups like the NAACP support legalization. So let's address the lingering skepticism.

Murphy's call for legalizing weed meets opposition -- from fellow Dems in Senate



First, there's no evidence that legalizing marijuana for adults will "gut the best and brightest in many neighborhoods," as Newark Bishop Jethro James put it, in a sermon he invited Murphy to attend on Martin Luther King Day.



On the contrary, it's the criminalization of marijuana that has gutted the best and brightest, as many other black leaders point out.

While blacks use pot at the same rate as whites, they are arrested nearly four times more often for it - needlessly ensnaring them in our criminal justice system.



It's the kind of injustice that would outrage MLK. The real moral issue is "keeping people in jail for something they can now go out and purchase legally in many states," said Rev. Tim Jones of Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, who supports legalization.



Some legislators, like Rice, argue that instead of making pot legal and taxing it, we could simply decriminalize it - permit people to have a small amount, instead of arresting them.



This would end the arrests of pot users, but we'd still have the same illegal market. Those who sell pot in places like Newark would still get shot in turf battles between dealers and people would still buy dangerous and illegal marijuana on the streets.



The city also wouldn't have the tax revenue from controlled and regulated sales, which could be used for things like schools or anti-drug education.



Bishop James contends that legalization would bring more drugs into his city, but where's the evidence? Marijuana is in Newark already. By legalizing and regulating it, we give cities the ability to control its sale and better keep it away from kids. Illegal dealers don't check I.D.s.



It is true that after Colorado legalized marijuana, the number of young minorities arrested for pot offenses went up 58 percent. That's disturbing, but an increase in arrests does not mean an increase in drug use by kids.



On the contrary: There was a slight decrease in youth drug abuse after legalization in Colorado, research showed. So what would account for the surge in youth arrests? A shift in policing strategy, one we must prevent here.



If we legalize marijuana for adults, it's important to make pot smoking for minors a civil offense, not criminal, so police don't simply refocus enforcement on minority kids and saddle them with criminal records. And the penalty should be drug education, not a fine, so it's not overly burdensome on poor families.



In the end, this isn't about big marijuana profits, as Rice and Bishop James claim. The best argument for legalization isn't money - it's morality.



Prohibition taught us that making alcohol illegal caused even greater moral problems, like the rise of organized crime. The same is true of marijuana, Rev. Jones says: "The more it's controlled and out in the open, the better for our communities."

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By Stuart Shapiro

As President Donald Trump passes the first anniversary of his inauguration, it is a good time to take stock of the roller-coaster ride of the past year. From my perch as the former director of Rutgers University's public policy program and as a former civil servant who worked under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, I have been observing with interest (and alarm) many of the events that have transpired under the 45th president.

I have gathered these observations, originally made in newspaper columns, and on social media, into a recent book, "Not Normal: A Progressive's Diary of the Year After Trump's Election." In the process of putting the book together, I've reflected upon what has been most exceptional about this past year and what it means going forward.

Critics of Trump have trouble distinguishing between those policies they disagree with and the things that truly set him apart. The one major piece of legislation that passed was a tax cut largely aimed at the wealthy. Since it mirrors legislation passed in 1981 and 2001, you could hardly get anything more "normal" for a Republican administration.

Similarly, his efforts at deregulation, while thus far largely unsuccessful, are also de rigueur for a Republican president.

Instead, the three things that have been most "not normal" about the first year of the Trump administration have been his racially charged policies and rhetoric, his approach to dealing with the rest of the world, and the scandal that has threatened to engulf his presidency.

The events in August in Charlottesville, Virginia, were the low point of a year where racial tension in the United States was at its highest level in decades. In 2017, Trump combined his insensitive response to the march by white supremacists with his Muslim ban, the criminal-justice policies of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and the revocation of the status of young immigrant "Dreamers." Earlier this month, he added to this collection with his comments about Haiti and Africa.

Together, these all furthered the view that this is an administration that is at a minimum blind, and probably hostile to the concerns of minority communities. These are concerns that haven't been raised about a president since long before the civil rights era.

Trump has described his foreign policy with the 1930s slogan "America First." But in his first year in office, it has been more "America alone."

He withdrew from a trade agreement in Asia that is now being renegotiated without us. He announced his intent to withdraw from the Paris climate accords, which the rest of the world will now implement without us. As the United States has withdrawn from the world, China, under President Xi Jinping, has seen the opportunity to fill the gap. Isolationism has not been a centerpiece of U.S. policy since before World War II.

As for the Russia scandal, having a presidency's first year consumed by an investigation of this magnitude with nearly weekly revelations is certainly not normal. The extent of the connections between the Trump campaign and Russian nationals indicates there is an awful lot of smoke. Only further investigation will indicate if there is fire. Other administrations (Clinton, Reagan and Nixon) have seen their presidencies dragged through long investigations, but none has started as early as this one (escalated in part by Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey).

At every turn Democrats were willing to negotiate. But @realDonaldTrump shifted the goal posts to bow to the extreme right wing of the Republican party. It's long past time to pass the bipartisan solutions that exist and end the #TrumpShutdown. pic.twitter.com/icytM312eK  Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) January 20, 2018

In some senses, the not-normal aspects of the Trump administration have been constrained by the other institutions of government behaving normally. These include the judiciary, the press, the bureaucracy and even at numerous points Congress. The normalcy of electoral pressures will likely push Congress to continue to constrain the president in 2018.

It is impossible to tell how the Trump administration will progress. The president has shattered norms of presidential behavior in ways that makes the past little guide to the future.

Will the presidency end in disgrace and scandal similar to the Nixon administration? Will it end in electoral humiliation like the Carter administration? Will a troubled first year give way to later successes as in the case of the Clinton administration? Or will its ending be something entirely different, something not normal?

Stuart Shapiro is a professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University. His new book, "Not Normal: A Progressive's Diary of the Year After Trump's Election" published earlier this month.

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WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump finished his first year in office with the lowest approval rating of any of his predecessors going back 70 years.

The ABC News/Washington Post poll gave Trump an approval rating of 36 percent, the lowest of any previous president in his freshman year. With 58 percent disapproving of his performance in office, Trump also is the only president going back to Harry S. Truman in negative territory after his first 12 months in office.

President Gerald Ford, who took office after Richard Nixon resigned in the Watergate scandal, was the only other president with less than a 50 percent job approval rating in the first 12 months. While just 45 percent approved of Ford's performance in office, 37 percent disapproved.

Trump's signature legislative accomplishment, a tax-cut bill that disproportionately affected New Jersey and other Democratic-leaning high-tax states by gutting the federal deduction for state and local taxes, remains unpopular, with 46 percent saying it was a bad thing for the country and just 34 percent saying it was a good thing.

While Trump and congressional Republicans touted their bill as a middle-class tax cut, only 11 percent of Americans believed them. On the other hand, 60 percent said the measure favored the rich.

Americans applauded the defeat of Trump's other high-profile legislative effort, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act with a bill that could have left as many as 32 million more Americans without health insurance.

In that case, 57 percent said it was good for the country that the health care law remained on the books, while 35 percent said it was a bad thing.

They were split on Trump's crackdown on immigration, with 46 percent saying it was a good thing and 47 percent saying it was not.

Senate Democrats opposed a Republican spending bill, shutting down the government, to force Trump and GOP lawmakers to agree to allow 690,000 unauthorized immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to remain in the country.

By 87 percent to 11 percent, Americans said the so-called dreamers should be allowed to remain the U.S. Trump revoked protections from deportation for the immigrants, giving Congress until March 5 to pass legislation to allow them to stay.

And by 63 percent to 34 percent, Americans opposed Trump's demand for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The president is seeking U.S. taxpayer funds to fund the barrier even though he pledged that Mexico would pay for it.

While the economy is growing and the stock market is at record highs, Americans credited President Barack Obama over Trump with the improvements. Half of those polled, 50 percent, said the Obama administration deserved a lot of credit for the state of the economy, while 38 percent said the same about the Trump administration.

The survey of 1,005 U.S. adults was conducted Jan. 15-18 and had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
WASHINGTON -- Gov. Phil Murphy convened a conference call Saturday with members of the state's congressional delegation on the first day of the latest federal government shutdown.

Murphy expressed concern about the impact the shutdown would have on New Jersey, and listened to lawmakers from both parties about the deadlock, according to spokesman Dan Bryan.

Those on the conference call were U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, D-N.J.; and Reps. Donald Norcross, D-1st Dist.; Tom MacArthur, R-3rd Dist.; Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist.; Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th Dist.; Leonard Lance, R-7th Dist.; and Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th Dist., according to Murphy's office.

Held a bipartisan call with the NJ congressional delegation to discuss the impacts of the government shutdown. We need to work together with our federal representatives to protect New Jersey families! pic.twitter.com/8OQEKl6Rdj  Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) January 20, 2018

Most Senate Democrats, joined by some Senate Republicans, voted against a temporary spending bill that would keep the government open until Feb. 16.

They want GOP lawmakers and President Donald Trump to first negotiate a plan to fully fund federal operations, including defense, for the entire fiscal year rather than a month at a time, as well as find a way to allow 690,000 unauthorized immigrants brought here as children to remain in the U.S.

The immigrants are known as dreamers after the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act that would have allowed those brought to the U.S. as children to remain in the country legally if they attended college or joined the military. Senate Republicans blocked that legislation.

Trump last fall revoked protections against deportation granted under President Barack Obama and gave Congress until March 5 to come up with a legislative solution to allow the dreamers to stay.

Thanks to @GovMurphy for hosting a bipartisan call w/federal officials to discuss the shutdown, which we all agree is hurting NJ. I encouraged @SenatorMenendez & @SenBooker to join bipartisan group of colleagues to reopen govt and deal w/DACA immediately afterwards. pic.twitter.com/AjzwcD7Xxl  Archive: Tom MacArthur (@RepTomMacArthur) January 20, 2018

Though Democratic votes are needed to pass a spending bill, neither Trump nor congressional Republican leaders have been willing to make any concessions in order to attract support from the minority party.

Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, ruled out any negotiations on allowing the dreamers to remain in the country as long as Democrats refuse to vote for the Republican spending bill.

"We look forward to resuming those negotiations as soon as the Senate Democrats reopen the government," he said Saturday.

MacArthur said after the conference call that Menendez and Booker should support Republican efforts to reopen the government now and address the immigration issue later.

"It is my hope that Senators Menendez and Booker will put politics aside and have a little faith that those of us on the other side of the aisle want to work with them in good faith on long term solutions to the problems facing our nation," MacArthur said. "Shutting down the government is hurting New Jersey and the country today and isn't the answer."

The last time the government shut down, in October 2013, both Mulvaney, then a member of the House, and Paul Ryan, R-Wis., now speaker, refused to vote for any spending bill unless it cut off funds for the Affordable Care Act.

When an agreement was reached to reopen the government after 16 days, both Ryan and Mulvaney voted no.

On Saturday, Ryan complained about the Senate Democratic refusal to support the Republican spending bill.

"One party in one house of this Congress is deliberately holding our government hostage," Ryan said on the House floor.

Democrats, including those in New Jersey, showed no signs of backing down.

At every turn Democrats were willing to negotiate. But @realDonaldTrump shifted the goal posts to bow to the extreme right wing of the Republican party. It's long past time to pass the bipartisan solutions that exist and end the #TrumpShutdown. pic.twitter.com/icytM312eK  Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) January 20, 2018

The way forward is clear: Republican leaders and the President must pass a bipartisan solution like the one on the table to reopen the government, restore CHIP, and provide a place in America for DREAMers.



The American people deserve nothing less.  Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 20, 2018

MacArthur, meanwhile, said he would forgo his congressional salary during the shutdown.

"It is unacceptable to me that members of Congress are still being paid, while our troops, federal law enforcement officers, and other government employees are not," he said.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump responded to demands that unauthorized immigrants brought to the U.S. as children be allowed to remain with a new campaign ad saying Democrats would be "complicit in every murder committed by illegal immigrants."

The 30-second ad was launched after Senate Democrats voted against a Republican spending bill when Trump and GOP lawmakers refused to negotiate a way to protect the so-called dreamers, who face deportation beginning March 5 after Trump revoked their protections.

That led to Saturday's government shutdown.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, a leader of the effort to allow the dreamers to remain in the country they grew up in, immediately criticized the ad.

"Donald Trump responded as he always does when his failures of leadership shine a negative light on him: with more racism, more xenophobia, and more white nationalism," said Menendez, D-N.J. "I wish I could say that I'm shocked that he would try to politicize the grief that these families have experienced, but I'm not."

"Instead of deflecting and dividing, and calling for a good shutdown, maybe he needs to understand that we need a good solution," Menendez said.

The Trump campaign defended the ad.

"Donald Trump was elected president to build the wall and keep American families safe from evil, illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes against lawful U.S. citizens," said Michael S. Glassner, executive director of Trump's campaign committee.

"Our new campaign ad draws attention to the stark contrast between 'complicit' Democrats and the president for his full commitment to build a wall and fix our border to protect Americans from drugs, murder and other atrocities," Glassner said.

The immigrants in question, including 17,400 in New Jersey, are known as "dreamers" after the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act that would have allowed them to remain in the country legally if they attended college or joined the military. Senate Republicans blocked that legislation.

Because the Democrats support the dreamers, the ad accuses them of also defending unauthorized immigrants who are "pure evil," such as one accused of killing two police officers who wished he had "killed more."

This is despite the fact that Trump also called for allowing the dreamers to remain in the U.S. even after he revoked President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in September.

Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2017

Menendez is part of a bipartisan group of six U.S. senators who agreed to strengthen border security and fund the wall that Trump said Mexico would pay for in exchange for allowing the dreamers to remain in the U.S. legally.

When members of that group visited Trump at the White House to present the bipartisan compromise, the president responded by calling Haiti and African nations "shithole countries" and rejected the deal.

The Trump campaign launched the ad in the wake of recent polls indicating that Americans would blame the Republicans who control the White House and Congress for the shutdown, not the out-of-power Democrats.

In a Quinnipiac University poll, 53 percent said they would blame either Trump or congressional Republicans, while 34 percent said congressional Democrats were responsible. A CNN poll said 47 percent of Americans would pin the blame on Trump or congressional Republicans and 31 percent on Democrats.

And an ABC News/Washington Post poll said almost half of Americans, 48 percent, would blame Trump and the Republicans, while 28 percent said they would blame the Democrats.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
Rahway's fire chief is accused of driving while so drunk that he urinated and vomited on himself on his way home from a party.

Jackson police charged William R. Young Jr., with driving while intoxicated on Nov. 11 after callers to dispatch reported he had almost hit a bus and a wall, according to a police report.

Officer Michael Morizio spotted Young's white BMW around 10:40 p.m. when he stopped short at a stop sign on Diamond Road and then sat without moving, the report said. The officer turned on his emergency lights and got out of the car to approach the BMW, but Young drove away, Morizio wrote in the report.

The officer followed Young and activated his sirens, causing Young to pull over near Alexander Avenue, the report said.

Young, 60, searched for his registration and car insurance for more than a minute and was unable to find the documents, the report said. He gave the officer his driver's license and his firefighter identification card, Morizio wrote.

"While William was searching for his documents I detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from within the vehicle," Morizio wrote in the report. "I then visually observed stains on William's sweatshirt which I recognized to be from vomiting very recently. I also observed a stain on William's pants and it was evident that William urinated himself."

Morizio asked Young where he was coming from and whether he had been drinking, and Young replied that he had been at a party in Rahway and had consumed a few drinks, the report said.

Young lives in Jackson, according to an address on the police report and in public records. Jackson is roughly 40 miles south of Rahway, where Young also serves as the fire director.

While Morizio was talking to another officer who had arrived to help, Young turned on his radio and played it at what seemed like the highest volume, the report said. He then changed the station, lowered the volume, raised it again and then turned off the radio entirely, according to the report.

Morizio and the other officer told Young to step out of the car, and he rolled the window up most of the way, the report said. Several seconds later and after the officers repeated the order, Young rolled the window down again and an officer helped him open the door "due to his inability to locate the handle," the report said.

Young lost his balance while exiting his car, told the officers he was not that drunk and then denied that he had urinated on himself, the report said.

He failed a vision test and fell backwards while trying to complete a one-leg stand test, according to the report.

While police brought Young back to their headquarters, Young "appeared to be nauseous and was constantly dry heaving," Morizio wrote in the report. He was also "burping and breathing heavy" throughout the trip.

Young twice vomited in a holding cell and then fell asleep, the report said. His wife eventually arrived to take him home, according to the report.

His blood alcohol level was found to be 0.12, the report said.

In addition to driving while intoxicated, Young also faces charges of reckless driving and traffic on marked lanes. He is scheduled to appear in municipal court in Jackson on Feb. 8.

Young told NJ Advance Media in an email Thursday, "Although I would like to comment on this situation, I must direct you to my attorney."

His lawyer, Matthew Reisig, did not return multiple calls for comment.

Young has been a public employee in New Jersey since at least 1989. He earned $172,731 annually as of September, according to the most recent state data available.

Rahway Mayor Raymond Giacobbe Jr. confirmed Friday that Young still has his job but declined to elaborate, saying it was city policy not to comment on ongoing personnel issues.

Young is the second Rahway official recently to have traffic incidents become public.

Former Mayor Samson Steinman crashed a city car in August 2016 and again in March. He was charged with driving with an expired license in the first incident and with careless driving and failing to show his insurance card in the second collision.

Steinman resigned Dec. 24, citing a need to focus on personal issues. He previously said publicly that he is bipolar.

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The Times-Picayune is marking the tricentennial of New Orleans with its ongoing 300 for 300 project, running through 2018 and highlighting 300 people who have made New Orleans New Orleans, featuring original artwork commissioned by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune with Where Y'Art gallery. Today: philanthropist John McDonogh.

The icon: John McDonogh.

The legacy: John McDonogh left half his fortune in 1850 to build schools in his native Baltimore, in New Orleans and McDonoghville, the West Bank neighborhood named after him. McDonogh's $1.5 million bequest, which would be worth more than $45 million today, was left for the benefit of children "of both sexes and all classes and castes of color." The effects of his gift are still evident. The John McDonogh Fund wasn't completely exhausted until 2002, and in 2018, there is one school in Jefferson Parish and four in Orleans with McDonogh in their names.

The artist: Connie Kittok, WhereYart.net.

The quote: "Because he always wore the same worn, almost threadbare suit, many people thought of McDonogh as a miser. But the richest man in Louisiana looked like a bum to save money for children. He wanted to help all underprivileged children of New Orleans, and he decided the best way to do that was to accrue land." - McDonogh biographer G. Leighton Ciravolo at a 2000 presentation called "150 Years of John McDonogh's Legacy."

Explore more of Connie Kittok's work online at WhereYart.net and in person at the Where Y'Art gallery, 1901 Royal Street in the Marigny.

John McDonogh was born during the American Revolution to a wealthy brick maker. Around 1800, he moved to New Orleans, where he established a successful shipping business and began amassing local real estate.

Source: The Times-Picayune archive

More on 300 for 300:
Justin Matthew Payne's application to join the New Orleans Police Department resulted in his arrest by Chicago police on first-degree murder charges, The Advocate reported.

NOPD spokesman Beau Tidwell confirmed on Friday (Jan. 19) that Payne had applied to be a New Orleans police officer, The Advocate reported.

Payne, 26, is suspected of killing Luis Pena, 64, a Chicago area trucking company owner, in December 2016. When he applied to join the NOPD, Chicago police had not yet issued a warrant for his arrest, The Advocate reported.

Payne had passed an initial criminal records check, but when an NOPD recruiter began contacting his former employers, Chicago police were notified by one of those employers that Payne was seeking a job as an officer.

The NOPD assisted Chicago police by calling Payne into headquarters. There, Chicago detectives confronted him, eventually booking him on first degree murder charges.

Read more here.
Cajun pop princess Amanda Shaw will lead the Krewe of Nyx 2018 parade as grand marshal on Wednesday, Feb. 7, the krewe announced.

"Amanda Shaw is the essence of New Orleans and Louisiana and embodies how much music means to all of us. As New Orleans celebrates its Tricentennial, Amanda was the perfect woman to lead us off into our biggest celebration yet," said Nyx Captain Julie Lea in a press release.

In addition to its signature hand-decorated purses, Nyx will be throwing uniquely shaped doubloons that reflect this year's theme along with its signature purse-shaped doubloons. The theme of the parade is a secret until parade day.

Nyx rolls Feb. 7 at 6:45 p.m. on the 5.5 mile traditional Uptown parade route. See the map here.

The krewe encourages those who catch Nyx purses to post a photo to the Nyx Purse Tracker on Facebook at Facebook.com/NyxPurseTracker or on Twitter at @NyxPurseTracker.
BY MIR BASIT HUSSAIN

New Delhi finally had its way when Srinagar was handed over to CRPF with Jagmohans appointment on Jan 19, 1990. The same day, a neighbourhood on the ghats of Jhelum became the spark point of Kashmirs unflinching dissent.

When SSP Srinagar Allah Baksh suddenly turned up at Chota Bazaar on January 19, 1990, the first sign of radical shift in Kashmirs militarised landscape appeared. New Delhi had finally cleared the decks for the return of the controversial administrator Jagmohan who only used his single name as JKs new governor.

Now behave, Baksh was heard telling the Chota Bazaar locals. Its no longer in our hands.

Before the vague statement could leave the locals confused, the helmeted and padded paramilitary force began arriving to replace the JK police on the streets of Chota Bazaar. The move was the indicator of a historic transition. The defiant Srinagar where freedom songs blaring from mosque speakers had made it an apparent liberated town was finally handed over to Indias largest central armed police force, CRPF.

The moment CRPF was deployed, says Ali Mohammad Kochak, a charcoal retailer in Chota Bazaar, who saw the history unfolding in the area that day, the locals sensed the alarming situation as some of the hostile troopers began assaulting the locals around the bridge.

With Jagmohan still cooling his heels in Jammu, the two local boys came out of their homes in a routine manner  perhaps oblivious of the harsher curfew imposed in the city. Near the bridge, Kochak saw the paramilitary men chasing them. They jumped over the fence of a nearby house.

The two CRPF men also jumped inside the residence, recalls Kochak, then watching the scene from his house window. It panicked the women of that household, who shouted and alarmed the neighbourhood.

As the screams echoed through, people came out with sticks, spades and whatever they could lay their hand on. Even fishermen living in small houseboats came out with shovels to confront the CRPF, the eyewitness of the episode says. After momentary street chaos, the CRPF forced the locals indoors again. But youth were still standing near the alleys, raising slogans.

Next day, on Jan 20, the entire township faced the first militancy-era cordon and search operation, now written as CASO in short spaced headlines. During that first ever CASO, women cops were called in to check the local women. Perhaps the episode was the first ominous sign of the times Kashmir was about to pass under Jagmohans four-month Raj Bhawan stint.

In that dawn raid, forces barged inside the houses, and dragged out the locals. One of them was Abdul Majeed Shah, a carpet dealer.

Before taking me out on the first crackdown in Kashmir, says Shah, now living in his new residence at Qamarwari, Srinagar, the CRPF troopers enquired about my other family members. His two minor sons were shaken up from the sleep and also taken out.

I pleaded with them that let me wear clothes. They didnt agree. I just put on my Pheran over my undergarments and came out with my sonsshivering in Januarys numbing cold, Shah says.

On the main street, he saw a fleet of paramilitary trucks and buses ready to ferry locals to the nearby DC office, Srinagar.

Lithnawik tatheth (We were beaten black and blue), recalls Shah. Even a mentally-unsound person had been detained. From DC office, they were taken to Hari Niwas. On the way to that palace abandoned by the last Dogra Maharaja of J&K in the later part of 1947, Shah asked a trooper: Whats happening?

Abdullah Raj khatam hogaya. Ab pata chalega. Governor Raj shuru hogaya (Abdullah rule is over and done. Youll get to know now. Its the Governors rule now), Shah recounts that resounding remark on way to Hari Niwas, where some 450 men were thoroughly frisked and passed through an identification parade.

For the first time, Shah says, we were made to stand in a line and passed before a masked man for identification. Later such masked men came to be known as CATs.

Once done with the parade, a high-ranking Sikh officer came and made the scantily-dressed locals to sit on a mat in a bitter cold. Then, the SSP Srinagar Allah Baksh arrived with an assurance. Dont worry, Shah quotes him as having said. Nothing is going to happen to you.

For the whole day, Shah says, his townspeople were being summoned into the building and questioned. From windows, he could hear cries.

There were government employees among us, too, he says. They thought they might be spared. Dey Choab (They were thrashed like anything). Many people later recalled how they were grilled for living in the native place of JKLF top militants like Javaid Mir and Bitta Karate. Then Karate would trend as the notoriously-famous hit-man trailing the sleuth Pandits.

By the evening of January 20, 1990, when Jagmohan was done with his intimidating televised speech from Jammu, a curfew relaxation in Srinagar was thick with talk of molestation at Chota Bazaar and adjoining Guru Bazaar. With all the men detained at Hari Niwas, the next morning dailies wrote, many women were molested.

Later that day as guns fell silent after raging on human bodies at Gaw Kadal where fire was opened on the procession heading towards Chota Bazaar in solidarity from civil lines, Peer Mohammad Amin, the Chota Bazaar headman went to meet Jagmohan, who had landed in Srinagar soon after the massacre.

In presence of chief secretary Hameed Banhali, I asked him: Whats this? You said youve come as Nurse Orderly. What did you do in your first day as governor? Is this your idea of handling Kashmir? He told me to talk to Banhali in my own language. But I can speak with you in your own language, too, I told him. The face-off ended after the locals were releasedexcept two, who were set free six months and a series of tortures later.

By the time the duo walked out, Kashmir had changed. Jagmohan was back to Delhi after presiding over multiple massacres. And Chota Bazaar had become the urban legend in the seething Srinagar.

Courtesy: FreePressKashmir
Sunday night's 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards isn't just about honoring the best in movies and TV. Even if you don't know a "Lady Bird" from a "Big Sick," you can still ponder the night's unique fashion choices.

Fans and professional critics alike are weighing in on the best and worst in attire among the celebrities arriving on the red carpet at the Shine Auditorium in Los Angeles, where the two-hour awards show is being televised live at 8 p.m. Eastern on TNT and TBS.

Check back here for the latest photos and other fashion updates from the red carpet.

The SAG Awards, hosted by the SAG-AFTRA union at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, follow the Golden Globes as another major precursor to the 2018 Oscars.

The night after the 2018 Women's March, actress Kristen Bell ("The Good Place") will serve as the first-ever host of the SAG Awards alongside a slate of mostly female presenters.

"This is a unifying salute to women who have been very brave and speaking up," Kathy Connell, executive producer of the show, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The casts of the films "Lady Bird," "The Big Sick," "Get Out," "Mudbound" and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" are among the nominees. So are the casts of the TV series "Stranger Things," "This Is Us," "The Handmaid's Tale," "The Crown" and "Game of Thrones."

Also among the nominees: actors James Franco and Aziz Ansari, who have both recently faced allegations of sexual misconduct or coercion. Both also won Golden Globes for their roles in "The Disaster Artist" and "Master of None," respectively.

Here is a complete list of nominees.

NJ.com contributed to this report.
Accompanied by Fr. Michael Burke, "The Piano Playing Priest," Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra musician Yaroslav Rudnytsky recently took friends and family of Kay and Chuck Sabadie of Slidell on a musical journey via a violin that once belonged to Sabadie's grandfather.

The violin, meticulously restored by master luthier Bill Shettler of New Orleans, had traveled with the elder Sabadie from Spain to America in 1910. On his trip to the United States, Sabadie met Dr. Ernest Schuyten, who would go on to establish New Orleans' first classical music group that would ultimately become the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sabadie performed in both the original classical group and the LPO, a connection not lost on Rudnytsky. "I wouldn't be here, the LPO wouldn't be here if it were not for Joaquin. If it were not for his vision. If it were not for his perseverance. If it were not for his passion for music," Rudnytsky said.

Between performances which quickly silenced the lively chatter in the Sabadie's living room-turned-salon concert hall, Rudnytsky marveled at the instrument's preservation and its maturity of sound. "For this violin to be in such pristine shape without being kept in a vault is unprecedented," he said.

In fact, Joaquin Sabadie's violin was rarely idle. Sabadie performed with the King's orchestra in Spain before coming to America and performed throughout his life in the United States. "He loved to play his instrument every day," Chuck Sabadie said.

Upon Joaquin's death in 1960, the violin was cared for by relatives until it was given to his grandson, who shared Joaquin's passion for music. Currently a personal financial representative, Sabadie is a Holy Cross grad who went on to earn his degree from Loyola University. He performed frequently at the famed New Orleans Blue Room throughout the 70s as well as with the LPO, as his grandfather had before him.

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"I met the musicians who had played with my grandfather, and they treated me with great respect. I never forgot, and I always hoped, one day, I could do something to give back," Sabadie said.

Sabadie has given back, volunteering with organizations including the Slidell Symphony Society and the Slidell Advocacy Council Chapter of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Northshore Advocacy Council, "creating events where we, as friends, can gather to enjoy beautiful music and incredible musicians," he said.

Sabadie applauded the musicianship and dedication of Rudnytsky, a citizen of Kiev, Ukraine, and winner of several international violin competitions who has lived in the United States for 17 years. He joined the LPO eight years ago, and performs approximately 200 performances for 39 weeks of each year with the group. Rudnytsky's wife of 1 1/2 years, Catherine, is an accomplished choral director and pianist still living in Kiev.

Sabadie also praised Fr. Michael Burke, a Catholic priest and prolific composer who performs and records music when not attending to his duties as a member of the Southern Dominican Community. "You can speak many different languages, but music is the universal language," Fr. Burke said.

Carol Wolfram photographs and writes stories about the people and events of the Slidell community. To reach her, email carol.wolfram@yahoo.com.
New Orleanians discovered in August that the city wasn't prepared for summer rainstorms. Now a three-day Arctic blast has proved to be our undoing, so we're clearly not prepared to handle winter weather, either.

Water pressure in Jefferson Parish dropped so low this week that Louis Armstrong International Airport had to set up portable toilets and curtail most food service Thursday (Jan. 18). The heat went out, too, because there wasn't enough water to run boilers. What a welcome that was for visitors here for conventions or vacation.

Several high-rise hotels in New Orleans couldn't get water to upper floors for people to use showers. Residents have been ordered to boil water before using it out of fear of contamination.

This is not a good way to start the city's 300th anniversary year. We look every bit of our age this week.

For New Orleanians, this is at least the 13th boil water advisory since Hurricane Katrina. It's the first since the disaster for Jefferson Parish.

The water pressure problems in Jefferson Parish are an indication of how unusual this icy weather has been, but that doesn't make New Orleanians feel much better. City residents have been dealing with a patched-together water and drainage system for years. The system was creaky before Katrina, and the massive flooding after the levees broke made it worse.

A dozen years later, though, we ought to be farther along in repairing that damage. Instead, the Sewerage & Water Board is lurching from one emergency to another.

In August, a heavy rainstorm flooded homes and cars in Mid-City, Lakeview and Gentilly. S&WB officials claimed initially that the system was at full capacity during the storm, which they said was too intense for pumps to handle. But after City Council questioning they admitted that three of five power turbines and 17 drainage pumps weren't working during the storm. Pumping stations weren't fully staffed, either.

Then in early January during a few days of below-freezing weather, the S&WB ordered residents to turn off dripping faucets because the water usage was putting too much pressure on the system.

Now, two weeks later, a couple of nights of temperatures in the upper-20s knocked out the water system. Sure, Jefferson Parish is struggling with low water pressure, too. But that is a short-term problem for residents there.

Within a day or two, Jefferson will have its system running efficiently again. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, residents will be bracing for the next breakdown.

The Sewerage & Water Board loses 40 percent of the water it produces on a good day. Underground pipes are leaking constantly. The agency's power plant is being propped up with generators.

S&WB officials have said the water system had a daily capacity of 180 million gallons. During the freezing weather this week, consumption spiked to 170 million gallons on the east bank. And the system couldn't handle it. So, is the capacity really 180 million gallons?

"We have an old, tired system that hasn't had the kind of deferred maintenance that a system requires," Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. "It breaks."

New Orleanians understand that we live in an old city. The 300-year-old patina gives it the charm we love, but sometimes things are going to break.

The Sewerage & Water Board and generations of city officials let the water system erode well beyond its life cycle, though. Now it doesn't just have breaks. It is broken.

S&WB interim director Marcie Edwards has four months to get the water and drainage system ready for hurricane season. Clearly that won't be easy to do, but it must be done.

Then she is supposed to turn the S&WB over to a full-time executive director, who must find a way to modernize the system and make it reliable.

New Orleans is a beautiful city with a fascinating history and vibrant cultural offerings. But you shouldn't have to boil water to wash your dishes or worry about whether it is safe to shower.
Coming off a six weeks of rain, and coming into what appears to be the beginning of the dog days, its time to change your fishing strategy if you plan to catch fish the rest of the summer.
Prairieville lawyer Aaron Lawler became the third member of the Ascension Parish Council to have a recall petition filed against him in the past two weeks, as some residents revolt over the pace of new developments and their impact on floods and traffic.
Florida high school receiver Justin Watkins gave what was believed to be his final pledge Saturday when he committed to Florida.

The four-star-rated prospect announced his decision in a message posted to Twitter.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Watkins visited LSU in November, and he had previously committed to LSU, Florida State and Texas. But with less than three weeks until the Feb. 7 National Signing Day, it appears this fourth pledge may stick.

LSU remained hot on his trail through most of his recruitment, led by area recruiter Corey Raymond. But the numbers crunch in Baton Rouge forced the Tigers to back off, according to a source with the program.

Alabama appeared to be next in line, but a source in Tuscaloosa stated they were in the same predicament as LSU last month.

Watkins is expected to compete at wide receiver for the Gators, but has the ability to play cornerback as well.
New Orleans firefighters are battling a two-alarm fire Saturday night (Jan. 20), in the Oakmont Apartments in the Behrman area of Algiers, according to NOFD.

The fire was reported at 7:19 p.m. in the 2200 block of Westbend Parkway. No injuries were reported by 8:30 p.m., according to a Fire Department spokeswoman.

No further information was immediately available.
More than 20 residents were displaced from their homes and a dog died Saturday night (Jan. 20) after a two-alarm fire broke out in the Oakmont Apartments in the Behrman area of Algiers, according to the New Orleans Fire Department.

The fire was reported at 7:19 p.m. in the 2200 block of Westbend Parkway, according to NOFD. Capt. Edwin Holmes said 18 people were inside the 14 units in the three-story building that caught fire. Holmes said 11 of the 14 units were occupied at the time.

One woman was treated on the scene for minor smoke inhalation, but no other injuries were reported, NOFD officials said.

Two dogs were found in one of the 14 apartments that caught fire. One of the dogs was treated on the scene with oxygen, but the other succumbed to its injuries, Holmes said.

Residents from three other buildings were evacuated, and residents said many of the apartments suffered smoke and water damage.

The flames were under control at 8:25 p.m., according to NOFD. By 9:30 p.m., residents were gathered in the wet parking lot as firefighters cleaned up the scene and Red Cross workers assisted those displaced.

Red Cross disaster services team leader Marc Adams said at least 23 people were unable to return to their apartments Saturday night. The Red Cross would be handing out hotel vouchers that would give all of the displaced residents a place to stay for at least a few days, he said.

Reginald Delmore said his apartment suffered major smoke and water damage. Delmore said he and his boyfriend, Sage Jackson, were waiting outside for more than two hours to find out from Red Cross where they would be staying.

A resident who declined to give his name said he lives in a unit in the building that caught fire. He said he was inside his apartment when he heard a noise that "sounded like missiles."

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"Then I looked out the window, and it was all red," he said.

Errol Williams said he has lived in the building for about six years also was in his apartment when the fire broke out.

"It was horrible," Williams said. "We're all devastated. It's real bad."

Mary Rhodes said she was sleeping when the fire started and was woken up by firefighters banging on her door, yelling that she had to get out right away.

"I thought I was having a nightmare," Rhodes said. "I was in shock, but I grabbed my cat and ran out."

Rhodes, who was holding her 4-month-old rescue cat, Buddy, as she waited to learn the condition of her apartment, said she was glad to hear that no one was hurt.

"I used to be so materialistic when I was younger, but I lost everything in Katrina and it's all just stuff now," Rhodes said. "At least I grabbed what mattered the most," she said, motioning to Buddy.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, according to NOFD.
Weather Alert

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 5 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Heat index values between 100 and 105 expected. * WHERE...Portions of southeast Louisiana. * WHEN...From 11 AM this morning to 5 PM CDT this afternoon. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
SRINAGAR, (CNS): It was this day (January 21, 1990), twenty-seven years ago, when at least 52 Kashmiri innocent civilians were butchered by Indias Central Reserve Police Force in the heart of the Srinagar city when thousands of people took out a massive anti-India procession.

Eyewitness accounts reveal that anti-India sentiments were running deep and the city was reverberating with pro-freedom slogans. On January 21, 1990, the whole city was under siege, massive search and crackdown operations were carried out to trace down the militants. The news of women being molested and hundreds of people being arrested by the Indian forces on the directions of the then Governor Jagmohan sent shockwaves throughout Srinagar city, said a local from Kokarbazar to CNS.

Some of the witnesses said that a procession actually started from Ikhrajpora that swelled up as it passed through lanes and bye lanes of the civil lines areas. Young and old, filled with anger came on the streets. Bubbling with the sentiment of freedom, the slogans sent sound waves which broke the cold air. As the procession reached Maisuma, the Indian Troops were assembled at the Gowkadal Bridge, to thwart the protests. The resonance of the slogans kept the procession going; they were unaware of what was going to happen. As soon as they stepped on the bridge, the sounds of Light Machine Gun (LMG) and AK 47 surrounded them. Bullets were fired. People were falling like the pack of cards. Some people jumped over the bridge to save their lives.

Twently-four years old youth Abdul Rouf according to eyewitnesses saved scores of people. He confronted a CRPF trooper who emptied the whole magazine (32 bullets) into his chest. According to eyewitnesses 18 bullets were shot in the stomach of a budding youth Irfan Ahmed after marauds troopers found him breathing among the dead. Entire carbine was emptied in the chest of the neighbor of this youth who was later identified as Farooq Ahmed. They kept shooting, until everyone at the bridge was dead. Some pretended to be dead and thus survived.

As the sounds of bullets got down, the bridge and the road was full of bodies. It was a scene from a war. The blood was rushing down the road into the river below making the water red.

Fifty two people died and 250 sustained bullet injuries. However the official death toll was put to 21. Police registered the FIR vide number 3/1990 under section 148, 149, 307, 188 RPC at Kralkhud Police Station but it was registered against the atrocious mob. Nothing was written against the CRPF and Police action. The case stands closed and the culprits untraceable.
70pc of works completed, says developer

More than 70 percent of the construction work of the much awaited 220kV Gongor-Khimti Transmission Line Project, which is crucial to evacuate electricity generated from 456MW Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, has been completed.
Congress seeks written report on poll debacle

With an understanding among the top leaders to call a separate meeting of the Central Working Committee to review the partys poor showing in the recently concluded elections to the House of Representatives and provincial assemblies,
Doti locals call off general strike

Agitating locals of Doti on Sunday called off the general strike enforced in the district for the past five days in view of the National Assembly election.
President Museveni presiding over the passing out of prison officers

Human rights activists have reacted angrily to President Musevenis intent to enforce the death penalty, more than two decades after the last execution.

While presiding over at the pass out of 919 prisons officers at Luzira Prisons Training Academy on January 18, Museveni said that the increasing criminality in the country will force him to reconsider his position on the death penalty.

"I have not been assenting to hanging of convicts because of my Christian background but being lenient is causing people to think they can cause harm and get away with it," Museveni said.

From the human rights perspective, Musevenis statements are a step back in as far as the fight against abuse of human rights and dignity is concerned.

The greatest manifestation of human dignity is life, you cant talk of promoting dignity when you are taking away a life, Mohammed Ndifuna, the executive director of Human Rights Network (Hurinet) said on January 19.

Ndifuna was speaking during a joint press conference by civil society organisation (CSOs) at the Uganda National NGO forum offices at Kabalagala on the outskirts of Kampala.

The press conference was called for the CSOs to give their look at events that were witnessed in the year 2017, and their forecast of the New Year.

There are many instances, some of them of course are outside Uganda,of people who were executed and later it turns out that they were innocent, Ndifuna said.

What Museveni is talking about is a retrogressive step, he added.

According to the Ugandan law, there are 28 offenses that are punishable with a death penalty. Notable among these is murder, treason and terrorism.

The president spoke against a backdrop of increased cases of mysterious murder across the country that claimed lives of about 20 women in areas around Kampala.

In the greater Masaka sub-region, there is a notorious group locally known as Bakijambiya group that has since March last year been wreaking havoc in the area, claiming dozens of lives. According to Ndifuna, hanging such criminals may not solve the problem.

They are not arresting the persons responsible for these deaths, Ndifuna said. There are those that have confessed to being responsible for 90 per cent of the murders in the country but no one is arresting them. We hope they [government] are not going to use execute political opponents, he added.

AGE LIMIT BILL

The CSOs also criticised the events that characterised the tabling and passing of Igara West MP Raphael Magyezis Constitutional amendment Bill that led to the scrapping of the presidential age limit and also extended the term of elected leaders by two years.

The invasion of parliament by armed security agents on September 27, 2017, arrest of some members of parliament, civil society activists and journalists to facilitate the amendment of Article 102(b) of the Constitution, set the country on a very uncertain political path. We continue to reiterate our original position that the amendment of Article 102(b) was a selfish act and not in the interest of the country, NGO forums Richard Ssewakiryanga said.

This provision provided the much-needed constitutional safeguards against a repeat of our history characterized by violent transfers of power. Ugandans must find time to build political consensus on the key features of our democracy, he added.

Ssewakiryanga said, the amendment requires all Ugandans including MPs to reflect on the deeper implication of this action. He criticised the government for using its agencies to stifle free speech through acts of repression which also led to a siege on some CSOs that were suspected to be opposed to the scrapping of the presidential age limit.

The siege on some civil society organizations, and media agencies, the arrests of some civil society leaders and activists across the country and the unnecessary investigations of another 27 organizations were not only an affront to the freedoms of association and expression but also an expression of the most rudimentary forms of repression. Such actions blemish the sanctity of our aspiration to build a democratic society, Ssewakiryanga said.

Additionally, offices of some eight NGOs were broken into and a number of their information storage facilities taken. While many of these cases were reported to police, the police are yet to update the NGOs on the progress of their investigations.

sadabkk@observer.ug
FDC president Partrick Amuriat (L) and his predecessor Mugisha Muntu during the partys delegates conference last November

After a bitter campaign and closely fought presidential election last November, FDC finds itself locked in another bitter post-election feud, akin to the 2012 squabbling.

The leadership and ideological crisis rocking Ugandas largest opposition party has deepened after a top official tried to frustrate its disaffected former leader, Maj Gen Gregory Mugisha Muntus upcountry meetings. Party secretary general, Nathan Nandala-Mafabis January 10 letter to Forum for Democratic Change branch officials has stoked this phase of the internal strife pulling FDC apart.

The letter was also seen as a sly attempt to sabotage Gen Muntus countrywide consultations, which could result in him forming a new party.

Mafabi now faces accusations of wading into undemocratic waters, contrary to FDCs founding principles, which champion the rule of law, constitutionalism and human rights and freedom of assembly and association, among others.

Despatched shortly before Muntu set off for Bunyoro sub-region on Monday, Mafabi addressed himself to FDCs district chairpersons and general secretaries.

This is to inform your office that anyone from headquarters or anywhere who intends to carry out an activity in your district in the name of the party should demonstrate that the activity was discussed and passed by the FDC National Executive Committee, he wrote.

This is for purposes of harmonising the party activities. All the activities of the party will be communicated to you by my office.

No such NEC discussion has taken place. However, Muntu had, in the aftermath of the bitter campaign which saw Patrick Oboi Amuriat win a proxy fight for the FDC presidency in November 2017, promised consultations.

Many interpret his consultations as a first step towards the feared break-up of FDC, a party where his leadership was severely undermined by founding president, Dr Kizza Besigye.

In Hoima, Muntu said: It is not easy to start a new party under the current political environmentits toughI am glad we are gathering these views and I promised the new party president that we shall be transparent and even if we take a decision to leave the party, it will be done in a mature manner and that we will still work side by side to achieve the objectives.

Speaking to The Observer, FDC secretary for legal affairs Abed Nasser Mudiobole said Mafabi was driven by political emotion.

Mafabis letter was uncalled for. Not necessary. It is divisive and must be treated with contempt. There are precedents in this party. We have had many activities that have been supported by the party even when there is no single minute of NEC approving such activities. Campaigns like Togikwatako or the 4GC and A4C, and activities of individual members, were not sanctioned by NEC, Mudiobole said.

He was backed by party elder and NEC member Abdu Katuntu who said: I dont think what Hon Mafabi and group are doing is right. We would appear [to be] behaving the same way NRM did when Hon Amama Mbabazi expressed interest in the top leadership of the party and he was stopped from carrying out his consultations as they were considered not to be politically correct.

It is unfortunate that we would behave this way before we even take over power. Just imagine how some of us would behave when we take over, he said.

A week ago, Amuriat had hinted at what his faction planned for their rivals.

As a party we take responsibility to ask what type of consultations? Are they [Muntu] going to consult as party members? Under what formation? Because any consultation done in the name of the party, the organs of the party must be made aware and they adopt whatever activities, he said.

This view was contested by Mudiobole. FDC is a party whose main ideals are to champion the rule of law and promote democratic principles. It is a constitutional right for any citizen to do what Gen Muntu is doing. We should be the last to stifle his way, he said.

Other prominent members of the opposition, among them, Democratic Party president, Norbert Mao, agree.

Mao tweeted: It is good for a leader to keep his fingers on the peoples pulse. I trust that by listening to the people, a leader can refine his views, rise above prejudices and find his true mission. My prayer is that we all become tributaries that coalesce into a mighty river of real change.

Mafabi didnt pick or return our calls. Interviewed for this story, Sarah Eperu, the spokesperson for Amuriat, said, [Mafabis] letter was not solely targeting Muntu but also Moses Byamugyisha who had started consulting party youths in the west.

She said Gen Muntu is a big advocate of building party structures and strong institutions which he is undermining by going ahead with his consultations.

What he is doing is going to break down an institution he has helped build over the years, she said, adding that it was wrong for Muntu to write to police, and not FDC seeking clearance for his meetings.



MORE INFIGHTING

Mafabis opening of a new frontline comes at a time when Amuriat is creating parallel structures to bypass party organs believed to be loyal to Muntu. Inside sources say it started with the influential office of secretary for information and publicity, which principally deals with publicity, including running the important weekly press briefings.

Kira Municipality MP, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, is the FDC secretary for information and publicity, deputised by Paul Mwiru. Both support Muntu. Now, Amuriat has appointed Sarah Eperu to act as the head of the party presidents press unit, an entirely new creation.

This is why Eperu has been presiding over the most recent press briefings, including the one of last week, said the source.

After Mondays press briefing, Amuriat insinuated that Ssemujju may have deliberately stayed away. But Ssemujju told The Observer that he has been busy with the campaign against the removal of presidential age limits.

What the Hon Amuriat also has to know is that people in politics are not enthusiastic with meetings like the case in the private sector and he has to live with it. For the last one year, I have been at the FDC, I have attended meetings where some departments are not represented throughout the year, he said.

Also missing from the Monday briefing was Mudiobole yet the days theme was a pronouncement on FDCs intended legal action. Last month, Mudiobole said he was sidelined for not supporting Amuriat. Indeed, another lawyer, Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi, presided over the swearing-in of Amuriat.

Amuriat appeared before the press with senior lawyer Yusuf Nsibambi last Monday.

It should not also be misunderstood. [Nsibambi] is a prominent member of the party, who voluntarily avails himself whenever the need for his services arises, he said.



skakaire@observer.ug
Frankensteinian experiments

If manipulating and killing animals to harvest organs is okay, why not do the same to humans?
Sangam Prasain is Business Editor at The Kathmandu Post, covering tourism, agriculture, mountaineering, aviation, infrastructure and other economic affairs. He joined The Kathmandu Post in October 2009.
Urban experts and Irish oddsmakers say the Washington, D.C.-area's chances of landing Amazon's second headquarters jumped significantly last week when the region won three spots on the company's list of 20 potential locations.

Greater Washington has most of the attributes the online retail giant says it wants for the project, a $5 billion investment that will create as many as 50,000 well-paying jobs. The region has one of the nation's best-educated workforces, a diverse population, international airports and public transit. It can't hurt that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bought a $23 million mansion in the District of Columbia a year ago and owns The Washington Post.

"I think their eyes are on D.C.," said Richard Florida, a professor at the University of Toronto and author of influential books on urban issues. "For Amazon, it solves a lot of problems."

But the three contenders on Amazon's shortlist -- the District, Montgomery County, Maryland, and northern Virginia -- still face strong competition from large, cosmopolitan metro areas including New York, Boston and Atlanta.

In addition, a historical lack of cooperation among the District, Maryland and Virginia threatens the region's bid, according to local officials and academic analysts.

Seattle-based Amazon has said it wants a strong, stable working relationship with local authorities. That poses a challenge for a region where power is split among two states and a federal district. The area's well-known failure in recent months to agree on how to fund its rail transit system, Metro, has highlighted the problem.

"Washington has a really good chance if they are cohesive," said Amy Liu, director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution. "Unfortunately, that's not where the region is."

Greater Washington was the only metropolitan area in the competition with three locations to make the cut.

That helped lead Dublin-based Paddy Power bookmakers to say the odds for Montgomery County jumped dramatically, from a 250-1 long shot to one of the favorites at 8-1. The District was close behind at 10-1, while northern Virginia placed at 20-1.

The oddsmaker saw Boston as the most likely winner, with odds at 3-1, followed closely by Austin and Atlanta.

Each of the Washington-area locations suggested more than one site for the Amazon campus, which the company said would require as much as 8 million square feet of office space.

Montgomery County and northern Virginia have not publicly divulged the sites, for fear of hurting their competitive position. But local officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, identified some of the locations. Montgomery, they said, has proposed two Maryland sites: White Flint and another nearby in North Bethesda. Both have support from the state and county.

Sites proposed in northern Virginia, the officials said, which also are said to have state support, include:

A plot near Dulles International Airport occupied by the Center for Innovative Technology and supported jointly by Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

A site in the Crystal City/Potomac Yard area, backed by Arlington and Alexandria.

Two sites in Prince William County -- Potomac Shores in the eastern part of the county and Innovation Park in the western part.

The District has publicly identified four sites: Anacostia Riverfront, NoMa-Union Station, Hill East and Shaw-Howard University.

Some observers said the Washington region should have agreed jointly on a single site and offered it. A unified pitch would be stronger, and everybody in the area benefits no matter which one gets the prize.

"D.C. might stand to be a big beneficiary, even if Arlington gets the ultimate nod," said Harriet Tregoning, a former planning and development official at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments studied the possibility of a joint regional proposal in September, but the area jurisdictions quickly decided to go their own ways.

One obstacle: The District, Virginia and Maryland would have found it difficult, if not impossible, to offer subsidies for a project to be built outside their jurisdictions.

Amazon's inclusion of three locations in the Washington area fueled speculation that the company has the region at the top of its list and wants to pit the three sites against one another in offering financial breaks.

"This is a textbook example of how to wrangle incentives," Florida said.

There were signs that the region's governments were prepared to deliver. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, disclosed Thursday that Maryland's inducements to lure Amazon totaled more than $5 billion. The offer, which Hogan was to describe in detail on Monday, includes tax incentives and transportation improvements.

That would be by far the biggest economic development package ever offered in Maryland. By contrast, the state and county extended loans, tax credits and grants totaling $62 million to Marriott International last year to build a new headquarters in Bethesda.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett acknowledged the incentives offered to Amazon were large but suggested they were worth the price given what 50,000 new jobs would mean.

"I believe they are affordable. I believe they are in the public's interest," said Leggett, who declined to divulge the package's contents.

Even at $5 billion, Maryland's package was smaller than the one offered by New Jersey. It said its inducements, in hope of attracting the company to Newark, were worth $7 billion.

Virginia and the District both declined to say whether they would match Maryland's offer.

Suzanne Clark, communications director for the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, said it could not provide details "for competitive reasons and to protect confidential company information."

Brian Kenner, District deputy mayor for planning and economic development, said winning the Amazon contest would "accelerate the growth of ... vibrant [D.C.] neighborhoods, and we will offer incentives appropriate to that impact."

Although Amazon is trying to extract the biggest grants and tax breaks it can, local officials and private analysts said the single biggest factor for the company is a region's ability to attract and retain a high-quality workforce over decades.

That augurs well for greater Washington, partly because its population includes a high percentage of people with college and postgraduate degrees. The area also includes numerous vibrant, walkable neighborhoods -- such as Penn Quarter, Bethesda and Clarendon -- that are desirable to millennial professionals whom Amazon wants to hire.

Victor Hoskins, director of economic development for Arlington, said his county's pitch to Amazon noted that 36 percent of the working population has advanced degrees.

Hoskins also addressed concerns that a huge influx of residents would swamp the winning location. He said the key to absorbing the surge was to add infrastructure in phases over eight to 10 years.

"You build the commercial building first ...[and then] you build the housing related to that," Hoskins said. "We have a history of developing very well-planned communities. We would use that knowledge base to make sure this didn't overwhelm our community."

Many officials and analysts thought the Washington region could best demonstrate to Amazon its readiness to cooperate by uniting around a funding plan for Metro.

"There's no question Amazon needs a well-functioning transit system, making the imperative for all three jurisdictions to act together on Metro to provide dedicated funding and real governance reform even more urgent," said Jason Miller, chief executive of the Greater Washington Partnership.

"More broadly, a demonstration of regional unity can make clear to Amazon that regardless of which of the three locations that it chooses, they will be getting the best the capital region has to offer."

Liu, of Brookings, added: "D.C., Maryland, and Virginia came together for the Olympic bid. They can do that again for the Amazon bid."

-- The Washington Post
It's clear, as we mark the one-year mark of the Donald Trump show, that the Official Dislike list includes immigrants, many of the countries they come from, corporate taxes and reporters who ask annoying questions.

But there is also a clear dislike, and multiple moves against, the nation's higher education institutions, part of what The Atlantic calls "The Republican War on College."

This regime is deeply suspicious of people who think they know something.

Michael Schill, president of the University of Oregon, calls the situation "alarming," noting that "We are getting a message from some members of Congress and the president that's hostile to higher education."

The effects are reaching toward Oregon colleges and universities, creating what Wim Wiewel, former president of Portland State University and current president of Lewis & Clark College, calls "a bit of a sense of a wholesale assault."

Efforts undermining higher ed include the new tax bill, the approaching Higher Education Reauthorization act, the administration's proposals for sharp cuts in research funding and official attitudes making the United States about as inviting to foreign students as mandatory gym. After a long tradition of government considering higher education as an asset - it produces medicines, weapons and taxpayers - higher ed largely serves the current administration as a target.

The new tax bill, among other things, limits the deductibility of interest on student loans, and for the first time taxes the income of the largest college endowments. (The tax doesn't bring in much, but it sends a message.) The House version would have taken a small nick out of the Reed College budget; the Senate raised the threshold enough to exclude all Oregon colleges - for now.

The Senate also blocked the House's effort to turn tuition waivers, given to graduate students and college employees, into taxable income. That could have given a number of students the gift of a tax bill larger than their income.

The tax bill, with its limit on state tax deductibility, also squeezes high income-tax states like Oregon, and decades have shown that state squeezes are felt first in the higher ed budget.

The next blast comes in the impending Higher Education Reauthorization, recently pushed through the House education committee on a party-line vote after the Democrats first saw the bill just before a 14-hour markup session. "In the end," says Oregon Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a senior Democrat on the committee, "it will make it harder for low-income students."

Elements include charging student loan interest earlier, from the time of borrowing instead of graduation; eliminating programs that forgive student loans after years spent in certain professions; and eliminating graduate students from federal work-study programs - as well as dropping the funding from a 3-to-1 federal match to 50-50.

But the proposed bill does follow Trump administration policy of eliminating the Obama administration's limitation on for-profit colleges. That was established because the for-profits too often left students with no useful degrees and sizable debt - largely covered by the feds. Curbing that outcome is now considered an interference with school choice.

For next year's budget, the Trump administration is proposing cutting federal research spending in half. (As noted, the administration is suspicious of people who know things, or want to learn them.) This would be a major hit to universities around the country. In Oregon, it could land heavily on Oregon State, where a major oceanography research grant just raised the university's annual research funding to $441 million. Oregon State president Ed Ray says he's worried about it "very much," and that universities might depend more on non-federal research funding, such as from corporations and foundations.

Bonamici says that Congress looks more favorably on research, and "Fortunately, it's the legislative branch that makes appropriations." But as the events of the last week have shown, the D.C. budget process is now a roller coaster with very weak guard rails.

Currently, Washington undermines higher ed in another way unrelated to budget. Increasingly, American universities have been drawing international students, who pay out-of-state tuition and build global reputations. Now, says Schill, "Students are wondering whether this is a congenial place to go to school." His university's international applications are down, in line with a national trend.

The roots of the hostility are not hard to see. Stephen Moore, an economist and journalist who advised the Trump campaign, reflected considerable conservative opinion by calling universities "playpens of the left." A recent Pew poll found 58 percent of Republicans believe that "colleges and universities have a negative effect on the way things are going in this country."

It's certainly true, as Ed Ray notes, that higher ed has always been criticized, and that its current critics are still generally enrolling their children. But American higher education has been strengthened by a general understanding that the system is an economic asset and a route for social mobility. Dismissing that awareness will lead to major losses.

It's a problem if our model of higher education is Trump University.

David Sarasohn's column appears on the first and third Sundays of the month. He blogs at davidsarasohn.com.
By Jamie Gerlitz

Oregon's Supreme Court has said that permanently terminating parental rights is one of the most extreme actions a state can take. Most Oregonians who need to defend against such an extreme act must rely on a court-appointed lawyer to protect their interests.

Last August, the court appointed me to help Amy Fabbrini defend against the state of Oregon's petition to terminate her parental rights and, ideally, to regain custody of her two children, Christopher, 4, and Hunter, 11 months.

Amy won her case. Hunter was returned on Dec. 22, and the petition to terminate Amy's parental rights to Christopher was denied on Jan. 10. Although I was satisfied by the result, I remain convinced that Oregon's child welfare system is broken.

Christopher and Hunter's child welfare cases were consolidated and scheduled for an eight-day trial that ultimately took nearly 14. Two different lawyers represented the state. The lawyers called 27 witnesses in an attempt to prove that Amy and Eric's intellectual deficits left them unfit to parent. Yet, none of the witnesses identified any actual risk of abuse or neglect.

Instead, the testimony focused on a host of minor parenting deficiencies observed over four years of supervised visits with Christopher. They listed Amy and Eric's food choices and that they gave or removed treats as a method of discipline. They cited unstructured play without enough reading and the fact that the parents occasionally alternated who played with Christopher during their five-hour visits at the state office. Those deficiencies, they argued, proved Amy and Eric might not help their sons achieve their full potential.

While defending Amy and protecting her right to parent her children, I had two persistent feelings: fear and anger.

As an imperfect parent, I am guilty of each deficiency cited by the state as evidence of unfitness. I spent a lot of time second-guessing my own parenting and wondering what I would do if case workers tried to take my daughter. I thought about all of the smart people working for the state who signed off on removing Christopher and Hunter while the case escalated. I realized that unlike Amy and Eric, if the state ever tried to take my child, I have the resources to hire a lawyer.

That's where my anger kicked in.

Almost all parents ensnared in Oregon's child welfare system cannot afford to hire a lawyer and are provided court-appointed attorneys to protect their interests. However, there is no law to ensure that the appointed lawyers are compensated fairly. By day 10 of Amy and Eric's trial, I was losing $2 for every hour I worked on the case.

I lost money because Oregon pays court appointed attorneys a flat rate for each case, regardless of the actual work it requires. While it's been a privilege to represent Amy, we cannot hope for a system that ensures justice when court-appointed attorneys lose money while the state's attorneys are guaranteed comfortable salaries, paid leave, health insurance and retirement contributions.

Originally, I thought of this case as a negative sum event: No matter what the court decided, everyone would lose something. My analysis was wrong. The salaried employees working on behalf of the Department of Human Services didn't lose anything at all.

The people of Oregon deserve to have meaningful protection of their constitutional rights. Justice should not belong only to those who can afford it. Court-appointed lawyers should never have to lose money fighting the salaried employees of the state. Please join me, and call your state lawmakers and demand fair compensation for Oregon's public defenders.

-Jamie Gerlitz is a juvenile law and criminal defense attorney in Bend.

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Submit your essay of 800 words or less on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.
The newest version of the Clean Energy Jobs bill, summarized in the Jan. 9 Oregonian/Oregon Live article, "Understanding Oregon's 'cap and invest' climate bills," seems to lay the groundwork many Oregonians have desired. The bill details a comprehensive plan to achieve Oregon's ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets in a reasonable time frame.

As a recent college graduate with a degree in environmental science, I am excited about this bill because it is a long-term, government response to addressing the impacts of climate change.

It is crucial lawmakers act now, given the success of similar cap-and-trade programs in California and Canada, as well as the issues facing Oregon as a result of climate change, including more severe wildfires and drought due. Delayed action or inaction will only serve to damage Oregon's environmental and human well-being more than already anticipated. Worse, we will be more to blame this time.

It's imperative this bill, which has been in the works for almost a decade, be passed in the upcoming short session of Oregon's legislature to ensure its necessary implementation by 2021. We can't afford to wait.

-- Marc Dorsey, North Portland
We as a country are standing at the nexus between our past and future. To see where we are going we only need to look back. Not too many years ago, former President Bill Clinton had a consensual affair with an intern. Afterward, the chant we heard was "character matters." It clearly doesn't matter anymore to those who did the chanting.

Current President Donald Trump is said to have lied several times a day on average since taking office. He recently insulted other countries and Republican members of Congress are twisting themselves into pretzels to deny he said it. His chief of homeland security, Kirstjen Nielsen, went so far as to claim she does not know if Norway is predominantly white.

As we look into the future, what do we see when the fabric of our nation has been so soiled by people who only appear to care about winning at any cost? I have to wonder: Can we ever undo the damage done?

-- Robby Chavez, Southwest Portland
Don't subsidize bad management: After more than four decades involved in the business of healthcare, I am very familiar with the impact health care cost reimbursement has on the operations of integrated healthcare providers and insurers.

I believe it is wrong to use "scare tactics," such as denial of Medicaid services to children, to promote a tax on citizens to subsidize the Oregon Health Plan, with its history of mismanagement, misappropriation and waste.

The heavy publicity in favor of Measure 101 from health care corporations links fears of denial of Medicaid services and coverage to the need to raise a tax on health care insurance and provider fees. This is simply disingenuous. The provisions of Measure 101 dealing with revenue specifically and clearly spell out mechanisms for these same corporations to pass along the exact amounts of these taxes in the form of surcharges to health care consumers - all of us.

Instead, I suggest having those involved in managing our state health plan come up with better solutions to be more efficient and effective in how they use existing budgeted funds.

There have been recent significant layoffs at local health care provider facilities claiming to be unable to meet operating cost objectives, even while undergoing and pursuing massive merger and acquisition activities. So let's not aggravate that problem with more taxpayer money subsidizing bad management.

M. Jay Pearce, Oregon City

101 today, Medicare for all tomorrow: I appreciated the two opinion pieces on Measure 101 in last Sunday's Oregonian ("Tim Nesbitt: We who have health care will decide Measure 101," and "Measure 101 perfectly illustrates the failure of America's health care system," Jan. 14). Let's compare. Mr Nesbitt argues that, not coincidentally, those who least need to worry about health insurance oppose Measure 101. Then he succinctly sums up key points: it is an expansion (albeit temporarily) of a solution already employed, has a "multiplier" effect since it will bring in more federal dollars, and that the criticism that it plays "favorites" is untrue since it would be illegal to include the sources the opponents cite as being unfairly excluded!

Mr Meis, on the other hand, ironically talks about proponents missing the "forest for the trees" while at the same time falling victim to this very charge. The "forest" is not that the U.S. has a health care approach that is in need of overhaul. We all know that. The main issue is the loss of health insurance for those thousands of Oregonians which could result if this measure fails. Only someone who does not have worries about health insurance could look beyond current needs to focus on theoretical "best practices."

Although I'd be the first to say that oftentimes health insurance companies are more interested in their bottom line than in our health, in this instance we should take a cue from them - they know how crucial it is that we keep a foundation for funding Medicaid right now. Tomorrow we can work for Medicare-for-All. Today, we should fund Medicaid and pass Measure 101.

Donna Cohen, North Portland
When will the congressional leadership abandon their support of the vulgar, ignorant schoolyard bully who now holds the highest office in the land? A president who chooses to disgrace American citizens and offend global neighbors with his racist and obscene utterances, as Trump continues to do, should be removed from office immediately.

Where is the courage on Capitol Hill? The short answer is there is none, only the selfish narrow interests of ramming through more destructive legislation and getting it signed into law by this monster president, while they still can.

-- Frank DiMarco, Southeast Portland
The source of an oil sheen in the Columbia River may have been identified.

The sheen was first spotted Thursday afternoon near the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria. It soon spread some five miles along the river.

The Coast Guard reported Saturday that contracted salvager Global Diving and Salvage had located a 20-foot-long tank underneath a pier near the boutique hotel.

The maximum potential spillage could be 4,200 gallons, the Coast Guard said. It's unknown how much oil has leaked so far.

Another aerial photo of the oil sheen in the Columbia River.

The Cannery Pier Hotel sits on the renovated dock that was once the site of the Union Fisherman Cooperative Packing Company. The cooperative, formed in 1878 by about 200 gillnet fishermen, grew out of increasingly contentious disputes between cannery owners and fishermen at a time when Astoria was one of the country's foremost fishing capitals.

The Cannery Pier Hotel, which opened in 2005, is on the end of the old "Union Fish" dock, 600 feet into the river's mouth.

The Coast Guard and others involved in the clean-up operation are figuring out the best way for workers to safely reach the tank, the Coast Guard reported.

A containment boom has been put in place on the river to limit the spread of oil, and cleanup operations are ongoing.

-- Douglas Perry
Govt launches cancer registry across nation

The Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) has launched the population-based cancer registry (PBCR) in a bid to collect data of cancer patients across the country.
UPDATE: Music, prayer, unity at Indigenous Womxn's March

4:12 p.m.: The event has ended. We'll have a story up later today.

3:35 p.m.:

A red heart for missing and murdered women left at Terry Schrunk Plaza pic.twitter.com/10ZiGNWOOL  Lynne Terry (@LynnePDX) January 21, 2018

3:16: Things are winding down.

Dancing has wrapped up, speakers now trading mic addressing crowd pic.twitter.com/oDruFWQFar  Dave Killen (@killendave) January 21, 2018

3:04 p.m.:

One drum now in center of plaza. Brings Plenty went around circle with burning sage, offering smoke said to be healing. Rest of rowd now being invited down to join in dance pic.twitter.com/LPg076UlBN  Dave Killen (@killendave) January 21, 2018

2:42 p.m.: Dancing.

2:28 p.m.:

Candi Brings Plenty salutes the sky as part of Aztec dancers ceremony at Terry Schrunk Plaza for #MMIW in #pdx pic.twitter.com/HSFwwe4Msb  Lynne Terry (@LynnePDX) January 21, 2018

2:17 p.m. After the march:

Marchers sing and call out and blow shells at Plaza after walk to Waterfront pic.twitter.com/gev6Mc1d5z  Lynne Terry (@LynnePDX) January 21, 2018

2:15 p.m.:

We then headed back to Terry Shrunk Plaza. Crowd has grown throughout pic.twitter.com/KjlOXijPhF  Dave Killen (@killendave) January 21, 2018

2:14 p.m.

March continued into waterfront park, where its leaders went down to the river, dipped cups in, poured water out while singing and chanting pic.twitter.com/EX9NjjjFeS  Dave Killen (@killendave) January 21, 2018

2:10 p.m.

Almost back at Terry Schrunk Plaza #wwim pic.twitter.com/PuHcMeUl6y  Lynne Terry (@LynnePDX) January 21, 2018

2:05 p.m. Crowd estimated at 400-500 now.

1:57 p.m.: Ceremony at the waterfront:

A look at the ceremony on the waterfront during the Indigenous Womxns March. #LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/6GhW14jJra  Keaton Thomas (@keaton_thomas) January 21, 2018

1:45 p.m. On the move.

March has begun, heading east towards waterfront pic.twitter.com/iqreKDcwMe  Dave Killen (@killendave) January 21, 2018

1:33:

A song, dancing then the Indigenous Womxn's March will begin with several hundred people wearing red scarves, hats, jackets in solidarity with Red Fawn who was arrested last year in Pipeline protests pic.twitter.com/CaauuRRksn  Lynne Terry (@LynnePDX) January 21, 2018

1:28 p.m.: Speaker says, "All the women are warriors."

1:26 p.m.: Starting to organize to march. Indigenous women in the front, then singers, then other women of color, then allies.

1:23 p.m.:

Speakers addressing crowd at Indigenous Womxns March. One of the organizers of last years Womens March said they gave this years march to indigenous women to organize. #LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/AdkihNmcXK  Keaton Thomas (@keaton_thomas) January 21, 2018

1:22 p.m.: More from Spokane:

Lots of creative signs at the Spokane Womxn's March with Star Wars references all over the place pic.twitter.com/tTQWx81PxN  Samantha Wohlfeil (@SAWohlfeil) January 21, 2018

1:16 p.m.:

Crowd has grown to a few hundred. Candi Brings Plenty (1st pic) spoke of the history of Oregon tribes being forcibly relocated. Said organizers have spoken to PPB they have agreement that march, when it begins, will be not be interfered with. pic.twitter.com/ljMLHgSTlp  Dave Killen (@killendave) January 21, 2018

1:15 p.m.:

Candi Brings Plenty at Indigenous Womxn's March: " I've seen the ugly in white women" pic.twitter.com/st8Fk1hOwS  Lynne Terry (@LynnePDX) January 21, 2018

1:11 p.m.: People are marching in Spokane:

Honking traffic getting the Spokane Womxn's marchers fired up pic.twitter.com/iU55zCZ3FQ  Samantha Wohlfeil (@SAWohlfeil) January 21, 2018

1 p.m.: We're live-streaming the event on Facebook. See it here.

12:56 p.m.: Here's the route:

More marching today in downtown Portland. This time for the Indigenous Womxn's March. Here is a look at the march route. Expect marching to begin at about 1:30 p.m. Then a rally back at Terry Schrunk Plaza at 2:30 p.m. #LiveOnK2 pic.twitter.com/dgTCxn0WVQ  Keaton Thomas (@keaton_thomas) January 21, 2018

12:55 p.m.: Meanwhile, in Salem:

Hundreds of people stand together in Salem for the Womxns March. Some are telling me the turnout is inspiring, given the rain, but that there are less people than last year. @fox12oregon pic.twitter.com/elU2a33xKO  Brenna Kelly (@BrennaKellyNews) January 21, 2018

12:26 p.m.: The march starts at 1 p.m. So far we know this:

PSA for those planning to attend the Indigenous Womxn's March today: Terry Schrunk Plaza is incredibly muddy. Appropriate footwear advised pic.twitter.com/ziCJaG2fed  Dave Killen (@killendave) January 21, 2018

Portland saw three large protests and celebrations Saturday, all related to the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Sunday afternoon will see another march: "The Indigenous Womxn's March," which gets underway at Terry Schrunk Plaza in downtown Portland at 1 p.m.

The event highlights the lives and activism of Red Fawn Fallis and Berta Caceres.

Fallis is a Dakota Access oil-pipeline protester charged with shooting at police officers in October 2016. Her trial was supposed to start on Jan. 29 in Bismarck, N.D., but the Denver Post reports that she has reached a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to civil disorder and gun possession. She is expected to change her plea on Monday.

Caceras, a high-profile Honduran environmental activist who won the 2015 Goldman prize, was shot to death at her home in March 2016. Eight men have been charged with her murder. The British newspaper The Guardian reported last year that there's evidence the murder may have been "an extrajudicial killing planned by [Honduran] military intelligence specialists."

The Goldman Environmental Prize praised Caceras for having "rallied the indigenous Lenca people of Honduras and waged a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world's largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam," a hydroelectric project in western Honduras.

Organizers of the Sunday march in Portland encourage those attending to wear red.

-- Douglas Perry
Fran Bittakis stood in front of a small crowd of volunteers Saturday morning in Northeast Portland and asked if they wanted to shout into the air for a few seconds. Just to let off some steam.

Soon, the group of two dozen or so gathered at the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art wailed together with a roar that tapered off only to be replaced by whoops and cheers. It was noon. And the doors were about to open to the one-day women's marketplace they'd been working on since mid-October.

The PICA event kicked off the first of city's three major protests and celebrations that day, all of which revolved around the anniversary of Donald Trump's inauguration.

Across the river at Terry Schrunk Plaza, the Portland iteration of the National March for Impeachment drew a few hundred attendees for a series of speeches and a procession through downtown. And in Pioneer Courthouse Square, survivors of sexual assault shared their stories during a rally organized behind the #MeToo movement that has shed light on workplace harassment and roiled Hollywood in recent months.

Bittakis, one of the main organizers of the She Shreds x NXT LVL party in Northeast Portland, said she wanted to capitalize on the surge of interest in activism since last year's Women's March, which drew more than 70,000 demonstrators to the city in January 2017.

Were live at the NXT LVL X She Shreds J20 rally and party in NE Portland, one of many Womens March activities happening in Portland today Posted by The Oregonian on Saturday, January 20, 2018

"We wanted to give women of color in the community a place where they could sell their goods and do some basic networking," Bittakis said.

The daylong event started with a marketplace showcasing local wares, workshops and food trucks. Then, Bittakis and the crew shut down for two hours to turn PICA into a club for a seven-hour party featuring performances and DJ sets by women of color.

The event's celebratory atmosphere provided a stark contrast to the demonstrations across the river in downtown Portland. Shortly after Bittakis' party started, a group of more than 300 had gathered at Terry Schrunk Plaza to call for President Trump's impeachment.

Demonstrators carried various signs, but most prominently supporting Dreamers, immigrants brought to the United States as children and who had been protected by the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program.

Were live at the National March for Impeachment in downtown Portland. WARNING: possible graphic content. Posted by The Oregonian on Saturday, January 20, 2018

Alejandra Fuller, who arrived in the United States from Argentina at the age of 12, said she was there to support those who may lose their protected status if Congress doesn't reach a compromise on the program by March 8.

"I just wanted to stand in solidarity with the Dreamers," she said, "because the hate we've seen over the last year is not okay."

Protesters took to the streets after a series of speeches at the plaza, snaking their way through downtown Portland as they chanted, sang and, at times, danced as police blocked traffic.

At its height, the march obstructed four blocks of Morrison Street, from Southwest Fourth Avenue to Broadway. The rally ended at the Battleship Oregon Memorial just after 2:30 p.m., passing a group gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square for the #MeToo rally along the way.

Were live at the MeToo March and SpeakOUT at Pioneer Courthouse Square for the Womens March anniversary weekend. WARNING: Possible graphic language. Posted by The Oregonian on Saturday, January 20, 2018

The crowd lining the square listened to stories from survivors of sexual assault, who recounted experiences with strangers, exes and family members.

A former Embers performer told the group of approximately 400 about the time an ex-boyfriend recorded them having sex without her consent and later assaulted her.

A registered nurse, now 60, drew gasps with her own retelling of abuse she suffered as a latchkey kid starting when she was 7.

And an event coordinator took the microphone to talk about the time when, at 19, her then-boyfriend had intercourse with her without asking, then told her it would "be better next time."

More than a dozen men and women spoke at the square before the #MeToo crowd took to the streets around 4 p.m. They'd walk for about an hour, then wrapped up with more speeches.

Right around that time, the marketplace in Northeast Portland would be closing down. At 7 p.m., Bittakis and her fellow organizers would re-open PICA for the festivities to begin anew.

"It's a celebration, after all," she said.

The day's last protest was led by Joey Gibson, whose Patriot Prayer movement had previously triggered clashes. He, and about 20 followers gathered at the Salmon Street Springs Fountain where they were met by a like number of people opposed by to Gibson.

Gibson led a walk through downtown Portland, both groups shouting to be heard over the opposition, before returning to the fountain where they called it a night.

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

ecampuzano@oregonian.com
Modi congratulates Oli as next PM

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called up CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli and congratulated him as the next prime minister of Nepal.
Demna Gvasalia brought Vetements back to Paris Fashion Week with a Fall '18 collection so original and energetic it brought a breathe of life to the industry in the most Vetements-way possible.

The show was located in the Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen  a collection of 15 or so shops grouped together in a flea market-like setting, and the collection reflected this aesthetic by drawing on a wide range of subcultures, styles and the history of fashion design itself. In typical Vetements style, the high-low feel was brought together into a cohesive collection under Gvasalia's creative eye, with a strong Maison Margiela influence that reflected the designers' three formative years with the house.

"I went back to my roots as a designer, I went back to Margiela," the Georgian-born, Switzerland-based designer told i-D. "I wanted to show what Margiela means for me and for Vetements. What is it? It's an approach, it's not a person. It's a way of loving clothes, breaking the rules with those clothes. And that's what we did."

Gvasalia also warded off inevitable criticisms of what could be perceived as copy cat designs by having kindergarten children draw an 'elephant in the room' sketch recreated on a T-shirt worn in the show, as an acknowledgment of the Margiela-size elephant in the room.

"Everything is an appropriation," Gvasalia said. "We live in a world that is full of references, and references exist to feed us in order to create something new from them. That's the challenge I set for myself."

See a few of the looks from the show below:



Images via Getty


Apple CEO Tim Cook, a graduate of Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a member of the university's Board of Trustees, will deliver Duke's commencement address on Sunday, May 13, President Vincent Price announced Saturday. The announcement originally came by way of a video using Apple's Animoji as noted below.

President Price: "I am absolutely delighted that Tim Cook will be returning to campus as this spring's commencement speaker. Throughout his career, Tim has embodied Duke's values of innovation and service to society, whether through his contributions to Apple's groundbreaking technology or his advocacy for social justice. I can imagine no better person, and no bigger Duke fan, to inspire the Class of 2018."

Apple's CEO: "From the first day I walked onto campus more than 30 years ago, Duke has been a source of inspiration and pride for me -- both professionally and through the deep personal friendships that have endured to this day. It's my honor to be returning to salute the class of 2018 as they begin the next chapter of their lives as Duke graduates."

The North Carolina News & Observer noted that Cook has been a member of the Duke Board of Trustees since 2015 and is a member of the Facilities and Environment Committee.



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More than three years on, family awaits justice

A large mass of protesters gathered at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu on Sunday demanding justice for the 2014 death of a Nepali student at a school based in Nainital, India.
Apple, of iPhone fame, has disrupted its fair share of industries over the years  but cattle ranching is usually not mentioned as one of them. Nonetheless, the historic Hearst cattle ranch (yes, the Hearst of magazine fame) has become a hybrid solar farm for Apple, merging the world of tech with a centuries-old trade. An aerial view of the farm is shown in the photo below.





CNBC reports that 150 years after George Hearst bought the ranch, it took on a new, ultra-modern function: A 2,900-acre solar farm, which until now has been contracted by Apple to run the company's Cupertino headquarters.

Benoit Allehaut, director at Capital Dynamics, which recently acquired this solar project from First Solar said that "Steve Hearst knew Steve Jobs and provided valuable support. Apple had the choice between multiple projects but selected California Flats to supply their power demand. First Solar used their panels and managed the construction."





Apple CEO Tim Cook said in 2015 that the company would contribute $850 million to build the solar farm, which also aims to provide enough energy for 60,000 homes.

The project is still expanding, with the second phase of the 2.5 million solar panels being installed this year, to provide energy offset for California customers. More. You could also learn about Hearst Ranch's renewal energy here.

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An Accra High Court trying five former National Communications Authority (NCA) board members yesterday heard how the authoritys support for the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) was captured in the minutes of the boards meeting but the deal for which they are being tried was not recorded.



Mrs. Asafu-Adjei, first prosecution witness (PW), who is the Director of Legal Administration at the NCA, told the packed court that the Cyber Surveillance System deal, which the accused persons claim was going to be used for anti-terrorism, could not be traced in any of the minutes of the boards meetings, even though $4 million was paid out.



The payment was said to have been carried out without the boards approval; and the then National Security Coordinator, Yaw Donkor, was also not aware of the deal.



The immediate-past board members, including Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, Chairman; William Mathew Tetteh Tevie, former Director General of the NCA; Dr Nana Owusu Ensaw, former chairman of finance sub-committee of the NCA board; Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman, former National Security Deputy Coordinator on the NCA board, as well as George Derek Oppong, private businessman/Director of Infraloks Development Limited (IDL), have been charged with wilfully causing financial loss to the state and stealing.



The witness, continuing with the evidence-in-chief, explained to the court how the NCA, apart from its mandated monitoring duties, also provided some financial support to some state institutions subject to the approval of the governing board of the authority.



She said the state broadcaster was one of such institutions.



According to Mrs. Asafu-Adjei, the Minister of Communications occasionally writes to the Authority to provide some institutional support to agencies under the ministry and that these requests come in the form of letters directed to the Director General; and subject to the approval of the board, payment is affected.



She said in 2015, for instance, the NCA board approved a request from the Communications Minister to support the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation to procure some equipment and My Lord, the board considered the request and approved GH2.252,313.61 for the said procurement.



She told the court that aside the institutional support given to the GBC  which is duly captured in the minutes of the NCA boards meeting  there is no other institutional support approved by the board.



The NCA lawyer, who was being led in her evidence-in-chief by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, told the court that until late last year when a Cyber Security Unit was created at the Information Communication and Technology Department of the NCA, the Authority had nothing to do with Cyber Security as it was not part of its original mandate.



She said at no point in time in 2015 did the NCA board meet to discuss issues of procuring a Cyber Surveillance System, nor a contract between the Authority and Infraloks Development Limited (IDL)  which explains why it did not appear in any of the minutes of the boards meetings, the procurement plan, or the budget.



Mrs. Asafu-Adjei concluded her evidence-in-chief by stating that in any case, where there is the need for institutional support which hitherto was not budgeted for, the board would have to consider their request, approve it, before funds are made available.



She said, however, that that did not happen with the purported NCA-IDL contract.



Cross-Examination



In his cross-examination, Thaddeus Sory, counsel for Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, suggested to the witness that she had never been happy with his client and if she had the opportunity, she would pay him back, to which the witness said could not be true.



Mrs. Asafu-Adjei earlier told the court at the last sitting that in July 2015, she was asked to proceed on leave with immediate effect as she had accumulated 154 leave days.



She said when she returned from her leave on March 23, 2016, she was stripped of her duties as Director of Legal Administration and made to serve as Director of Policy and Innovation until there was a change in administration in 2016.



Mr. Sory then sought to insist that the witness was seeking revenge for the decision by testifying against the witness; but the witness parried the suggestion, saying she had a good relationship with Mr Baffoe-Bonnie.



Counsel (Mr. Sory): As a very good friend of the Board Chairman, why did you not find out why you were treated differently from other colleagues who had accumulated longer leave days?



Witness (Mrs. Asafu-Adjei): I couldnt be bothered. I didnt ask anybody especially when I needed it.



Counsel: Why did you not ask for it earlier if you so needed it?



Witness: My leave had been deferred. If they (defence lawyers) had access to my file they would notice that my leave had been deferred and I was sometimes recalled from leave so I took a few days leave instead of the full 36 days.



Asked whether she notified the Public Procurement Authority about the irregularities in the NCA-IDL contract for it to be investigated, she recalled telling the court that the NCA did not have an idea about the deal and she only got to know about it when investigators showed it to her.



Mr. Sory then put it to her that the request for the Cyber Surveillance System came as a request from the National Security as an institutional support, but she said it is a notorious fact that the National Security has a huge financial capability to support itself.



She said even if the request came, it would have gone to the board and minutes of the boards meeting would have reflected it.



Agbesi Dzakpasu, who is representing Mr. Tevie, started his cross-examination and questioned the authenticity of the NCA budget tendered in evidence since it did not contain any figures; and the witness said that was the style of the then secretary who prepared the budget.



Sitting continues on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.

Source: Daily Guide









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The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called for the government to take urgent steps to complete the 995-bed Maternal and Child Health block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), construction works on which started 44 years ago.



He said the project could no longer continue to wait and that everything should be done to finish it.



Otumfuo Osei Tutu said this in a speech read for him at the inauguration of a US$10 million state-of-the-art Maternal and Babies Unit (MBU) complex built for the referral hospital.



The world-class facility comes with a maternity, neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit, nine birthing beds, three operating theaters and 130 baby cots.



Added to these are 15 incubators, two infant ventilators, 11 pediatric beds, filtered fresh air and independent post-delivery and post-operatory.



The First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, was instrumental in the construction of the project.



She led the effort following a documentary by the Multimedia Group, putting the spotlight on avoidable deaths of mothers and their babies at the referral facility caused by combined factors of congestion and limited equipment.



The documentary stirred the emotion and conscience of the nation.



The project, completed in a record time of five months, has been designated by the World Bank as a green building due to the quality, sustainable materials and building techniques used.



Otumfuo Osei Tutu expressed concern that KATH, the nations second largest referral facility, providing care for patients not only the Northern sector of the country but other neighboring countries had not seen any major expansion since its establishment in 1955.



The net result has been severe congestion, something unhelpful to quality health care delivery.



The Asantehene applauded the First Lady for the leadership she provided and also said thank you to all other individuals and corporate Ghana for the facility.



Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, underlined the need for a strict maintenance regime to keep the place and equipment in good condition at all times.



Dr. Oheneba Owusu Danso, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said they were grateful to Mrs. Akufo-Addo and Multimedia Group for the project, adding that, it had come to ease pressure at the MBU.

Source: GNA









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The Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, Jiang Zhouteng has disclosed that there are currently 5,516 Ghanaian students studying in tertiary institutions in China.



According to him, Ghana tops the list of African countries with the highest number of students in China and this would help to strengthen the relationship between the two countries in areas such as investment, finance, trade, education and agriculture development.



Speaking at the first general meeting of the China-Ghana Graduates Association (CGGA) in Accra, Counselor Zhouteng said his country was delighted to be playing a role in improving the human resource base of the country.



He added that he was hopeful that the graduates would in a few years return to the country and make greater contributions to the friendly ties and cooperations between the two countries as well as the development and prosperity of Ghana.



Strengthening China-Ghana relations



Counselor Zhouteng indicated that 2017 was an important year for China-Ghana relations because high-ranking leaders of both countries paid visits to the respective countries.



Discrimination



Addressing reports of discrimination against Ghanaians in China, Counselor Zhouteng noted that only a "few cases" of discrimination against Chinese resident in Ghana as well as Ghanaians resident in Ghana had come to his attention.



He pledged that the Chinese Embassy was committed to assisting Ghana to combat the menace of illegal mining and always advice Chinese citizens in Ghana to be law abiding.



Counselor Zhouteng also explained that last year the Chinese Embassy issued 15,000 visas to Ghanaians adding that there is a huge Chinese community of about 30,000 persons in Ghana.







Source: Graphic.com









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On Friday, Jan. 21, 1994, central Pa. set a new record - 22 degrees below zero, the coldest day in Harrisburg history.

Residents of the former City Towers Apartment Complex - now Pennsylvania Place - at 301 Chestnut St. likely will never forget that day.

A water main broke in the building causing a flood and leaving residents without heat, telephone service or fire alarms.

Six hundred tenants were evacuated - and left homeless when the building was condemned on Jan. 26 as "unfit for human habitation." The owners said they could not afford to make repairs.

In February, a surprise inspection of the building revealed some tenants were still living there while a business was operating in three suites on the 25th floor.

On March 8 of 1994 a fire sent smoke throughout the building. The fire was the found to be the result of arson. Former tenants were told they had to remove all personal property within a week.

The building, which contained 292 apartments and five floors of office space, did not reopen until the summer of 1998 under new ownership.
By James L. Cavenaugh

A recent PennLive Letter to the Editor asserting that "Men need to zip-up and shut up" was excellent as far as it went. But its writer left out some vital points:

The view that a fetus at 20 weeks is a person is one religious viewpoint not shared by all Americans.

That a fetus of any age is alive is obvious (after all, each of our cells is alive), but 'alive' is not the same as being a person. Some faith traditions state that until a baby emerges from its mother, it is not a person. So it is clear that all religions do not agree on this point.

Many people of faith are driven by compassion, like the ministers and rabbis who formed the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion before the Roe v. Wade decision of Jan. 22, 1973.

They offered pastoral counseling (including confidential referral to an abortion provider) for women with problem pregnancies. They felt, as many people of faith feel today, that women, like men, can make moral decisions.

Many of us feel compassion for a woman facing a problematic pregnancy. Like Dr. Willie Parker (a person of color who is both a pastor and an OB/GYN), who shows compassion for these women as an abortion provider -- documented in his book Life's Work: A Moral Argument for Choice).

We need to reach out to these women, offering them care, counseling, and the reproductive health care they need.

Compassion recognizes the need for pre- and post-natal health care, economic support for the cost of food, shelter and clothing for families in poverty, education from pre-K through high school, affordable day care and other quality of life support. Each child born deserves the right to do more than just survive.

These are major reasons why I am part of the Pa. Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice, formed for people of faith who support the human right (as stated by our friends at SisterSong) to:

Maintain personal bodily autonomy,

Have children,

Not have children, and

Parent the children in safe and sustainable communities.

We have Christian, Unitarian Universalist, Jewish and Buddhist members of our Board of Directors and Advisory Board, all working to make reproductive justice a reality in our country.

To show our support for women faced with difficult decisions stemming from a problem pregnancy, and to show that many people of faith support reproductive justice, we will present an interfaith service on January 21st: "Songs and Prayers for Reproductive Justice," (described in more detail in our Facebook page "Pennsylvania Religious Coalition for Reproductive Justice, Incorporated").

Confirmed speakers for the service include several Christian ministers, a Rabbi, a Buddhist priest, a Muslim woman who advocates for justice in the community, and a representative of Gov. Tom Wolf's office.

Those who share our concern for reproductive justice are invited. Working together, many religious communities and clergy can find the path of compassion that leads to reproductive justice. We invite our PA legislators and others to join us on this path.

James L. Cavenaugh is president of the Pennsylvania Religous Coalition for Reproductive Justice. He writes from Harrisburg.
Murder of UML leader: 3 suspects held with gun

Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the murder of CPN-UMLs Rupandehi district leader Basanta Poudel on Sunday. They were arrested with a gun from Rupandehi, police informed.
People trek down a rural road in Sandy Cove, N.S., on Saturday, January 20, 2018 in solidarity with hundreds of other marches for women's rights around the globe. A plucky group of 15 women who charmed the internet with their small-scale women's march through a rural Nova Scotia village in 2017 more than doubled their inaugural turnout to 32 people this year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Gary Wilson *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Normal life affected due to banda in Doti, Dang

Normal life was greatly affected as transportation came to a halt while market places remained closed also on Saturday due to the banda organised by the locals, demanding the provincial headquarters in Doti and Dang districts.
Over 75 percent civil servants to go out of central government

With three tiers of government becoming operational after the announcement of temporary provincial centres and appointment of governors to the seven provinces,
Poor air quality leaves Valley folk gasping for breath

Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental health risks facing people living in urban areas and even worse in places like Kathmandu because of rapid development and population growth, according to a government report.
Probe into Sumargis property in 2nd phase: Minister Rana

Minister of State for Finance, Udaya Shamsher Rana has said that the government investigation into the details of property owned by controversial businessman Ajeya Raj Sumargi has reached the second phase.
In pictures: Oath taking ceremony of Provincial Assembly members

Provincial Assembly members of Province 4 took the oath of office and secrecy on Sunday.
Saturdays IELTS examination cancelled on police orders

Nepal Police has directed the British Council to submit question and answer sheets of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination, a popular English proficiency test examination.
Shankar Pokharel likely to be Province 5 Chief Minister

CPN-UML leader Shankar Pokhrel, who was elected to Province 5 Provincial Assembly member, has been appointed the partys Parliamentary Party leader in the Province 5. His name was unanimously endorsed for the post by the meeting of UMLs Province Parliamentary on Sunday.
UML, Maoist student unions inspect encroached Nepali land at Birgunj

Leaders and cadres of two major student unions on Sunday visited the bordering Chhapkaiya area of Birgunj for an onsite inspection of the land that has fallen into Indian territory following a recent position marking by Nepal-India joint survey team for new subsidiary boundary pillars.
Water at midnight

Water is the symbol of anything that we hope for in recent times; it is culture, memory and history
WB provides 440 million USD concessional loan

The World Bank has agreed to provide 440 million US dollars concessional loan assistance for the implementation of three projects in the country. The concessional loan would be spent for the implementation of Enhanced Vocational Education and Training Project II (EVENT-II), Livestock Sector Innovation Project (LSIP) and Earthquake Housing Reconstruction Project (EHRP).
Women entrepreneurs get boost with new trade hub

South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF) and Association of Women Entrepreneurs of India initiated the Women Entrepreneur International Trade and Technology Hub, a move seen by many as empowering women to engage in business.
1. Yes. The bus service is underfunded, and the money will ensure another route.

2. Yes. Its COVID relief money, and plenty of people depend on public transportation.

3. No. The COVID funds are a short-term fix. The city cant afford a big outlay next year.

4. No. The city isnt getting much for its money. Another transit solution is needed.

5. Unsure. Its a hard to say whether HOP ridership will validate the expenditure.

Vote

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Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
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Vice President Leonora Leni Robredo is out of touch with reality, Malacanang said on Sunday. With all due respect to the Vice President, we find Ms. Robredos remarks during the anniversary of the Liberal Party completely out of touch with the existing realities on the ground, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. Genuine and meaningful change has been felt by our people. The darkness that Vice President Robredo may be referring to perhaps pertains to the future of those discredited politicians who wish to return to power, said Roque. The Philippines under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is the third happiest country in the world in the Gallup International report, and the fifth highest country in terms of economic optimism index also in the Gallup International report. Roque said 96 of Filipinos entered the new year with hope  the highest recorded since 2002, as cited by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. He said fewer Filipino families considered themselves poor or mahirap as cited also by the SWS survey. Peoples high levels of hope and optimism have been complemented by high satisfaction, approval, trust ratings, said Roque. Roque also stold Robredo to consider the following. First, more than eight out of ten Filipinos trust the President, according to the last quarter 2017 SWS survey. Second, Duterte is the most approved (at 80 percent) and the most trusted (at 82 percent ) among the top national officials of this country, according to the last quarter 2017 Pulse Asia survey. Third, satisfaction with the Duterte administration is excellent (at +70)  the highest recorded for the administration in the last 28 years, according to the last quarter 2017 SWS survey. Fourth, net satisfaction rating of the Duterte cabinet remains the highest since 1990 at + 32, according, according to the last quarter 2017 SWS survey.Robredo had earlier rallied the remaining members of the Liberal Party to remain true to what is right and not lose heart in the face of the darkness shrouding the nation. Wearing black during the partys 72nd anniversary celebration, Robredo lauded members who remained with the once-powerful party despite its waning influence under the Duterte administration. Many ask us if there is still hope, where we are headed. Darkness envelops us. But we should not lose hope. Our party history is about fighting, Robredo told members of the LP, which she chairs. Robredo also lauded new party members for having the courage to join up. At a time when many people are ashamed of having been members of the party, you are still here, standing, fighting for your beliefs. Robredo noted that LPs membership also dwindled during the Marcos regime. It seems history is repeating itself. But it wasnt the numbers that mattered then. What mattered was the strength of our conviction. What mattered was how strongly we fought, she said. In the end, what is right always wins. But what is right will only prevail if we dont stop fighting for it, the Vice President added. As with all Filipino political parties, the LP lost most of its members since Duterte assumed office with many of LP members, including some of its highest ranking leaders, jumping ship to the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which replaced the LP as the ruling party. But LP has since changed its strategy from recruiting politicians to signing up people from the grassroots. While some of our members are leaving the party, it is not true that the party will disappear. Our party will grow stronger because you are joining us, said LP president, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who welcomed new members in Cebu City. We in the Liberal Party, have been through hell and back. And we in the Liberal Party, to borrow and paraphrase the words from the poet Dylan Thomas: We will not go quietly into this dark night, he said. The future of the party does not rest on politicians, but on the people. Its time to be a party of the people. A party composed of the people, said Sen. Bam Aquino, one of the partys four incumbent senators.
THE Palace on Sunday distanced itself from a maritime incident near the Scarborough Shoal involving China and the United States. The United States can take care of its own interest, said presidential spokesman Harry Roque, who said the Philippines does not wish to be part of a US-China dispute. The Philippines claim over Scarborough Shoal is recognized under our constitutional law and international law, Roque also said. Last week, an American missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal, a ring of reefs that lies about 230 kilometers from the Philippines, where Chinas claims are contested by other nations, including Manila. On Saturday, Beijing said it had dispatched a warship to drive away the US vessel that had violated its sovereignty and put Chinese ships under grave threat. That is Americas problem because for our part, we have different tactics in dealing with China, Roque said in Filipino on radio dzMM. We have reached a point where we have independent foreign relations, and a problem of America is no longer a problem of the Philippines, Roque added. China in 2012 seized control of Scarborough Shoal, following a three-month standoff where the Philippines tried to arrest Chinese fishermen found illegally hauling giant clams there. Washington, Manilas only treaty ally, dispatched patrol vessels in the strategic waters, intensified joint patrols with Filipino troops and backed an arbitration case filed by then President Benigno Aquino III. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2012 and invalidated Chinas historic claims to the resource-rich sea. However, President Rodrigo Duterte has set aside the arbitral ruling as he sought to forge closer ties with Beijing.China has stopped driving Filipino boats away from Scarborough, Roque said. The USS Hopper recently entered the US Navys 7th Fleet area of operations, where the ship is on an independent deployment, according to a statement released earlier this month on the Navys website. Its mission in Asia involves security cooperation, building partner capacity, and performing routine operations within the area. News of the encounter followed Fridays release of a new US national defense strategy that says America is facing growing threats from China and Russia. China is a strategic competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors while militarizing features in the South China Sea, the document says. Chinas defense ministry dismissed those claims on Saturday, saying the situation in the South China Sea has steadily stabilized, in comments attributed to spokesman Wu Qian. But it added, the United States has repeatedly sent warships illegally into the adjacent waters of the South China Sea islands and reefs. Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea despite rival claims from Southeast Asian neighbours and has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. China seized Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after a brief stand-off with the Philippine Navy. The shoal is also claimed by Taiwan.
Perhaps one of the most important functions of a foreign post is that of providing assistance to our kababayans working overseas. The Filipino overseas worker has been a ubiquitous presence in so many countries all over the world. The diaspora contributes some 30 billion dollars annually to our economy. But aside from the social impact of separated families, there are instances where our overseas workers suffer from abuse by their employers, or brokers, or encounter simple brushes with the law in their areas of work. Such incidents are not as prevalent in Taiwan as in other countries where most Filipinos seek employment, such as in the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia. This can be attributed to the proactive work being done by both the Philippine and Taiwanese governments to ensure the welfare of OFWs on the island. Taiwan employs hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in their factories, fishing vessels and households. Around 137,000 of these workers are Filipinos. This makes Filipinos the third-biggest group of foreign workers in Taiwan, next to the Indonesians and the Vietnamese. Thai workers come in fourth. According to the Philippine labor office in Taipei, only about 1 percent of the total number of OFWs in Taiwan have encountered labor and contract violations from their employers, and almost all of them were resolved and decided in their favor. Aside from empowering our workers through a sustained information and awareness campaign against unfair and abusive labor practices, our labor office set up 24/7 telephone hotlines manned by welfare or case officers that attend to our OFWs calls for assistance. Likewise, Taiwans Ministry of Labor maintains an all-day, all-week hotline to receive reports of labor disputes involving migrant workers. The labor office, as well as the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, conducts business on the first and third Sundays of the month to further provide service to OFWs who can only leave their place of work during their weekend off. Incidentally, MECO is the only representative office in Taiwan that maintains two other satellite offices, in Taichung and Kaohsiung, to attend to the needs of Filipinos working outside Taipei. Every other country maintains office only in Taipei even those who have far sizable numbers of contract workers than Filipinos. When we assumed office, the DOLE and its attached agencies such as OWWA, even Philhealth, SSS and Landbank were housed separately from the MECO office, an inconvenience for our OFWs who have to shift from one office to another. To address this physical inconvenience, we have caused the transfer to a single, second-floor office less than a hundred meters from the MRT station, which would house all Philippine-related offices, including trade and tourism all together. Nonetheless, disputes and claims of abuse can not be totally avoided.Most of these issues and concerns are borne out of circumstances which are beyond the control of Philippine authorities. Examples would be disparity in the salaries and benefits of Filipino workers as compared to other migrant or local workers, and incidents of management or individual employer problems. On calls from OFW groups to dismantle the broker system, as much as the present MECO board advocates direct hiring, the former is a deeply-entrenched and widely-accepted labor practice in Taiwan that eliminates the inconvenience of dealing with Taiwan laws and procedures for employers, especially the smaller ones. Some small companies even outsource their entire Human Resource Department to take care of their personnel requirements. Big business like I-MEI, a food manufacturing company, however recently conducted direct hire recruitment for 200 job positions in Davao and Manila, but only because they have the wherewithal to facilitate hiring of foreign workers. MECO encouraged and assisted them in this direct hiring program, and I-MEI has been very happy with its Filipino workers. A household needing a caregiver does not have similar resources or direct hiring abilities, so they rely on brokers and manpower agencies. Work contracts signed by our workers are followed to the letter in Taiwan, so there can be no violation thereof unless the employer reneges on any of its provisions or any other applicable law. Sometimes employers go bankrupt, experience ownership disputes or run away from their obligations, occasions that can not possibly be avoided. Such incidents are often exaggerated in the news or social media. Its a thankless job at times. MECO and labor front liners bear the brunt of often baseless criticisms. But whenever a Filipino in Taiwan is in distress, MECO and its attached agencies are prepared to leap into action and extend assistance. Even if there is a Philippine overseas labor office, as well as welfare officers, MECO has an active Assistance to Nationals department manned mostly by tri-lingual personnel who can thus communicate to OFWs in Filipino and English, and to employers as well as local officials in Mandarin. The reality on the ground is an overwhelming majority of Filipino workers find work conditions and pay better here in Taiwan than in other countries for similar work. And MECO as well as its attached offices continue to work as best as we could for the welfare of our kababayans.
Posted Sunday, January 21, 2018 6:00 am

I have a confession that will make me look supremely uncool. Im a homebody. Its not an easy thing to admit in a go-go society where more is more and social media favors movers and shakers.

But its true, and I was probably born this way. Even as a kid, Id go on sleepovers at a friends house and almost always come down with some kind of virus the second I got back home  as if my body was rebelling against the separation from my own bed.

One time in middle school, I went on a church youth group mission trip to Mexico, but the bus broke down on the side of the interstate on the way there  proof that even the universe conspires to keep me close to home.

And my guess is that there are plenty of people out there who are a lot like me. Here are 10 signs you might be a homebody:

10 - Having no plans for the weekend is your favorite kind of plan. Our more adventurous friends probably feel sorry for us when we say we dont have plans for the weekend. But on the rare times when we dont have an extracurricular event, kid birthday party or tournament to attend, were more than happy to stay home and only venture out for restaurant food and a movie.

9 - You like nature but in small doses and preferably from a safe distance. Camping is not on the list of things I do. I tried it a few times in high school and always had the distinct feeling I was doing something ridiculous  sleeping in a bag on the ground, listening to some random woodland creature scratch against the side of our tent. My philosophy is this: If living in tents in the woods was so great, wed all still be living there. Houses are better.

8 - You might be a homebody if you dont need to sail around the world to appreciate the ocean. You also dont need to climb a mountain to appreciate the view. We homebodies feel like we can marvel at the wonders of the world, just from looking at photos of them on our screensavers. (We do, however, appreciate the adventurers who go shoot those pictures.)

7 - You unpack in hotel rooms. My husband thinks its silly  the way I take almost everything out of my suitcase and put it away in hotel room drawers, if only for a couple of nights. But I think it makes a nondescript hotel room feel more like home.

6 - Hotels dont feel like a luxurious experience. Perhaps Im not staying in the right places, but I rarely find a hotel to be more comfortable than my own bed and bathroom at home. Plus, is it just me or does anyone else find it disturbing that someone has folded the hotels toilet paper into a perfect point? Generally speaking, I dont want strangers practicing origami on my toilet paper.

5 - You order the same thing in restaurants. The tendency to have a favorite dish at a handful of favorite restaurants doesnt automatically mean youre a homebody. But Ive seen a connection between those of us who have a few go-to menu selections and those who appreciate a smaller serving of faraway adventure.

4 - You really miss your dog when youre gone. Sure, some people may accuse you of having a co-dependent relationship with your dog, but thats OK. They dont understand you the way the dog does  and the dog fully supports your love of home.

3 - You root for the chance to be snowed in for a few days. When the kids watch the forecast in hopes for a chance of snow, Im wishing nearly as hard as they are. Theres something supremely peaceful about being in a cozy, warm house while the outside world quiets down under a blanket of white.

2 - You have a collection of pajama pants. If you dont have a collection, you have at least one pair you look forward to putting on when you get home. (Please note, however, that I would never wear my beloved pajama pants to Walmart; even homebodies have standards.)

1 - You secretly like the trip back home. You know how most people find that, after a vacation, the car ride or the flight back home is a real drag? We homebodies are always a little bit thrilled to be heading back to our favorite place.

Gwen Rockwood is a syndicated freelance columnist. Email her at rockwoodfiles@cox.net. Her book, Reporting Live from the Laundry Pile, is available on Amazon.
British Petroleum (BP) signed a memorandum of understanding to increase the flow of oil from the oil fields of Kirkuk, in the countrys north.

BP has been asked by the Iraqi oil ministry to boost production capacity from the field to more than 700,000 barrels per day (bpd), after it was reclaimed by Baghdad from Kurdish forces last October.

Under the agreement, BP will conduct surveys and studies necessary to develop Kirkuks fields and boost their output, according to an oil ministry statement citing Michael Townshend, the head of BPs Middle East business.

The London-based oil giant is returning to a region where it has a long history. Kirkuks oil was discovered by the forebears of BP and Frances Total in 1927. BP provided technical assistance to Iraqs state-run North Oil Co. until 2015, when work halted due to fighting between government troops and Islamic State militants.

Iraq, the second largest producer of oil within OPEC after Saudi Arabia, is balancing the need to raise output to finance its post-ISIL reconstruction efforts while maintaining production cut quotas as part of an agreement with other fellow oil exporting states to stabilize prices.
US President Donald Trump has affirmed in a message to King Mohammed VI of Morocco that he shares his views regarding the importance of the holy city of Jerusalem for the followers of the three monotheist religions.

Jerusalem is and must remain a place where Jews pray at the Western Wall, where Christians walk the Stations of the Cross and where Muslims worship at Al-Aqsa Mosque, said Trump in a message to King Mohammed VI.

The message came in response to a letter the Moroccan Monarch had addressed to the US President early December, regarding his decision to recognize Jerusalem as a capital of Israel.

In his message, the US president commended the leadership of King Mohammed VI both at the Arab League and in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

On the peace process in the Middle East, Trump said he is determined to reach a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

He also expressed his support for a two-state solution if agreed by both sides, adding that the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem are part of the final status negotiations. The US does not take a position on boundaries or borders, Trump stated.

Early in December, King Mohammed VI, in his capacity as Chairman of Al Quds Committee- an offshoot of the OIC- expressed in a letter to the US President his deep concern and that of Arab and Muslim countries regarding Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem as a capital of Israel and to move the US embassy to the Holy city.

The Sovereign also highlighted the significance of the city of Jerusalem, not only to the parties to the conflict, but to the followers of the three monotheistic religions.

In a message he had addressed to the UN Chief on Trumps decision, King Mohammed VI had warned that infringement of the internationally recognized legal and historical status of Jerusalem means one runs the risk of hurling the issue into the quagmire of religious and ideological conflict.

Such a decision would also frustrate international efforts aimed at bringing about an atmosphere conducive to a resumption of peace negotiations and would ultimately lead to increased strife and tension and undermine all opportunities for peace, not to mention fuel violence and extremism, the monarch had stated, insisting on the need to safeguard the status of Jerusalem as a city of peace and tolerance, one that is open to the followers of all revealed religions.

The Monarch had also noted that Jerusalem is a question that concerns the Palestinians  since it is part of their occupied land  as much as it does the Arab and Muslim world, given the fact that it is home to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, the First of the Two Qiblas and the Third Holiest Mosque. In fact, it is a just cause for all peace-loving people since the city stands as a symbol for tolerance and inter-faith coexistence.
Morocco has dispatch an emergency humanitarian assistance to Madagascar to help it cope with the impact of the devastating tropical cyclone Ava.

The assistance, sent in implementation of Royal instructions, was airlifted by Two aircrafts of Moroccos Royal Air Force that landed in Antananarivo on Saturday.

The 30 ton-humanitarian aid, made up of tents, blankets and basic foodstuffs, was handed to Malagasy authorities in the presence of Prime Minister, Olivier Mahafaly, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Henri Rabary-Njaka.

The Malagasy Premier expressed the deep gratitude of the Head of State, the Government and the people of Madagascar to King Mohammed VI for this act of solidarity following the damage caused by the tropical cyclone Ava, reported MAP news agency.

He said the King has always shown solidarity with Madagascar in difficult times, recalling that only a few months ago, the Monarch gave his instructions to send an emergency medical aid to Madagascar to support the country in its fight against a pneumonic plague epidemic.

This solidarity reflects the excellence of relations of partnership and fraternal ties between the two countries, PM Olivier Mahafaly pointed out.

This humanitarian assistance is part of Moroccos sincere friendship, fruitful cooperation and effective solidarity with this brotherly country, as highlighted during the historical visit of King Mohammed VI in December 2016, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry had said in a statement announcing the dispatching of the aid.
Adventure tourism school opens in Gudauri

An adventure tourism school has opened in Georgias Gudauri ski resort offering locals the chance to improve their knowledge about the mountain and mountain safety.The school will provide trainings for those interested in mountain adventure tourism and other alpine, high-risk professions.One area of teaching will see the school prepare and train hiking and mountain guides, ski instructors, specialists for elevation works and landslide safety experts. On completion of the course, students will receive certificates to affirm their new-found skills.Georgias Economy Minister Dimitry Kumsishvili, who attended the schools opening ceremony yesterday, said that the school will enroll people based on their professions whose employment will be guaranteed.
Parliament Speaker says Adoption of New Drug Policy May Be Suspended

By Tea Mariamidze

Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze stated the adoption of already initiated new drug policy may be suspended, adding the discussions over the issue will continue.Kobakhidzes comment followed the statement of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which believes the drug policy should remain strict but has to be more care-oriented, which means treatment of those addicted to drugs.The speaker noted that participation of all parties, particularly the Patriarchate, is important in the processes related to the drug policy.The relevant draft law has been initiated in the Parliament of Georgia We will listen to all parties, also to the Patriarchate and a final decision will be made on the basis of a broader involvement," Kobakhidze said.He added the aim of all parties involved in the process is to reduce the use of drugs in Georgia.Several days ago the Patriarchate stated that drug consumption is a big sin adding the initiated draft on drugs, which envisages making drug policy more liberal, will boost drug consumption in the country and will promote drug-addiction.The Church has always supported harsh measures against drugs because it is a crime against the nation and the state must stand against it with the whole strictness that has to be reflected in additional regulations, the statement reads.The patriarchate believes the state agencies and initiators of the draft do not realize the negative tendencies that will follow the adoption of the law.The statement went on that special rehabilitation centers for drug-addicts should be arranged in the country, where such people will be treated.The clerics also believe that special programs should be launched which will provide drug-addicts with jobs.We believe the drug policy should be further tightened in order to protect our children and families, the patriarchate stated.The Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) oppose the position of the clergymen, saying people should not be imprisoned for personal consumptions of drugs.They support peoples decision to consume drugs or not.The NGOs claim the drug policy should be transferred from a punitive to a caring one, which implies the creation of special services for drug addicts for their rehabilitation and resocialization.Both sides  clerics and NGOs  claim to launch large-scale protest rallies if the government does not meet their demands.
The News in Brief

Groups demand investigation into how anti-terrorist forces killed 19-year-old



The death of a young Chechen man who was shot in an anti-terror operation last month has sparked an outcry among locals in the Muslim-inhabited region he came from, while activists in Tbilisi rallied outside the government building.



19-year-old Temirlan Machalikashvili, a suspected accomplice of the well-known terrorist Akhmed Chatayev, died at a Tbilisi hospital on Tuesday.



He was shot in the head by special forces on December 26 in his home in Pankisi, a valley region in the north east of Georgia populated mainly by Chechens.



Hundreds of Pankisi residents gathered to pay tribute to Machalikashvili as he was buried on Thursday. They believe he was callously murdered by the police.



The father of the deceased Malkhaz Machalikashvili demands a fair investigation into his sons death, otherwise he threatens to launch a personal vendetta.



I demand that every offender is punished. The entire Pankisi Gorge demands the same. At this time, I trust the [official] investigation, [but] if they let me down, then Ill do otherwise, Machalikashvili told journalists at the funeral.



Dont urge me to annihilate [the murderer] with his entire family, he warned, a threat directed at the government.



Several non-governmental organizations held a rally in solidarity with Pankisi residents on Thursday in front of the government building in Tbilisi, demanding a fair investigation of the December 26 police operation.



The Public Defender and several opposition parties have also raised the same demand.



Tamerlan Machalikashvili was shot in the head by a unit of counterterrorism forces as they burst into his home in the village of Omalo in Pankisi in the morning of December 26. Machalikashvili was taken to hospital and fought for his life for over two weeks, but died without regaining consciousness.



The State Security Service (SUS), which carried out the operation, insists Machalikashvili was wounded as was resisting the police and that he was attempting to use a hand grenade.



However, the family of the deceased claims the young man had had no weapons and that one of the police officers opened fire unprovoked and without warning.



They also stated that the police officer shot at Machalikashvili mistaking a mobile phone for a hand grenade.



Tensions are high among the ranks of SUS counterterrorism forces after one of its member was killed in a shootout with Chatayev and his accomplices in November, DFWatch was told by a SUS officer who was not present at the incident.



In the December 26 operation, the police raided several houses in Omalo and Duisi, Pankisi administrative center, in a search for Akhmed Chatayevs accomplices. Altogether four persons were detained that day. All of them are charged with assisting Chatayev and other members of his terrorist ring with entering and settling in Georgia.



Georgian authorities responded to criticism by saying activists are misrepresenting whats happening in Pankisi, which undermines the fight against terrorism. The deceased 19-year-old was suspected of links to Chatayev, whom the domestic intelligence, SUS, said earlier was plotting terror attacks against diplomatic missions in Georgia and Turkey. As previously reported by DFWatch, many young men have become radicalized in Pankisi, a problem raised by both government and locals.

(DF watch)







Former Defense Minister Kezerashvili acquitted of another crime



Former Defense Minister of Georgia has been acquitted of another charge by City Court of Tbilisi. As the Judge Nino Nachkebia decided, David Kezerashvili has been acquitted of the charge of deprivation of property for businessmen.



According to the Judge, the materials presented by the Prosecutors Office of Georgia were not enough to confirm the former Defense Ministers guilt.



The Georgian State accused Kezerashvili of illegal deprivation of property belonging to businessmen Tamaz and Zurab Nizharadze,



As investigation established, former Defense Minister of Georgia Davit Kezerashvili decided to enlarge his business in August 2010 and grab the business of processing oil products and dry cargos in Poti Port. As reported by Georgias Prosecutors Office, the Nizharadzes conceded their property to Kezerashvili after being psychologically pressured for several days. Kezerashvili was also accused of violence towards the businessmen.



In 2014 Kezerashvili was found not guilty of bribing Government officials and smuggling large volumes of alcohol into Georgia.

(IPN)




Westmoreland County, PA - A 21-year-old man is behind bars in Pennsylvania after being accused of performing what he said was a satanic ritual on a passed-out female friend with a razor blade, according to a report Friday.

I sold your soul to the devil, Kyle Parker allegedly told the victim following the Jan. 10 incident at his home in Larimer, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported, citing a police affidavit.

Parker was charged with cutting the woman with a razor blade during a heated argument. He sliced her in the palm of her hand and she passed out, according to the paper.

When she woke she saw she had repeated razor cuts around the calf of one leg, the paper reported. She called a friend to drive her home.

The next day she went back to Parkers house to pick up her car, the paper reported. She told police that when she saw him he told her he had sold her soul to the devil.

The newspaper reported that police did not say if the victim needed medical treatment for the razor cuts.

Parker was arrested on simple assault and harassment charges.

He was ordered held on $75,000 bail by a Westmoreland County judge and is due back in court Jan. 24.

This is not the first time Parker has had a run-in with the law.

In 2006, Parker pleaded gulity and was sentenced to serve up to two years in prison for shooting his roommate in the chest with a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle and stealing money and Christmas gifts from eight other victims, the Tribune-Review reported.

Parker told the sentencing judge the shooting was an accident.

As part of the sentence, Parker was ordered to get drug and alcohol treatment and to make restitution, the paper reported.

Police said Parker was showing off his altered .22-caliber rifle when it accidently fired Dec. 29, 2014, critically injuring his then-roommate, Anthony Venturella, 23, in Parker's mother's home, according the paper.
Alten Construction, a San Francisco Bay Area commercial construction company, announced that it has completed the restoration of the historical Goodman Library in downtown Napa.

Alten Construction repaired the 2014 earthquake damage to the 5,433-square-foot building built in 1901.

The Goodman Library is the home of the Napa County Historical Society.

The project, which began in April 2017, is being nominated for the Project of the Year Award through the American Public Works Association (APWA).

During the more than $1.7 million project, the company installed a new roof, repaired and reinforced timber roof trusses, fixed damaged terra cotta entry columns and the entry doorway arch and restored and repaired interior wood trim, lath and plaster walls and dislodged interior metal tin ceiling tiles and trim.

Alten Construction also reconstructed damaged areas of the structural stone walls and repaired and replaced miscellaneous cracked and dislodged wall stones and a partially collapsed stone entry tower.

The building still possesses many of its original fixtures, including most of the original shelves, fine pressed tin ceilings, staircase, woodwork and desks.
1947-2018

June Emerson Moroney 70, passed away on January 14, 2018 in Napa, California.

June was born June 25, 1947 in Houston, Texas to Robert Bob Moroney and Jessie Dew Robinson as the younger of two sisters. June graduated from St. Johns School in Houston in 1965 where she made many lifelong friends.

Her love of learning and natural curiosity at St. Johns helped her to gain acceptance to Stanford University in 1965. After graduation, she joined Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), and worked with local agencies and organizations that served the low-income communities in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. She moved to Berkeley, California after leaving the VISTA program, in 1971, and attended the University of California Hastings College of the Law. She obtained her J.D. in 1975 and was the first woman attorney hired by the prominent San Franciso law firm, Bledsoe, Boyd, Smith, Cathcart and Elliott. After several years she moved to the legal department of Bank of America, in San Francisco, where she worked until 1980.
Fuller chose to stay in the new American territory for about five years. There, he witnessed a total solar eclipse at the observatory built by a Prof. George H. Davidson and in the company of a New York governor, W. H. Seward. It seems he and Fuller were good  or became  good friends. Fuller gave Seward an impressive Alaskan gift. In 1869, he sawed and gave Seward 10,000 feet of yellow cedar lumber to wainscot his Auburn, N.Y. library interior.

Fuller cut the lumber on a circular saw at his mill. He had established that business to provide affordable lumber so that the poor were enabled to buy it and thus erect comfortable dwellings. Tillie Kanaga and W. F. Wallace, authors of the 1901 History of Napa County book, wrote, All of the logs were purchased from the Indians who managed to keep the mill going, Mr. Fuller dealing with them in such a manner as to retain their good will and friendship.

Apparently, his political inclinations began in Alaska. In 1867 he was elected as one of Sitkas first council members as well as that towns surveyor. Fuller surveyed the lots that were given to the old employees of the Russian Fur Company as a reward for their past services, wrote Kanaga-Wallace.
Bernstein also notes that "though Donald Trump did not personally interact with Mossack Fonseca, the Trump Organization engaged in real estate transactions with Panama-based Mossfon companies as early as 1994." The book concludes with a chapter titled "The Secrecy World Enters the White House," which describes how several important - and quite shadowy - business associates of the current president had extensive links to Mussfon.

In a brief epilogue, the author does not discuss the broader context that has shaped and is now changing the illicit world he so ably dissected. Instead, Bernstein describes the details of the predictable decline of Mossfon and then goes into the organizational frictions that led the ICIJ to part ways with its parent organization, the Center for Public Integrity.

While the book's ending paragraphs stress that, even before the publication of the Panama Papers, the secrecy world was adapting and changing to new circumstances, Bernstein does not offer any significant insights about the future of that world. He does note that "secret bank accounts were finding new homes in Dubai and Singapore" and that "the only difference was that it now cost more."
I spent most of my time surrounded by my mother, Rosa, and older brother, Andres, working hard on school work, struggling to grasp new concepts. English was a true predicament. Growing up, my mother had the ability to communicate in English, but was never able to aid me in learning a language that was foreign to my family. Nevertheless, I trudged on with the help of my brother, Andres. Andres was the closest thing I had to a mentor while I was young. My brother was essentially the only person I communicated with on a daily basis. He was the one that held me while I cried on my elementary school playground wishing to see my mom, or whilst I cried at night asking why I strained myself to succeed in school while others couldnt care more about their grades. My brother taught me that my parents fears didnt exist when he was around; for my brother believed that life was more than secluding ones self to the confines of their home. He strove to befriend anyone regardless of appearance. He sat down to listen, to appreciate anothers story. He was the reason I strove for success. He was the reason I strove to become an educated studentto achieve a 4.0 GPA and challenge myself to become eloquent, well-read, and willing to outshine my contemporariesregardless of the workload.
Others who have received their insurance claim payments may find that due to the costs of rebuilding, its not feasible to rebuild the kind of home they would want. That could also lead to new lots being listed.

Jocelyne Monello has a fire lot for sale at 337 Alta Mesa Circle in the Silverado area.

The listing price is $550,000. Before the fire, the homes on Alta Mesa were selling for $1 million to $1.6 million.

Monello said shes gotten calls on the lot from buyers from San Francisco but also larger contractors that hope to rebuild more than one home at the same time.

However, Its a little premature in some ways, because many homeowners havent settled their insurance payout yet. Its a little early for people to know what they want to do.

The Alta Mesa homeowner already received his payment, said Monello. Her client plans to relocate to a different area, she said.

He did not have a need to rebuild and did not feel thats what he wanted to go through. It was an easy decision for him, she said.

I think a lot want to rebuild but with time and costs and negotiations, some may decide to just to sell the lot. We dont know.
The vulgarity President Donald Trump reportedly used last week to describe certain countries in the developing world has gotten a lot of attention. Trump held a private, frank, blunt conversation with congressional leaders where he used a word others have used to describe places considered awful.

For some in his base, it might please them. After all, he is the president who thrives in not being politically correct. It makes the president seem bold enough to say out loud what others think but won't bring themselves to say. In reality, the question over the specific word is distracting from his point that immigrants should be judged based on the nations they come from, and his point is just another straw on the camel's back for many in the religious right. That back is already breaking and presents an electoral problem for the Republican Party.

Trump was always a devil's bargain for most evangelicals. As long as he stood against Hillary Clinton, many evangelicals could rationalize supporting him. He may not be what they would want, but surely he was better than Clinton. Besides, with Antonin Scalia's death, the Supreme Court really was in play in the 2016 election. Many who may not have liked Trump still stayed with the Republican Party nominee to secure a conservative appointee to the court.
While theres variation between polls, the general picture is that for every American who really loves Donald Trump, there are about two Americans who really hate him. Thats what produces the election results weve seen all over the country in recent months, where Democratic candidates dramatically over-performed compared to how theyve done in recent elections. Trump is such a powerful presence that he nationalizes every election to at least some degree, which is bad news for his party. Now lets think about how this picture of energized, angry Democratic voters and Republican voters who still support Trump but arent so enthusiastic about it could play out in November. Despite the fact that the president is on everyones mind, the calculation is different for voters of the two parties. A Democrat can deliver Trump a crushing blow with their vote, because if their party takes back one or both houses of Congress, the effect will be seismic. Not only would the GOP legislative agenda be immediately dead, but with their newfound subpoena power Democrats could start investigating this administration from tip to tail.
21:01

Terming as "historic" his recent visit to India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that his six-day trip will be "long remembered" as it contributed in strengthening of bilateral ties.

Netanyahu arrived in New Delhi on January 14 and was received by his "friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport, setting aside protocol.

"I returned last week from a historic visit to India. I thank my friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the exceptionally strong and warm reception," Netanyahu told his cabinet at the start of the weekly meeting.

"It reflects the closer ties between us, very close, as well as the closer ties between our countries and peoples," he said.

"This is a visit that will be long-remembered. It contributed, and will yet contribute, to Israel in the economic, security, technology and diplomatic spheres," he added.

Modi accompanied the Israeli Prime Minister for most part of the trip.

India and Israel signed nine agreements across several sectors to boost bilateral trade and cooperation.

Netanyahu also recollected some moving moments from his trip, particularly his meeting with Moshe, the now 11-year-old kid who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which his parents were killed.

"I must say that there were many very moving moments, but above all I will remember two special events that touched our people," Netanyahu said.

"First was the meeting with Moshe at the Chabad House. A sweet boy who is living with his loving grandparents, in effect with the love of the entire Jewish People. Thanks also go to the Indian nanny, Sandra, who saved him and accompanied him on the visit," he said.

Moshe was two-year-old when his parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, who were serving as Directors at Chabad House, were killed along with six others when the place was attacked by Pakistani terrorists during the November Mumbai attacks.

The attack on Chabad House and other locations like the Taj Hotel left 166 people dead.

Moshe was rescued by his nanny Sandra and he later moved to Israel, where he stays with his grandparents.





Sandra has been given honorary citizenship by Israel and now lives in Jerusalem where she works with kids with special needs.

"The second moving event was with the Indian Jewish community. This is a very small community most of whose members have come to Israel and contributed to the building up of the country and the development of the state. But their contribution to India is out of proportion to their numbers," Netanyahu said.

"They carried the flame for generations and looked forward to this moment when the Prime Minister of Israel came to India. They spoke there, each one in turn, and many simply wept with joy, not because there has ever been anti-Semitism in India; there never has.

"But they hoped for the meeting between cultures and between states and peoples, and it happened before their eyes," he noted.

"It was simply an extraordinary experience", the Israeli Premier stressed. -- PTI
Buhari and Obasanjo

According to Tribune, the former president, who spoke at the 7th convocation ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), said hard choices must be made consciously or unconsciously to get Nigeria out of poverty and starvation.

President Buhari, speaking on the occasion ordered that every discrimination against the graduates of NOUN should be stopped, saying the government would continue to accord the graduates of NOUN and those of other Distance Learning institutions in Nigeria due recognition.

He said there shall be no discrimination in terms of employment and opportunity for graduates of Open and Distance Learning programmes to pursue higher degrees either in conventional universities or the ODL setting.

While congratulating Obasanjo and other graduands, Buhari, described Obasanjo as the Father of Open and Distance Education in Nigeria.

Obasanjo, in his remarks, said from his field work during the course of his study and research, especially in the North Eastern part of the country, it was evident that leadership was Nigerias major problem.

He said: Poverty is not our lot or a lot of any individual or group in Nigeria. It is a choice made consciously or unconsciously by our leaders.

The beginning of getting Nigeria out of poverty to the wealth creation and employment generation is in the choice of our leaders who understand what development means and what it entails and who are ready to do what is needed to be done and make hard choices that need to be made.

This includes stepping on toes of friends and well-wishers who would not conform to the transformation or change agenda, he said.

Obasanjo said he proud and happy to be awarded PhD degree from NOUN, he described as one of the best universities of its kind in Africa.

He noted that at last count he had received about 20 of such honorary degrees from top rate universities from all over the world, noting that the earned doctorate degree conferred on comes with a different sense of fulfilment and accomplishment.

He added that his graduation has confirmed that via an open distance learning platform there is no age limit, no status barrier, no social limit to functional education.

Obasanjo said this has also provided an excellent example of education being from cradle to grave. He said:During my student days, at this great University, I requested that I should not be given any special treatment or privileges because I want to go through it as other students.

I carry my NOUN bag like any other student, took my lectures like any other student, wrote my examinations in my study centre with other students and utilize the learner support services like any other student.

The second part of my aim to study at the University is to show to the public and academic community that knowledge or education acquired through open and distance learning is not in any way inferior to knowledge or education acquired from bricks and mortar or walled universities, he said.

He urged the Federal government to give open and distance learning enough resources since it was obvious that not every Nigeria could have access to walled universities.

It is worth remarking that I do not need the PhD degree of the University as a meal ticket. I do not intend to apply for a job relating to my area of specialization attaching my brand new certificate.

However, I want all to know that I enrolled for the programme and I allowed myself to go through the crucible of training and discipline of research and learning to have the opportunity to become more knowledgeable, productive, and serviceable to humanity and to my God.

If at any time my services are required as a result of my specialization, I will gladly render such services as part of my community and society development effort.
Morocco and Senegal have expressed Friday (January 19) their will to coordinate stands at the upcoming summit meeting of the African Union, particularly on the issue of migration that will stand high on the African Leaders agenda.

This came at a meeting Friday in Rabat between the Moroccan and Senegalese Foreign Ministers, Nasser Bourita and Sidiki Kaba, held part of the two countries regular political consultations at the regional and international levels.

The Moroccan-Senegalese meeting that took place just few days before the 30th African Union Summit, scheduled in Addis Ababa on January 28-29 also discussed a number of topical African issues with focus on peace and security as both Morocco and Senegal play a key role in preserving peace and stability in the continent.

The Senegalese FMs visit to Morocco is an opportunity to further coordinate the stances of the two countries in preparation for the next African Union summit, Bourita told the media after the meeting, recalling that during the summit, King Mohammed VI will present the African Agenda for migration.

Actually, King Mohammed VI has been asked by his African peers to draft an African Agenda on Migration, and in this quality, he has already briefed AUs leaders on the broad lines of the new agenda in a preliminary note to the 29th summit. According to the outline, the new agenda will involve four levels of action: national, re-gional, continental and international.

The Senegalese official stressed in this connection the need for African countries to build strong economies in the framework of sustainable development, so that African populations find opportunities in their home region and stay there. He urged all States to work to reach that goal and ensure a bet-ter future for mounting generations.

In addition to the migration issue, the two officials discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the religious field, both countries being convinced as to the need to promote moderate Islam, to uphold its values of peace and tolerance and to dispel the misunderstandings equating this religion of peace with violence.

At the bilateral level, the two officials discussed means to enhance further their multi-dimensional strategic partnership, primarily in the political and economic fields and to consolidate their shared strategic vision. They also assessed the progress made in achieving all the projects launched during the Moroccan Monarchs various visits to Senegal, part of his strategy to enhance South-South cooperation and promote the continents integration.
Morocco sent airplanes loaded with 30 tons of humanitarian aid to help Madagascar mitigate the impact of the devastating tropical cyclone Ava.

The aid, sent in implementation of Royal instructions, includes tents, blankets and basic foodstuff that were handed to Mala-gasy authorities to help the victims of the natural disaster.

Moroccos foreign ministry said that this humanitarian gesture is part of the sincere friendship, the fruitful cooperation and the effective solidarity with this brotherly country in keeping with the cooperation ushered during the visit of King Mohammed VI to Madagascar.

During the Kings visit to Madagascar, the two countries signed 12 intergovernmental agreements, in the fields of politics, agriculture, sea fishing, energy, logistics, taxation, envi-ronment protection, water, mining, training, tourism and civil service.
President Trump holding a phone in the Oval Office during the government shutdown. Photo: White House

Just like that, our short national nightmare is over.

The Senate overwhelmingly voted yes on Monday afternoon to reopen the government until February 8 after a three-day shutdown that consisted mostly of Democrats and Republicans pointing fingers at each other.

Democrats had ostensibly declined to approve a short-term spending bill on Friday in order to force a vote on DACA before the government reopened. They caved on that demand, but they did get a six-year extension of the Childrens Health Insurance Program and Mitch McConnells vow to very possibly allow a vote on DACA  for whatever thats worth. If McConnell reneges on his word, we could be back in shutdown-land again very soon.

See how the deal is playing in the updates below:

1:35 p.m. The Paul Ryan Problem

After getting Mitch McConnells sacred word, Democrats are confident a DACA bill will pass the Senate. But what about the House? A similar bill would likely pass there, but Speaker Paul Ryan has shown no enthusiasm in putting one up for a vote. If the Senate does advance a bill, he will be under an enormous amount of pressure from Democrats and perhaps the public, which in poll after poll has shown it does not want to see Dreamers deported. But relying on Ryan to cave is not necessarily where Democrats wanted to be at this stage.

1:10 p.m. McConnells Spotless Record of Trustworthiness

Collins touts a "commitment from the Republican leader to bring an immigration bill to the floor." (McConnell's promise to her last year to vote on ACA stabilization was never honored.)  Alice Miranda Ollstein (@AliceOllstein) January 22, 2018

12:51 p.m. Did Democrats Get Hosed or Not?

Many liberal lawmakers and activists have already expressed displeasure at the shutdown-ending deal, since it hinges only on Mitch McConnells word to hold an immigration vote. But there are more optimistic takes out there:

Case for the D deal: They have a much larger bipartisan group working on DACA now, think they can come up with something in interim that has more buy-in than Durbin-Graham and that rank-and-file Rs say they will pressure McConnell to follow through on.  Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) January 22, 2018

Here's one way to think about it: are Dems better positioned now than on Thursday?

I'd argue yes.

--Have a promise on DACA vote. Their GOP doesn't do it. If it passes, that's good for Ds too.

--No loss of leverage v. Thurs., since just 3 week CR. Can go shutdown route again  Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) January 22, 2018

So as I understand it, Dems gave Trump 3 weeks in return for promise of a vote on DACA; also got 6 years of CHIP funding. I understand the concerns of immigration activists, but this doesn't sound like a surrender, unless I'm missing something  Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) January 22, 2018

12:46 p.m. Democrats Voting No Have Something in Common

Basically the 2020 candidates + a couple others who deeply fear a primary challenge. https://t.co/bPfCOfYbsW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) January 22, 2018

12:44 p.m. Progressive Activists Not Thrilled Either

The view of a progressive immigration activist: https://t.co/WtQOqafD23  Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 22, 2018

12:40 p.m. Progressive Senators Not Thrilled

Democrats are reopening the government on Mitch McConnells assurances that the Senate will vote on DACA in the next two weeks. Unsurprisingly, this isnt good enough for liberal lawmakers who were hoping that their caucus would stand a little firmer, or at least for a little longer:

Several progressive senators not happy with this deal - they dont trust McConnell and think their party shouldnt have accepted his assurances  Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 22, 2018

12:21 p.m. Schumer Makes It Official

We will vote today to reopen the government, to continue negotiating a global agreement, with the commitment that, if an agreement is not reached by Feb 8th, the Senate will immediately proceed to consideration of legislation dealing with DACA. The process will be neutral & fair.  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 22, 2018

I am confident that there are sixty votes in the Senate for a DACA deal. And now there is a real pathway to get a bill on the floor and through the Senate. It is a good solution and I will vote for it.  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 22, 2018

12:07 p.m. Let the Democratic Recriminations Begin!

Another aide to a Senate Dem tells me taking this deal would mean they "miscalculated beyond belief." "If these Dems are angling to play lied-to-victims when McConnell & co. don't live up to their 'promise,' this is the way to go... but otherwise what do they get?"  Hunter Walker (@hunterw) January 22, 2018

11:40 a.m. Intra-Party Tensions on Both Sides

As the Senate prepares for another vote to end or continue the government shutdown, the prevailing mood of partisanship disguises some significant intra-party tensions.

Five Democrats voted with Republicans on Fridays nights big Senate vote. Mitch McConnell would need at least six more to get the 60 votes needed to end a Democratic filibuster and reopen the government. At this point, that would require a rebellion by the centrist Democrats who have been working with Lindsey Graham and the handful of other Senate Republicans who are seeking to resolve the crisis with or without McConnells cooperation.

That Democrats are having to worry about a centrist revolt is actually a reminder that the intraparty tensions in the Senate that so many observers anticipated going into the Trump presidency largely have not appeared, at least since the vote to confirm Neil Gorsuch as a Supreme Court Justice. So far Senate Democratic solidarity has held.

Meanwhile, there is a Republican intra-party rift at the very center of the congressional impasse. The assurances over an immigration debate that Democrats are demanding from McConnell depend on cooperation from Paul Ryan, who in turn is wrestling with a nativist faction in his own caucus that is aligned with Stephen Miller and John Kelly in the White House.

These fissures may ultimately matter more than the more obvious partisan divisions that continue to be on full display.

11:15 a.m. Robert Mueller Is Not Being Furloughed

Buzzfeed reports that Special Counsel Robert Muellers office is not affected by the government shutdown. Thats because its funded by a permanent, indefinite appropriation, which also covers other Justice Department sections that support the special counsels work.

The DOJ is generally not as hindered by the shutdown as other federal departments; about 83 percent of its workforce, which comprises 95,000 people, will still be able to go to work, thanks to a contingency plan adopted last year.

10:30 a.m. Even the Voicemail Is Partisan

All of Washington is engaged in a blame game over the government shutdown, and that includes the voicemail system at the White House, which is spinning madly:

Thank you for calling the White House, the voicemail begins politely enough.

Then it adds:

Unfortunately we can not answer your call today because Congressional Democrats are holding government funding including funding for our troops and other national security priorities hostage to an unrelated immigration debate. Due to this obstruction, the government is shut down.

This being a government office, the voicemail text shows some restraint by not adopting the obstructionist losers label for Democrats that was featured in a White House press release when the shutdown began. Maybe thats next.

10:15 a.m. The White House Wants More Than a Wall

Key reason for shutdown.. a Wall is not enough for White House, multiple admin and Hill sources tell us. > A wall does not equal border security, a senior admin official said.  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 22, 2018

9:30 a.m. The End Is Probably Not Near

LATEST AT THIS HOUR: The votes aren't there to reopen the government. Talks ongoing...not clear how it changes before 12pm but my sources are leaving some room for evolution  Kasie Hunt (@kasie) January 22, 2018

Liberals worried centrist Democrats cave on this noon Senate vote. Both parties caucusing beforehand  Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 22, 2018

Liberals worried centrist Democrats cave on this noon Senate vote. Both parties caucusing beforehand  Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 22, 2018

Liberals worried centrist Democrats cave on this noon Senate vote. Both parties caucusing beforehand  Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 22, 2018

1:15 a.m. Weekend Ends for Federal Workers, But Break Is Just Beginning

While congressional leaders had hoped to resolve the shutdown before anyone really noticed, now it will affect hundreds of thousands of federal workers heading back to work on Monday. During the last shutdown 800,000 people were furloughed, but theres no official count of how many employees will be sent home without pay this time. Even worse, some federal workers were not told whether their jobs were deemed essential on Friday, so they might be heading to the office only to be sent home.

Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area will be hit particularly hard. According to the Washington Post, a quarter of the regions workforce of 3.2 million people could be affected, and it could lose an estimated $200 million per day in productivity.

11:55 p.m. Shutdown Not As Good As Trump Expected

The shutdown already forced President Trump to give up his inauguration-anniversary party at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night, and if it doesnt end soon its going to ruin his trip to Davos too. An unusually high number of Trump administration officials were planning to schmooze with other rich and powerful people in the Swiss Alps this week, but Politico reports the entire trip is now in question. It would not look very good to have a bunch of senior people in Switzerland if the government is still shut down, a senior administration official noted.

The shutdown is also hampering preparations for Trumps State of the Union on January 30. Advisers had urged the president to adopt a more bipartisan tone in the speech, but that wont work if Congress is in day 11 of a bitter showdown. At least Trump has a lot of time to think about it.

No public events on President Trumps schedule for a third day in a row (nothing since the shutdown started). Sarah Sanders expected to brief at 1:30 pm tomorrow, per WH. pic.twitter.com/Mj9LH4JZL0  Monica Alba (@albamonica) January 22, 2018

10:10 p.m. Vote Delayed As Talks Continue

Hopes that the shutdown might be confined to the weekend were dashed when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pushed the next vote from 1 a.m. to noon on Monday, and adjourned for the night.

Senators will be voting on whether to end debate on a measure being negotiated by Senate moderates that involves funding the government through February 8 and a promise from GOP leaders to vote on an immigration bill before then. HuffPost explains:

McConnell said it was his intention for the Senate to finish, as quickly as possible, a large appropriations deal that would address spending and disaster relief, as well as continue negotiations on border security and protections for young undocumented immigrants at risk of losing deportation protections after President Donald Trump rescinded the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.

However, McConnell said, should these issues not be resolved by the time the funding bill before us expires on February 8, 2018  assuming that the government remains open  it would be my intention to proceed to legislation that would address DACA, border security, and related issues.

This commitment to address immigration in the coming weeks could be crucial. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jeff Flake, two of the four Republicans who voted against Fridays continuing resolution, said they would support the three-week deal.

However, McConnell would need the support of seven Democrats too, and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said his caucus isnt there yet. We have yet to reach an agreement on a path forward that would be acceptable for both sides, he said. Negotiations are expected to continue on Monday morning.

One major roadblock: Earlier on Sunday House Speaker Paul Ryan said that while a bill to fund the government through February 8 was acceptable, the House would not vote on an immigration bill unless it was supported by the president and included a comprehensive approach.

Some Senate Democrats suggested theyd need Ryan to commit to an immigration vote in the House, too. In 2013 the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill, but the House never voted on it.

It depends on whether its part of a must-pass bill. That is my strong preference. The goal is to have the [DREAM] Act passed, said Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. I have no confidence, zero, in Paul Ryan bringing that bill to the floor.

9:30 p.m. Fashion Furlough

Casual wear was spotted throughout the Capitol over the weekend, as some lawmakers embraced the shutdown chaos and others felt the consequences of packing light. People are starting to run out of clean clothes, Representative Mike Quigley told The Wall Street Journal.

Kevin McCarthy leads the House majority in abandoning the dress code. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Senator Susan Collins missed the memo on casual Sundays. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Senator Tom Cotton sports a fleece vest and extreme views on immigration. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

6:30 p.m. Another Shutdown Letdown?

As of midSunday evening, the shutdown looks likely to remain in effect for the start of the workweek on Monday. Thats despite a meeting between Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer and some bipartisan semi-optimistic buzz about a continuing-resolution compromise.

A post-midnight deal remains possible, but its not yet clear how, as there is still no agreement in place.

McConnell and Schumer now discussing proposal by bipartisan group of senators: Short-term CR to reopen govt plus a commitment to get DACA, disaster relief, domestic/defense spending. Two leaders will have to determine what commitment means  Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 21, 2018

Dem aide says just now that Schumer has not spoken with president or anyone from the WH today  Robert Costa (@costareports) January 21, 2018

Question that remained a sticking point after the bipartisan meeting is this: When would there be a vote on DACA? Dems want before Feb. 8 to tie to next CR; GOP wants after  Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 21, 2018

It also remains unclear how or why Democrats would trust GOP promises about allowing that vote, or how House Republicans would respond.

5 p.m. Mano a Mano

McConnell and Schumer meeting now  Burgess Everett (@burgessev) January 21, 2018

4 p.m. Statue of Liberty to Reopen

After a two-day closure, New York governor Andrew Cuomo said the state would step in to make sure visitors can return to Lady Liberty on Monday, even if the federal shutdown drags on.

2:15 p.m. Lindsey Graham Goes After Outlier Stephen Miller

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham spoke with reporters on Sunday afternoon and expressed optimism that a deal to end the shutdown would come together soon, even teasing a breakthrough on Sunday night. He also made a point to go after President Trumps senior policy advisor, Stephen Miller, for being a destructive influence on the process:

Senator Graham: "As long as Steven Miller is in charge of negotiating immigration we are going no where. Hes been an outlier for years. pic.twitter.com/6aR42Jeiu7  Alan He (@alanhe) January 21, 2018

Graham had also cricitized Miller, though not by name, in a CNN interview last week. There are people in the White House who are outliers, he told anchor Dana Bash on Thursday. There are people around the president who have an irrational view of immigration. They always have, and if you follow that lead well never get anywhere.

In the same interview, Graham also questioned White House chief of staff John Kellys ability as a dealmaker. Reports have circulated that Kelly has taken on the primary role in negotiating with lawmakers on behalf of the White House, a responsibility that may include convincing Trump that his own dealmaking is insufficient. To Graham, Kelly may not be irrational like Miller, but Kellys also never closed a deal before.

Graham, like Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, appears to be attempting to use the media to cajole President Trump into taking total control of the White Houses shutdown negotiations. Their colleagues may not all agree with that idea:

Emerging from the bi-partisan meeting, Senators seem convinced that the White House isnt going to help get the Govt back open it will be the Senates job to get it done.  Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) January 21, 2018

1:45 p.m. Schumer: Only Trump Can End the Shutdown

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer continued to ding President Trumps ego on Sunday, noting on the Senate floor that only Trump can stop the Trump shutdown:

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: We are in a Trump shutdown  it all really stems from the President https://t.co/2rOdhEMU7f  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 21, 2018

Schumer also told CNN on Sunday that he will not support a three-week continuing-resolution stopgap, nor would he support a small deal. We need a good bipartisan agreement that allows us to get a good defense number, get a good non-defense number, get a vote on the Dreamers bill and get that done, and deal with the disasters, too, the senator said.

1:00 p.m. A February 8 Compromise?

A bipartisan group of moderates in the Senate is reportedly meeting in the hopes of providing a compromise plan to fund the government through February 8, which would involve a commitment from GOP leaders to hold an immigration vote before then. Politico reports that, according to one unnamed senator, the moderate group does not want the Senate to vote on any particular immigration proposal but instead on whatever can get 60 votes. Whether an immigration vote would also be possible in the House is far from certain.

A Senate vote on a bill to reopen the government through February 8 is already scheduled for 1:00 a.m. Monday, but there is no sign that it will be successful as of midday Sunday.

12:00 p.m.: How Bad Is the Stalemate?

It still looks pretty bad. As of Sunday morning, Schumer hadnt spoken to President Trump or White House chief of staff John Kelly since Friday. Schumer and Trump had apparently worked out some kind of deal on Friday  including all the funding for Trumps border wall  but it was blocked by Kelly, likely at the urging of GOP leaders in the Senate and Freedom Caucus members in the House.

In other words, unlike previous administrations, this White House and this president are not one and the same, and GOP leaders in Congress clearly have little faith that Trump is capable of negotiating in their best interests. If Trump has little power to agree to anything, its not clear what value there is in appealing to the president at all. Though the White House literally promoted the image of Trump being hard at work on Saturday, the New York Times reports that he has been effectively sidelined and spent the day anxiously watching cable news and worrying about perceptions of his leadership while Kelly worked with GOP lawmakers. White House legislative director Marc Short claimed on Sunday that shutdown talks are underway and making progress.

As NBCs Kasie Hunt points out, this probably means that party leaders in the Senate will be the central players if any kind of deal is to be reached in the next 24 hours.

In the end, Democrats may seek only a promise from McConnell to let an immigration deal make it to the Senate floor. But that doesnt mean the deal will make it through either chamber or past the president. And theres enough evidence to theorize that Republican leaders will never accept a compromise on DACA at all, which might be one reason theyre not enthusiastic about negotiating.

Then again, some D.C. insiders who spoke to Axios think that both parties are just using the shutdown to throw chum to their respective bases and will come together for an inevitable deal, both declaring victory after a few days. Well see.

11 a.m.: Marc Short: White House Not Involved With Deranged Ad

White House director of legislative affairs Marc Short told Chuck Todd on Meet the Press that the White House had nothing to do with a commercial released Saturday accusing Democrats of being complicit in murders committed by illegal immigrants.

"You know that ad was created by an outside group... it's not done from people working inside the White House," @Marcshort45 says on an ad attacking Democrats which was paid for by Donald J. Trump for President. #MTP pic.twitter.com/tZgLc3NuTG  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) January 21, 2018

But 

The ad ends with "I'm Donald Trump and I approve this message" https://t.co/9Sg8MQjVMq  Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) January 21, 2018

Only this White House would try to spin the presidents reelection campaign as an outside group.

10 a.m.: Cotton Says Trumps Support Not Enough to Vote for Bill

Arkansas senator Tom Cotton, one of the most right-leaning voices on immigration, said on Meet the Press that President Trumps support for a compromise to reopen the government would not necessarily guarantee his vote.

.@chucktodd on proposed immigration bills: "Whatever the president eventually agrees to, will you support that bill?"@SenTomCotton: "I can't make that commitment at all." #MTP pic.twitter.com/sYMgxFanNw  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) January 21, 2018

His comments illustrate the stubbornness of immigration hard-liners in Congress and the Oval Office, who have consistently yoked President Trump to the right, even when he has been eager to make a deal.

7:40 a.m.: Trump Wants to Abolish the Filibuster, McConnell Says No

The president has long professed his desire to get rid of the filibuster, one of the rare points of agreement between him and many liberal commentators. (Though much of his agenda has only needed 50 votes to get through because of budget-reconciliation rules, the spending bill needs 60.) He again tweeted his displeasure with the rule on Sunday morning:

Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.s!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018

But in a statement, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said, The Republican Conference opposes changing the rules on legislation.

7:30 a.m.: Eric Trump Is Loving the Shutdown

Appearing on Hillary Clinton stalker Jeanine Pirros show Saturday night, Trumps younger son said he thought the shutdown was politically beneficial for Republicans: Honestly, I think its a good thing for us. Thats the spirit!

7:00 a.m.: An Incredibly Sad Detail From the Oval Office

What does Monday have in store? Find out in the updates below.
A diplomatic wunderkind. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The New Yorker reports that China has been courting Jared Kushner aggressively since President Trumps election, and that the real-estate scions intimate meetings with top Chinese officials have made some U.S. officials uncomfortable.

Kushner met with Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., in New York after Trumps victory, and then multiple times at the White House after the presidents term began.

Some of those encounters included disgraced exnational security adviser Michael Flynn; on at least one occasion, Kushner and Cui met alone. This was a major departure from previous administrations protocol, which consisted of large gatherings that included China experts on the U.S. side.

Kushners encounters with Cui, the article reports, made some people in the U.S. government uncomfortable. They feared that China might have been using Kushners access to Trump to sway U.S. policy. (Kushner was instrumental in convincing Trump to stick with Americas One China policy near the beginning of his term.)

Others feared that Kushners total lack of relevant experience made him likely to accede to Chinese demands without pushing back.

One official said, He went in utterly unflanked by anyone who could find Beijing on a map. It was a dream come true. They couldnt believe he was so compliant.

A Kushner spokesperson told The New Yorker that there was never a time  never  that Mr. Kushner spoke to any foreign officials, in the campaign, transition, and in the administration, about any personal or family business. He was scrupulous in this regard.

A year after Trumps inauguration, the article notes, Kushner still does not have a permanent security clearance, which is a subject of speculation. But considering his well-documented slipperiness surrounding Russia, its a testament to both Trumps familial loyalty and the White Houses disdain for propriety that he has exerted any influence at all.

Kushner has consistently misled Congress about his Russia connections. He forgot more than 100 details on his security clearance form; forgot to say that he knew about Russian attempts to contact the Trump campaign; failed to mention that he had established a secret backchannel with Russia between the 2016 election and President Trumps inauguration; and much more.

Who knew making a completely unqualified but mystifyingly confident family member one of the most powerful people in the country would be so complicated?
Updates about Olive Tree Genealogy website and other FREE genealogy records. Bringing you tutorials, genealogy book and app reviews, genealogy news, genealogy specials and more. Helping you find your family tree and ancestors.
Donald Trump should retract his tweet about Pakistan,tender an apology: Shahid Khaqan 21 January, 2018



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Woke Bingo ISLAMABAD/BHAKKAR: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Saturday said US President Donald Trump should retract his tweet about Pakistan and tender an apology. Speaking in a talk show, he said that after the US leaderships tweet, the government of Pakistan had responded to it very strongly. On different forums, such tweets were declared as foolish, he added.



To another question, the prime minister said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan should tender an apology for his disparaging remarks against parliament. He said the constitution enshrined the right to expression and nobody could be deprived of this right but whatever Imran Khan said about parliament was incorrect.



The prime minister said that on the other hand, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had expressed his opinion about a judicial verdict, which was his constitutional right, but he never abused any institution. He said the democratic system had evolved in other countries, and it was still growing in Pakistan in which different institutions had their specific roles and rights. If the democratic process in Pakistan had continued, certain things would not have surfaced, he said. Nawaz Sharif never spoke of unconstitutional things. Under the constitution, the right to association had been the fundamental right, he added.



He said the courts had the discretion to decide a case. The verdict against the former prime minister was implemented but the people did not accept it and neither would history, he added.



There were different judicial cases, in which verdicts had not been accepted, he said, and referred to Zulfikar Ali Bhuttos case. Three judges in Bhuttos case had conceded that they announced the judgement under pressure.



He said the right to appeal had not been granted in Panama case, however, the verdict in the instant case would not become a precedent and the debate over it would continue.



About Zainabs case, the prime minister said they were cognizant of the pain and anger felt by the people in Kasur but there was no law in the country that could permit public hanging.



No one had the right to exceed the law and constitution, he said, adding that parliament was the only forum, which could legislate.



About criticism against the government, the prime minister said it was not a new thing as the executive had always been a punching bag of opponents.



Zainabs case was a painful incident, but unfortunately the politicians had politicised a criminal issue, he regretted.



He said he was satisfied with the Punjab governments progress to investigate the case. The efforts were underway to nab the culprit and the government was hopeful to bring the criminal to justice.



He said in the developed countries like the US and UK, people involved in such criminal cases had also evaded their arrests for decades despite efforts and availability of resources.



The prime minister said the police force had to deal with a host of issues as well, like dharna, law and order and so on. Provincial issues had always prompted provincial governments response which was clearly defined by the Constitution and the federal government had nothing to do with it, he added.



About change in Balochistan government, he said in politics, grievances often cropped up but there was democratic mechanism to address them at the provincial or the central levels.



He said he did not deny the democratic right of the elected members of the provincial assembly but what they did, would have negative impacts.



About privatisation of national carrier Pakistan International Airlines, the prime minister said this process had been underway since 2002. Rs450 billion PIA losses were the whopping one, he said.



He said it was his responsibility to resolve the issue in which the rights of the employees should be protected. If his government could not complete the process, the next government would continue the process as the country could not afford such losses, he said.



To a question about Indian threats, the prime minister said the indigenous struggle for freedom in the Indian occupied Kashmir had baffled India and it was trying to divert world attention from its gross human rights violations.



He said dialogue process with the neighbouring country was not possible till resolution of the core issues, adding the dialogue should be based on sincerity and not under any duress.



About the repatriation of Afghan refugees, the prime minister said Pakistan had hosted three million refugees and only bore the brunt of the Afghan issue. The world and Afghanistan must appreciate it, he stressed.



He reiterated that Pakistan could not be blamed for attacks inside Afghanistan. The rehabilitation of Afghanistan refugees was linked with the issues inside Afghanistan which should be resolved earnestly.



The fencing of Pak-Afghan border will continue. War is no solution to Afghan issue. The issue can be resolved through dialogue and Afghan owned and Afghan led process. Pakistan and other countries can act as facilitators, he added.



Meanwhile, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi challenged the opposition parties to move a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly and dissolve their respective provincial assemblies and face the masses decision in next elections. They threatened to dissolve provincial assemblies to impede Senate elections. I have a clear message for those who curse the Parliament to dare dissolve assemblies, if anyone can. The people will give their response in election of July 2018. This politics of falsehood, conspiracy and curse will be buried forever, he remarked addressing the launching ceremony of Prime Ministers Health Insurance Card here. Minister for Health Saira Afzal Tarar and Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and parliamentarians from the area were also present on the occasion.



Those who had staged circus at the Mall Road of Lahore would come to know what the politics is as they would approach masses after dissolving the provincial assemblies. People have not voted them to dissolve assemblies but for resolving national and public issues, he added.



He assured the gathering that the PML-Ns government would complete its term.



I challenge those cursers to move a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly. Those who desire to dissolve assembly should first go there before making any such attempt, he said addressing a charged gathering holding party flags.
Ghana requires US$650 billion to reclaim degraded lands and forests, restore polluted rivers and clean up the general environment. But that would even take the country a period of 16 consecutive years, if government had such a huge amount of money, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, said on Thursday.



Prof Frimpong Boateng, also the Chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, made the statement when he was speaking at the Brong-Ahafo Regional inauguration of District Committees against Illegal Mining (DCIM) at Kenyasi Number Two in the Asutifi North District.



The DCIM are established ad hoc committees in all the mining districts of the country as part of various interventions that are currently being implemented by the government and other stakeholders to curb the menace of illegal small scale mining.



The inauguration was the third in the series, after Tarkwa and Dunkwa in the Western and Central Regions.



The next inauguration would be in Kumasi and the Districts in the Brong-Ahafo are Asutifi North, Asutifi South, Tano North, Dormaa Central and Dormaa East.



The composition of the DCIMs is the Chief Executive of the relevant Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA), a representative of the particular MMDA and a representative of the traditional council within the locality.



The others are a representative each from the Minerals Commission, the Forestry Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Immigration Service (where applicable), the Security Services and three other persons appointed by the President.



The District Chief Executive is the Chairperson of the DCIM and its functions are addressing illegal mining issues that arise, training in responsible and sustainable mining and promoting small scale mining activities.



The rest are designation of small scale mining areas, managing the relationship between small scale miners and other mineral right holders and ensure that members of the Small Scale Mining Association are licensed miners.



Prof Frimpong Boateng said illegal mining was being done in eight out of the 10 regions in the country, and expressed concern that menace had covered and destroyed 23,000, about ten per cent out of the 230,000-kilometre square total land area of the country.



He said because of the pollution of the Volta Lake, 80 per cent of fish being reared in it died and expressed the fear that the lives of the current generation of Ghanaians and the generation yet unborn are at risk in view of the resultant health hazards.



Prof Frimpong Boateng said small scale mining is the sole preserve of Ghanaians, saying that foreigners have no right to engage in it, hence the formation of the DCIM to help curb illegal operations.



He said the ban on illegal and small scale mining by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was not to destroy the small scale miners businesses but was meant to sanitise and regulate the operations of that sector to ensure a responsible and sustainable mining to derive maximum socio-economic benefit for the nation.



Dr Naa Dedei Tagoe Mantey, a lecturer at the Department of Geomatic Engineering of the George Grant University of Mines and Technology, formerly University of Mines and Technology at Tarkwa, gave a short training to the DCIM members by slide presentation on the use of drones and satellite images for monitoring illegal mining activities in the country.



The members were sworn into office by Prof Frimpong-Boateng who led them to take the three national oaths of Office, Allegiance and Secrecy.



Ms Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Dan Botwe, the Minister for Regional Re-Organisation and Development and Mr Kofi Dzamesi, Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs also took turns to speak at the ceremony.



Each of the committees was given GHC10,000.00 to commence their activities.

Source: GNA









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About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
Kathmandu, Nepal: The World Bank (WB) has agreed to provide 440 million US dollars concessional loan assistance to Nepal for the purpose of implementation of three WB assisted projects in the country.





Finance Secretary Shankar Prasad Adhikari and WB country director Qimiao Fan signed in an agreement in presence of Finance Minister, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, and Vice-President of World Bank for the South Asia Region, Annette Dixon amind a function organized at the Finance Ministry on Sunday.








Guwahati : 1048 polling stations out of total 2194 in Nagaland have been identified as critical polling station.





Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Nagaland Abhijit Sinha said that, assembly polls in the state will be held on February 27 next.





A total of 11,89,264 voters will exercise their franchises in 2194 polling stations on February 27. Out of these polling stations, we have identified 1048 polling stations as critical, while 519 as vulnerable and 627 as normal, the Nagaland CEO said.





The CEO of Nagaland appealed the citizens and organizations, societies of the state to create a peaceful environment to conduct the election smoothly.





He further said that, the centre has agreed to deploy 273 companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) in the state during the election period.





Out of the total sanctioned CAPF companies, 30 companies are expected to reach the state by February 5 and rest companies will arrive after Tripura election, Abhijit Sinha said.





He also said that, the state police and other paramilitary forces which are already deployed in the state will assist these CAPF companies.





The CEO of Nagaland said that, several flying squad teams, surveillance teams have been formed to make this election free and fair.








Guwahati : Congresss Assam unit on Saturday had questioned that, how the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who is known as parent organization of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got the rights to prepare Naga accord draft.





Recently, a report published in the media that, Jagdamba Mall, a known face of RSS in North Eastern region has prepared a draft plan for Naga accord.





The RSS leader has included 21 points in the draft Naga accord including proposed Frontier Nagaland, development authorities for 10 districts of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, separate Naga Regiment, Rs 1 lakh crore economic package to Nagaland etc.





Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora said that, who gave rights to the RSS to prepare the draft.





It is a conspiracy and it cleared that, the issue of the Naga agreement was created just after a day as the Election Commission of India had announced the dates of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura assembly polls. Actually BJP want to create a base in the hill state, Ripun Bora said.





Ripun Bora also demanded the BJP-led Union government to public the Framework agreement, which was signed between the centre and NSCN (IM) in New Delhi on August 3, 2015 in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh, NSCN (IM) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah.





On the other hand, RSSs Assam leader Sankar Das said that, Jagdamba Mall is not a member of RSS.





We have no connection with Jagdamba Mall, Sankar Das said.





Meanwhile, BJPs Assam unit on Saturday said that, Naga accord will not hurt Assam.




The host leader highly valued the Chilean parliamentarians presence at the ongoing 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) in Hanoi.



Ngan emphasised that the two countries relations have developed basing on the solidarity and mutual support throughout history. Chile was the second Latin American nation, after Cuba, to establish diplomatic relationship with Vietnam in 1971.

She also appreciated the official visit to Vietnam and attendance in the APEC Economic Leaders Week by President Michelle Bachelet last November, which Ngan said helped bring the countries comprehensive partnership to a new stage of development.

Echoing his hosts view, Sandoval assessed that the comprehensive partnership has enjoyed progress in all fields. He noted that the Vietnam-Chile Free Trade Agreement, which took effect in 2014, has created a favourable legal framework for expanding economic ties. Bilateral trade rise from $170 million in 2005 to $1.04 billion in 2016 and $955.7 million in the first nine months of 2017.

He valued Vietnams socio-economic efforts and achievements, adding that Chile wants to enhance cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation.

At the meeting, Chairwoman Ngan said relations between the Vietnamese and Chilean parliaments are growing, as seen in the frequent exchange of high-ranking delegations.

On the basis of the signed cooperation agreement, the National Assembly of Vietnam wants to strengthen links with the upper and lower houses of Chile in both bilateral and multilateral aspects. The two countries friendship parliamentary groups should also increase specialised cooperation and exchanges, she added.

On this occasion, President Sandoval invited Chairwoman Ngan to pay an official visit to Chile.

Vietnamnews
Like a predator after prey, Jins Shark showed no remorse and ferociously devoured his rivals in Saturday night's feature race at Woodbine Racetrack.

A field of seven pacers were slated to line up in the $34,000 Preferred Pace, but that group was reduced to a sextet with the scratch of rail horse Prescotts Hope. Driver James MacDonald was content to allow Jins Shark to stalk his five rivals from sixth as Nirvana Seelster (Sylvain Filion) and Mach Code (Randy Waples) settled into the first two spots. Physicallyinclined (Louis-Philippe Roy) was unable to find a spot along the rail so he was pressed on through a :26.1 opening quarter to land on the lead just before a :54.2 half.

Favoured American Virgin (Doug McNair) was flushed from fourth by an advancing Champagne Phil (Bob McClure), with Jins Shark on that one's helmet and third over through a lively 1:22.2 third station. Turning for home, Jins Shark was still sixth and last as Physicallyinclined maintained his lead. MacDonald then tipped Jins Shark off McClure's helmet and, with MacDonald providing little encouragement, Jins Shark exploded with pace to vanquish his foes with a 1:50 score. Physicallyinclined was a game second, a length and three-quarters behind the winner, with Nirvana Seelster just nosed out for second in the show spot.

Trained by Isaac Waxman for brother Aaron Waxman and Liv With Autism Stables LLC, Jins Shark (Four Starzzz Shark-Gordons Jin Ms) is now North America's fastest performer of 2018 by virtue of that victory -- his 22nd lifetime -- lifting his career bankroll to $391,979.

Jackpot Hi-5 hit for $56,495 Saturday

A horseplayer wagering on Woodbine Racetrack through Western Fair hit the Jackpot Hi-5 Saturday for a $56,495.71 score.

Five-year-old pacer Fancourt and driver Randy Waples struck for an 8-1 upset in Saturdays final-race at the Toronto oval. The publics top-choice Blatantly Best finished second, but was followed in the top-five by a trio of longshots, including Shadow Place at 43-1.

Horseplayers wagered $14,636 into the Hi-5 pool Saturday to join a carryover total of $44,054.34.

The winning horseplayer, who was playing at Western Fair, wagered just $2.40 on Saturdays Jackpot Hi-5. The actual winning ticket cost $0.80 and was structured 1,2/1,2/7,8/7,8/5.

Below is the official top-five from Saturdays Jackpot Hi-5 race.

1st: #1 Fancourt (Randy Waples) 8-1

2nd: #2 Blatantly Best (Doug McNair) 3-2

3rd: #7 Shadow Place (Chris Christoforou) 43-1

4th: #8 Rockin In Heaven (Phil Hudon) 19-1

5th: #5 Aslan (Sylvain Filion) 8-1

The Jackpot Hi-5 requires horseplayers to select the top-five finishers in order. The wager features a $0.20 minimum wager and low 15 percent takeout.

The Hi-5 will now start from scratch on Mondays 10-race program. Post time is 7:10 p.m.

For the charted results from Woodbine's Saturday card, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.

(with files from WEG)
The California Horse Racing Board will conduct its regular monthly meeting Thursday, January 25, at Santa Anita Park beginning at 9:30 a.m. The public is encouraged to attend. An audio-only webcast of the Board meeting can be heard through a link on the CHRB website. The Board meeting agenda and supporting package of materials are available on the website.

(With files from the CHRB)
Foiled Again has enjoyed any number of spectacular nights throughout his prolific, record-setting career. Saturday (Jan. 20) was not one of them.

In his first attempt at a 100th career victory, Foiled Again threw in a dud. Harness racing richest-ever equine did not fire during Yonkers Raceways $20,000 first-race pace.

Leaving from outside his six rivals, Foiled Again (George Brennan) found a seat fourth. The 14-year-old gelding then took out to race second-over behind Lachie Maguire N (Jason Bartlett). The tow didnt help, but Foiled Again gapped it, anyway. He wound up sixth, beaten 7-1/4 lengths to winning favourite Quick Asa Trick N (Matt Kakaley, $5.10).

Foiled Again, as the 2-1 third choice, was making his 305th career purse start, remaining in the same class a week after winning his 99th career race. His bankroll remains at $7,568,478.

Try it again next time, Brennan said.

Saturday nights $30,000 winners-over pace was a down-the-road effort by odds-on Missile J (Dan Dube, $3.70). From post position No. 3 (in one notch after the pole-sitter scratched), Missile J stuffed Thisjetsabookin (Jordan Stratton) in behind, then rolled through intervals of :27.1, :56.1, 1:24.1 and 1:52.2 --

the fastest local mile thus far this season.

Thisjetsabookin chased, beaten a length-and-a-quarter, with Take It Back Terry (Brennan) third.

For Missile J, a five-year-old American Ideal co-owned by Hoosiers John McGill & Brian Carsey and trained by Scott DiDomenico, it was his first win two seasonal starts. The exacta paid $16.20, with the triple returning $38.20.

Special Saturday props to trainer Darren Cassar, who sent out three winners during the dozen-race card.

Sundays French matinee offers both a New York, New York Double (Aqueducts third race, Yonkers fifth race) as well as a Pick 5 with a $2,986.47 carryover and a $10,000 guaranteed pool (50-cent base wager, races 7 through 11).

The instant guarantee took effect after no one hit Saturdays gimmick wager.

First post Sunday is 11:30 a.m.
The favoured Meladys Monet (Jason Bartlett, $4.60) was just barely good enough Sunday morning (January 21), but had enough to win Yonkers Raceways $50,000 Open Handicap Trot.

The field of seven, which was scratched down from nine, went postward as the first race of the card and was the first of seven French trots.

After having started from Post 6 instead of Post 8 due to the scratches, Meladys Monet made the first lead and was unimpeded by a breaking Tight Lines (driven by Jeff Gregory). Melady found the quarter-mile station in :29.4 before briefly giving up the front to Super Manning (Jordan Stratton).

The favourite wanted no part of the pocket, so he retook prior to the :59.1 half. Cash Me Out (Eric Goodell) then moved from fifth, and just about got even with Meladys Monet by the 1:30.1 three-quarters. After disposing of Cash Me Out around the 1:58.4 milepost, Meladys Monet then opened up by a length-and-three quarters into the lane, and would ultimately need all out it.



Meladys Monet (8) gets it done in Yonkers' Open Trot on Sunday, January 21, 2018 (Photo courtesy Chris Brokate)

A ground-saving Moneycounts De Vie (Matt Kakaley) found room up the cones and surged, but the 18-1 rank outsider missed a nose. Meladys Monet found paydirt in time, and closed out the mile-and-a-quarter affair in 2:27.4.

Rock Of Cashel (Brent Holland) finished third. Dog Gone Lucky (Dan Dube) and Cash Me Out settled for the remaining cheques.

Meladys Monet is a nine-year-old Revenue S gelding owned by Melady Enterprises and trained by Kevin McDermott. It the first win of Meladys Monets season. The exacta paid $43.20 and the triactor returned $229.50.

Sundays New York, New York Double offered a winning combination of 5-Control Group (Aqueducts third race) and 3-Royal Bachelor (Yonkers fifth race) paid $11.80 for every correct $1 wager. Total pool was $5,942.

(With files from Yonkers Raceway)
William Leonard Billy Knipper, 57, passed away on January 12 at Select Specialty Hospital in Akron, Ohio, after a lengthy hospital stay and diabetes complications.

He was born November 22, 1960, in Detroit, Mich., to William F. Knipper and Shirleyann (Feher) Giesy.

Knipper was a 1979 graduate of Jefferson High School. During his high school years he developed a love of horses and harness racing while working as a groom at the Ashtabula County Fairgrounds. He was a talented carpenter, but his beloved horses called him back to fulfill his lifetime career as a trainer. He travelled the harness racing circuit, but made his home at Northfield Park as trainer/owner of Billy Knipper Stables.

He was preceded in death by his father, William; maternal grandparents, William and Irene Feher; and his paternal grandparents, Cyril and Frances. He is survived by his mother, Shirley (Donald) Giesy; brother, Brian (Sandy); sister, Margie (Jeff) Tokarsky; and aunts, uncles, nephews, great-nephew, cousins and step-siblings.

A memorial service officiated by Rev. Carl Kish will be held at the Paine Funeral Home, Inc., 140 E. Main St., Orwell, OH 44076 on Friday (January 26) at 12 p.m. Visitation will take place prior to the service at the funeral home from 11-11:45 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Northeast Ohio or the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Billy Knipper.

(USTA)
Fresno County Sheriffs Office that three individuals were arrested on Wednesday after burglarizing a Kingsburg home. The suspects were found inside the house by the owner who called the authorities. Following a six-mile car chase, all suspects were apprehended.

Kingsburg Home Burglars Elude Police for Six Miles

According to the official police report, on Wednesday, at approximately 11 a.m. three individuals, later identified as Lorenzo Herrera,19, Morgan Bray, 19, and Baldemar Ambriz,20, were caught inside a Kingsburg home trying to steal valuables.

The thieves were sighted by the homes owner, an unidentified woman, who ran outside to a store and called the authorities, as well as her husband. Fearing that they might have been compromised, the thieves took everything they could and jumped in their getaway car, a red Dodge Ram pickup.

The womans husband arrived on time and begun pursuing the car. Meanwhile, the woman managed to call the authorities and to inform them about the event.

While speeding on the highway, the suspects vehicle was seen by a California Highway Patrol officer, who signaled the driver to pull over. However, instead of stopping, the driver raced passed the officer.

The car chase would last for six more miles before the car ends up in a ditch. Shortly after the crash, the authorities managed to detain Baldemar Ambriz, while the other two managed to flee the scene.

Minutes later, Herrera was found by a California Highway Patrol office. After a stand-off with Herrera pointing a .22 caliber rifle at the law enforcement officer, the man was subdued and taken into custody. The last Kingsburg home burglar was found later that day.

Both Bray and Ambriz were charged with obstructing a police officer, first-degree burglary, and conspiracy, but were later released after paying the $70,000 bond. On the other hand, Herrera was charged with conspiracy, obstructing a police officer, threatening an officer with a semi-automatic weapon, and first-degree burglary.

Image source: Wikipedia
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Assad regime promotes Syria's ruins in Aleppo as 'tourist' destination

Aleppo was left in ruins after the war with ISIS.

AFP, Madrid :

It is over a year since Bashar al-Assad's regime, with the help of Russian air strikes and barrel bombs, pounded the rebel-held east of Aleppo into submission.

Buildings were flattened, those who survived were left terrorised, hungry and filled with despair, and the stench of dead bodies rose up from the rubble as families searched for their loved ones.

Now, having largely destroyed the city it sought to control, the Assad regime wants the world to visit what remains: as a tourist destination.

This week the Syrian government is advertising Aleppo, along with other destinations in Syria, at the Fitur International Tourism Trade Fair in Madrid, "promoting" the country's attractions to the world.

It is the first time Syria has attended the trade fair since 2011, before the war broke out.

Along with the ruins of Aleppo, it also encourages people to visit the ancient Roman-era ruins of Palmyra, the UNESCO-listed archaeological site which was twice controlled by the ISIS group.

ISIS fighters blew up some of the temples and burial towers before being forced out of the city for the final time last year by Syrian government forces and their Russian backers. "This year is the time to rebuild Syria and our economy," Bassam Barsik, director of marketing at the Syrian Ministry of Tourism, told AFP.

Barsik said 1.3 million foreign visitors travelled to Syria last year, although that figure includes those who came from neighbouring Lebanon for only one day.

"We're targeting two million visitors this year," he said.

He argued that religious destinations, such as the historic Christian town of Maaloula, one of the last places on earth where Aramaic is still spoken, are still a draw to tourists. Damascus, Tartus, Latakia and the historic Crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers close to the border with Lebanon, although damaged by bombing, are other possible attractions.

"In 2017, the army controlled much of the country, and that was a big help to promote Syria abroad and attract tourist groups again," said Barsik.
32 Chinese students attend DIU Winter Camp -2018

Photo shows a contingent of 32 students and officials of SIAS International University of China visiting Daffodil International University in the capital to attend \'DIU Winter Camp-2018\' recently.

Campus Report :

The contingent of 32 students and officials of SIAS International University of China has visited Daffodil International University (DIU) in the capital to attend 'DIU Winter Camp-2018' from 14 to 20 this month. The team lead by Julian Yue, Director, International Affairs and Prof Jany Lee, Professor of History, SIAS International University, China was given a warm reception at the Permanent Campus of DIU at Ashulia on their arrival.

During the weeklong winter camp, the Chinese students will exchange some educational and cultural activities with DIU students. Beside this, Dr. Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Daffodil International University, has conducted a session titled "Employability Skills'' for the students from SIAS International University, China on January 16, 2018 at Banquet Hall of the University. Professor Dr. Yousuf M. Islam, Vice Chancellor, Daffodil International University, has also conducted another session with the students from SIAS International University, China at same venue of the University recently.

As a part of their cross-cultural activity, exploring Dhaka city and lifestyle, the team visited University of Dhaka, Curzon Hall, remarkable and historical places in nearby places. China students wonder of getting chance to take ride with Rickshaw as both passenger and puller as well. Apart from this the team visited excellent architectural excellence of Dhaka city, the National Parliament of Bangladesh. The students and officials of SIAS International University of China expressed their pleasure to observe the green university of DIU, its education system, hospitality of the students, cultural activities of Bangladesh and many other things. On the other hand, DIU students are also being enriched with the Chinese education system and culture.
Qatari delegation to visit Kuwait to enhance trade relations

Xinhua, Doha :

A delegation of Qatari businessmen will visit Kuwait to boost bilateral trade ties, Qatar News Agency reported Sunday.

A statement of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) said that a group of 55 Qatari businessmen led by Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al-Thani, the QCCI chairman, will travel to Kuwait on Tuesday.

The two-day visit will aim to discuss means of boosting trade relations, as well as establishing a forum for business in the two countries, the statement said.

"This visit reflects the deep and robust relations between both countries. It aims to review and enhance cooperation ties among businessmen," Al-Thani said.

Al-Thani also praised Kuwait's leading role in resolving the latest Gulf Cooperation Council crisis, in addition to supplying the Qatari market with products and commodities since the beginning of the embargo.

On June 5 last year, the quartet of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of backing extremism and fostering links with their Shiite rival Iran. Doha, however, vehemently denies the claims.
Avoiding common traps in energy savings

Tom Machinchick and Dr. Andreas Hermelink :

The savings related to energy conservation measures (ECMs) always come from a comparison of what would have been the consumption without ECMs and what will be the consumption with ECMs. Both pathways offer numerous traps that may lead to over or underestimating savings. Relative to meeting climate targets, overestimation of savings is an issue that can hinder attaining sustainability goals.

A major reason governing bodies or sustainability-related organisations overestimate savings is the persistence, or better to say, the non-persistence of energy conservation measures. For example, the savings gained by implementing an ECM drift or degrade during a measure's lifetime.

The Coalition for Energy Savings, a European organisation that promotes energy efficiency, estimates that by 2030 about 18% (and by 2040 about 70%) of the energy savings from measures implemented before 2020 will be lost. Things get worse when measures taken to correct these losses can be counted as efficiencies gained during the new period-essentially double counting a single solution. So, no matter how stringent the goals, if persistence is not required and monitored and double counting of ECMs is not eliminated, ultimate goals will not be reached.

By the end of 2014 the European Council agreed that until 2030 greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by at least 27% and energy efficiency and renewable energy consumption should be increased to at least 27%. In its Clean Energy for All Europeans package, the European Commission proposes raising the binding efficiency target to 30%. Additionally, energy companies must carry out measures to help their customers reduce consumption by 1.5% annually through the introduction of ECMs.

It is critical that savings related to these targets are not only achieved, but persist beyond 2030. This is especially important as these climate targets are tied to cumulative emissions reductions towards 2050 goals. Therefore, a reduction gap multiplies by the number of years it persists, and thus cannot be regarded as a single occurrence.

An explicit requirement for ensuring persistence of savings is not included in the Commission's proposal. Although one might argue such a requirement may not be needed, measures to ensure persistence are required to avoid a gap accumulation. It is essential to closely monitor the actual emission track, to detect potential emissions gaps without delay, in order to understand their root cause, and to act accordingly in a timely manner.

What are typical reasons for non-persistence? Buildings provide some illustrative examples. Rebound effects may gradually eat up initial savings. Setting the thermostat a little higher than before the building was insulated is one example. This is not a problem if it is factored into the savings calculations, but oftentimes it is not. Feedback measures, like dashboards informing about consumption rates, may gradually lose their appeal, resulting in a return to initial wasteful behaviour. Ventilation heat recovery will work fine with clean filters, but once these get clogged, power consumption will rise. Gas boilers also require maintenance to keep their original efficiency. Even if control equipment for building systems is set up perfectly, operation hours of offices may change, for example, where the original settings no longer apply or are overridden-again, leading to higher consumption.

Many non-persistence issues can be tracked back to lack of proper maintenance. In the future, building automation and control (BAC) may better assist operators and users in providing alerts on needed maintenance and repair. Smart systems may be able to self-adapt to changes in operation.

Despite new efficient technologies, the actual performance of the heating, cooling or ventilation system of buildings is often worse than calculations or declarations. The good news is that EU policy makers have just committed to tackle this performance gap in the new energy performance of buildings directive (EPBD), writes Andre Borouchaki.

A precondition for introducing such measures is awareness of what makes efficiency measure savings persist. The proposed amendments to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive include suggestions for BAC playing a more prominent role in the future inspection of building systems. There is also a threat here. These systems are complex and if improperly used or set up, overridden, or if ad hoc remediation measures are taken, the smart system can be derailed, often leading to less efficient behaviour. Smart systems are a step in the right direction, but they certainly will not overcome all kinds of persistence issues.

Countries around the world are committing to global sustainability. But, commitment alone is not going to provide results if the actuals are not measured accurately or do not match the targets.

A key takeaway from this is that efficiency and sustainability goals cannot be removed from real-world dynamics, including the reality of energy efficiency project measure lives and dynamics. Utilities and regional transmission organisations such as PJM in the US, for example, include degradation rates on energy efficiency projects included in their generation capacity credits. Projects must be able to be measured to show demand reduction between certain critical peak load hours, and the incentives only last for 4 years before requiring recertification. This process ensures the accuracy and reliability of PJM's generation capacity supply and demand calculations, which are essential for the utility to meet its generation requirements for its large customer bases.

Global sustainability goals and targets need to include this type of consistency and accountability for them to be effective in the long term.



(Tom Machinchick and Dr. Andreas Hermelink are energy efficiency experts at Navigant. One of their latest reports analyses the markets and hurdles for energy efficient building technologies in Europe).


Migrant workers` early death should worry our govt

A NATIONAL daily reported that at least 3,480 Bangladeshi workers died abroad in 2017, mostly due to stroke or heart attack. Unbearable physical and mental stress, workload, malnutrition, ill health care, thin sleep and rest time, and unhygienic living decrease the life expectancy of the Bangladeshi expatriates workers working in the Middle East countries. Neither the government of Bangladesh nor the host countries or international organizations look after their safety. Our government is too happy with foreign remittance, but our missions feel no duty or obligation to ensure proper atmosphere for the migrant workers.





Of the corpses, 3,429 were brought home through official channels while 51 workers bodies were buried in the host countries, mainly in Libya, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Rights campaigners said the death of so many young workers abroad is a matter of concern. The burden of debt caused by the high cost of migration played a big role in causing deaths in the prime of life. Hostile workplace atmosphere also remains a key factor in their early deaths. Many workers, age ranging 25-35, died of brain stroke, heart attack or sudden death. Experts suggest the government for taking the migrants' health issue, workplace safety, health insurance and other benefits to the table of diplomatic talks.





The inbound coffin of migrant workers is not the story behind the remittance that drives the economy and each year economic growth. At least 369 female migrant workers who faced abuse, torture, and other job-related problems have taken refuge in the safe home of Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh since September last year. The embassy has arranged exit visas for 331 female workers with some were being repatriated and others would be sent in batches by February. Exorbitant working hours, low wage, starvation, abuse, physical and sexual harassment, ill health, unhygienic living and many other relating matters have become pain of migrant workers. The remitters are violated in abroad inhumanely while the government runs the state by their remittance and the economy is boosting. And strangely, the earners are not a subject matter to the government. Either the government should take a bold step against the incident of torture and protect the migrant workers, especially women, or abstain from sending female to abroad, where they usually lose their honor and life.





The labor attache in the countries, missions, and embassies must feel that their special responsibility is to look after of our workers abroad whose remittance so essential for easy life of the officials in foreign missions. Neglecting common men has become a bad habit.






Akheri Munajat ends seeking divine blessings for Muslim Umma

Second phase of Biswa Ijtema ended with Akheri Munajat on Sunday. Thousands of devotees joined there seeking divine blessings for the Muslim Ummah.

Staff Reporter :

Several lakhs of devotees, including foreigners, sought world peace, stability and divine blessings for mankind during the Akheri Munajat of the second phase of Biswa Ijtema on the bank of Turag river, outskirts of the capital on Sunday morning.

The gathering of devotees of all ages spilled onto the adjacent roads during the munajat. Many people joined the prayers from rooftops of vehicles and buildings, from open fields and nearby houses and roads.

The President President M Abdul Hamid along with officials and staff members of Bangabhaban took part in the Akheri Munajat from the Darbar Hall through a big digital screen of the special prayer.

Around 4,500 foreigners from 80 countries and over 20 lakh local devotees from 15 districts took part in the second phase.

Women participated in the prayers from rooftops of buildings and factories in the area as they were not allowed to enter the congregation.

Hafez Mohammad Zobayer, Imam of Kakrail Mosque in the capital, conducted the 26-minute munajat in both Bangla and Arabic which started from 10:19 am, said our correspondent quoting Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Gazipur district.

Earlier in the morning, Maulana Abdul Matin delivered a sermon on the importance of Islam based on the holy Quran and Hadith.

Meanwhile, the stretch of Chandra intersection to Tongi Bridge on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was closed yesterday ahead of the Akheri Munajat.

Besides, the stretches of Majukhan Bridge to Station Road and Kamarpara Bridge to Munnu Textile Mills Gate on Kaliganj-Tongi Road were off limits.

The first phase of Ijtema began on the bank of Turag on January 12 that ended on January 14.

Educational institutions and factories located in the zone remained closed for the day.

The government pressed into service more than 200 BRTC buses and 19 special trains to transport devotees, said Gazipur District Information Officer SM Rahat Hasnat.
7th grader hacked to death in Khulna

UNB, Khulna :

A student of class VII of Khulna Public College was hacked to death by a group of miscreants at college compound in the city on Saturday night. The deceased was identified as Fahmid Tanveer Rajib, 14, son of Jahangir Alam, hailing from Hitampur village in Paikgachha upazila. Rajib used to live in a rented house at Boyra in the city with his parents.

Quoting family members, police said Rajib went to the college in the night to attend a cultural function arranged marking the 31st founding anniversary of the education institution. At one stage of the programme, a group of unidentified miscreants took Rajib to a lonesome place and hacked him with sharp weapons around 10pm, leaving him injured, said officer-in-charge of Khalishpur Police Station Mosharraf Hossain.

Later, students and teachers of the school took Rajib to Khulna Medical College Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the OC said.


Missing PO of minister among three shown arrested

Staff Reporter :

Following the mass criticism over 'missing' three persons in a short time, hours after the missing of Education Minister's Personal Officer (PO) and two other 'missing' men were reportedly arrested by the members of Detective Branch of Police from the city's Gulsahn and Basila area on Sunday Evening.

The detained persons are Motaleb Hossain, 45, PO of Education Minister, Nasir Uddin, 35, Upper Division Assistant (UDA) of Education Ministry and Khaled Hasan Matin, the owner of of Lakehead Grammar School in Gulshan, Dhaka, said Masudrur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

"Detectives arrested Motaleb Hossain in Mohammadpur's Basila around 8:30pm while Nasir Uddin and Khaled Hasan Matin were detained in Gulshan around the same time, Masudur said.

DMP's Detective Branch Joint Commissioner Abdul Matin said Motaleb and Nasir were detained on charges of corruption while Khaled stands accused of funding militancy.

They were being interrogated about their 'missing' or self hiding, the police official said.

They would face action if law enforcers found guilty against them, the DC said.

He said the police found Tk 130,000 in cash on Nasir.

The Education Minister's personal officer (PO), Motaleb Hossain, has allegedly been 'abducted', according to a police report filed by the family.

The 45-year-old was whisked away in a car by unidentified men on Saturday from the city's Basila, says the report filed with the Hazaribagh Police Station.

"We have launched an investigation as soon as the incident was reported," said the OC Mir Alimuzzaman

Motaleb Hossain, who lives in the government staff quarters on Green Road, went to Basila to oversee the construction of his house on Saturday, said a police quoting the family.

Four to five men arrived with a car at the construction site and told the watchmen that they wanted to speak with the owner about renting the premises, he said.

Soon after the men led away Hossain, said the family.

Meanwhile, Nasir Uddin, who reportedly went missing from the city's Banani area on Thursday, Borhan Uddin, Inspector (Investigation) of Banani Police Station, told The New Nation on Saturday.

The Inspector also confessed that police are still in dark regarding the whereabouts of Nasir, also the Secretary General of the Secondary and Higher Secondary Government Staff and Officials' Welfare Forum.

Earlier, the owner of Lakehead Grammar School was allegedly picked up on Saturday afternoon, said Gulshan police station Inspector (Investigation) Salauddin Miah.

According to the report, around seven to eight people in plainclothes picked up Khaled Hasan Matin.
MP's son commits suicide in city

Staff Reporter :

Anik Aziz, son of MP Mustafa Lutfulla of Satkhira constituency-1, reportedly committed suicide hanging from a ceiling fan at NAM Bhaban in the city's Manik Miah Avenue on Sunday morning. The 26-year old Anik is a student MSc of Daffodil International University (DIU) in Dhaka. Police recovered the body based on information from the MP's residence in around 8:30am, police said.

Jahangir Hossain, Personal Secretary to Mustafa Lutfullah, said he along with the MP reached the NAM flat from Satkhira around 6:00am where Anik and his sister Srishty were staying.

"Everyone went to bed after dinner. Anik did not get up yesterday morning. They knocked on the door and called him, but he did not answer. They unlocked the room and found the body inside." The body was found hanging in room No. 604 of building No. 5, said GG Bishwash, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

Acting on information, police recovered the body around 8:30am and sent it to Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital for autopsy, the police official said.

Police primarily suspect it is a case of suicide but the reason of his death can be determined after the autopsy, he said.

The body was hanging from a bedroom fan with internet wires around his neck, said Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station Sub-Inspector (SI) Shafiqur.

The autopsy was conducted by the hospital's Forensic Division Chief Prof AM Selim Raza. The autopsy agreed with the initial police report.

Advocate Mustafa Lutfullah is a leader of the Workers Party of Bangladesh. He was elected MP of Satkhira-1 in the 2014 election, said Adity Adrita Srishty, sister of Anik.

Anik received his diploma from Khulna City Polytechnic Institute and signed up for his IELTS exams to apply abroad. He was also taking a photography course, she said.

Lutfullah and his wife Nasreen Khan Lipy were in Satkhira on Saturday and returned to Dhaka on Sunday morning, she added

"We are checking his laptop and phone," Anik's uncle Abdullah Al Murtaza said. "We don't know what happened," he said.

After the autopsy, the body will be taken to Polashpol in Satkhira's Sadar Upazila for burial, according to her.

Anik's uncle Sharifullah Kaiser Shumon said: "Anik's father was in Satkhira when the incident took place. He was in the house with his sister Shrishty and driver."

Anik's body will be flown to Satkhira in a helicopter.
Teachers work abstention paralyses edn sector

M M Jasim :

The three-day long work abstention of MPO-listed teachers has paralysed the regular classes, examinations, and office work at all secondary and higher secondary educational institutions across the country.

The teachers and officials stayed away from the work on Sunday, the first day of their three-day programme, demanding nationalisation of all MPO secondary and higher secondary institutions.

There are 37,000 MPO (Monthly Payment Order)-listed schools and colleges in the country where teachers get a part of their salaries from public coffer.

These institutions observed the strike on Sunday in solidarity with several hundred teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions staging a hunger strike for seventh straight day on Sunday in front of the National Press Club. They are on a fast unto death programme, asking for nationalisation of all MPO-listed educational institutions.

The teachers and employees went on the hunger strike under the banner of "Beshorkari Sikkha Jatiyakoron Liaison Forum," a platform of six organisations of teachers and employees all over the country, from January 15.

The teachers said that the nationalization process, which covers discrimination in terms of salary, leaves, increments, allowances and bonuses, has been pending for over 50 years.

They also said it would not be possible for them to maintain the quality of education without nationalisation of the sector.

The teachers threatened that they would not perform duties during the SSC and HSC examinations if their demand remained unmet.

"We will start to take part in classes as well as all kinds of official activities in our respective institutions after meeting our demands," said Jasim Uddin, a convener of the forum.

"We took the decision on January 19 for work abstention as we did not get any response to the demand of nationalisation of our institutions from the Prime Minister," the Convener said. Joint convener of the forum Motiur Rahman Dulal said, a section of the teachers will observe hunger strike in front of the National Press Club and other portion will refrain from taking classes across the country.

"There is no alternative to nationalisation of education system for helping the students grow up as good citizens and ending the wage discrimination among teachers," he said. "We believe that the Prime Minister will hear our demand and nationalise the education system," the joint convener said.

Meanwhile, with the demand of nationalisation, their strike rolled into the seventh day yesterday. A total of 85 teachers fell sick while at least 25 of them were hospitalised till Sunday.

Earlier in 2013, several hundred teachers and employees of the MPO-listed non-government schools, colleges and madrasas also observed a sit-in programme demanding nationalisation of their jobs.
Alert on imported fish

High-level toxic chemical found: Safe Food Authority for mandatory lab test

Special Correspondent :

Safe Food Authority has requested the authorities concerned to conduct laboratory tests of imported fish to ensure poison-free foods for the people.

It came up with the call after detecting a high-level toxic chemicals in an imported fish.

"All the fish imported from abroad are containing deadly chemicals. It poses serious threat to human health. So, imported fish requires mandatory laboratory test before entering local market," reads a letter of Safe Food Authority sent to the concerned ministries and deprtaments on January 1.

The letter signed by Mahbub Kabir, a member of the Authority, mentioned that they found deadly chemicals like Lead, Chromium and Mercury in almost all kinds of imported fish. Consumption of those fish can be fatal for human health.

In this context, imported fish requres full laboratory test prior to get release from the ports. Importers should be allowed to realese their consignments after fishes are being examined at Atomic Energy Center, BCSIR, Fish Quality Control Lab in Savar and the fish imported.

It also requested the Fisheries Department to determine the tolarable limit of chemicals in imported fish which is now entering domestict market only after formalin test.

The letter also mentioned of legal obligation on the part of other government agencies to cooperate with the Authority as per the Safe Food Act 2013.

A human body can tolerate 0.25mg Cadmium, 0.30mg Lead, 1mg Mercury and 1mg Chromium 1mg. But when the chemicals enter the human bodies in exces, it is harmful for human body.

"Chemicals found in imported sea fishes are 4-5 times higher than the prescribed levels," said Mahbub Kabir, adding, "We have already alerted the authorities about the situation and they decided to ensure laboratory tests."

Syed Arif Azad, Director General of Fisheries Department, said that the Department collects samples of fish imported and send it to the laboratory for tests. It has been done regularly for several years.

Admitting the presence of toxic chrmicals in imported fishes, he said, "Marine fish imported from the Middle East is carrying the most harmful chemicals among them. We imformed the matter to the Ministry of Commerce two years ago requesting to impose ban on marine fish import. But it is yet to come out with the decision."

Earlier, the Department of Food forwarded a similar recommendation to the Commerce Ministry and National Board of Revenue detecting toxic chemicals in imported fishes in their separate laboratory test.

According to the available data, about one lakh tonnes of fish were imported in the 2016-17 fiscal year, while these were 88,593 tonnes in fiscal year 2015-16.

About 97,383 tonnes of fish were imported in 2014-15 fiscal year.

Fishes were mainly imported from India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.


Diplomats for safe return of Rohingyas

Top: Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali briefs diplomats of western countries stationed in Dhaka on Rohingya issue at State Guest House Padma and (bottom) also briefs diplomats of Muslim countries stationed in Dhaka on Rohingya issue at State Guest House Pad

Diplomats stationed in Dhaka on Sunday laid emphasis on "safe, voluntary and dignified" return of Rohingyas from Bangladesh to Myanmar to make their return sustainable.

They also laid emphasis on creating environment with necessary development in Rakhine State so that Rohingyas feel safe and confident to return to Myanmar.

The diplomats also assured of continuing support to Bangladesh to facilitate the repatriation process.

Talking to reporters, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla said it is necessary to have sustainable development in Rakhine State in order to create an environment for safe and sustainable of return of Rohingyas.

"It's timely Briefing," he said assuring of their support to facilitate the process.

British High Commissioner Alison Blake said the return should be "safe, voluntary and dignified" so that it becomes sustainable. US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat also laid emphasis on safe return of Rohingyas.

She assured of US support to Bangladesh to complete the process.

Earlier, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali briefed diplomats stationed in Dhaka on Rohingya issue as Bangladesh and in Myanmar are set to start repatriation process at the ground level. The Foreign Minister started briefing Western and non-Muslim countries' diplomats from 4pm while he is briefing diplomats from Muslim majority countries from 5:30pm at State Guest House Padma in the city.

Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque is also attending the briefing.

On Saturday, Minister Ali laid emphasis on continuing international pressure on Myanmar to resolve the Rohingya crisis. "It (pressure) needs to continue until repatriation is completed."

He also said the Rohingya repatriation process will not be hampered due to the upcoming national election.

"Why, I don't see any reason," he said terming the progress made so far on Rohingya repatriation a big success for the government and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Foreign Minister said the repatriation is an ongoing process and all people should help government take it forward successfully.

On January 16, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on 'Physical Arrangement' which will facilitate return of Rohingyas to their homeland from Bangladesh.

The 'Physical Arrangement' stipulates that the repatriation will be completed preferably within two years from the commencement of repatriation.

The United Nations has reiterated its call for voluntary repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh saying Rohingyas need to feel that the situation is safe enough for them.

"It's up for people to choose to go home. No one should choose for them. Any repatriation of Rohingyas back to Myanmar needs to be voluntary," said spokesman for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric in a regular briefing at the UN headquarters.

He said, Rohingyas, now living in Bangladesh, need to be able to go to the homes from which they came. "I think they need to feel that the situation is safe enough."

There have been demonstrations on Friday in camps by Rohingyas protesting against plans to repatriate them back into Myanmar.

On the other hand, Myanmar authorities toured Maungtaw, Rakhine State on Friday and inspected the construction of houses to be used for repatriation of returnees from Bangladesh.

The delegation headed by Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu visited the Hla Phoe Khaung, Ngakhuya and Taung Pyo Letwe camps and insisted on completion of the finishing touches on buildings, medical clinics and sanitation infrastructures, according to The Global New Light of Myanmar.

Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali on Thursday said the Rohingya problem can be solved permanently with sustainable return of Rohingyas to Myanmar.
UN special envoy visits Ukhia Rohingya camps

UNB, Cox's Bazar :

The United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, for the second day visited different Rohingya refugee camps in Balukhali of coastal town Ukhia on Sunday.

Lee interacted with refugees and heard their accounts of violence carried out by theMyanmar Army from 9 am to 1 pm while officials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other foreign aid institutions were also present there.

She also assured the refugees all kind of assistance in repatriation to their homeland.

Earlier on Saturday, she also visited Nyapara and Raikhan Rohingya camps in Teknaf.

Lee reached Dhaka on Wednesday and went to Cox's Bazar on Friday. After this visit, she will leave for Thailand on January 24. On January 16, Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a document on 'Physical Arrangement' which will facilitate return of Rohingays to their homeland from Bangladesh.

The 'Physical Arrangement' stipulates that the repatriation would be completed preferably within two years from the commencement of repatriation.

Meanwhile, each Rohingya family members will have to fill a form of verification by providing a number of information including names, gender, birthplace, name of mother and father, date of birth, address in Myanmar, profession, signs, number of family members and a group family photo.
Govt, univ authority apathy to hold DUCSU polls

Rayhanul Islam :

The High Court order on the Dhaka University on January 17 to hold DUCSU election within six months raised fresh question whether it will be finally held within the stipulated time. Election to DUCSU remained suspended over the past 28 years.

Senior teachers and former student leaders of the Dhaka University said the last election to DUCSU was held in 1990. After that all subsequent Vice Chancellors (VCs) avoided holding the elections - be it under BNP or Awami League governments.

Some of them even voiced skeptical whether DUCSU election will be held in the election this year before parliament election.

Student politics became highly critical ever since and VCs had either avoided the election partly to avoid bloody violence on the campus or that they wanted to keep student politics under control and DUCSU challenges to their arbitrary use of powers linked to ruling party politics.

Absence of DUCSU election has meanwhile deprived the students to elect their representatives to the Senate and speak for their interest.

University authorities wanted all these years to suppress the functioning of various rival teachers and student groups to suppress potential challenge to the government.

But in recent time a bigger section of varsity students and teachers were demanding DUCSU election. Some student groups started protest on the campus and joined in hunger strike demanding DUCSU election.

President Abdul Hamid also asked the varsity attending a recent convocation to hold the DACSU election. Former student leaders said in fact all VCs in the past had also promised to hold DUCSU election but these were quite misleading at the end.

Coordinator of student organizations calling for DUCSU election Masud Al-Mahdey said VCs only spoke about DUCSU election in the past, but without matching action it showed they were not sincere at all.

Formers student leaders said absence of such election is depriving the varsity students and also causing big setback to develop new leadership at national level. Poor quality leaders and even criminals are now filling up vacuum. Election to DUCSU could help pick up good leader from bad ones.

Emeritus Professor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury told The New Nation that DUCSU poll remained stopped as our government does not want it. The government fears if DUCSU election is held, student opinion may not be on their side.

The poll result is considered as popularity of political parties. The ruling party does not want to hold an election which may show the fall in their popularity.

The present VC Professor Akhtaruzzaman on taking charge in September 2017 had also promised to hold DUCSU polls but is evasive so far. Varsity students now believe he should fulfill his promise in the wake of the High Court order last week.

Communist Party leader and former VP of DUCSU Mujahidul Islam Selim said since the President Abdul Hamid as chancellor of the varsity has asked the DU to hold the DUCSU election, it was an obligation for the VC to hold the election. But so far he has failed that he should not have.

He called for immediate announcement of the DUCSU election date. He even called for fixing the date of DUCSU election in the varsity's annual academic calendar to avoid confusion.

Former DUCSU general secretary Mostak Hosen hoped the varsity authority will make DUCSU election arrangement immediately bowing to public sentiment.

If the poll won't take place now, they will become further isolated. DU students have waited for the last 28 years, he said.

Former VP of DUCSU Aman Ullah Aman said the High Court order is a shame; the polls should have been held much before. He doubled whether the DUCSU election will be held in this election year like the uncertainly over the Dhaka North City Corporation election.


Writ should have been unnecessary for appointment of CJ

Gulam Rabbani :

The High Court (HC) on Sunday rescheduled hearing on January 28 on the writ petition challenging the legality of keeping vacant the post of Chief Justice for the last two and a half month without appointing a new Chief Justice (CJ) .

The hearing was fixed for yesterday at the HC bench of Justice Zinat Ara and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo on prayer made by advocate Eunus Ali Akond following its submission on January 3.

Earlier several benches of the HC Division turned down to hear the writ petition as an unusual mater. Finally the bench headed by the Justice Zinat Ara agreed to hear it. The rescheduling was made following submission by Attorney General Mahbubey Alam for time to take preparation for the hearing.

In the petition the lawyer made prayer for a rule on concerned government functionaries as respondent to explain why they are not taking steps to appoint a new Chief Justice as his post is laying vacant.

Advocate Eunus Ali Akond in his petition said the post of the Chief Justice cannot be kept vacant even for a day under the Constitution. He said a chief justice even can be appointed from lawyers, his appointment by a senior Judge of the Appellate Division is not mandatory.

In fact laying of the post of Chief Justice is quite unusual for even one day while such writ for appointment of the Chief Justice is also unnecessary in normal situation. Such move is only destroying the image of the Court but the vacuum is encouraging such writ.

Experts said the concern is that the government is wrongly advised and this in turn is minimizing the importance of judiciary. A country going without a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court essentially reflects a state of barbarism and lawlessness. The country's lawyers are divided to protect judiciary so this kind of situation is arising.

In this view it is unthinkable that the judiciary as a very important organ of the state can function without the Chief Justice month after month. People naturally wonder what is the mystery behind it. There are many speculations in the air but what needs to be reckoned with is that like the absence of the Prime Minister makes the executive branch of the government dysfunctional; so also the absence of the Chief Justice makes the judiciary ineffective.

The absence of the Chief Justice means the country can also be run in absence of the Prime Minister in parliamentary system of government. Parliament can function without Speaker. But in two organs of the state are having their head in place. Why then the government is keeping the post of Chief Justice vacant is the big question.

Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, former President of the Surpeme Court Bar Association, said, "It is unprecedented and abnormal that the post of the Chief Justice is laying vacant for long. It is undermining the image of the judiciary and creating unrest in the mind of the people. The post of the Chief Justice can never be left vacant in a democratic country."

During the tenure of former President Hussain Muhammad Ershad the post was vacant for 13 days as he did not want to appoint Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed as the Chief Justice, he said.

Advocate Zainul Abedin, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said, this is unfortunate for the nation to see that the post of Chief Justice is vacant for long. The situation is causing anxiety among the people.

"Judiciary is the guardian of the Constitution. Crisis of confidence will be created among people if the top post remains vacant for a long time. Good governance and the democracy will suffer and people will face difficulty in getting justice," he said.

Dr Shahdeen Malik said, "It is an abnormal situation in the judiciary. A perception has grown that the government working to influence the judiciary. The state, society, democracy and rule of law now suffer the most as the post of the Chief Justice is laying vacant."

Bangladesh and the post of Chief Justice is an integral part. Everything is harmed by ignoring this vital appointment, he said.
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Forty-nine per cent of financial advisors in the GCC were upbeat about the prospects for robo-advice, even if only 35 per cent of them saw it as an opportunity for their businesses in 2017, said professional services firm EY in a new report.



Twenty-two per cent saw robo-advice as a threat to their business, as we see the significant development of auto mated advice in the region, according to the 3rd Annual EY GCC Wealth and Asset Management 2017 report.



George Triplow, EY Mena Wealth and Asset Management leader, said: Technology has revolutionized industries all over the world, and the GCC wealth management industry is no exception. Strong client preference for digital channels and the pressure to grow revenue mean wealth and asset managers must rethink their strategies, operations and technologies.



Adapting early to the new reality will open the door to profitable future growth opportunities. The leaders will be those who harness blockchain, automated-advice, artificial intelligence and robotic process automation. The recent focus on particularly for crypto in the region set the scene for a dynamic landscape for institutions moving forward.



Established firms have launched competing automated advisory and digital offerings in competition to others. Some firms have launched their own robo-advisors, while others have partnered with external providers, or bought formerly independent players or have just provided small equity financing.



An analysis of 24 WAM firms revealed that around 60 per cent launched their offering via partnerships or built their own robo-advisory platforms.



Going forward, we can expect to see a large number of asset managers and independent advisors partnering with skilled technology firms that are able to optimize robo-advisor technology much more efficiently than they could do in-house, said Triplow.



Digital wealth managers to overtake traditional wealth managers



Digital wealth managers will dramatically increase their market share over the next few years and control roughly a third of the global wealth management industry in 2025.



Wealth managers with a new digitalized, holistic business model are expected to drive traditional wealth managers out of the market by 2025. Holistic wealth managers, who provide digitalized investment advice that is driven by life events and that generates true added value for clients, will see their share of the market jump from close to zero currently, to between 20 per cent and 30 per cent by 2025.



Software-based tools will enable these wealth managers to collect vast sums of data from different information sources and providers.



Global wealth management market for clients with more than $1 million (850,000) to invest will grow by around a quarter from more than $55.4 trillion now to $69.6 trillion by 2021, representing an annual increase of around 4.7 per cent.



Social media strategies



Wealth managers have become more imaginative in the ways in which they maintain contact with their clients. More than two-thirds of the GCC regions advisors now have a social media engagement strategy.



Historically, there were two main groups of clients in the GCC who have investable assets: GCC nationals and high-income expatriates, said Triplow.



However, a third group is emerging that is attractive to wealth managers and private banks: the affluent segment of upwardly mobile millennials who want to transact business in a different way and communicate with advisors in a different way. The development of digital banks is testament to this. But it also means that assumptions that hold for private banks and wealth management businesses in developed markets do not necessarily apply in the GCC region, he concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) said it has signed a SR9.75 billion ($2.6 billion) international syndicated bridge facility with eight major global banks to fund its future plans including that of a capital expenditure.



The facility is co-financed by eight major international banks including Citibank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Mizuho Bank, Natixis, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Standard Chartered Bank, said the company in a statament to the Saudi bourse Tadawul.



The facility is unsecured and will be used to finance SEC's diverse general corporate purposes including capital expenditure, it added.-TradeArabia News Service




Electrolux, a global leader in household appliances, recently marked the launch of its annual Give a Ghaf Tree Planting Programme with 500 students planting and dedicating Ghaf trees seeds at the Dubai British School in Dubai.



The programme is now in its fourth year of operation, with a total of 15,000 trees being planted so far across the UAE. This year, as part of the #ForTheBetter society, the programme aims to plant a further 5,000 Ghaf trees. The Ghaf tree is the national tree of the UAE and is part of the rich history and heritage of the UAE and Gulf countries.



Electrolux has partnered with Goumbook, a local social enterprise organisation in the UAE and GCC. The Give a Ghaf Tree Planting Programme has been created to both educate and raise public awareness about the Ghaf tree and its properties, whilst encouraging people to plant indigenous trees to help protect the environment.



During the annual campaign Electrolux engages with local schools to talk about both sustainability and the importance of the Ghaf tree. At first even for this initiative in 2018, pupils had the opportunity to plant their own Ghaf tree seeds in the grounds of the school, in the attendance of the Swedish Ambassador Henrik Landerholm. Following this, the students then created a dedicated card to a friend or a family member, which they then hung on the dedication Ghaf tree, which would become a testament to their participation in the programme.



Lorenzo Milani, CEO of Electrolux Middle East and Africa said: "The Ghaf tree planting at the Dubai British School was a huge success. It was fantastic to see so many children participating in the planting programme and learning about the importance of sustainable development at the same time.



Were also thrilled to play our role in the preservation of the regional environment as part of our commitment to the region and its drive for cleaner, healthier living. We have planted more than 15,000 Ghaf trees over the last three years, and we hope to reach 20,000 by the end of this year.



Were delighted to be here today, and Id like to thank the Dubai British School for their hospitality, as well as the parents and children for being a part of this initiative, he added.



Ros Marshall, CEO of Taaleem said: Teaching the next generation about sustainability is a great way to foster the culture of giving back to the community from such a young age, and help enhance their understanding and appreciation for the environment. The discussion and tree planting initiative was very informative, and the students learnt a great deal about how they can implement green practices and further their social responsibility.  TradeArabia News Service
Airbus will highlight the Tactilon Dabat, the world's first integrated smartphone and full Tetra radio - all rolled into one, during its debut participation at the 20th edition of Intersec, in Dubai, UAE.



Intersec, a global leading trade fair for security, safety and fire protection, opens today (January 21) and will run until January 23, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.



The company will also be highlighting the pioneering devices influential role in encouraging local security agencies to develop and use apps for mission critical situations. The Tactilon Dabat comes fully equipped with Android features and special ergonomics for radio use, which consolidates its position as a smart, strong and secure device offering full critical connectivity, said a statement.



Airbus is one of the featured partners of Professional Communication Corporation - Nedaa, the Dubai Government safe networks provider, at their pavilion located at Stall no. D-18 of Sheikh Saeed Hall 3.



The company's strong ties with Nedaa is expected to help showcase the significant role of modern devices like the Tactilon Dabat and the importance of public safety mission critical LTE networks - particularly in the continuing move towards smart city transformations, it said.



Airbus' participation will give them the opportunity to showcase their capabilities to integrate with multi-vendor LTE in a safe and secure way, which allows the grouping of smartphones and Tetra radios under one cluster.



The Tactilon Dabat is being hailed as a huge leap in Tetra evolution. Sleekly designed with a regular fully rugged smartphone look, the revolutionary device offers special multi-purpose push-to-talk buttons that are familiar fixtures on Airbus Tetra radios.



It has a wide touchscreen ideal for sending messages and also has a physical push-to-talk (PTT) button for easy use when talking to other Tetra groups. The unit, which is powered by a 4600 mAh changeable, long lasting and rechargeable battery, is rated both IP65 and IP67.



Selim Bouri, head of Middle East North Africa (Mena) and Asia-Pacific for secure land communications at Airbus, said: "We are very excited to participate for the first time at Intersec, which provides us a strategic platform to leverage our products and services while also increasing awareness on the importance of Hybrid/LTE networks, especially for mission critical situations.



The GCC region represents a very large and highly strategic market for us, which has expressed a continuously increasing demand for this kind of technology. Being at this year's show will give us the opportunity to network with private and public companies and organizations--exploring potential partnership opportunities and joint cooperation, he added.



Airbus will also feature the latest version of Tactilon Agnet, which now allow mission critical personnel like police officers or firefighters to communicate securely with based terminals and dispatchers by using LTE smartphones.



As this newer and updated version makes all Tetra terminal services available for smartphone usersincluding push to talk, messaging, and geolocation.



Both the Tactilon Agnet and the Tactilon Dabat demonstrate the future of seamless Tetra and LTE integration. Looking to fully realise the capabilities of this integration, Airbus and Nedaa have revealed a strategy that is expected to drive in a new level of safe and secure broadband services--combined with the features of faster, safer and secure methods of transferring data, pictures, videos and voice utilizing the LTE network, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai-based Bristol, a leader in fire protection services and equipment, will unveil its low-pressure water mist fire suppression system at the ongoing Intersec exhibition and conference in Dubai, UAE.



Intersec, a global leading trade fair for security, safety and fire protection, opens today (January 21) and will run until January 23, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.



The mist system is an innovative new arrangement thats quick and accurately extinguishes flames, but which also protects the surrounding environment from water damage, said a statement.



The distinguishing feature of Bristols dual fluid, low pressure technology is its ability to atomise liquids into extremely small droplets and carry them on an air stream. By adjusting nozzle design, water volume and air pressure parameters, qualities of the mists it generates can be controlled, it said.



This unique flexibility allows for creating optimal mist solutions for a broad range of applications.



The system atomises water at very low pressure, and this provides several advantages over high pressure technologies as it is relatively low cost and allows the technology to be deployed as a portable hose reel device, it added.



Delicate and non-toxic, the system can also be used to envelope a person threatened by fire to allow firefighting personnel to secure and rescue them while tackling a blaze.



Many industries will benefit from the application of optimal mist to tackle fires while leaving water sensitive infrastructure undamaged such as chemical, computer, construction, defence, energy, manufacturing and mining industries, said a statement.



Mahmoud Awad, managing director of Bristol, said: The new system represents a really exciting step towards our commitment to breaking ground in the industry of fire protection as we believe that using water as a universal agent for fighting fires is the future.



Not only is the system a revolutionary step forward in the way fires can be tackled and safely extinguished, its a very versatile, operator- and environmentally-friendly system, he said.



We are sure that the systems dry mist will impress the industry leaders and government heads who will attend this years event as an alternative to traditional, water or chemical based firefighting techniques, he added.



Alongside the Bristol Low Pressure Water Mist system, the firm will also present two new product launches from Bristols vehicles manufacturing division.



The Mobile Ambulance Vehicle with the drives straight into the future with new generation of keypads control panels strategically placed for easy and safe access and fire-retardant materials utilization for extreme fire hazard and safety during all kind of operations.



Also present will be the FL60XR sky-lift unit, is the highest aerial platform in the world with ladders providing an horizontal outreach of 31.5 m with maximum rescue cage load of 500kg, and a top vertical height of 60 m. The transportation length of FL60XR is less than 12 m meeting general international regulations.



Displayed for the first time in the Middle East by Bristol, the regions leading firefighting, ambulance, rescue and safety vehicle manufacturer, both vehicles offer creative design that considers customers requirements without compromising on performance.



Another important part of this years Intersec will be an announcement of the companys official membership of the International Organisation for Industrial Emergency Response and Fire Hazard Management (JOIFF).



A non-profit organisation, JOIFF is the global voice of the emergency response industry. The support of members means JOIFF continues to play an important role in sharing excellence in industrial emergency response techniques, shared learning, accredited training and technical advice.  TradeArabia News Service
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the Bahrain-based aluminium smelter, was recently recognised as the winner in the Syndicated Loan of the Year category at the Bonds, Loans and Sukuk Middle East Awards which was held in Dubai, UAE.



The award recognised Albas efforts to secure the largest-ever loan in October 2016, a $1.5 billion syndicated loan (first tranche of funding), to come out of Bahrain to fund its Line 6 Expansion Project, said a statement.



Alba brought 23 banks on board for this dual-tranche facility that was upsized by a factor of two and saw attractive pricing with over $2 billion commitments in line with the Bahrain blue-chip corporates, it said.



This facility comprised two tranches: a US Dollar-denominated senior unsecured conventional term-loan facility (the Conventional Facility) of $882 million and a US Dollar-denominated senior Shariah-compliant facility (the Islamic Facility) of $618 million, it added.



Ali Al Baqali, deputy chief executive officer, Alba, said: We are much pleased to secure the largest corporate loan in the history of Bahrain.



We are even more proud to have executed the $1.5 billion syndicated loan at attractive pricing with a select group of international, regional and local banks, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Municipality has selected Nexthink, a top provider of digital experience management for the enterprise, as one of its key partners to assist its ongoing efforts to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI).



With several ambitious projects in the pipeline, Dubai Municipality has chosen Nexthinks advanced IT analytics solution as one of the data sources to gather the voluminous data it generates and provide meaningful insights; enabling it to strengthen security compliance, make better business decisions, boost productivity and enhance service delivery.



The strategic vision of His Highness to set a UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence is a move in the right direction to transform the country into a global leader in innovation, said Ahmad Al Emadi, chief information security officer, Dubai Municipality.



Technology is a key component to support our rapid growth and delivery of new services. Nexthink is one of our key technology providers that give us the capability to view our IT infrastructure in real-time and understand human behaviour (employees) when interacting with our systems. The amount of data it generates is then translated into meaningful insights that help with achieving security compliance and make better decisions, added Al Emadi.



Heba Al Shehi, head of End-User, Dubai Municipality added, Thanks to Nexthink we had the needed visibility to avoid errors and enabled our IT department to be more proactive than before and resolves any issues quickly. We have also reduced our costs significantly and moved towards a paperless IT operation.



Ahmed Yehia Seleem, regional manager, Nexthink said: Satisfied employees are more productive and can help enhance organisation efficiency  this can be achieved by improving the IT services provided to employees and assist Dubai Municipality achieve its objectives.



With Nexthink, they now have complete visibility on what is actually going on with their IT infrastructure, how the services are being delivered, consumed and secured. This meaningful insight allows the IT team to understand and resolve issues, immediately or before they occurboosting end-users productivity and satisfaction.  TradeArabia News Service
The 20th edition of Intersec, the worlds leading trade fair for security, safety, and fire protection opened today (January 21) in Dubai, UAE featuring 1,337 exhibitors from 59 countries.



Inaugurated by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the three-day event covers 60,000 sq m of space at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, a five per cent increase over the previous year.



More than 5,000 brands are on show across seven focus areas of Commercial Security, Fire & Rescue, Safety & Health, Homeland Security & Policing, Information & Cyber Security, Perimeter & Physical Security, and Smart Home and Building Automation.



Safety and security has increasingly grown in importance for all of us today and over the last 20 years, Intersec has grown into the most important trade show for safety and security globally, said Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, Intersecs patron.



Intersec has played a significant contributory role in enhancing the safety and security of our society by bringing the latest innovations and developments within reach of Middle East buyers and establishments. The shows success underlines the importance of Dubais role in driving change, innovation and development across the region.



Fire & Rescue recorded the largest year-on-year exhibitor growth at Intersec 2018, with 448 companies on board this year, a 24 per cent increase over 2017. Information & Cyber Security too continues its upward growth trajectory, and this year features 52 exhibitors dedicated to combating cyber threats, espionage, and online criminals.



With 453 exhibitors, Commercial Security remains the largest individual section, while Perimeter & Physical Security (90 exhibitors), Safety & Health (173 exhibitors), Homeland Security & Policing (91 exhibitors), and Smart Home & Building Automation (30 exhibitors) were also widely represented.



Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Intersecs organiser Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said: Spearheaded by the UAE, the Middle East has undergone rapid economic transformation, and with it, the need to keep critical infrastructure, assets and people safe and secure.



That rapid transformation is reflected in the market itself, and when Intersec made its debut in 1999, when it featured just 61 exhibitors, the Middle East homeland and commercial security market combined was worth just $52 million.



Since then, the market has grown at a remarkable compound annual growth rate of 33 per cent, and is currently worth $12.2 billion. That growth too is underlined by the business success of many Intersec exhibitors  13 of which participated at the first Intersec in 1999, and returning in 2018. Many others have been with the show for more than 10 years, and during that time, have watched their business volumes grow in double digits, added Pauwels.



Spearheading the show highlights on the opening day at Intersec 2018 was the new Indoor Drone Zone, where the shows Government Partners the Dubai Police and Dubai Civil Defence were among those delivering live demonstrations of their latest drones in action.



Meanwhile, the Live Outdoor Demo Area was home to some exciting Firefighting rescue applications, Armoured Cars, and a line-up of Dubai Police Super Cars. Here was also the scene for the Middle East unveiling of the Bristol FL 60 XR  the worlds highest aerial platform with fire rescue ladders providing an outreach of 31.5 meters.



Korean company IDIS is also among 19 of the worlds top 20 security solutions providers at Intersecs Commercial Security section in 2018. The video surveillance provider this year launched in the Middle East and Africa several new solutions and technologies, including its IDIS Deep Learning Analytics Engine that utilises artificial intelligence (AI).



Harry Kwon, general manager for IDIS in Mena, said IDIS has developed AI technology in its existing equipment, enabling surveillance that is more accurate, fast and scalable.



At Intersec, were demonstrating the latest iteration of IDIS Deep Learning Analytics for the proactive monitoring of people, cars, bicycles as well as showing alerts for object detection, loitering and intrusion  all adapted to fit the 16.9 ratio video surveillance sizing, said Kwon.



While continuously in development, IDIS has self-developed the engine base for image classification, object detection and segmentation, which can analyse vast datasets without difficult pre-calibration work. IDIS Deep Learning Analytics will serve the real world, and deep learning means a user can look at a scene and intuitively understand how a pattern has changed and proactively respond accordingly.



Elsewhere, in the Safety and Health section, American-headquartered Industrial Scientific is launching its gas detection and safety analytics solutions used across a variety of high risk industries including Public Safety, Civil Defence, Oil and Gas, Chemical Production, Mining, Steel Manufacturing and Construction.



Cedric Le Minter, general manager for Industrial Scientific, EMEA, said: As the global leader in gas detection and safety analytics, Industrial Scientific owns around 20 per cent of the market share worldwide.



At Intersec 2018, Industrial Scientific is launching iNet Now live monitoring that provides real-time text and email alerts for gas hazards, panic, and man-down situations allowing users to see and respond to incidents as they happen.



A real-time map of workers and instruments helps users pinpoint the location of anyone from lone workers to people working within a facility. Were also demonstrating our latest Portable Multi-Gas Monitors Ventis Pro Series, Transportable Area Monitor Radius BZ1 and Portable Single Gas Monitor Tango TX1, added Le Minter.



With 83 per cent international exhibitor participation, Intersec 2018s global footprint is underlined by 15 country pavilions from Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, the UK, the US and for the first time in 2018, Russia. UAE participation is also high, growing six per cent year-on-year, with 223 exhibitors covering 10,500sqm of exhibition space.



Intersec 2018 returns with regular popular highlights such as the Safety Design in Buildings Pavilion and a Smart Home Pavilion, while a comprehensive three-day conference programme is led by the new Middle East Drones Conference and the Middle East Artificial Intelligence and Information Security Conference.  TradeArabia News Service
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) today signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) with Akuo Energy, the French IPP in renewable energy, to enter into the Krnovo Wind Farm, Montenegros first wind energy project.

The agreement was signed by Niall Hannigan, chief financial officer of Masdar, and Eric Scotto, chief executive officer of Akuo Energy, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2018 in the presence of Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar, and other delegates, a Wam news agency report said.

Under the agreement, Masdar will acquire 49 percent of Krnovo Green Energy, a subsidiary of Akuo Energy and Montenegro-based owning the now operational 72-megawatt (MW) onshore wind farm.

Built in one phase, the Krnovo project comprises 26 GE wind turbines. Project financing was secured from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, and the French development financial institution Proparco.

On stream since November 2017, the Krnovo wind farm is now supplying approximately 45,000 households under a 12-year power purchase agreement with the state utility Crnogorski operator trzista elektricne energije (COTEE). It is also displacing an estimated 80,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Krnovo is Masdars second wind farm in the Western Balkans. Abu Dhabis renewable energy company is a partner in the 158MW Cibuk 1 wind farm in Serbia, the largest in the country, which secured financing in October.

"Were excited to consolidate our presence in mainland Europe through Krnovo and to enter into a partnership with Akuo Energy, a proven renewable energy leader with a wide geographical reach," Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said. "Commercial renewable energy solutions have a critical role to play in Montenegros energy future, and our two companies are eager to support the countrys transitions towards cleaner energy sources."

Scotto said: "Krnovo is a first-class asset, the first of its kind in Montenegro, both in size and as a wind farm. We are delighted to welcome a partner like Masdar onboard such an asset. With regards to its achievements and strong ambitions, Masdar is a key player in renewable energy and has a global footprint. We would like to wholeheartedly thank all the teams for the quality of the work undertaken."

Montenegro is a renewable energy leader in Europe, with more than 40 percent of its domestic electricity consumption coming from clean energy sources.
The second day of the ongoing World Future Energy Summit, International Water Summit and EcoWASTE Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, UAE saw a number of new business agreements signed by participating companies.



Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, Tadweer and Abdul Latif Jameel all unveiled significant new plans.



At the opening of the World Future Energy Summit conference programme, the UAE Minister of Energy, Suhail Al Mazroui addressed global energy stakeholders in attendance, referring to the UAEs Energy Strategy as a key contributor towards the continued reduction of solar energy prices, which have already broken the 2-cent threshold.



Al Mazroui stressed that renewable energy will also need to be supported by other forms of energy in the UAE, such as fossil-based energy and nuclear energy. He indicated that he was confident that this years edition of the World Future Energy Summit will bring forward more innovative ideas and solutions that will continue to shape the energy future of the UAE and the wider region.



Tadweer (The Centre of Waste Management  Abu Dhabi) announced the signing of five new contracts worth Dh165 million ($45 million) for waste management projects in Abu Dhabi, with leading firms in the waste sector. Tadweer revealed the details of the projects at a press conference organised at the EcoWASTE Exhibition.



Green Energy Solutions & Sustainability signed an agreement for the first landfill gas to energy investment project in the Middle East at Al Dhafra Landfill, which is the largest landfill in Abu Dhabi. The project will prevent emission of Green-House Gases (GHG) from the landfill to the atmosphere. It is expected to be commissioned to produce about 5 MW of power by September and will be registered with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for carbon credit.



Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea ) announced the commencement of a competitive process to select a developer to own up to 40 per cent of a special purpose vehicle to participate in the Taweelah Reverse Osmosis Independent Water Project. The remaining equity will be held, directly or indirectly, by Adwea.



The project will comprise, inter alia, the development, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and ownership of a greenfield reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant with a capacity of 200 million Imperial Gallons of water per day, together with associated infrastructure. The Plant will be located at the Taweelah power and water complex, approximately 45 km north of the city of Abu Dhabi.



The project is important to ensure the security of potable water supply in Abu Dhabi as well as playing a key role in the ongoing cost reduction initiative in the sector through the procurement of competitive and efficient reverse osmosis water desalination technology.



Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, announced it has secured a deal to start construction of a 342 MW dc solar farm in Mexico. The deal for the Potosi Solar Farm will see construction begin in early 2018 and adds to a growing list of renewable energy projects Abdul Latif Jameel Energy has delivered across Latin America, including Uruguay and Chile.



Potosi Solar Farm will generate enough energy to power around 150,000 homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 600,000 tons of CO2 per year.



Acwa Power has announced that it will adopt SolarCoin, the global reward program for solar electricity generation, marking the first time a utility-scale generator joins the SolarCoin ecosystem. SolarCoin adoption will provide digital tokens to ACWA Power for every MWh of solar energy produced and will provide a supplementary means of payment for goods and services than conventional currency.



The Climate Innovation Exchange (CLIX) launched at the World Future Energy Summit with a keynote address by Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, UAE Minister of State for Youth.



Al Mazrui stated that youth and sustainability are inseparable in the 21st century. Sustainability is first a mindset, before it becomes a set of behaviours and then a way of doing business, Al Mazrui added. She also noted that, if we want to build sustainable systems for a sustainable world, we must invest now in the people who will carry it forward.



A total of 27 semi-finalists are pitching their ideas and products to more than 20 prospective investors throughout the World Future Energy Summit, with a view to unlocking capital to fund their innovations.



Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia outlined how it will achieve its renewable energy targets.



Turki Al Shehri, head of Renewable Energy Projects Development Office, Ministry of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources, Saudi Arabia revealed that tenders for four gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy will be issued by the Kingdom in 2018, including 3.2 GW of solar photovoltaic and 800 megawatts (MW) of wind energy.



Al Shehri noted that the projects will continue to drive low-cost renewable energy, with the most recent bids received by the Kingdom including submissions between 0.0178 and 0.0336 cents per kilowatt hour. He also noted that Saudi Arabia aims to reach export potential by 2019, and that the projects come as part of the countrys plans to produce 9.5 GW of renewable energy by 2023.  TradeArabia News Service
Masdar, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, has signed an agreement with Norwegian oil and gas company Statoil to analyse data from Batwind, the integrated energy storage system designed to store energy generated by Hywind Scotland.



Hyland Scotland is the first commercial-scale floating wind farm that was inaugurated by the two companies last October. The agreement includes exploration of the batterys potential for further applications and business opportunities.



The agreement was signed by Bader Al Lamki, Masdars executive director for Clean Energy, and Sebastian Bringsvrd, head of Hywind Development in New Energy Solutions, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2018.



Under the terms of the agreement, the parties will purchase, test and install Batwind to investigate how the battery storage solution can be leveraged to improve the operational and cost efficiency of offshore wind farms.



Being able to study Batwinds performance under a range of conditions will generate a high level of operational data, which will in turn enable a thorough exploration of the potential integration of battery storage solutions with wind and solar power generation systems, and offer insight into the potential application of this technology in other locations.



The intermittent nature of solar and wind energy pose challenges for dependable power supply and grid stability. Energy storage is key to overcoming these challenges and unlocking the full potential of renewables, said Al Lamki.



By partnering with Statoil on the Batwind project, Masdar is addressing this critical need for affordable, reliable and regionally-optimized battery technologies and strengthening the viability of energy storage solutions. This has the potential to deliver far-reaching benefits in the development of renewables as a baseload power source.



The battery will be located at the onshore substation of Hywind Scotland  which is located off the coast of Aberdeenshire, Scotland  and connected to the offshore wind farm at the grid entry point.

Bringsvrd said: With more renewables coming into production it will be crucial to handle storage to ensure predictable energy supply in periods without wind or sun. Batwind has the potential to add value by mitigating periods without wind  and by that making wind a more reliable energy producer year around. This could expand the use and market for wind and renewables in the future.



Hywind, which was inaugurated in October 2017, is the worlds first floating offshore wind farm. Masdar holds a 25 per cent stake in the project with Statoil, who owns the remaining 75 per cent. Operating with an installed capacity of 30 megawatts (MW), Hywind Scotland is already powering approximately 6,600 homes and displacing 63,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.



The collaboration is Masdars second offshore wind partnership with Statoil  the first being the recently launched Dudgeon Wind Farm. Combined with London Array, the two projects bring the total offshore wind capacity of the UK renewable energy projects in which Masdar is an investor to over 1,000MW.



Masdar is highlighting its most recent renewable energy developments at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2018, which is taking place on January 13-20.  TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Aramco, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Saudi Aramco Technologies, has signed a three-party Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to scale up and commercialize Aramcos thermal crude to chemicals (TC2C) technology.



The JDA was signed with CB&I, a US-based leading provider of technology and infrastructure for the energy industry, and Chevron Lummus Global (CLG), a joint venture between CB&I and Chevron U.S.A. Inc., and a leading process technology licensor.



This innovative technology has been pioneered at Saudi Aramcos Research & Development Center over the past few years in order to enable higher chemicals yield than previously achievable.



This innovation also bypasses conventional refining steps by employing a proprietary direct conversion process. This proprietary technology represents significant innovative progress and complements Saudi Aramcos crude-to-chemicals conventional projects. The innovative and conventional approaches together enable and accelerate the growth of Saudi Aramcos Chemicals business.



Saudi Aramco president and CEO Amin H Nasser said: Saudi Aramco is going beyond the quick wins and is instead prioritizing investments in groundbreaking R&D and technology. Todays Joint Development Agreement with CB&I and CLG is a technological first which will position Saudi Aramco to maximize the value of each barrel of crude oil it produces in the near future.



This is a further opportunity for Saudi Aramco to contribute to the development of a stronger, more diversified Saudi economy, one that creates high value employment opportunities for young Saudis in a further realization of Vision 2030 objectives.



Saudi Aramcos chief technology officer, Ahmad A Khowaiter said: We are delighted to be working with our partners to fully realize the immense potential of this groundbreaking technology. This partnership will enable us to leverage the unique strengths of our companies to accelerate the scale-up and de-risking of the technology, while reiterating Saudi Arabias global leadership in crude oil and commodities production. This will support the Kingdoms efforts toward industrial diversification, job creation and technology leadership in Saudi Arabia through downstream conversion of chemicals.



It is an honour to partner with Saudi Aramco to develop the most competitive processing solution for crude to chemicals, said Patrick K Mullen, CB&Is president and chief executive officer. This is a unique integration of advanced technology processes for the production of high-value petrochemicals from crude oil, and our three companies are best positioned to do so.



CLGs hydro processing technologies and CB&Is ethylene cracker technology combined with Saudi Aramcos proprietary thermal crude to chemicals technology will provide a strong foundation for this joint development, said Leon de Bruyn, CLGs managing director. We are excited to be partnering with Saudi Aramco and making a positive impact on our industry by demonstrating an innovative approach to crude to chemicals.  TradeArabia News Service
5-km WATERFRONT, OPEN GARDENS

Saudi Arabia unveils historic Jeddah district revival plan

Saudi Arabia has launched a major project to breathe new life into the historic Jeddah district and help redevelop the city's living space to woo new business and cultural projects. The plan includes a 5-km waterfront with green spaces and open gardens.
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) said it has signed an agreement with the Department of Transport  Abu Dhabi (DoT) to boost co-operation in the study, testing and evaluation of sustainable, electrical and autonomous transport technologies.

The multifaceted partnership aims to establish pilot projects promoting local capacity building, said Masdar in a statement.

The agreement also covers the development of infrastructure for the testing and validation of smart electrical and autonomous vehicle technologies by both government and the private sector, it stated.

"The Department of Transport is continuously working to motivate the public to move towards the use of environmentally friendly vehicles in order to further boost the quality of life in Abu Dhabi," said Al Mazrouei Khalifa Mohamed Al Mazrouei, the under-secretary of the DoT, after signing the deal with Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, the chief executive of Masdar, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2018.

"Masdar is committed to the commercial development of sustainable transport infrastructure and Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is at the heart of the emerging trend in sustainability mobility," noted Al Ramahi.

He stressed upon the DoT's commitment to support sustainable transport by establishing standards encouraging the use of low emission vehicles.

"This partnership will help to identify innovative technologies that may be potentially developed at scale, complementing the larger sustainable transport strategy of Abu Dhabi," he added.

Abu Dhabis flagship sustainable community, Masdar City, has been a pioneer of sustainable mobility, introducing the worlds first permanent driverless Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system in 2010. The PRT had carried more than two million passengers by the end of 2016.

At this years Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Masdar announced that the PRT system will be extended with autonomous electrics vehicle provided by the French manufacturer, Navya.-TradeArabia News Service
Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Samsung top the list of the worlds 50 most innovative companies, said The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global management consulting firm, in a new report.



BCG surveyed over 1,000 senior innovation leaders from a wide variety of countries and industries for its report titled The Most Innovative Companies 2018: Innovators Go All In on Digital.



Eleven of the 50most innovative companiesincluding seven of the top tenare digital nativesthat is, they have always been digital businesses with digital offerings. Two digital natives pushed their way into the top ten this year: Alibaba Group, which joined the top 50 for the first time, and Uber.



Among the top 20, Tencent is new to the list, and Airbnb, SpaceX, Cisco Systems, Orange, and Marriott moved up significantly. Overall, 12 companies either joined the list or returned to it in 2018.Most companies on the list have built digital technologies into their innovation programs.



One standout takeaway from this years survey is that companies are focusing significantly more than in the past on four elements of digital innovation: big data analytics, the fast adoption of new technologies, mobile products and capabilities, and digital design. Meanwhile, other areas of innovationsuch as new products and new serviceshave become less of a focus for innovation executives.



Slow movers on digital innovation risk being left behind by those that invested sooner and more decisively, said Michael Ringel, a BCG senior partner and a co-author of the report.



Competitive advantage increasingly depends less on products and more on the digitally enabled services that surround them. From todays predictive maintenance offerings for industrial goods to tomorrows Internet of Things, digital strategists need to explore and master new innovation domains. And as more advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, enter the mainstream, the stakes will keep getting higher.



Strong innovators are doubling down on digital investments and capabilities



The report describes a gap, which may continue to widen, between strong innovators and weak innovators in terms of their ability to make the most of digital technology. For example, while 79 per cent of self-defined strong innovators reported that they have properly digitized innovation processes, only 29 per cent of weak innovators made the same claim.



More than one-third of survey respondents said that digitized processes arent really doing much for their companya sign that they havent yet found a way to embrace the new possibilities. Moreover, the largest gaps between strong and weak innovators occur with regard to the embrace of digital-innovation techniques.



Strong innovators are disproportionately investing in digital technologies. For example, 43 per cent of strong innovators are actively investing in big data versus 26 per cent of weak innovators; 42 per cent of strong innovators are actively investing in mobile capabilities versus 16 per cent of weak innovators; and 39 per cent of strong innovators are actively investing in digital design versus 14 per cent of weak innovators.



Moreover, strong innovators were much more likely to report that their organizations embrace key elements of the agile product development approaches that characterize digital leaders. Eight out of 10 strong innovators reported that they take steps to bring together, in one place, cross-functional teams that include people with a full spectrum of relevant skills. By contrast, at weak innovators, only 35 per cent of teams work in the same place, only 41 per cent have all the relevant functions represented, and only 43 per cent contain people with all the relevant skills.



Digital technologies present a trifecta of innovation challenges: they blur boundaries and invite new competitors, they increase the speed of innovation, and they lower the cost at which new competitors can enter a market to seize share, said Hadi Zablit, a BCG senior partner and a co-author of the report.



Traditional companies, no matter how large, cant afford to pursue innovation, R&D, and product development in traditional ways. To do so cedes competitive advantage to the disruptors. All companies need to determine their own digital strategies and start playing the innovation game by todays rules.  TradeArabia News Service
Radisson Blu, a leading player in the hospitality sector and an iconic hotel brand driven by innovation and design, has announced the opening of its fifth hotel at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.



It is an upscale international chain of full service hotels and resorts brand for Radisson Hotels mostly outside the US, including those in Europe, Africa, and Asia. These are operated by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.



The 150-room Radisson Blu Hotel, Jeddah Corniche has a prime location close to the popular North Corniche, which overlooks the Red Sea and is within the citys newest waterfront development, said a statement from The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.



The Jeddah hotel has a range of stylish rooms and suites, all with a modern design and many with views of the vibrant corniche.



Guests have a choice of room types, from standard and business-class rooms to one and two-bedroom suites, said the statement.



All rooms include free high-speed wireless Internet. Guests will also have complimentary access to two separate health clubs for men and women, which include a fitness gym, sauna and massage rooms  in addition to a refreshing outdoor swimming pool, it stated.



Tim Cordon, the area senior vice president for Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, said: "The kingdoms drive towards economic diversification has seen some recent high-profile announcements with its ambitious vision to create a world-class tourism destination. As one of the fastest growing hotel companies in Saudi Arabia, and with a diversified portfolio, we are committed to support this growth across all market segments."



The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has 38 hotels and over 10,000 rooms in operation and under development in Saudi Arabia.



"We are further pleased to strengthen the presence of our upper upscale Radisson Blu brand in Jeddah, one the regions most prominent cultural and commercial centers," he noted.



The hotel has an excellent location, and is within walking distance to the corniche promenade, the Red Sea Mall and major theme park Atallah Happy Land Park. King Abdulaziz International Airport is just 6.2 km away, said the top hospitality group.



The Larder restaurant provides a modern, international dining experience where guests can enjoy a selection of a la carte dishes served daily or start the day with the Radisson Blu Super Breakfast. 24/7 room service is also available. The hotels terrace cafe offers a chance to relax and take in the stunning view of the Red Sea, it stated.



The meeting and events space includes a 280-sq-m ballroom with a built-in stage and the ability to host up to 120 people crescent-style. The four meeting rooms span 160 sq m, all with natural light, climate control, free high-speed wireless Internet, and a separate break-out area, it added.



Bassam Abu Laban, the general manager for Radisson Blu Hotel, Jeddah Corniche said: "We are delighted to open the newest Radisson Blu hotel in Jeddah with a stunning location on the popular North Corniche."



"The hotel is next to many of the citys most famous leisure attractions, making it the ideal destination for families visiting Jeddah. We are confident that guests will enjoy a memorable experience at the hotel with our unique Yes I Can!SM service delivered by our talented team," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Senior Etihad Airways executive, Andrew Fisher, has embarked on a journey of a lifetime, attempting to break the world record by flying around the globe in the shortest time frame on scheduled flights, and with the fewest number of sectors.



Fisher, who works as the airlines vice president fleet planning, hopes to shave three hours off the current record of over 55 hours by completing the journey in only four sectors.



His flight path begins in the early hours of Sunday morning in Shanghai, taking him to Auckland, Buenos Aires and Amsterdam before returning to the Chinese city in the early hours of Tuesday morning, January 23.



A self-proclaimed aviation geek with a love of studying airline networks and schedules, Abu Dhabi-based Fisher is well placed to chart his journey and fulfill a dream he has been keen to attempt for over 20 years.



Its about time the job was done, he said. The planning has taken a long time, essentially to ensure the flight timings, routings and transits are kept as tight as possible and there is only a short window of opportunity for this to happen.



The progress of Andrews record-breaking attempt can be followed on Twitter at @AndrewFisherNZ. - TradeArabia News Service
The UAE has climbed to 32nd place on the 2018 Henley Passport Index, after signing a visa-waiver agreement with China, going up by an impressive six places year-on-year and by 29 places over the past decade  the biggest historical climb of any passport in the world.



The UAE passport now offers holders visa-free travel to 134 countries, up from 121 countries in 2017. As of last Tuesday, UAE nationals can travel to China without a visa, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the two governments exempting UAE nationals from obtaining pre-entry visas for stays of up to 30 days. The agreement came into effect one week after the launch of the 2018 Henley Passport Index.



Performance of countries in the Mena region remains highly varied

The UAEs success is linked to the fact that, between 1999 and 2018, visa restrictions on Emirati citizens have been lifted by countries such as New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Ukraine, and now China, as well as by those in Europes Schengen Area.



Within the wider GCC region, all member countries significantly improved their positions in 2018. Kuwait moved up to 58th position, with visa-free access to 83 countries, and Bahrain climbed to 63rd place, offering its citizens access to 75 countries. Oman (65th) and Saudi Arabia (67th) followed closely behind, with visa-free access to 71 and 69 countries, respectively.



Commenting on the UAEs latest climb on the index, Marco Gantenbein, managing partner of Henley & Partners Dubai and Head of Middle East, said: This development re-affirms the UAE and Chinas thriving partnership. Emiratis exemption from pre-entry visa to China will reflect positively on tourism, trade and investment and further augment the economic and commercial relations between the two countries. The UAEs continued efforts to nurture its cooperation and engagement with its international counterparts, particularly with strong emerging markets such as China, will positively impact the nations economic development as well as ensure sustained growth in the region.



With the exception of GCC countries, countries in the region have mostly lost ground on the index over time. The Palestinian Territory, meanwhile, has remained stable, ranking 97th since 2008. The UAEs exceptional performance has been instrumental in improving the Mena regions overall standing on the index.



At the launch of the 2018 Henley Passport Index on January 9, Gantenbein provided insight into the current investment migration landscape in Mena. In the region, we continue to witness a growth in demand for investment migration programs. This demand is driven by a number of key factors, including the need for improved global mobility, better security, enhanced quality of life, and most often also generational wealth planning and portfolio diversification. Against this backdrop, the Mena region is an increasingly important market for investment migration. - TradeArabia News Service
IBTM, part of global exhibitions organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), has unveiled the final itinerary for IBTM Arabia 2018, which takes place from February 5-7 at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi.



Leading the agenda as keynote speaker is Rohit Talwar, global futurist, author and CEO of foresight firm, Fast Future, who will deliver a session on how the meetings industry can anticipate, respond to and benefit from an emerging future in a world of constant change.



During the event, suppliers and Hosted Buyers will enjoy a full programme of 2,700 pre-planned business meetings, an insightful series of Knowledge Programme sessions and 12 networking events. The carefully crafted itinerary includes a tour of the recently opened and highly acclaimed Louvre Abu Dhabi as part of the events Discovery Day, run in partnership with Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.



As part of this years enhanced Knowledge Programme, ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) will chair a panel session on destination competitiveness; Albert Dias, CTO and co-founder of the UAE's first full-service Online Travel Agency, Musafir, will host a session exploring how Travel Management Companies will need to bank on intelligence to remain relevant in an era of constant change, and a selection of suppliers will deliver presentations showcasing their destinations in the events Central Hub area.



The format of IBTM Arabia has been designed purposefully to embrace the importance in the region of relationship building ahead of doing business, with 12 networking events held over the three-day-long show, including the renowned White Party at Rotana Beach, Dinner at The Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi and concluding with a Sunset Farewell cocktail reception on the final evening at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.



Shinu Pillai, exhibition manager, IBTM Arabia, said: Were very excited to welcome our suppliers and Hosted Buyers to this years event. Weve listened to what our customers want and, as a result, have implemented a number of enhancements to deliver the most effective backdrop for doing business and to ensure time is very well spent with us. We have extended the Knowledge Programme to include additional presentations and a panel session and have consolidated the Discovery Day activity to maximise time spent together as a complete group.



On the back of implementing IBTMs enhanced Hosted Buyer programme and introducing a one-day attendance option for domestic event planners, weve got an incredibly high calibre pool of international Hosted Buyers joining us for our 2018 edition and were confident that theres exceptional scope for great business to be done both during the event and after as a direct result of meetings at IBTM Arabia.



Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, which is exhibiting at IBTM Arabia, said: "As Ras Al Khaimah edges closer to reaching its one million visitor target by the end of 2018, our continued focus on the meetings, incentive and events sector is aimed at realising the potential to further grow mid-week and off-season hotel occupancy, while incentives will complement our increasingly successful leisure sector. IBTM Arabia is a key part of our strategy to reach this target as the event provides us with an unrivalled opportunity to meet high-profile international meetings and events planners in an environment that is conducive to doing great business.



"The event gives us the opportunity to clearly communicate to event planners our successes over the past 12 months, as well as RAKTDAs expansion plans to enhance the destination, including a dynamic events calendar which we anticipate will consistently grow over the months to come." - TradeArabia News Service


By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net

The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government is mulling to withdraw nine cases against BJP leaders in relation to 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

The information was revealed when district administration at Muzaffarnagar received a letter from a state minister. The letter asked the district officials  especially District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police  the possibility of withdrawing cases against Suresh Rana, Sanjiv Balyan, Sadhvi Prachi, Bhartendu Singh and Umesh Malik.

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According to a report published by Press Trust of India, the letter to the DM Muzaffarnagar, dated January 5, was sent by the district magistrate, Special Secretary and Uttar Pradesh Department of Justice Raj Singh. Singh has sought information on 13 points, including whether the cases could be withdrawn in public interest. The letter also sought the opinion of the Muzaffarnagar senior superintendent of police.

The letter in question does not specifically mention the names of the leaders but mentions the file numbers pertaining to the cases in which these individuals are named, reported PTI.

Yogi Adityanath, the CM of Uttar Pradesh, recently announced that his government will withdraw cases on political personalities. But there was very little mention of whether these political cases will include the criminal cases too.

The accused BJP leaders took part in the Mahapanchayat during the last week of August 2013, which led to the riot in Muzaffarnagar following the hate speeches of these individuals. More than 60 individuals lost their lives while several thousand were displaced and still living in temporary shelters provided them for rehabilitation just after the riots in Muzaffarnagar.

When TwoCircles.net tried to confirm the letter with the administrative officials, they denied any such letter from the administration. But sources on the ground have confirmed the claim.
Carillion has been one of the biggest stories of the week and this is unsurprising as it highlights the issues of outsourcing government work to private companies. But what is probably more of a concern is that it shows the governments since the early 90s in one of two lights, firstly, that of financial and economic incompetence or secondly, wilfully corrupt. British economic policy in the last 100+ years has barely changed, with a few slightly more Keynesian moments post-WWII.

British economic policy is economic fascism. The wealthy use their money to gain power, drive down wages and prejudice against anyone who is poor.

By maintaining this status quo, they can keep inequality thriving, use nationalist rhetoric to garner public support and maintain power.

The Carillion collapse

PFI contracts were first introduced by John Major, continued by Tony Blair and increased by the Conservative governments since 2010. Carillion was one of those main benefactors but with consistent profit warnings, why did the government keep awarding them contracts? It had essentially become a lawful sort of Ponzi scheme, using new or expected revenues to cover more pressing demands for payment. The Financial Times said A further similarity with such schemes was the incentive for senior managers to keep bidding, acquiring and chasing cash.

Many in the industry are paid bonuses based on revenue growth, not efficiency.

Furthermore, government procurement laws states that they must exclude abnormally low bids from outsourcers. One lawyer claims, Carillion has tendered at very low margins, possibly unsustainably low, in order to win these huge volumes of work. If such bids have succeeded, that can only mean either that the regulations themselves are ineffective or that public sector clients lack the confidence or the expertise properly to enforce those rules. But there is one other reason that the bids were allowed to succeed, and that is because those involved knew it would collapse ad decided to profit from the subsequent disaster.

Carillion were responsible for 16 billion worth of government contracts and up until December 2016, the chairman, Phillip Green, was corporate responsibility advisor to Theresa May, why he resigned is unknown. But this represents a conflict of interest for the government and hedge funds began betting on Carillions collapse back in 2013 when they realised that they were taking 120 days to pay back subcontractors and began short selling shares to profit from future falls, one of those hedge funds includes BlackRock, who hired George Osborne as advisor last year.

The same man who gave Carillion government contracts, but he has come out since and blamed civil servants for the outsourcing.

In addition to the uncertainty to workers jobs and pensions, just weeks before the collapse, Carillion changed their rules to safeguard the multi-million-pound bonuses paid to bosses and protect them from being clawed back from investors and the taxpayer. Normally when companies such as Carillion have profit warnings, they avoid contracts with low margins for example, Serco turned itself around after avoiding unprofitable work, and asking shareholders to bear the pain. But This was a blatant disregard to public finances and scheme for the wealthiest to profit from, whether they are in government or control them, and place the burden on the poorest in society. Theresa May claimed in PMQs that there were no signs despite economists and business leaders warning them of the potential collapse.
Michael McIvor, the Sinn Fein councillor for Ballinderry on Cookstown District Council, Northern Ireland, wrote a controversial comment on a blog claiming that when the Provisional IRA bombed Canary Wharf and Manchester on February and June 1996 respectively, this caused the then government, led by John Major, to surrender to terrorism. His remark smacks of complete ignorance about British involvement in Ulster. The British have never been bought for bombs, and they never will be.

Considering Councillor McIvor was active in Sinn Fein during the 1990s, his memory should serve him better.

John Major's policy towards the Irish republicans was consistent throughout his term in office. He always maintained he would never engage in discussions with Gerry Adams until the Provisional IRA disbanded their weapons prior to entering peace talks. Major ignored Senator George Mitchell's report in January 1996, which recommended that the the IRA disband their weapons whilst engaging in dialogue with all the main parties.

The Northern Ireland Peace Process also caused relations between the US and UK to deteriorate. Major refused to return Bill Clinton's calls after the latter provided Gerry Adams with a passport to travel to the United States in 1994. Irish Taoiseach Albert Reynolds released IRA prisoners in the mid-1990s after he and Major issued the 1993 Downing Street Declaration, which committed every British government since to leaving Northern Ireland with the people's consent, thereby laying the foundations for the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

"One could argue the US and Ireland can be bought with bombs, not Britain"

Councillor McIvor, and the general view among Sinn Fein members, is wrong. Based on Ulster's history in the 1990s, one could argue the US and Ireland were bought with bombs, not Britain, if one observes Clinton's and Reynolds' actions then respectively.

Prior to the 1990s, the UK never surrendered to IRA bombings. Since the Troubles broke out in the late 1960s, Sinn Fein has disrupted the Peace Process every step of the way, but Northern Ireland still remained a part of the United Kingdom. If anything, it was the republicans that had to surrender because, eventually, they fully embraced the Peace Process in 2006 after the Provisional IRA disbanded their weapons in 2005.

Councillor McIvor, it would be in your best interests to get your facts right before writing ignorant comments. Northern Ireland will remain British until their people change their minds.
I once stumbled upon an article that argued there have been many instances where Jeremy Corbyn has been on the 'right' side of history. One example it provided was the Northern Ireland Peace Process, whereby the current Labour Leader was 'engaging in dialogue' with Gerry Adams before mainstream British politicians did. No one can argue with the fact that it was talks, not bombs, that brought an end to the Ulster conflict. However, this article's interpretation of Mr. Corbyn's actions then have been misconstrued to fit the columnist's agenda.

During that time, Mr.

Corbyn never brought the leaders of other Northern Irish parties together to discuss a peaceful solution. He only spoke to Sinn Fein. That is because the republicans share the same beliefs as the current Labour Leader: a hatred of the British and its institutions, particularly the monarchy. The IRA will stop at nothing to drag the British out of Ulster and unify Ireland by force. This is the cynical reason behind Mr. Corbyn's discussions with Mr. Adams then. It had nothing to do with peace. It was about creating a socialist and unified Ireland at the expense of murdering British soldiers. Even current Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has been exposed for declaring his support for Irish terrorism in the past.

As the Northern Ireland Peace Process is on the verge of collapsing, Mr. Corbyn is strangely silent. If he was so proactive in the twentieth century in persuading mainstream politicians to talk to Sinn Fein, why is he not involving himself now? Surely he has even more reason to get involved now, as it is no party's best interests for Ulster to return to violence?

"Mr. Corbyn will never condemn Irish republicanism"

The reason for this is because Mr. Corbyn will never condemn Irish republicanism. He would love nothing more than for the Peace Process to collapse and score points against the Government. It has nothing to do with Northern Ireland's best interests. He would love to humiliate the Conservatives over this issue, even though he claims he has a track record of supposedly 'urging Gerry Adams to support peace.' The Labour Leader does not care about supporting the Tories on cross-party matters.

He supports playing politics at any cost.

To suggest Jeremy Corbyn has been on the right side of history on Northern Ireland is false. It has never been about peace for him. It has been about allying with a party that shares his hatred towards a nation whose secret services have been monitoring him since the 1970s.
Theresa May's December invitation to Mohammed bin Salman authorising his visit to the UK had previously been refuted by multiple human rights groups including the Campaigns Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK). Governmental pressure, however, to revoke the visit is set to intensify following a new petition order to ban his visit.

Amidst the pending arrival, the AOHR UK condemned the UK's superficial relationship with Saudi Arabia to accrue various arms deals, while ignoring war crimes across Yemen and the Crown Prince's responsibility as the transparent overseer.

In a New Year Press Release the AOHR UK stated:

"Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) confirms the regrettable nature of the relationship between the UK and the Saudi Kingdom.

AOHR UK considers the UK to be in grave breach of its international obligations, especially the Rome Convention establishing the International Criminal Court.

AOHR UK calls upon the Prime Minister to provide a moral dimension at least in its relationship with the Saudi Kingdom to stop the crimes and hold the perpetrators accountable."

Similarly, the Campaigns Against Arms Trade (CAAT) admonished the UK's complicity for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen in licensing '4.6 billion worth of arms to the Saudi Regime' following the conflict's opening in March 2015.

Although the Yemen blockade has been partially lifted to allow some humanitarian aid to be released, the CAAT has called for May to completely terminated the arms sales with Saudia Arab to protect the livelihoods of Yemeni civilians.

Andrew Smith, a representative from CAAT reiterated in a press release:

"Theresa May is right to raise the issue of the devastating blockade, but the best thing she can do for the people of Yemen is to end the arms sales.

How many more will die before May and her colleagues finally stop putting arms company profits ahead of Yemeni lives?"

Yemen's current socio-political situation

According to Unicef's report, over 19 million people are unable to access clean water and sanitation amenities, in tandem to another 14.1 million people in dire need of basic health care access.

Nonetheless, the most immediate concern is the impact upon Yemeni children with at 'least one child dying every 10 minutes' due to health impediments, which the spreading cholera outbreak has only exacerbated. Furthermore, the partial removal of the blockade has not been substantial enough to allow for humanitarian aid imports to be dispersed into Yemen. Access to clean water in Yemen is ordained via water pumps requiring fuel, albeit the low fuel imports into Yemen has eschewed access to clean water across multiple cities in Yemen. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) highlighted that less than 30 percent of medical supplies are entering Yemen and Robert Mardini, the director of ICRC in the Middle East confirmed the Red Cross had to make a 'stop-gap' purchase of '750 000 litres of fuel' which they are "not supposed to do" as a consequent of low fuel imports.

The petition's objectives

Subsequently, the petition calls to repudiate Mohammed bin Salman's visit in a 'stand up to human rights' intervention evoking solidarity with the regime's affected civilians in not only Yemen, but Bahrain and Saudi Arabia referencing the attack on peaceful protestors in Bahrain.

More information on the petition can be found at: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/209458
A Sinn Fein councillor wrote on a forum that 'Britain can be bought by Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombs.'

Councillor Michael McIvor, the Sinn Fein councillor for Ballinderry on Cookstown District Council, said: "The handlers like their handlers- how else did the Provos (Provisional IRA) devastate London and Manchester with one tonne bombs in 1996- and then the talks just happened- Brits be bought."

His comment is in direct reference to the Canary Wharf bombing, which occurred on 9th February 1996, when the Provisional IRA detonated a powerful truck bomb in Canary Wharf, causing 150 million worth of damage.

It also injured one-hundred people and killed two.

They then later bombed Manchester on 15th June 1996, when the Provisional IRA detonated a 1,500-kilogram bomb on Corporation Street in Manchester City Centre. Seventy-five thousand people were evacuated and two-hundred were injured, but there were no fatalities.

John Major, who was prime minister at the time, continued to engage in talks with all the main political parties in Northern Ireland, excluding Sinn Fein, due to their failure to support the government's position that the Provisional IRA disband their weapons prior to entering peace talks.

"Desist from the tribal 'eye poke' politics"

His remark has provoked anger among many Northern Irish Conservatives.

East Belfast Conservative Association told Blasting News: "Our position is that all the legacy parties in Northern Ireland need to focus on getting the Northern Ireland Executive up and running and to deliver for all the people of Northern Ireland and desist from the tribal 'eye poke' Politics."

Councillor McIvor also made other outspoken comments on this forum.

He said: "Stormont has been down for a year and the upsurge of dissident activity never happened. Media got it wrong again- no Brits or cops were killed last year and indeed, the three dissident armed groups that are still active (New Co, New ONH and the Continuity IRA) have never killed one Brit or soldier in their combined forty plus years of being active.

"These are Brit-run- just interested in putting out anti-Sinn Fein statements. Loyalists are also busy selling e-taps to do anything else, but only sell and shoot each other."

His post comes in direct contradiction of what happened on 9th March 2009, when the Continuity IRA shot dead Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI) Constable Stephen Carroll.

The Ballinderry councillor defended Barry McElduff, the Sinn Fein MP who posted a controversial video mocking victims of the Kingsmill massacre on 5th January 1976.

"McElduff was back working in the Sinn Fein office yesterday"

He posted: "McElduff was back working in the Sinn Fein office yesterday for his constituents- you not read today's front cover of the Irish News- I will be okay also."

Councillor McIvor made this post despite knowing Mr.

McElduff resigned his West Tyrone seat on 16th January 2018.

The Sinn Fein councillor defended the former MP's Kingsmill video by saying: "Sinn Fein tried to break bread with the unionists for years, but they weren't interested. But now they are interested in this loaf."

He added: "It was a good week for Sinn Fein- if you are still surviving, then there is no such thing as 'bad' news- everyone is talking about the Shinners."

Northern Irish Conservative activist Gary Hynds said: "This is just once again a sick and twisted comment from a sick and twisted individual. Innocent victims are broken-hearted enough over what they went through, yet all this person can think of is how it was a 'good week for Sinn Fein,' because everyone was talking about Sinn Fein, not a care about what victims went through.

"I am sick of dinosaurs like this dragging Northern Ireland down continually. People like this need to be removed from their positions and replaced with people who are not full of poison. Sadly, I fear the poison runs deep throughout Sinn Fein.

"If Sinn Fein expect people to work with them, they need to get their own house in order. They use words like respect and equality, but continually have representatives for their party show zero respect and equality towards innocent victims of IRA murder and violence."

A Sinn Fein spokesperon was approached for comment, but declined to do so.
The war in Yemen is hotting up with mounting casualties for the Saudi army. Saudi Arabia launched an attack on the Houthi regime in Yemen along with its allies about two years back. Despite extensive use of airpower, the war is nowhere near conclusion. The Houthi's have proved to be resilient and have retaliated with attacks on the Saudi-led coalition that has led to many casualties. The Yemen Press has reported that Close on the heels of five Saudi soldiers being shot dead by snipers at Jizan five days back, one more soldier has been shot dead in Asir.

Attacks

These attacks show that the Houthi's are far from being defeated and they have been firing artillery guns and launching an occasional missile against Saudi Arabia. The Houthi's have no worthwhile airforce and hence its a bit of a surprise that the Houthis have held on for so long against the Saudi led coalition. The reason is the support of Iran, which has been backing the Houthi forces against the Saudi forces. The war in Yemen in a way is an extension of Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry for control of the Middle East.

History

Yemen and the nearby UAE for decades were under control of the British Empire. After the British victory over Germany in World War II, a greatly weakened Britain could not hold on to these colonies.

One by one starting with India, the British handed over self -government to its colonies. It also exited the Middle East and the UAE.

Yemen had a despotic regime for decades but the Arab Spring affected Yemen also and the president Ali Abdullah Saleh had to leave. No democracy was ushered in and he was replaced by more despotic leaders.

The trouble began when Saudi Arabia-supported President had to flee after Iranian supported groups who were basically Shia took over Yemen. The BBC has reported that the Saudi's intervened in 2015 with the aim of restoring the old regime but in two years of fighting and heavy air bombing the Saudi forces are nowhere close to their objective.

Air campaign

The war in Yemen has had a negative effect and hospitals, roads and other places have been destroyed and the UN has estimated that over 13,000 deaths have taken place. A major factor in this entire conflict is the air campaign. Another factor is Iran, which is fomenting trouble in a number of places by supporting the Iraqi and Syria government. Its hand is also evident in Yemen and in all probability, the military hardware is coming from Iran.

Future

The war in Yemen is nowhere near conclusion and the Saudi alliance will have to think afresh what to do in the future
Meghan Markle made a royal visit with her fiance Prince Harry to Wales on Thursday. Their train had been delayed which caused hundreds of people to wait in the cold weather for hours to get a glimpse of the pair. While greeting the enthusiastic crowd Ms. Markle was seen to have broken a Royal Rule of protocol by giving an autograph to a young girl.

Based on previous requests for autographs the Royal Family have politely told people that they cannot do that. Theres no official rulebook that the public has access to but its a well-known policy that The Royal Familys security staff has instructed the Royals to avoid giving autographs for security reasons.

The possibility of forgery seems to be one of the big reasons behind this policy.

Meghan wrote a note for a waiting fan

People Magazine reported that when Meghan was asked by Caitlin Clark, 10, for an autograph she wrote Hi Kaitlin and added a heart and a smiley face. No signature there. So only a slight bend in the protocol, not exactly a break. Faced with children who had been waiting for over seven hours for a chance to meet you, it might compel someone to bend the rules a bit. At previous events in her acting days, Meghan would have been throwing out as many autographs as she could muster as many actors do. To pull back from that is another part of being a Royal.

If youve ever seen an autograph from an actor or another celeb you know that they have been instructed to give out autographs that are vastly different from their usual signature to also avoid forgery.

It would seem that the Royal Security team doesnt want to take any risks.

Who has to tell Meghan she messed up?

One can only wonder if someone from the Security Team had to relay the message to the future Royal that writing anything for well-wishers was a no-go. Meghan has an official aide assigned to her so if theres a correction or reminder that needs to be made, it will most likely be a staff member like Amy Pickerill, the newly named Assistant Private Secretary to Prince Harry.

Amy previously worked in the Kensington Palace press operation so her job probably prepared her on how to choose her words carefully. She was even standing close behind Meghan during the incident in question.

More royal protocol matters for Meghan to deal with

On more unofficial matters Meghan was seen to break with protocol: Her hair.

Twice shes sported a chic messy bun. Messy seems like too harsh a description. A bun with loose pieces of hair framing her face seems like a more accurate way to describe her recent hairstyles. She looks fabulous but people have noted that for official appearances the royal women are always seen with perfect blowouts with nary a strand of hair out of place. Not helmet hair, as Duchess Catherine is known for her flowing locks but when her hair is pinned up its held tightly in place. Close-ups have revealed she achieves this look through the use of a hair net.

It was a sign that Meghan was moving into royal circles when, on the day of their engagement announcement, she had pale pink nail polish.

Another unwritten rule of the Royal ladies is that they only wear soft pale colors on their nails. A pale pink nail polish is what Queen Elizabeth has been wearing since the eighties and Catherine has made the same color a staple of her look.

Other royal protocols involve not crossing ones legs, rather tucking one ankle behind the other. And the proper way to hold a teacup in public. Meghan has already shown that shes a champ at curtsying during the Christmas Day church service when the Queen walked by. So thats one of the biggies shes nailed. It has got to make us proud as Americans to see a fellow American nail that, in heels no less.
Russia gathered around again this week to watch their president do something...different. This time around, Vladimir Putin took a freezing dip. It was all to mark a religious ceremony invoking Jesus Christ. The moment was broadcast to people across the country on Russian state television. For some, it wasn't the prettiest sight. At this point, however, the people are used to seeing the leader without his shirt on. It's just a question of which picture is better. A report by the Washington Post provided most of the details used in this article.

Taking the frozen plunge

Putin did the deed in Lake Seliger, which is about 250 miles north of Moscow, where the Russian president takes up his residence. First, he walked on the lake's frozen ice, taking in the views in his sheepskin coat and comfortable felt boots. Then, he took it a step further. He decided to strip off some of his comfortable layers and take a dip into the less ice-heavy part of the lake. The temperature outside at the time was a cool 21 degrees Fahrenheit - not necessarily swimming weather.

Putin takes an icy dip in the freezing waters of a Russian lake early on Friday, observing an Orthodox Christian ritual to mark the feast of Epiphany. pic.twitter.com/7hNkmsR78j  NBC News (@NBCNews) January 19, 2018

While Putin walked into the water, religious carolers sang a tune.

Putin seemed like he wanted to hop out of the water quickly, but he dipped his whole body underwater one more time, perhaps as a show of strength. For outsiders watching - and people are clearly meant to watch - it may simply seem like another strange moment out of Russia. But it was really just an opportunity to celebrate the Orthodox celebration of Epiphany.

Shirtless Putin rides again

Taking off his top is nothing new for Vladimir Putin. While most political leaders would never even consider showing some skin, the president of Russia enjoys showing off his body for the world to see. He once famously rode on horseback without wearing a shirt, arguably the most famous photograph of his long tenure in charge of the country.

He is also often depicted by Beck Bennett on "Saturday Night Live" sans shirt.

The fact of the matter is that this particular celebration of Epiphany is common throughout Russia. This is the first time Putin publicly celebrated since he took office in 2000, but similar celebrations happen around the country each year. There's just the greatest interest in this celebration because it shows one of the most powerful men in the world flexing his muscle at a time where many believed he flexed his mental muscle to outmaneuver the United States in the 2016 presidential election.

Or maybe people are just endlessly interested in the 65-year-old's physique.
With Christmas just days away, Donald Trump signed a short-term bill into law that will keep the government funded over the next month, while also making his Tax Bill offical. As expected, the president was upset that the media hasn't been giving him enough credit.

Trump's bill

It's routine for Democrats and Republicans to clash over policy as both parties tend to do so on a daily basis. For the eight years that Barack Obama was in office, partisan gridlock reached a new low, as Republicans filibustered the president at record levels. Since the election of Donald Trump last November, Washington as been turned on its head, with the former host of "The Apprentice" even calling out members of his own party on social media who dare criticize him.

Despite this, Trump and the Republican Party were able to get on the same page and pass their controversial tax bill before the GOP and Democrats came to an agreement on a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. As reported by The Hill on December 22, Trump quickly signed that bill into law, as well as his tax bill, before heading off to his Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida for the holidays.

With all my Administration has done on Legislative Approvals (broke Harry Trumans Record), Regulation Cutting, Judicial Appointments, Building Military, VA, TAX CUTS & REFORM, Record Economy/Stock Market and so much more, I am sure great credit will be given by mainstream news?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017

Putting pen to paper in the Oval Office on Friday morning, Donald Trump officially signed his tax bill into law, as well as the bill funding the government over the next month.

In addition, the president signed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act extension which was set to lapse in just a month.

JUST IN: Trump signs bill to avoid government shutdown https://t.co/8BKVLKzZex pic.twitter.com/0KMNiTuzHw  The Hill (@thehill) December 22, 2017

Just prior to signing the aforementioned bills, Donald Trump lashed out on Twitter over the media not giving him enough credit for his alleged accomplishments, which has been a continuing theme since he decided to run for president during the summer of 2015.

"With all my Administration has done on Legislative Approvals (broke Harry Trumans Record), Regulation Cutting, Judicial Appointments," Trump tweeted out, while adding other aspects of his first year in office. "I am sure great credit will be given by mainstream news? he wondered with sarcasm. Trump's feud with the media has only increased as the press puts pressure on the commander in chief to stay factual despite the best efforts of the White House to deflect and push their agenda.

Next up

As Donald Trump heads to his Florida resort to celebrate Christmas and New Year's, only time will tell what he returns to after the holidays. With the Russian investigation moving forward, the president is seeing massive backlash from the American people as the latest CNN poll shows his approval rating dropping below 35 percent.
Once Donald Trump announced his plan to run for president, he made supporting the military and veterans one of his top talking points. On Thursday, the president presented a wounded soldier with a Purple Heart, which resulted in his critics wasting no time firing back.

Trump dodger

During the early stages of Donald Trump's campaign, he often spoke highly of the United States Military and soldiers past and present. While sticking with the usual Republican theme of praising the military, Trump often found himself backed into a corner. One of Trump's biggest blunders on the issue was when he insulted Arizona Sen.

John McCain for becoming a POW during the Vietnam War, infamously saying, "He's not a war hero. I like people who aren't captured." In addition, Trump's five deferments to avoid serving in Vietnam caused many to label the former host of "The Apprentice" as a "draft dodger" and even a "chickenhawk." While there are many who oppose him, Trump has found popularity among the military and as The Hill reported on December 21, was able to meet a wounded veteran and present him with a prestigious honor.

Today, @POTUS @realDonaldTrump presented the Purple Heart to an American Hero, at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. pic.twitter.com/xvSg35Xs70  Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) December 21, 2017

Stopping at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Thursday, Donald Trump met with 25-year-old First Lieutenant Victor Prato who was injured during a mission in Afghanistan after an IED exploded.

After a fellow soldier read an offical statement in honor of Prato, Trump handed him the Purple Heart and said a few words.

Trump presents Purple Heart to wounded soldier at Walter Reed https://t.co/vRQfhcfFjl pic.twitter.com/qd6rO15Rcx  The Hill (@thehill) December 22, 2017

Twitter reacts

After the video of Donald Trump presenting the Purple Heart made the rounds, those who oppose the commander in chief decided to go on the attack.

"The purple heart presentation while a patient is laid up? Is this just an act for Trump for a photo opt?" one tweet wondered.

The idea of this 5x draft dodger presenting a wounded warrior with a Purple Heart medal...sickening.  Marine Mom (@CLRo777) December 22, 2017

The hypocrisy of it all. #Trump avoids military service with 5 deferments including one for a bone spur, presenting a Purple Heart to a brave young man who put his life on the line. He deserves better.  Beekeeper (@catch22x3) December 22, 2017

Because of course it is.  Anonymous (@Trumpisdisease) December 22, 2017

"The hypocrisy of it all.

#Trump avoids military service with 5 deferments including one for a bone spur, presenting a Purple Heart to a brave young man who put his life on the line. He deserves better," an additional tweet added. "I see Trumps bone spurs didnt keep him from hobbling his way into Walter Reed. Damn draft dodger," one Twitter user wrote. "Now hes getting attention from people who physically cant look away," a social media user posted.

Now hes getting attention from people who physically cant look away.  Alex Kuno (@alexkuno) December 22, 2017

I bet that serviceman lying there has a lot of things he'd like to say. I'd also bet that he's got a lot more of an understanding of the words 'honor', 'duty' and 'integrity' than the man giving him the medal.  Jeff Pulice (@jeff_pulice) December 22, 2017

"The idea of this 5x draft dodger presenting a wounded warrior with a Purple Heart medal...sickening," an additional tweet stated. The mockery and trolling of the irony of the situation continued as Donald Trump's poll numbers remain at historic lows.
The big news is here and Evan Stewart and Carlin Bates are officially courting. The couple from "Bringing Up Bates" has been seen on the show, but they weren't actually courting at that time. Now, the Bates Family Blog has shared that Evan actually asked her to court. Of course, Carlin said yes to him and the couple is doing great.

What is the big update on this couple?

Evan wanted to do something big for Carlin Bates when he asked her to court. First, he got permission from her dad Gil Bates to ask her, which of course, was really important. You can see from the pictures that Evan's parents were there when he asked and that he gave Carlin some kind of bracelet.

He is seen putting it on her arm. This isn't an engagement just yet, but that does show that they are serious about each other. It wouldn't be shocking at all if he proposed to her very soon. The fans will be waiting to hear that news from the happy couple.

When will we get to see it all?

The new season of "Bringing Up Bates" will be starting in just a couple of weeks on UP. The first episode is called "The 4 Cs  Carat, Clarity, Carlin & Courtship," and it will air on January 4. The fans can't wait to see it and it is almost time. They should so Evan asking Carlin to court, but there is a lot more to be excited about this season on "Bringing Up Bates." There are babies coming and a big wedding plus new courtships.

There are a few spoilers about what will happen on this season of "Bringing Up Bates." Bobby makes the big move to Tennessee, but of course, he stops at a jewelry store on his way. Josie will turn 18-years-old this season. Another big thing that happens is that the Bates family will open up their new church and start having services there.

They have been working hard on getting it all ready.

The fans can't wait to see the new season of "Bringing Up Bats" with all of this great news. The family always does a great job of updating fans on their social networks about what is going on, but it is just better to be able to see it on the show.

Are you excited to hear that Carlin Bates and Evan Stewart are courting now?

Sound off in the comments below on your thoughts and don't miss the return of "Bringing Up Bates" to UP. The new season will be back on January 4, 2018, and with this new season will come a ton of updates from the couples. Gil and Kelly Jo Bates actually just went on a big vacation with Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar to the Bahamas and it looked like a great trip for the couples.
luann de lesseps embarked on a wild weekend in Palm Beach, Florida days ago and unfortunately for the "Real Housewives of New York City" star, it resulted in her arrest. According to a Radar Online report on December 24, de Lesseps was taken into custody on Sunday after being arrested on a number of charges.

According to the Palm Beach Sheriffs Office, via the Palm Beach Post, LuAnn de Lesseps was accused of battery on a police officer, resisting arrest by using violence, disorderly intoxication after being taken to the Palm Beach County Jail in the wee hours of the morning on Christmas Eve.

Later that same day, a judge assigned to her case allowed the longtime reality star to be released without bond. She will return to Palm Beach, Florida for a court date next month which has been set for January 25.

What was the Bravo TV personality caught doing before her arrest?

The assistant states attorney revealed details of LuAnn de Lesseps' arrest in the report, stating that she had slammed a door and allegedly kicked at least one of the responding police officers. She also reportedly told people, Im going to kill you, before she was taken into custody. However, because doesn't have any past offenses on her record, she was allowed to leave Florida and return to her home in New York City.

Prior to leaving Florida, LuAnn De Lesseps was told that she should hire an attorney from the area before returning to her home. She was also advised against incriminating herself after he allegedly suggested that she may have a drinking problem.

LuAnn De Lesseps was charged with felonies

As she and her co-stars continue to film the upcoming season of "The Real Housewives of New York City," the mother of two is facing not one, but four felonies.

As Radar Online's report explained, four of the five charges that have been brought against the reality star, including her corruption by threat charge, are considered felonies.

LuAnn De Lesseps' legal drama comes on the heels of her messy split from Tom DAgostino Jr. As Radar Online revealed, the couple parted ways earlier this year and finalized their breakup in September.

They were married for just eight months at the time of their separation and also at that time, rumors were swirling in regards to possible infidelity.

"The Real Housewives of New York City" is currently in production and is expected to return to Bravo TV sometime early next year.
Last week, it was revealed that Alaskan Bush People star Ami Browns cancer has disappeared. It is indeed a miracle, as the 54-year-old was given a mere three percent chance of survival from the disease. Amis husband, Billy, opened up to People magazine about Amis battle against cancer and the plan if the tumors did not disappear.

Ami Brown went through radiation treatment and chemotherapy for months. Her doctors initially said it they would need a total miracle for Ami to live after three to four months. Cancer had spread to her chest, back, and lungs.

She was diagnosed with stage 3B lung cancer in early 2017.

Weve been through a lot

Amis weight went all the way down to a deadly 77 pounds because of the treatments. Her body could not take any more and all she could eat was a sucker. The battle against cancer took a toll on Amis body, and there were times she could not even swallow anything because it was too painful.

Her heart just couldnt take it anymore. She was just a few pounds [away] from dying, 65-year-old Billy told the magazine.

Billy always went with Ami in her treatments. In the exclusive interview with People, he shared how tough it is to go to chemo and see other cancer patients declining. Then, one day, you just no longer see them, especially the ones you have been friends with.

It was really a test of faith for Ami and Billys family, but Billy said when faith is all you have, you have to hold tight on to it.

Its completely gone

Ami went through the treatment until early December. When they returned for a scan on Dec. 21, they received the good news. The doctor said there is nothing in her chest and back now and they could not find any signs of it.

Its completely gone, the doctor told Ami and Billy.

Billy said they honestly did not expect the news to be that good. Ami, on the other hand, said she was kind of expecting it because she could feel it.

If the news had been bad, Billy revealed that the plan would be to give Ami two months break to bring her weight back up.

Then she would undergo treatment again after six months.

Fortunately, Ami is now in remission. She needs to pass five years to be considered cancer-free. She will undergo scans every three months to check if the cancer is back or not. Billy reveals that the doctors could not find the primary or where the cancer came from, so they are still worried it might return.

The mother of seven is recovering well today and has gained weight. Ami is now at 104 pounds and she can already eat better.
Briana DeJesus has had a whirlwind week. She had been in a relationship with Javi Marroquin for a few months, but that ended a few days ago. Social media has been fixated on the two, reading into everything they post. DeJesus is a single mom of two little girls, and her days are spent focusing on them. A new season of Teen Mom 2 is reportedly being filmed, though there has actually not been official confirmation on a premiere date.

Upcoming plans

In roughly two weeks, Briana DeJesus will be in Miami to have a few procedures done by Dr. Miami. He is the go-to doctor for the Teen Mom girls.

In exchange for allowing him to film the procedures, the girls get a discount. This is one of the main reasons Javi Marroquin broke up with Briana. In fact, she issued a statement about it. DeJesus wanted to have the surgery and his lack of support was not something she was comfortable with, especially after the amount of time the two had been together.

Teen Mom 2 fans have been rather harsh to Briana DeJesus since she arrived back on the scene. In fact, when she attended the get together before they started filming, she wasn't welcomed with open arms. Although that isn't shocking, it appears she at one point, had a friend in Jenelle Evans. Kailyn Lowry wasn't very nice to DeJesus, especially after it was revealed that she was dating Javi Marroquin.

Now, fans are hoping the girls can repair relationships for the upcoming season.

Briana is her own person

After the breakup, Briana DeJesus wants to be recognized as her own person. People are reading into everything she posts. In an Exclusive statement to Blasting News, Briana DeJesus says; Not every tweet I send or word I speak has to do with Javi.

People are reading into my every word and its ridiculous. Me saying this is a f*cking joke had nothing to do with him. If I tweeted I want a cheeseburger, people are gonna say Im craving one cuz one time I ate one with him. Like I said the other day, we are talking and if things work out, great, and if they dont, thats whats meant to be.

In the meantime, people can take a deep breath and relax from reading into every tweet I send. She goes on to say; I am my own person after all, apart from Javi. I was before we started dating and am now.

this is a fucking joke  bri (@_BrianaDejesus) January 19, 2018

It is clear Briana DeJesus was fine before Javi Marroquin came along, and she will be fine after him. Raising her two little girls is her focus, and that is where her head is right now.
Spoiler alerts for "The Young and the Restless" state that Dina Mergeron will say goodbye to Genoa City this week. According to Celeb Dirty Laundry, Jack and Ashley will decide in the aftermath of Graham's death it's in their mother's best interest to leave town. Abby will suggest that her grandmother come to Paris and spend some time with her. Traci will go along with her mom to ensure her safety. Head writer Mal Young has said that Dina will be around for a while so this is probably not her final farewell. Spoilers did not indicate when she would return but it might be when Melissa Ordway, who portrays Abby, comes back from maternity leave.

Graham's death shifted things for Dina and her children

Last week on "The Young and the Restless," Dina turned the tables on Graham by fighting for her life when he tried to inject her with chemicals. She began pushing his arm away and Mr. Bloodworth ended up sticking the syringe in his own arm. When Jack and Ashley showed up their mother was nowhere to be found. She later turned herself in at the police station, confessing to the murder of Bent Davis, who has been dead for 20 years.

Graham's untimely death has changed things for the Abbott family and now Jack and Ashley must shift their focus. Spoilers say they will decide not to tell their mother the truth about Graham and will agree that Abby's offer for Dina to come to Paris is the best thing for her at this time.

They realize that their mom's memory is coming and going and most times she confuses the past with the present. Sending her away will remove Dina from an atmosphere that may cause her to become more discombobulated.

Jack and Ashley will resume business as usual once Dina is gone

According to Celeb Dirty Laundry, once their mom is not an issue, Jack and his sister will resume their fight for Jabot.

With Dina safely out of the way being cared for by Abby and Traci, the oldest Abbott siblings will be able to freely resume their bickering over business issues as usual. This indicates that the fight for the CEO position at Jabot will heat up, and with Dina in Paris, the kid gloves will come off.

Fans of "The Young and the Restless" are loving the storyline with Dina and the range of emotions she is displaying while dealing with Alzheimer's disease.

Knowing she will return to Genoa City before the final goodbye will give viewers more opportunities to see the acting capabilities of Marla Adams. Stay tuned to "Y&R" weekday afternoons on CBS at 12:30 PM.
Since last Friday (Jan. 19), Pope Francis has been on a tour all over Latin America, and while he was in Peru, he talked about the Amazon's native people. Reports from Al Jazeera was one of the main sources used to write this article.

Contaminated water

Governments in countries like Peru have a moral dilemma to face when they go to places where you can find gold, among other substances, that are very valuable. On one hand, they could improve Peruvian's economy. On the other hand, it contaminates the water indigenous people depend on, for living and surviving.

The mercury that gets into the water affects the poorest communities, and the Peruvian government does not lend a hand, instead blaming the indigenous people for being weak. To be clear, both legal and illegal mining is affecting the indigenous people, although the focus of this article is illegal mining.

According to Reuters, some rivers have so much mercury, that fish are no longer safe to eat. Over 250 miners die from mudslides or other unreported accidents. Businesses, both Peruvian and foreign, have special interests in gaining the minerals and, in most case, do not care about the people living nearby. In their defense, mining does give a lot of money to the country, and it also gives jobs to the miners, but the poor are the ones who suffer.

A similar situation is happening in Brazil.

How does Pope Francis help them in this situation?

According to Al Jazeera, about eighty percent of Peruvians are Catholic, making Pope Francis's appearance in Peru incredibly important for most of the population. His voice and opinions, as the Pope, have a huge effect in the international community, putting all eyes on how the Peruvian government handles Puerto Maldonado, where most of the illegal mining takes place.

Whenever a high authority, whether it is from Church or the United Nations, comes to Peru, there is always a protest from the population in order to get attention.

Allegations of Peru's corruption and Pope Francis comments while he was in Chile

In December, Peru's President, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, was almost impeached over corruption charges.

According to the Washington Post and other sources, a week before the impeachment vote took place, "...documents from Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company made payments of over $800,000 to the President's investment banking firm."

According to NPR, Pope Francis accused the victims of sexual assault of slander, because they are ruining churches and bishops in Chile. Pope Francis said, "There is not one shred of proof against him (Bishop Barros). It's all calumny. Is that clear?" A similar case from April 2017, backs up his claims in pedophilia.
According to recently pubsled part of the new US National Defense Strategy, one of the Pentagon's priorities is to combat "destabilizing actions of the North Korea and Iran", who "are trying to acquire nuclear weapons or support terrorism." "North Korea is trying to ensure survival of the regime, building up its arsenals of nuclear, biological, chemical and conventional weapons, as well as creating ballistic missiles. Illegal actions and reckless rhetoric of North Korea continue despite sanctions of the UN Security Council," the document says.

As Express writes in an article "North Korea nuclear missile tests 'may have STALLED' - so what is Kim up to?", North Korea expert Joseph S Bermudez pointed out that there was no indication of any recent activity at one of the regime's key missile testing sites, according to recent satellite images. 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea watchdog, said an image, taken on January 10, shows no indications of any recent solid-fuel engine tests at the Magunpo Solid-fuel Rocket Engine Test Facility. The last test conducted there, according to US government sources, was around mid-October of last year. The facility is being well-maintained and appears ready for future testing. The facility, which was first highlighted in April 2013 is the largest of its type identified to date in North Korea. Little is known concerning its operations and it was not publicised by the North Koreans until March 2016, when Kim Jong-un guided a test of a large solid-fuel rocket engine there.

Michael Elleman, senior fellow for Missile Defence at US-based defence strategy think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies, pointed out the haphazard way in which the site was arranged. Mr Elleman said: Note how close the admin building is to the test stands, less than 200 meters. Certainly doesn't meet US safe distance codes; violates Russian separation requirements, as well. This is how a country's best propulsion specialists die.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has gloried in the breakthroughs his country has made in terms of missile propulsion and nuclear testing in recent years, but this is not the first time doubts have been expressed about how much progress is actually being made. Last November, a collapse at the countrys Punggye-ri facility left about 200 people dead. 100 people lost their lives when an unfinished tunnel collapsed, with the same number perishing in a doomed attempt to rescue them. And Chinese scientists have expressed concerns that the nuclear tests, which are all conducted underneath the Punggye-ri mountain, could cause it to collapse. Wang Naiyan of the China Institute of Atomic Energy said: "If the mountain collapses and the hole is exposed, it will let out many bad things."

In December, North Koreas leader was reported to have executed two high-ranking officials five days after an aborted missile test. General Hwang Pyong-so, once regarded as the second-most powerful man in the country, was one of those reported have been executed by firing squad. It comes as North Korea cancels the planned visit of a delegation to South Korea to prepare for a trip by an art troupe during next month's Winter Olympics, South Korean authorities said on Friday. The North did not give a reason for the cancellation, the Unification Ministry said. It said a seven-member team had been scheduled to visit on Saturday to check venues for the performances. It was unclear whether the cancellation cast any doubt over the preparations for the North's participation in the Winter Olympics in South Korea's Pyeongchang, an apparent diplomatic breakthrough after months of high tension over the North's nuclear and missile programme. North Korean Olympic officials arrived in Switzerland on Thursday ahead of weekend talks at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to finalise Pyongyang's participation.
A day after meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President, Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met at Paris Elysee Palace for a critical private meeting about the future of the European Union. As New Europe writes in an article "Merkel, Macron map out Europes future", Merkel travelled to Paris to meet Macron for talks on the 55th anniversary of the signing of the Elysee Treaty  a landmark friendship agreement between the historic rival signed by then-French President Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer, chancellor of West Germany. The treaty was seen at the time as a major shift in bilateral relations between France and Germany as the agreement called for regular high-level consultations between the Paris and the former West German government on key issues that included education, culture, and defence.

Echoing the historic 1963 accord, both Merkel and Macron agreed that Europe must be ready to answer key and often tough questions to deal with challenges in the future. Chief among these issues is the establishment of a common foreign policy, as well as a unified approach towards economic development and robust investment into the digitisation of the continent. During a brief press following their meeting, and without providing specifics, Macron admitted that Europe will continue to face difficult times. Commenting on the meeting, Marcon said the negotiations showed that a real appetite for the European project still exists. Merkel underlined this point by saying that the Franco-German friendship is always embedded in the question: How can we strengthen Europe? The Elysee Treaty was a brave step 55 years ago. We want to renew it. We are ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century together, said Merkel.

A day before the leaders of Europes two largest economies were scheduled to meet, Frances finance minister Bruno Le Maire held talks with his German counterpart Peter Altmaier in Paris. Both men expressed their willingness to put forward and deliver a Eurozone reform package by June. France and Germany will work in close cooperation with Italy and Spain to develop a common strategy for overhauling the Eurozone, even if Berlin must take a backseat due to the ongoing negotiations over forming a new government. At the last EU summit, the two leaders said they were willing to come up with shared reform proposals by March when European Monetary Union decisions are to be made by the EU-28.

While Macron had pushed the idea of a standalone budget and a single finance minister for the currency bloc, Merkel doesnt yet appear open to the idea, Le Maire signalled a day before the bilateral meeting and hinted that it may be some time after March before an agreement can be signed. Speaking about the economy, Merkel said Germany and France can go forward together and develop a common corporate tax law. We need a Europe that is economically strong and competitive. She supports first developing a common migration policy over strengthening the Eurozone. This is at odds with Frances priorities, which puts a heavy emphasis on boosting the EUs economy and monetary policy. We have an immediate priority to complete the process of creating a banking union, as well as a capital markets union, and tax convergence with Germany, Le Maire said from Paris. For the time being it seems the focus will now shift from new, expected reforms, to unfinished components of the European project, including the creating of the Eurozones banking union to establish unified oversight and regulation. Along with the banking union, comes the capital markets union reform, with similar obstacles on the blocs way. Germany remains concerned about how risks will be shared among EU members, despite the supervisory powers that the European Central Bank now possesses. The bloc still has not agreed on a mechanism for winding down problematic banks.

Merkel will next attend the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, in a return to the world stage after months of a political stalemate at home following tense elections in September. Merkels spokesperson Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin that she is confirmed to give a speech on Europe at Davos on Wednesday, the same day Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni plan to address the forum. Europe is the days focus and it seems appropriate for the Chancellor to make her opinions known, Seibert said. According to Seibert, meeting US President Donald Trump in Davos is not on Merkels agenda. Trump is expected to address the Forum on Friday where he will likely put forward his isolationist America First economic and foreign policy plan.
Media report on use of unmanned aerial vehicles by Azerbaijan and attack on Armenian positions from mortar shells has no basis and is false, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said, Trend reports.

Armenian media reports contradict the reality, the ministry added.

Armenian media spread such misinformation immediately after we reported the shelling of Azerbaijani villages by the enemy forces. The Azerbaijani Army fully complies with the ceasefire on the front line. In case the enemy reports were true, then the Armenian troops would have suffered great losses, the defens ministry said.
Meeting of the NATO-Georgia commission at the level of ambassadors will be held in Brussels on January 31, Georgia's representative in NATO Alexander Maisuradze said.

Georgian delegation will be headed by Deputy Prime Minister, Georgian Foreign Minister Mikhail Janelidze. The agenda of this meeting will include security issues in the Black Sea region, Georgia's participation in strategic discussions, as well as defense reforms.
Russia and Saudi Arabia at a meeting due in February will discuss implementation of joint energy projects, Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak told the Rossiya 24 TV channel on Sunday, TASS reports.

"Russia and Saudi Arabia have a roadmap on implementation of about 30 projects," he said. "We  have agreed to see per every project the implementation, status and so forth.".
Turkish tanks and military personnel have entered Syrian territory amid preparations for the ground operation in Syrian northern district of Afrin, Sputnik reported citing the Yeni Safak newspaper.

According to the newspaper, the Turkish tanks and troops started to enter Syrian territory from the Oncupinar border gate at 19:00 GMT and the passage continued until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Later on, NTV broadcaster said, citing a military source, that Turkish tanks were backing the offensive of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) armed opposition group on the positions of Kurdish militia in Afrin.

According to the broadcaster, the Turkish military is not facing serious resistance from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which is abandoning positions at Syrian-Turkish borders and retreating deeper into the Syrian territory. However, a spokesman for the YPG in Afrin denied Turkish claims that its forces had entered the district.

The Turkish General Staff declared the launch of the operation dubbed Olive Branch against the Kurdish forces in Afrin on Saturday. The operation started at 14:00 GMT and over 70 Turkish warplanes conducted airstrikes in seven districts of Afrin, where 108 targets out of total 113 were destroyed. The military operation has already been condemned by Damascus with the Syrian Foreign Ministry calling the act a violation of Syrian sovereignty.

The Olive Branch operation of the Turkish military against the Kurds units in northern Syria will have four stages, Turkeys Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, TASS reported citing the Milliyet newspaper.

"The operation will have four stages, there will be a 30-kilometer buffer zone," the daily quoted the prime minister.

Besides, he continued in the Olive Branch operation the Turkish military "will destroy all "terrorist organizations." "Prior to the operations beginning, we had all necessary diplomatic negotiations," he added.

Yildirim also confirmed beginning of the republics military ground operation in Syrias Afrin. "Turkeys ground forces entered Syrias Afrin at 11:05 on Sunday," the newspaper quoted the prime minister as saying.
HA NOI --- Bilateral trade between Viet Nam and China will touch a record high of US$100 billion this year, after reaching $93.69 billion last year, experts predict.

Last years two-way trade was $21.79 billion higher than in 2016 and accounted for 22 per cent of Viet Nams total import-export value, according to statistics from the General Department of Customs.

Vietnamese exports to China experienced a significant yearly increase of 61.5 per cent to over $35.46 billion. That helped to reduce Viet Nams trade deficit with China to $22.76 billion last year from $28 billion in 2016.

Telephones, a major item of export, recorded the highest turnover of $7.15 billion, up $6.35 billion compared to that of the previous year, according to the latest data.

Last year also saw 13 staple products with export earnings of more than $1 billion, up by six staples against the previous year. The new items include seafood, with nearly $1.1 billion in export earnings, rice ($1.02 billion), rubber ($1.44 billion) and footwear ($1.14 billion).

The Ministry of Industry and Trade says bilateral trade ties between the two countries have been growing in the past few years.

China is one of Viet Nams largest trade partners and is also a key export market, the ministry said.

Besides trade, China is currently one of the 10 biggest foreign investors in Viet Nam, with a total registered investment capital of more than $12.1 billion.

During a visit to China last May, President Tran ai Quang urged Vietnamese and Chinese firms to continue initiating innovative ideas to create a new momentum for bilateral economic partnership.

He suggested Chinese companies invest in infrastructure, logistics and electronics and support industries while protecting the environment and engaging in social activities in Viet Nam.

President Quang asked the two sides to facilitate access to each others markets. --- VNS
Hot or cold: Red beet soup, a traditional dish of Russia, is a must at Little Dream in Ha Noi. Photos by Ho Ngoc

Viet Nam News By Ha Nguyen Viet Nams once large Russian presence is reflected in the Little Dream Moscow Restaurant in Ha Noi. It serves dishes with true Russian flavour. On a recent Sunday, I was invited to the restaurant located in quiet Nguyen Gia Thieu Street. When we arrived, we immediately recognised the restaurant because of its Russian characteristics. My friend, Nguyen Xuan Tam, 70, who had worked in Russia for many years, said he and his friends met there every year. A waiter in Russian traditional dress welcomed us and led us to our table near a window on the third floor. We could enjoy the beauty of green trees in villas opposite. While waiting for our dishes, we heard Russian music and songs that reminded us of the elegant beauty of Russia and its birch forests. Tam was particularly moved, declaring the restaurant was part of Moscow. We agreed to let Tam to do the ordering because he knew the food well. Our starter was Russian salad (VN88,000) which is a mixture of several sorts of vegetables, herbs, nuts and roots and a special mayonnaise imported from Russia. Ive heard of the dish, but it was the first time I had tried it. Tam said the dish was good for women because it helped keep them slender. Next came the traditional red beet soup (VN35,000) which is so nutritious it seems to be a part of every Russian meal. The dish comes from a favourite vegetable of the Slavonic people, known as red beet root," said Tam. "It is great to enjoy hot soup in winter because it keeps you warm, and to have cold soup in summer because it helps to reduce body heat. For the main course, we ordered grilled pork (VN 118,000), Leningrad steamed rolls (VN 48,000) and salmon caviar (VN 680,000/ a 70gr tin), cucumber and salted garlic stalks (VN108,000). The waiter told us that these dishes were traditional Russian food, particularly the salmon caviar which I tried for the first time. Eaten with bread and butter, I really enjoyed when chewing the eggs which crackled in my mouth.

Fragrant: The grilled pork is so tasty that no one can refuse.

Zest: Russian salad can be an enjoyable meal in itself.

Herbal: Kvas, a traditional Russian drink, is almost addictive.

Delicious: Grilled salmon Russian style is as good as it gets.

The grilled pork was similar to Vietnamese pork, but a bit different as the meat was fragrant and crispy and had a buttery taste.

I liked the dish and ate so much I felt thirsty. Tam told me I should drink Kvas (VN 58,000 per glass), a traditional Russian drink.

Looking at the drink, I thought it must taste like Coke or Pepsi that I dont like. Tam encouraged me try, saying it was fragrant and cool. Im an addict of Kvas. I drank one or two litres a day when I was working in Russia, he said.

He was right. The drink was so good that I drank three glasses despite the low temperature outside. Curious, I asked Tam about Kvas and he said the drink was being fermented from buckwheat or rye. Although fermented, Kvas is listed as non-alcoholic in Russia.

It is much more tasty when mixed with peppermint or strawberries. Russian cooks still uses Kvas for cooking cold summer soup known as okroshka, Tam said, adding that Zvenigorod town in Moscows northwest was the birth place of the beverage. Despite being full, I still wanted to drink more Kvas.

Tam wanted to order other Russian dishes, such as Salotka salted fish, grilled salmon Russian style and black salmon eggs with white Russian bread, but I told him we could visit the restaurant again.

We left with a resounding impression of quality, cosiness and fresh, aromatic food. We all agreed that we felt as if we were in Russia, and the staff were clearly passionate about the dishes they were serving.

If youre looking for a calm respite from the hustle of downtown Ha Noi or fancy trying some traditional Russian dining, Little Dream Moscow comes highly recommended.  VNS
by Nguyen Ly

The 1968 Tet Offensive, also known as the Mau Than General Offensive, was among one of the largest campaigns during the two-decade-long American War in Viet Nam. Images of battles raging in major cities across the South were broadcasted all over the world, most memorable was perhaps the siege of the American embassy in central Sai Gon, now Ho Chi Minh City.

The offensive shattered the illusion, one carefully crafted by the Johnson administration that the end of the conflict was near. We have reached an important point where the end begins to come into view, proclaimed Gen William Westmoreland, US commander in Viet Nam in November 1967.

Meanwhile, the Viet Nam Peoples Army of (VPA) and their southern brethren the National Liberation Front (NLF) were making preparation for the largest military mobilisation of the conflict until this point.

Vietnamese national liberation forces objectives were set to lure major regiments of the US army to the border area between Viet Nam and Laos to create opportunities for NLF units to infiltrate large cities and gear up for the general offensive.

A new theatre of war was in the making with Khe Sanh chosen as its highlight. The bases strategic location along Route 9 allowed American forces to survey and recon movements on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, to block VPA infiltration from Laos and to serve as an anchor for the defences south of the DMZ.

Battle of Khe Sanh

Khe Sanh was built on a former fort, a relic of the old French Indochina colonial empire. The outpost was equipped with an airfield and formerly served as an outpost for US Special Forces. By the time the VPA artillery shells were falling on the base in deafening thunder on January 21, 1968, Khe Sanh was a marine base heavily reinforced by 45,000 soldiers with artillery and air support.

The siege of Khe Sanh marked the first large-scale battle of the conflict, which the VPA had actively avoided due to American superior air support and firepower. The VPA committed three divisions: the 304th, 320th and 325th in the siege of Khe Sanh, a battle which many newspapers drew a comparison to the famous siege of the French ien Bien Phu fortified camp that ended the First Indochina War.

The North Vietnamese gunners had targeted their bombardment with unerring accuracy. As US Marines had dived for cover, one of the first rounds had scored a direct hit on the main ammunition store, according to Canadian journalist Micheal Maclear in his documentary Vietnam: The Ten Thousand Day War.

The 1,500 tons of artillery and mortar rounds, 90 per cent of the whole bases entire stock was lost, the explosion continued for another 48 hours after. The bases airfield also sustained heavy damage by artillery fires.

The VPA infantry units were supported with three tank companies overran US force and claim minor bases of Ta May, Lang Vei and Huoi San. The attackers also managed to sever US defence line along Route 9 to isolate Khe Sanh and severely cut off its supply route.

At this point, the US Army was compelled to conduct massive air raid on the bases surrounding area. On an average day some 350 tactical fighter-bombers, 60 B-52s operated in the skies. By the end of the battle, the US had dropped some 32,000 tons of bombs and ordnance in the arena.

But the VPA was determined. Despite the heavy bombing, the siege tightened around the base. Meanwhile, other offensives were taking place the entire central part of the country with liberation forces in major towns and cities including Hue and Quang Tri took arms against American forces.

Ripple effect

Prior to Khe Sanh, liberation soldiers would only engage American forces in rural areas. Large cities remained difficult targets due to the heavy presence of American forces with far more superior firepower.

News of our victories from Khe Sanh reinforced our determination to rise up and retake our towns from the Americans, said Nguyen Xuan Giang, former deputy head of military operation of the towns of Quang Tri and ong Ha.

Not only Quang Tri and ong Ha, the battle of Khe Sanh allowed the VPA and the NLF to weaken American forces stationed in Hue, the former royal capital city which hold great strategic and symbolic value, setting the stage for national liberation forces to reclaim the city.

Everybody rose up and took arms against the Americans, both in the cities and the countryside. We managed to break through a prison in the town of Quang Tri, where they held many of our comrades, said Nguyen Quang Dong, a combat medic who took part in the battle to retake Quang Tri.

By the time Khe Sanh made the headline of major newspapers around the world and came under the spotlight of US politics, the Tet Offensive preparation was completed. The National Liberation forces were ready to stage the largest military offensive throughout the South in both rural areas and major towns and cities, a campaign that many historians later believe it was the turning point of the American War in Viet Nam.  VNS

*This is the first part of a two-part article on the 1968 Tet Offensive. The next part will be published on our Sunday, January 28 issue.
WKCTC Students Raise Funds for El Salvador Project

By WestKyStar & WKCTC Staff

PADUCAH, KY - Nearly 100 West Kentucky Community and Technical College students have had the opportunity to help the people of El Salvador over the past five years as part of the college's Service Learning Study Abroad trip.One of those students is 19-year-old Kyle Garner of Paducah, who traveled to El Salvador each of his last three years at McCracken County High School, and will make his first trip with WKCTC this March."I feel like I have a call from God to help the less fortunate and to help them in any way I can," said Garner, who serves as the social media coordinator for WKCTC's Student Government Association. He said the college's Service Learning program is giving him the opportunity to keep serving those who are in need in El Salvador. "The past three times (I have gone to El Salvador)you come back completely changed from the experiences and everything you see.it's so awesome to be able to continue to get to go."The college is hosting a t-shirt fundraiser to help fund service learning projects for Garner and other WKCTC students while in El Salvador in March."Selling the t-shirts is one of our primary sources of funding. Without the money, we wouldn't be able to build a house for a struggling family or feed the homeless," said Garner.Steve Portillo, Operations Manager for Sus Hijos (His Children), the organization visiting service learning groups work with to help the citizens of El Salvador, recently made his first trip to the United States to talk with students and organizers about El Salvador. He said WKCTC students have been providing teams to do good works in El Salvador."They visited orphanages; they have built houses; they have fed the homeless, fed entire communities; and that's something that we need in El Salvador - people that show love and compassion," said Portillo. "Working with the college and other organizations and Starfish, they are 'providing hope' and about telling people, 'we know you need a little push.. so we are going to help you start and set up a new life."Portillo said most of the people who travel to El Salvador, see the need and will be touched. The money raised before the trip makes the difference in the amount of help that can be provided."If they (the students) sell t-shirts and fundraise properlythey will have the freedom and the ability to do more."Jennifer Frazier, WKCTC coordinator for this year's college Service Learning program, said the community's help in purchasing the El Salvador t-shirts is vital to make this year's student trip possible."It is an indescribable feeling to be a part of watching our students as they serve and learn in El Salvador," said Frazier. "The help they provide to the people of El Salvador leaves a long-lasting impact; one the students will never forget."El Salvador t-shirts are $20 and can be purchased by contacting Jennifer Frazier at jennifer.frazier@kctcs.edu or 270-534-3229. The deadline to purchase t-shirts is February 1.
Russia and Sri Lanka plan nuclear energy cooperation

19 January 2018

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Russia and Sri Lanka have held talks this week on establishing cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Nikolay Spassky, deputy director general of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, met with Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Susil Premajayantha, respectively Sri Lanka's minister of power and renewable energy and minister of science, technology and research, on 16-17 January.

Spassky meeting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena (Image: Rosatom)

The Russian delegation, which was welcomed by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena also held talks with the Atomic Energy Board and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Council of Sri Lanka.

Rosatom said the parties had "discussed in detail the whole range of issues related to establishing cooperation between the Russian Federation and Sri Lanka in the peaceful use of atomic energy", adding that "the dialogue will continue". Spassky invited the inter-departmental delegation to visit Russia for further talks and see Russian nuclear facilities. They also discussed Sri Lanka's participation this year in Rosatom's annual conference and exhibition Atomexpo.

In September 2010, the Sri Lankan government commissioned its Atomic Energy Board to conduct a pre-feasibility study on using nuclear energy for power generation from about 2025. In 2011, Sri Lanka announced that it would establish an Atomic Energy Regulatory Council to allow for the introduction of nuclear power generation technology in the country, and also to address concerns over the security of radioactive sources and to deal with radiation emergencies.

In February 2015, Sri Lanka and India signed an agreement to cooperate in civil nuclear energy. The accord aims to facilitate cooperation in the transfer and exchange of knowledge and expertise, sharing of resources, capacity building and training of personnel in peaceful application of nuclear energy - including the use of radioisotopes - nuclear safety, radiation safety and nuclear security. It would also facilitate cooperation in radioactive waste management and nuclear and radiological accident mitigation and environmental protection.

The Nuclear Medicine Unit at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka has been supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for over 40 years. The centre, the only one of its kind in the country, uses nuclear medicine to diagnose, treat and manage cancer and other diseases. IAEA support includes the provision of equipment, training and the implementation of safety standards.

Priyanee Wijesekera, ambassador and permanent representative of Sri Lanka, told the 60th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference, in Vienna, Austria, in September 2016 that the establishment of an independent regulatory authority "demonstrates Sri Lanka's dedication and commitment towards ensuring absolutely peaceful nature of nuclear applications and the use of nuclear technology in Sri Lanka".

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
"Peruvians today do not have the right to lose hope," he said in improvised comments in his homily to the vast crowd from his vantage point on a huge altar overlooking the Pacific.

Pope Francis, visiting an area of Peru that was devastated last year by heavy rains linked to climate change and plagued by gang violence, has urged people not to lose hope.

On his penultimate day in Peru, Francis flew north to the city near the Pacific Ocean to say Mass for about 200,000 people on the beach at the nearby oceanside town of Huanchaco.

"Peruvians today do not have the right to lose hope," he said in improvised comments in his homily to the vast crowd from his vantage point on a huge altar overlooking the Pacific.

Trujillo, capital of the region of La Libertad, was hit by major floods after six landslides in less than a week at the beginning of 2017, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. The vast majority of people affected were poor.

The disaster was caused by the climatic phenomenon called Nino Costero, a warming of surface waters on the Pacific Ocean that generates intense rains on the coast of South America. Scientists have said climate change will make El Ninos more frequent and intense.

"You know the power of nature, you have experienced its force," Francis said. "You had to face the brunt of the 'Nino Costero' whose painful consequences are still present in so many families, especially those who are not yet able to rebuild their homes."

Apocalyptic scenes recorded on cellphones and shared on social media broadened the sense of chaos. Bridges collapsed as rivers breached their banks and cows and pigs turned up on beaches after being carried away by rivers.

Francis, who has often warned about the effects that climate change has on the poor, wrote a major document in 2015 on the need to protect the environment in which he backed scientists who say climate change is at least partially caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

Throughout Peru, an unusually brutal rainy season last year killed at least 162 people, slowed economic growth sharply and caused damage equivalent to 2 percent of Peru's gross domestic product. The cost of rebuilding damaged infrastructure was expected to be about $8 billion.

In his homily, Francis also mentioned increasing violence in the Trujillo area, where there have been hundreds of murders related to drug trafficking.

The pope said "organized violence, like contract killings, and the insecurity they breed," insecure housing, and unemployment were the other "storms" the area had to bear.

Thousands of people spent the night on the beach in tents and sleeping bags waiting for the pope.

"You cannot imagine the enthusiasm we have for the pope, our faith is so great that it makes us forget the cold and fatigue in this vigil," said Roger Montanez, 56, who was wrapped in a blanket to protect from the ocean breeze.
Allu Arjuns upcoming patriotic drama, Naa Peru Surya Naa Illu India, is one of the most eagerly awaited biggies which will hit the screens on April 27. After the intense first impact teaser, the makers are going to release the Sainika song on January 26.

Now, if the ongoing reports are anything to go by, NPSNII will release in as many as 7 Indian languages thanks to you universal theme in the movie. Apart from Telugu, the film will reportedly be dubbed in Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Bhojpuri languages. However, an official announcement is awaited to confirm this news.

In NPSNII, Allu Arjun will be seen as a hot-blooded army mans avatar. Writer Vakkantham Vamsi is turning director with this high-budget entertainer. Anu Emmanuel is the films leading lady and Bollywood composers duo Vishal and Shekar are scoring the music. Lagadapati Sridhar and Bunny Vas are producing the movie and Naga Babu is presenting it.









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Pardis Sabeti in the Boston Globe:

EVEN IN SCIENCE, revolutions often go far beyond reason. This year, lets hope that scientists of all stripes  but especially social psychologists  will slow down and start approaching one another with greater respect.

For decades, the field of social psychology has captured the public imagination with high-profile research into how humans interact. Will people obey authority figures even when it involves hurting others? How do stereotypes shape human interactions? Are facial expressions of emotion universal across cultures? All of these are questions that social psychology tries to answer. But the field is in the midst of a revolution that could end up destroying new ideas before they are fully explored  a cautionary tale not just for this field, but for all of science.

Spurred by new methods and statistical techniques, a group of revolutionaries  scientists and Internet bloggers both inside and outside the field  have taken it upon themselves to weed out faulty science. In forums such as the websites Data Colada, Replicability-Index, and Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science, scholars are being urged to focus on replicating the results of past studies and to reconsider their own findings if subsequent research undercuts them. Done responsibly, the revolution is something all scientists could agree is fundamental to advance the field, enabling robust and verifiable discoveries about human psychology, behavior, and biology.

Like many revolutions, however, it has not been a peaceful one.

More here.
NEW YORK (AP) - Former employees say a tabloid magazine held back from publishing an adult film star's 2011 account of an alleged affair with Donald Trump after the future president's personal lawyer threatened to sue.

In Touch magazine has now published its 5,000-word interview with the pornographic actor Stormy Daniels.

Publication comes more than six years after Trump's long-time attorney, Michael Cohen, said in emails to In Touch's general counsel that Trump would aggressively pursue legal action if the story was printed.

The emails were described to The Associated Press by four former employees. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to anger their former employer.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Be you ever so high, law is above you  Thomas Fuller, 17th century English Churchman historian.

January 12, 2018 will go down in our history as Black Friday. Four senior-most judges bared the internal misgivings prevailing in the Supreme Court to the public domain, for the first time in judicial history.

The four judges had in a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) have raised some insightful questions. They have demanded that all controversial issues, including politically-sensitive cases, be handled by Constitution benches of senior most judges, and assignment of all important cases in the order of seniority. The key issues also involved lack of a mechanism to deal with complaint against the CJI, and also the memorandum of procedure, which is yet to be finalised.

The judges said many things, and left many things unsaid. The recent upheaval manifests that all is not well in the apex court, thanks to its administrative lacunae. For the judges to revolt against the CJI speaks about the apathy that the judicial system is in.

While the common people find it tough to grasp the issues, practices and decorum relating to courts, the nation was appalled to see the senior judges addressing a press conference to alert the nation about the peril that Indian democracy is facing. They attacked the CJIs arbitrary way of assigning important cases to their junior colleagues.

Is it wrong to meet media?

Have these judges done a disservice to the top court by speaking up in public? While they had the option of being silent, and even playing along, they displayed great moral courage to share their anguish in the open, all the more, when one of them is the next in line CJI.

Because they couldnt sort out within the confines, nor seek the Executives attention, they were prompted to meet the press, unprecedented though. The BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanyam Swamy said, When such judges come out to do a press conference, it is necessary to take them serious, rather than finding fault. When the judges are of high integrity, making a judgement call to go public should be lauded. Remember, these learned men know what judicial impropriety is. Not one, but four reckoned that it is right step, and they are also aware of the risk of going public.

The judges, instead of demitting in disgust, acted in good faith, in fact, renewed our faith in democracy. Their style may be debatable, not the substance. Effectively, the criticism that the senior judges should not have taken recourse to the media, does not deny the rot.

If you argue against the four judges, there are two possibilities. Either you are defensive because they are telling the truth. Or, because you believe that your opinion is more important than the collective wisdom of the four.

The letter also said, We are not mentioning details only to avoid embarrassing the institution but note that such departures have already damaged the image of this institution to some extent. The allegations are of critical nature and warrant greater soul-searching. It is no more an internal matter of the judiciary, hence cannot be brushed aside.

Judiciary marginalised from within

Despite the empowerment, does the CJI enjoy absolute or arbitrary administrative powers in this regard? The CJI, the master of the roaster, enjoys the privilege to constitute Benches to hear cases, but the control must be exercised judiciously.

The position of the dissenting judges is that the CJI is only First among equals  nothing more, nothing less, implying that there is no place for Orwellian equality of some are more equal. When you are only the first among equals, and when four equals tell you something is wrong and if you deny it then what they feared may be true.

Independence of the judiciary is the collective responsibility of the judges. The problem is who will judge the judges. As there is no place for favouritism or other extraneous considerations in courts, it is time the CJI steps in to remedy the situation; else, more judges will follow the four.

Like all other institutions, the judiciary too must maintain a certain degree of transparency and accountability to both the Constitution and the people of India. Judicial conduct needs to ensure judges do not embarrass their professional competencies. Not only must the Judge be impartial, he must be seen by all to be impartial.

The entire episode has thrown up a pertinent question. Why has the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, tabled in parliament in 2010, not been passed? The Bill proposed to lay down standards of conduct for judges.

Whatever be the actions and reactions to the issue, it is fervently hoped that people are not let down.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul and killed at least six people including a foreigner, sparking a 12-hour battle that left terrified guests scrambling to escape and parts of the building ablaze.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the six-storey Intercontinental Hotel on a hilltop overlooking the Afghan capital. People trapped at the top of the building tied bedsheets together and climbed over balconies to escape the overnight assault.

One lost his grip and fell in dramatic television footage by Afghanistans Tolo News station, which also showed black smoke and flames billowing from the top of the hotel.

Special forces were lowered by helicopters during the night onto the roof of the landmark 1960s building, with Afghan security forces killing four attackers in the hours- long assault, the interior ministry said.

Five Afghans and one foreigner have been killed, interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP, adding around 150 people were rescued including more than 40 foreigners.

The body of the foreigner, a woman, was recovered from the sixth floor as the last attacker was being killed, he added.

An official with Afghanistans spy agency put the number of wounded at eight, while the interior ministry said six.

Officials said four gunmen burst into the hotel, which is not part of the global InterContinental chain, last night, opening fire on guests and staff and taking dozens of people hostage.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the latest assault in the war-torn capital via an email from spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. The interior ministry had earlier blamed the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network.

It followed security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners. Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in Afghanistan for civilians, with the Taliban and the Islamic State group both stepping up attacks.

It was not clear how many people had been inside the hotel.

During the siege, a guest hiding in a room said he could hear gunfire inside the building, where dozens of people attending an information technology conference on Sunday were staying.

I dont know if the attackers are inside the hotel but I can hear gunfire from somewhere near the first floor, the man, who did not want to be named, told AFP by telephone.

We are hiding in our rooms.

I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us.

His phone has been switched off since then.

Rahimi said the attackers were armed with light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when they stormed the hotel, a popular venue for weddings, conferences and political gatherings.

Security in Kabul has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb killed some 150 people and wounded around 400  mostly civilians.

But the resurgent Taliban and Islamic State are both scaling up their assaults on the city, with multiple devastating attacks in recent weeks.

In Herat in the west at least eight civilians were killed when a car hit a Taliban-planted roadside mine, officials there said.

The overnight siege is not the first time the Intercontinental has been targeted: in 2011 a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people there, including 10 civilians.

Even before the attack was over on Sunday, authorities were questioning how the attackers got past the hotels security, which was taken over by a private company three weeks ago, said Najib Danish, another interior ministry spokesman.

We will investigate it, he said.
Muslim outfits are miffed with the government for its failure to invite no prominent leader from their community during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus visit to Mumbai. After arriving in the city, Netanyahu had a power breakfast with industrialists Anand Mahindra, Adi Godrej, Ajay Piramal and Chanda Kochhar. Later he also attended Shalom Bollywood event which was attended by stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Vivek Oberoi, Karan Johar but no Muslim celebrity was visible in the function. Many Muslims took to social media to voice their protest against Netanyahus visit and asked why no Muslim celebrities were invited to grace the function?

They asked whether it was a deliberate attempt of the Indian government to sideline Muslims? Some of them also criticised actor Amitabh Bachchan for clicking selfie with Netanyahu. The All Bengal Minority Youth Federation too held protest against the Israeli Prime Ministers visit to India. Protesters chanted slogans against Netanyahu and Modi, sprinkled ink on posters of Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump and later burned their posters. They asked how can India welcome Israeli Prime Minister when the Israeli government is terrorising Muslims? Muhammad Kamruzzaman, President of All Bengal Minority Youth Federation condemned Netanyahus visit to Mahatma Gandhis ashram at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. He asked why Netanyahu was invited to Sabarmati when Gandhiji never approved of Israels policies!
A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near a disputed shoal claimed by China in the South China Sea this week, U.S. officials said and Beijing vowed to take necessary measures to protect its sovereignty.

Chinas foreign ministry said USS Hopper missile destroyer came within 12 nautical miles of Huangyan Island, which is also known as Scarborough Shoal and subject to a rival claim by the Philippines.

It was the latest U.S. naval operation challenging extensive Chinese claims in the South China Sea and came even as U.S. President Donald Trumps administration seeks Chinese cooperation in dealing with North Koreas missile and nuclear programs.

Two U.S. officials confirmed that the USS Hopper had sailed within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the patrol was in line with international law and was an innocent passage, in which a warship effectively recognizes a territorial sea by crossing it quickly, without stopping.

Twelve nautical miles is an internationally recognized territorial limit.

The U.S. military says it carries out freedom of navigation operations throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations.

The Pentagon did not directly comment on the latest patrol but said such operations are routine.

All operations are conducted in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan said.

The U.S. military put countering China and Russia at the center of a new national defense strategy unveiled on Friday. China criticized the strategy, saying Beijing sought global partnership, not global dominance.
State and local authorities are searching for a suspect who was involved in a Saturday night shooting in Clanton, according to a post on the Chilton County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

Capt. David Clackley identified the fugitive as Andrekus Jawuan Wooley, 22 years old from Millbrook. He is described as a black male, approximately 5 foot 9 inches and 180 pounds. His most recent address is Wetumpka.

Wooley was involved in a robbery and shooting that occurred at 9:15 p.m. Saturday in Clanton. The victim, a 34-year-old male, was transported to UAB by helicopter.

Detectives on the scene identified the car involved in the shooting and a vehicle pursuit ensued. Two men fled the vehicle on foot. Willie Edward Reeves, 23, was arrested, but Wooley made it to the woods and evaded capture.

Wooley was spotted early Sunday morning, but again slipped out of sight. Officers discovered he had been given a ride out of the area. The search was called off early this afternoon and officers issued a warrant for Wooley.

Reeves has been charged with 1st degree assault, 2nd degree assault, robbery and felon in possession of a firearm.

The search involved air support from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and a dog team from the Alabama Department of Corrections.

"We would like to say thanks to all the law enforcement agencies that assisted in this case, such results would not have been possible without our combined efforts and resources," Clackley said in a press release. "We ask for prayers for the families affected by this shooting. If you have information that may help in the location of the suspect, please contact Detective Cameron Bates of Clanton PD."

Updated with additional information at 9:28 p.m.
Employees at Redstone Arsenal are being told to report to work Monday despite a government shutdown that has - at least temporarily - shuttered many federal services.

Once at work, however, some of the employees could be sent home until Congress solves its budget impasse.

Redstone published a message to its workforce via Twitter Saturday.

"All employees should report to work on Monday, even if the shutdown continues. Employees should remain in close contact with supervisors for more instructions," the message said.

All employees should report to work on Monday, even if the shutdown continues. Employees should remain in close contact with supervisors for more instructions.  Redstone Arsenal (@TeamRedstone) January 20, 2018

Separate messages said shopping via the Exchange and other programs with the Department of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation will continue with "minimal" impacts if the shutdown continues.

During the 2013 government shutdown, some 12,000 Redstone employees were sent home, some for as long as 16 days. Some contractors were also sent home and the Commissary closed.
The president of the University of Alabama Student Government Association was arrested for driving under the influence over the weekend, according to the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

A database of inmates showed that Jarod Zakiya Hunter was arrested Sunday by Tuscaloosa police for driving under the influence. The SGA president spells his name Jared Hunter, but he has the same middle name.

Lt. Teena Richardson said Tuscaloosa Police on Sunday responded to a head-on collision involving two people suffering minor injuries in the 1300 block of Hackberry Lane.

Officers "smelled a moderate odor of an alcoholic beverage" on one of the drivers, according to Richardson.

"Upon further investigation, officer observed other behaviors indicative of a person driving impaired. Officers administer standardize field sobriety test in which the driver, Jared Hunter performed poorly. Hunter was transported to Tuscaloosa County Jail."

At the jail, Hunter's blood-alcohol content was found to be .16 percent, the statement continued. The legal limit in Alabama is .08.

Hunter made history last year when he become the first African-American candidate to gain the backing of the Machine, a coalition of fraternities and sororities that has influence on campus elections. Hunter was the third African-American elected to the post.

According to the jail database, Hunter was held on a $1,000 secured bond. Hunter could not be immediately reached for comment.

Monica Watts, the University of Alabama Associate Vice President of Communications, released a brief statement via email.

"We are disappointed when any of our students use poor judgment," she said. "We don't have all of the details at this time so it would be premature for us to comment further."
Standing on Mobile Bay shorelines, tromping through coastal forests, taking in classroom sessions, the first recruits in an ambitious new Gulf Coast conservation campaign recently had a double-pronged message about their mission impressed upon them.

"You guys are on the cutting edge of something fantastic," said Buck Sutter, Deputy Executive Director and Program Director for the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council. "You guys really are at the end of the spear."

"Y'all carry a burden," cautioned Patti Powell, director of the State Lands Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. "I'm not kidding about that."

Over the course of a few days in early January, several dozen young conservation workers from Alabama and four other states gathered at Camp Beckwith in Baldwin County for training. But the goal wasn't just to train a handful of people in the labor of forestry and coastal cleanup. It was something considerably bigger.

It's called GulfCorps, and Program Director Jeff DeQuattro sometimes compares it to the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s. But where that program embodied its time - created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and funded with federal dollars to counteract Great Depression unemployment - GulfCorps is designed to answer the needs of the present.

It's funded by a $7 million grant of RESTORE Act funds - money that originated in penalties from the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster - administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Overseen by The Nature Conservancy, working in conjunction with the Student Conservation Association and the Corps Network, it will organize what DeQuattro describes as "small tactical teams" of workers and mobilize them across five states: Alabama plus Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

The Corps may soon be working on a variety of projects in Alabama, including restoration of pitcher plant bogs.

Sample assignments coming up in Alabama include pitcher plant bog restoration, clearing forests for prescribed fires that will improve their long-term health, removing invasive plants and snails from bays and waterways and mapping intertidal oyster reefs. But the list of tasks is just one piece of the GulfCorps vision.

In the field, the teams will be managed by five partner organizations: The Conservation Corps of the Forgotten Coast in Apalachicola, Fla.; The Student Conservation Association in Mobile; Climb CDC Conservation Corps in Gulfport; Limitless Vistas Inc. in New Orleans; and American YouthWorks in Houston.

It's a multi-state campaign with a three-year budget and aspirations to run for 10 or 15. That's why Powell was so keen for participants to understand that their work matters. Their effectiveness likely will determine GulfCorps' future.

The good news is, it can determine theirs as well. GulfCorps, unlike the CCC, isn't just meant to put tools in people's hands and put them to work for a while. It's meant to teach soft skills they can use to find jobs and build careers in the future.

"Our goal is to get 300 people with job-marketable skills," DeQuattro said.

In year 1, GulfCorp is fielding five 10-person teams, made up of people age 18-26, many from disadvantaged backgrounds. One goal, DeQuattro said, is to "Engage low wealth communities by providing jobs in the environment."

Each 10-person team includes two leaders, and the hope is that some of this year's workers will become next year's leaders. The plan is to run 10 teams next year, and 15 the year after that - three teams in each of the five participating states.

Most of this year's 50 team members attended the session at Camp Beckwith. And some of the training they received there definitely was all about getting hands-on in the environment.

On a stretch of sand near the mouth of Weeks Bay, they listed as Mary Kate Brown, coastal projects manager for the Nature Conservancy, described lessons learned during the effort to erect a protective reef a few yards offshore. "You have to be really flexible and adaptive and quick-thinking," she said.

DeQuattro explained how the reef is an alternative to conventional seawalls, which dam off normal interaction between land and water and cause other problems. "You put one seawall in so it starts erosion on either side, so the next person puts in a seawall," he said, describing a "domino effect" that has led to 40 percent of Mobile Bay's shore being walled.

In a patch of woods thick with undergrowth on the grounds of Camp Beckwith, they listened as Mike Shelton of the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve pointed out a variety of invasive species - and others, like a tough, thorny smilax vine - that can be highly inconvenient to foresters. "They will put a hurting on you," he said.

And in a classroom session they held a discussion of topics far-removed from the forest, such as how to recognize and handle cultural biases in themselves and others. They seemed receptive to the underlying message that bias and diversity were practical topics: GulfCorps' membership itself is diverse, and they'll be working in a range of settings, urban and rural. Being able to pull together and engage host communities are not academic concerns.

Among them were Eric Lucas and Shayila Fletcher of Mobile. Both said they already had some conservation experience thanks to projects with the National Estuary Program, and both had reasons for wanting more.

"I been on the wild side since I grew up," said Lucas, explaining that he grew up in the Plateau area of Mobile and spent time roaming along Three Mile Creek. "When I heard about the job on the radio, my dad told me to jump."

By the end of the sessions at Beckwith, Lucas had clearly taken some career-building lessons to heart. Any speaker who offered to take questions was guaranteed to hear from Lucas, asking for a business card.

Fletcher said she appreciated the chance to do work that had an impact on the status quo.

"I enjoy being outdoors," she said. "I enjoy being part of something that makes a difference."

For her and the rest of GulfCorps' founding class, the time to go out and get started making that difference is now.

Their work, in turn, will show whether GulfCorps can meet its potential to grow and endure beyond its current scope. Their success and the program's are tied together, Powell told them, urging them always to keep in mind "where do you go professionally from here."

"To say that you come from a successful effort, that's going to be a big deal," she said.

DeQuattro said the program is packed with benchmarks and specific goals to help measure its progress toward such success. "We're creating the organizational platform to make that happen," he said.

As the training at Camp Beckwith came to an end, on an overcast day with off-and-on rain, the trainees gathered for a group photo. And just as that session wrapped up, some participants noticed one end of a rainbow planted out on the waters of Weeks Bay, straight out from the camp shoreline. It was so distinct that the trees on the other side appeared tinted by its colors. Upon closer examination, the other end of the rainbow appeared to arc down on the west end of the little bay.

One could hardly have asked for a better omen. But organizers aren't building their hopes on rainbows and good intentions, DeQuattro said.

"We have very intense metrics in place," he said. "We will know if it's working."
Authorities are investigating a crash on Interstate 59 in DeKalb County on Friday

that killed a pedestrian while he stood next to his vehicle.

According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, James Matthew Noojin, 38, of Ft. Pane, was struck and killed by a 2011 Toyota driven by John Knighten, 23, of Jasper. Noojin was pronounced dead at the scene.

Knighten, who was not injured, also struck the 2004 GMC that Noojan had gotten out of, authorities report.

The crash occurred at 10:08 p.m., about five miles north of Collinsville.
They came holding colorful signs promoting women's role in politics and in opposition of President Donald Trump and his agenda.

And the women who marched around a public park in Mobile Saturday also joined together in chants, such as "Not the church. Not the state. Women must control their fate."

But for Tiffany Wooten of Daphne, the South Alabama Women's March Anniversary Event, offered a teaching moment for her 6-year-old daughter, Teagan.

"I'm trying to teach her that it's important to stand up and use your voice," said Wooten, as her daughter held a sign that simply stated, "We are strong."

Other signs were more forceful, and most were aimed at protesting Trump.

"Our democracy is being dismantled act by act," said Lynn Locklin-Hatch of Mobile, whose sign read, "Save DACA Deport Trump!"

Trump, himself, posted on Twitter encouraging women to march -- albeit in support of what he says were economic gains in the past 12 months.

Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018

The gathering was held on the one-year anniversary of the women's march in Washington, D.C., in which hundreds of thousands of activists marched in the nation's capital in the wake of Trump's inauguration.

Other women's march events on Saturday were held in Huntsville, Montgomery, Dothan and Birmingham.

"Women are speaking out again," said Tissa Loehr of Mobile. "It's a new awakening and everyone is outraged. We are outraged over the sexual predator situation that is out of control and its now being exposed. And I'm sick of the old white men who are telling us what we can or cannot do with our bodies."

Six speakers voiced their support for the growing activism that has swept across the nation in the past year. According to a Time Magazine article posted Thursday, there is "an unprecedented surge of first-time female candidates" who are overwhelmingly Democratic, running for political office for the first time.

Among them is Tabitha Isner, who is running in the 2nd congressional district race this year as a Democrat. The U.S. House seat is currently occupied by Republican Rep. Martha Roby.

"A year ago, I was in Washington, D.C., marching on the Capitol," said Isner. "Now today, I'm running for Congress."

She also took a swipe at Congress for not approving a continuing resolution provision on Friday to keep the federal government from shutting down, "When women are in charge ... there is no need for a shutdown. Women don't shutdown."

Stacie Propst, executive director of Emerge Alabama - which is training women for leadership and political roles - said her Birmingham-based organization's goal is to get women running for "every single elected office from the bottom to the top."

"They want jobs for their families, better health care for their families, better education, and we do not want to be at the bottom economically," said Propst, whose organization is training 26 women for future runs at elected office. "Women need to run and women need to run as fast as they can get into office."

State Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, was the only current elected official to speak. She said that she wants to see the "atmosphere" in Montgomery changed, and encouraged women to be active in elections.

"I have people in my district who are looking for health care and they cannot find it," she said. "I have people in my district, women, who are looking for equal pay for equal work and they cannot find it. You are on the move in changing of the atmosphere of our community and our state."

Also speaking was Julia Coccaro, the Spanish Fort high school student who received widespread media attention last year by publicly opposing a controversial summer list released by AP Government instructor Gene Ponder, a former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor.

Baldwin County Public School System officials have since said the reading list was pulled because Ponder did not follow school policy in getting it approved. But the list of books from ultraconservative authors like Michael Savage and Ann Coulter drew national criticism.

Coccaro encouraged women to run for local offices, including school boards, saying "they can alter the lives of your children and grandchildren."

Cari Searcy, a LGBT advocate whose long quest to adopt her son led to a federal judge overturning the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in 2015, encouraged women to elect judges and candidates who "believe that equality is a family value."

Ryleigh Hawke, a 15-year-old freshman at Fairhope High School, said she's often put in uncomfortable positions at school where she said there is a lot of "homophobic kids."

Hawke, though, said she felt at ease at the women's march. She attended with her grandmother, Carole Backman of Fairhope, who echoed what the speakers said about wanting more women running for elected offices.

"I think they just tend to be more stable (than men)," said Backman. "They are less likely to group think and seem to be making better decisions these days."
I get it, Sen. Greg Albritton.

You're so offended by the notion of two dudes saying "I do" that you want to scream "I don't." You're so offended, so worried some probate judge will abhor the law he or she was sworn to uphold that you'd divorce the whole institution of marriage from government.

No more marriage licenses. Just contracts.

No need for a best man. Just the best Manila folder you can find.

Check. Got it. The guy found a willing audience. The Alabama Senate in a voice vote last week passed Albritton's bill that would eliminate marriage licenses altogether and simply let an affidavit serve as the whole wedding party.

It would, as Albritton put it, properly separate church and state, and ease the pain of probate judges too morally conflicted to follow the law of the land on same-sex marriage.

OK. Fine. Fill out a form and pay the fee and call yourself a not-so-sacred union. Fine by me. But if we're going to be serious about separating church and state - and I'm all for that -- it's not nearly enough. Let's commit to the doctrine in earnest. From this day forward, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, 'til death do us take part.

Not in pandering. Pshaw. Albritton and his ignoble enablers do enough of that already. But on the principle of the thing. Especially now that the whole Alabama Senate is in freedom free-for-all.

So don't bring your pastor or your peacenik or your snake handler in to pray for the opening of your government meetings anymore. Just read a legal notice instead:

Dear (God, Jesus, Allah, Shiva, Buddha, Brahma, Vishnu, Money, Endless Void, Science, Some Combination of the Aforementioned or Other). If you (Do or Do Not) exist, please (Do or Do Not) bless this place or the people in it. And help our leaders (Somebody, Anybody) make good decisions. Amen. (Or Aloha). Or Not.

Or just don't do it at all.

Sen. Greg Albritton, apostle for freedom. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Because somebody somewhere - just like those probate judges -- might have a moral conflict with the people and the beliefs paraded before those public bodies.

Better to ease their pain.

And while we're talking of separating church and state, why not really do it? Why not treat churches - Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Flying Spaghetti Monster - like anybody else.

Make them pay taxes.

I mean, the whole historical justification for giving tax freedom to religious organizations was the understanding that the state would stay out of the business of churches and churches would stay out of the business of politics. But that has gone the way of the wise man. I mean, just look at the Alabama Legislature. Or America.

Churches don't pay property taxes or a bunch more. They act like corporations but don't pay the same kind of income taxes. They act like non-profits - you can deduct the money you give them -- but don't have to say where the money comes or goes. That's not separating church and state. It's just the state giving the church - anything that calls itself a church - special treatment.

Heck, Mark Twain complained that those without religion are taxed to make up for the "deficit in the public income" caused by the failure to tax churches. Before that James Madison himself - the guy who wrote the Bill of Rights - argued that forcing citizens to pay anything - even "three pence" - to support another's religion is a dangerous path to follow. And when churches don't pay their pence, somebody else pays their way.

So go ahead and stand for the separation of church and state, Sen. Albritton. I get it.

Do you?
Walt Maddox Sue Bell Cobb

Maddox/Cobb

When Sue Bell Cobb went for her annual checkup last month, not long after the December 12 special U.S. Senate election won by Democrat Doug Jones, a nurse in the doctor's office told her: "Everyone in this office voted."

The nurse was African American, as were many of the office employees. She also told the former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court--one of five Democrats who'll likely vie to boot Kay Ivey out of the governor's mansion--that when she arrived at her polling place after work on election night, the line was so long she was told there would be an hour's wait before she could cast her ballot.

But, she said, "I was not going back home; I was going to vote, no matter how long it took."

Such engagement, persistence and eventual enthusiasm at Jones' victory played out among Democratic voters throughout the state--particularly African-American voters, who, as has been well noted, voted in historic, record numbers and overwhelmingly, for now, U.S. Senator Jones.

The choice then was clear, especially for black voters. Jones' opponent, Republican Roy Moore, revealed his racist leanings so many times, African-Americans really had no other choice--even as Jones' campaign stumbled early to engage black voters with messages beyond his record as the prosecutor of the Klansmen who killed the four little girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963.

This time, the choice isn't as stark, which means Cobb and Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox--the two most likely to battle it out for the Democratic nomination--must make their respective cases to black voters, whom they'll need to turn out again in significant numbers to win the Democratic primary and especially the statewide election in November.

And they'll have to do it without mentioning the Klan, thank goodness.

Both candidates, not surprisingly, said they were "excited" by the record turnout among black voters.

Court is in session

Their opening statements:

First up, Maddox: "For too long, African-American voters were taken for granted, by both parties. [Their turnout] reinforced that all Alabamians want to see our state move forward. They want to see opportunities for everyone."

Your turn, Cobb:

"Black women showed tremendous leadership. People from all walks of life got involved. We saw larger numbers of new voters, and they enjoyed the wonderful feeling that their vote mattered."

Okay, mayor, state your case.

Maddox begins with numbers, citing that when first elected in 2005, African Americans comprised just six percent of department heads and municipal judges.

"I'm proud that as mayor, 41% of my hires have been African American, 36% of them women."

Today, he cites, just over a third of Tuscaloosa's 17 department heads are black, the same with women.

Maddox cites healthcare, jobs, and education as issues he feels are primary among African-American voters (and others), as well as crime and poverty.

"Crime, poverty, and blight too often occur in our minority communities," he says. "When we talked about revitalizing West Tuscaloosa, all of our citizens believed we needed to focus on it. It was in everyone's best interest, not just those who live in the affected communities.

We need candidates who will actually, first, talk about those issues, then address them."

As a final point, Maddox reminded the court that he won a fourth term last March with almost 90 percent of the vote. African Americans comprised almost 40 percent of the population in Tuscaloosa County, according the census data.

Cobb, clutching the arms of her chair, bursts out of it like a Huntsville-built rocket launcher.

"I believe a rising tide lifts everything," she shouts.

Like Maddox, the ebullient Cobb cited education as one of the primary issues important to black voters statewide, then tossed her Lifetime Learner Lottery, patterned after the Tennessee Education Lottery (which has raised more than $4 billion since its inception, according to state officials) on the table.

"It'll raise 300 million that will go to help those who need it most," she said.

She says funds will support three areas: childcare for poor families and "fully fund K-through-4 education"; "state of the art" career-track education in public highs schools; and filling the "gap in Pell Grants" to allow qualifying high-school graduates to attend any two- or four-year state college "for free."

Cobb also wants to close the gap-wage for Alabama teachers relative to those in neighboring Georgia. This year, Alabama teachers will earn an average salary of $44,546, according to state records, while teachers in the Peach state collect an average of $48,636--a $4,090 gap that, Cobb says, entices some Alabama teachers to move East.

"My goal is for people to stay here because they want to, not because they have to," she says.

Additionally, Cobb, not surprisingly, given her long tenure as a jurist "I'm not a 'Johnny-come-lately' on this"), says she will push to reform the criminal justice and prison system with programs offering "low-cost drug treatment" rather than jail for non-violent drug offenders ("It costs less than locking people up!") and reducing fines and court costs, which disproportionately impact the poor.

"It's wrong to have a $20 traffic ticket and $200 court cost."

Regarding the diversity of her now-five-person campaign team, Cobb proudly claims: "I only have one man working for me." One of the four females is African American; more hires are forthcoming.

"I want my staff to look like Alabama."

Before she sits down, though, the bench cites a piece of evidence that might sway some black voters against her: Cobb's public support last January of Jeff Sessions for U.S. attorney general in a letter to Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that ultimately affirmed the Donald Trump nominee.

Since then, Sessions has been no friend of African Americans, supporting policies that threaten to revive an era of judicial injustice and mass incarceration that devastated generations.

The court asks: Why did she endorse him?

"I joined a lot of African-American leaders and Democrats who endorsed Jeff Sessions," she says. "I did it because the drug courts are a major focus of mine and [ as Alabama attorney general], Jeff Sessions helped me improve underfunding for drug courts."

She said when was first appointed to a judgeship in 1995 just 14 Alabama counties had drug courts, compared with nearly 70 counties when she resigned from the state Supreme Court in 2011.

"That helped Alabama; that was the reason I [endorsed him]."

Cobb quickly adds that she is "disappointed with some of the actions [Session] has taken" and shared her feelings with him in a letter last August, which she pulled out and began to read:

"I write to you as a fellow Alabamian to express concern that your memorandum to federal prosecutors on charging and sentencing policy. will undermine efforts underway in our state and across the nation to reduce the numbers of our nonviolent offenders who are incarcerated. ... I ask that before you make additional changes in federal sentencing policy that you speak with those of us grappling with this challenging issue and consider what we have learned in Alabama."

Later in the letter, Cobb invited Sessions to visit an Alabama prison with her to speak with corrections officers and witness conditions in what she calls "the most underfunded and overcrowded prison system in the nation."

Read the full letter here.

"I'm actually going to be reaching out to him again," she says, before taking her seat, "because I haven't heard back from him."

The Democratic primary is June 5. Until then, the jury will deliberate.

Roy S. Johnson's column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. He may be reached at rjohnson@al.com or twitter.com/roysj
Bucharest, Romania Tens of thousands of Romanians protested on Saturday against legislation passed by Parliament that critics say will make it harder to prosecute crime and high-level corruption.

The Social Democrats (PSD) and their junior coalition partner ALDE used their majority to push a judicial overhaul through parliament in December, despite criticism from the European Commission, the US Department of State, thousands of magistrates and centrist President Klaus Iohannis.

An estimated 50,000 people marched towards parliament from the iconic University Square blowing whistles, waving flags and chanting Thieves!, while thousands more demonstrated in cities across Romania.

An earlier PSD attempt to decriminalise several corruption offences at the start of 2017 triggered Romanias largest street protests since the 1989 fall of Communism.

Transparency International ranks Romania among the EUs most corrupt states, although Brussels, which has Romanias justice system under special monitoring, has praised magistrates for their efforts to curb corruption.

Romanias anti-graft prosecutors have sent 72 members of parliament to trial since 2006.
Violent supporters of neo-fascist CasaPound accused of beatings and intimidation, as party rises in political sphere.

Ostia, Italy  Activist Diego Gianella says he has been attacked by fascists six times.

On a wintry day in early January, the 27-year old escapes the piercing wind and ducks into a time-worn bar outside a train station in Ostia, the poverty-hit coastal suburb of Rome where he lives.

Removing his jacket, he quickly orders a coffee and stands at the bar.

A charismatic man with a patchy beard, Gianella speaks with jubilance despite running through a laundry list of violence he attributes to CasaPound.

The self-proclaimed fascist party made landmark inroads in municipal elections in November when it obtained nine percent of the overall vote and hopes to make gains in Italys upcoming national elections in March.

Party supporters have slashed Gianellas tyres five times, bashed his car windows four times and tagged graffiti on his car and apartment building.

CasaPound denies such allegations, but Gianella is one of several local anti-fascist activists and critics who have accused the group of violence.

He shakes his head as he recalls one of the most egregious assaults, which took place in February.

On that day, Gianella was running late as usual rushing to a city council meeting, he says, when he spotted CasaPound members posted next to the entrance.

Known in Ostia for his outspoken anti-fascism, he opted to enter the building from the rear entrance rather than risk confrontation.

But he hadnt gone unnoticed. When a guard informed said he could only enter using the main entrance, he decided to make his way home.

However, a gang of five CasaPound supporters was waiting at his car.

Diego Gianella says he has been targeted because of his outspoken anti-fascism [Patrick Strickland/Al Jazeera]

Recognising one of the young men as a former classmate, Gianella asked what they were doing at his car.

Then he hit me, and I fell, he says.

Within seconds of hitting the pavement, kicks and punches thudded against Gianellas sides as he put his hands up to protect his head.

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His attackers left him on the ground with his lips busted, a mouth full of blood and three broken ribs.

Go tell the police now, they said, mocking him.

Born as a political movement in 2003, when far-rightists occupied a vacant municipal building in central Rome, CasaPounds name is an ode to the American poet Ezra Pound, who was a supporter of Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini.

A controlled form of neo-fascism

In November, CasaPound clenched around 6,000 votes of the vote in Ostias municipal elections  a nearly 600 percent increase from the previous vote a few years earlier.

Its newfound success in Ostia came on the heels of the party securing eight percent of the votes in Luccas mayoral elections in June and recently landing its members on city councils in nearby Todi and the northern city of Bolzano.

With CasaPounds Luca Marsella, a vocal fascist who has been accused of violent threats, now a district councilor in Ostia, the elections have prompted fear among political opponents and analysts who worry about the return of fascism in a country that toiled for 21 years under Mussolinis rule.

Guido Caldiron, a Rome-based journalist and author of Extreme Right, a book that examines the growth of the far right in Europe and elsewhere, says the electoral results in Ostia are very important because Rome is CasaPounds core. For them, its a very significant victory.

Describing a militarised entity whose supporters simultaneously carry out attacks while the partys brass denies any affiliation with bloodshed, Caldiron tells Al Jazeera: Even when they are involved in violence, they always try to cover it.

The efforts at protecting its brand and presenting a respectable face to the public, Caldiron argues, distinguishes CasaPound from other far-right groups that openly celebrate violence against anti-fascists and migrants.

They have people who are legitimate criminals, and they have to control that  its a controlled form of neo-fascism, he explains.

You can be violent, but you have to accept certain rules and not show off about your violence  It is all part of a package designed to maintain the facade of respectability.

Deadly and dangerous attacks

Despite regularly denying violence, CasaPounds members and supporters have a lengthy history of attacks.

In December 2011, a 50-year-old CasaPound supporter in Florence shot dead two Senegalese street traders and injured three others before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide.

CasaPound activist Alberto Palladino has been sentenced to two years in prison over an attack that hospitalised five activists from the centre-left Democratic Party that same year. The party claims that he was wrongfully convicted.

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More recently, as locals in Ostia geared up to cast their ballots in November, local mob affiliate Roberto Spada head-butted and struck with a pipe reporter Daniele Piervincenzi when the journalist asked about his support for CasaPound.

Spada had previously proclaimed his support for CasaPound in a Facebook post.

The incident was caught on tape and led to national outcry.

CasaPound subsequently attempted to distance itself from the Spada Clan, a local mafia network active in Ostia.

If there were no anti-fascists, thered be no violence

On a chilly morning in early January, a self-described militant opens the door of CasaPounds squat in central Rome. Inside, he points to the walls of the corridor, which are colourfully painted with the names of the partys heroes.

Mussolini and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, whose work was glorified by both Italian and German fascists, are honoured.

Less explicable are names such as Ahmad Shah Massoud, the late Afghan militia leader who battled the Soviets and the Taliban alike, and Jack Kerouac, the American novelist and pioneer of the Beat Generation literary movement.

The wall inside CasaPounds squat is covered in the names of politicians, authors and philosophers [Patrick Strickland/Al Jazeera]

Simone Di Stefano, CasaPounds prime ministerial candidate in the upcoming national elections in March, insists that the partys gains in Ostia are important in an area that has been abandoned by the state that has been unfairly branded as a mafia city.

Swaddled in a black winter coat, Di Stefano runs his hand through his short, grey-peppered hair. He sits in a conference room.

The walls are blanketed in party propaganda announcing conferences and celebrating visits by far-right parties from across the Europe.

One of the posters announces a 2014 meeting between CasaPound and party officials from the Golden Dawn, the neo-fascist party in nearby Greece.

On an adjacent wall, a framed CasaPound poster brandishes the face of Julius Evola, the Italian philosopher whose work sought to advance fascism.

Since its establishment 14 years ago, CasaPound has opened 106 offices across the country and boasts of 20,000 card-carrying members.

In recent years, the party broadened its base with increasing success by taking aim at refugees and migrants, capitalising on Euroscepticism and squatting buildings to protest Italys housing crisis.

While leftists and anarchists have for decades occupied buildings for people displaced by evictions and carried out social projects such as distributing food to the poor, CasaPounds cooptation of these tactics come with an important distinction: Italians only.

Simone Di Stefano is CasaPounds candidate for prime minister [Patrick Strickland/Al Jazeera]

Di Stefano does not deny its supporters participate in physical confrontation.

If there were no anti-fascists, there would be no violence, he says.

He points to an incident in January 2017, when a police officer was injured while attempting to defuse an explosive device outside a CasaPound-linked bookshop in Florence.

Referring to Gianella, the anti-fascist who claims to have been attacked, he says the accusations are lies, adding that CasaPound has attempted to sue the activist for libel in the past.

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Di Stefano blames the media and anti-fascists for violence, dubbing them as agents of globalism, a term that critics say carries anti-Semitic undertones.

There is no actual evidence [of CasaPound] doing physical attacks, he claims.

A priest and teenager resolve to fight on

Back in Ostia, local leaders and residents dismiss claims of CasaPounds innocence.

Witnessing the partys rise around him, Franco De Donno, a priest who has lived in the suburb since 1981, decided last Autumn to run in the municipal elections. Now a district councilor, he sits across the table from the fascist partys Marsella in municipal meetings.

Explaining that he was born on June 2, 1946, the day that Italy became a republic, De Donno says: Being democratic and anti-fascist is in my DNA.

Sitting in a cafe on Ostias main square, De Donno recounts leaving the church after a sermon to find a band of CasaPound members holding up a banner accusing him of being a traitor for his open support of refugees and migrants.

The priest has helped form a network of solidarity activists and like-minded members of the faith community.

If this mentality of exclusion [of migrants and others] continues, there will be no peace and no development, he argues, but the strongest enemy that needs to be defeated is indifference [to fascism].

Carlo*, a 16-year-old Ostia local, smokes a cigarette and drinks espresso at a cafe.

Young people, he says, should get involved in the anti-fascist movement early on.

He has been twice assaulted by CasaPound supporters.

During the summer of 2017, a CasaPound supporter  an adult male  asked if he had been present in anti-fascist demonstrations in front of the partys offices.

What? he replied, surprised by the question.

Then a fist crashed into his eye. What the f*ck? I didnt do anything, Carlo said.

He decided not to press charges because he did not trust the police department.

Then other people started threatening me, he explains. They said, Well shoot you.'

From that day on, when CasaPound supporters saw him in the street, they hurled insults and threats in his direction. They called me a shitty hippie and a communist f*ggot..

A few months later, when Carlo and his girlfriend were at a pub, a group of seven CasaPound supporters  all adults  called him over to their table. What do you think about fascism? one of them men asked him.

Fearing another attack, Carlo replied simply: Its an important part of our countrys history.

He remembers: I wanted to say, Fascism is sh*tty, but I couldnt.

After a brief exchange, the man grabbed Carlo by the collar, pulled him close and threatened him. When Carlo broke free, a fist was thrown in his direction and narrowly missed his face.

One of the men yelled at him and his girlfriend: You deserve to have c*cks on your face.

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Worried by the prospect of more violence, Carlo has changed his daily routine, avoiding CasaPounds office and hangouts frequented by the partys supporters.

But he insists that he will continue to protest.

Im not scared. Everyone fears being beaten up; but I can get over that because I believe in the [anti-fascist] cause and have my ideals, he says.

I will keep standing on the front line because I must do so.

*Al Jazeera has used a pseudonym to protect the identity of Carlo because he is a minor.
At least five people are killed as authorities crack down on banned demonstrations against President Joseph Kabila.

At least five people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the UN, as authorities cracked down on banned protests against President Joseph Kabila.

Witnesses told news agencies that security forces on Sunday fired live rounds and tear gas in the capital, Kinshasa, to disperse demonstrators demanding an end to Kabilas 17-year rule.

The Catholic church had called for rallies around the country, despite a government ban on all demonstrations since September 2016, when anti-Kabila protests turned violent.

MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission, said at least five people were killed on Sunday in Kinshasa and 33 others injured nationwide. Dozens of people were also reportedly arrested.

I marched today for a simple reason: I want to bring up my children in a country that respects human rights, protester Pascal Kabeya, a 40-year-old market trader, told Reuters news agency where a few hundred had gathered in a suburb of Kinshasa.

A 16-year-old girl died after shots were fired from an armoured vehicle at the entrance to a church in the Kitambo area of the capital, Jean-Baptise Sondji, a former minister and government opponent, told AFP news agency.

A Reuters witness saw police and paramilitaries fire volleys of tear gas and shoot into the air outside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Kinshasa. At least six people were lightly wounded when they were struck by flying tear gas canisters, he told Reuters.

The latest round of anti-government protests on December 31, 2017 turned deadly, with protest organisers saying a dozen people were killed after taking to the streets to demand that Kabila step down.

A lot of people are very frustrated with the political situation in the country and theyre looking more to the church for guidance and leadership, Al Jazeeras Catherine Soi, reporting from Kinshasa, said.

In office since 2001, Kabilas constitutional term ended in December 2016, but he stayed on.

Under an agreement brokered by the Catholic Church, he was allowed to stay in office, provided new elections were held in 2017.

That did not happen, the deal has expired, thats why the Catholic Church leadership is so angry, Soi said.

[Catholic Church leadership are] saying theyre going to continue calling on their faithful to come out in peaceful protests, demanding for electoral justice, demanding for politicians to respect the constitution and also for president Joseph Kabila to peacefully step down.

DRC authorities have said a vote would be held on December 23, 2018. But analysts, as well as Kabilas opponents, accuse him of wanting to stay in power.

Michael Tshibangu, a UK-based political analyst and president of the Association for Development and Democracy in Congo, said in early January the swift and forceful repression of Decembers protests showed how determined [Kabila] is to stay in power.

Everything were seeing today shows that the DRC is going backwards. Kabila is in the process of establishing a dictatorship, Tshibangu told Al Jazeera.

The flare-up in violence has stoked fears that the vast, mineral-rich DRC could slide back into the wars that killed millions in the 1990s, mostly from hunger and disease.
Turkeys prime minister says part of the operation is to establish a 30km safe zone in Syrian enclave of Afrin.

Turkeys prime minister says ground troops have crossed into the Syrian enclave of Afrin as part of an operation against Syrian Kurdish armed group YPG.

In a press conference in Istanbul on Sunday, Binali Yildirim said Turkish forces crossed into the YPG-controlled region in Syria at 08:05 GMT from the Turkish village of Gulbaba.

He said Turkey plans to establish a 30km safe zone in Afrin.

Turkey considers Syrias Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the YPG, terrorist groups with ties to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long fight inside Turkey.

It fears the establishment of a Kurdish corridor along its border.

Turkish news agency Anadolu reported that the Turkish forces were backed by armoured vehicles, special forces and infantry regiments.

They have reportedly advanced 5km inside Afrin.

In a very short time

Confirming the Afrin operation, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he hopes it will be completed in a very short time.

But Erdogan also warned pro-Kurdish opposition supporters in Turkey not to protest against the militarys operation.

Know that if you go out on the streets, authorities are on your necks, he told thousands of supporters in Bursa.

Earlier, Anadolu reported that Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters had advanced towards Afrin in the early hours of Sunday.





The YPG confirmed the advance, saying two villages in Afrins Bilbil district near the Turkish border came under attack.

About 25,000 Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels were joining the Turkish military operation in northern Syria with the goal of recapturing Arab towns and villages held by the YPG, a Syrian rebel commander told Reuters news agency on Sunday.

Major Yasser Abdul Rahim, who is also the commander of Failaq al-Sham, a main FSA rebel group in the operations room of the campaign, said the rebels did not seek to enter the mainly Kurdish city of Afrin but encircle it and expel the YPG.

We have no interest in entering the city only the military targets inside the city and the villages around it. We aim to encircle the city and ensure the militias are evicted. We wont fight in the city as we have no problem with civilians, he said.

A main goal of the military operation was to recapture Tel Rifaat, a town southeast of Afrin, and a string of Arab villages the YPG captured from rebels in February 2016, driving out tens of thousands of inhabitants, Abdul Rahim said.

The task of the Free Syrian Army is first to regain sixteen Arab towns and villages occupied by the foreign militias [YPG] with the help of the Russian air force, Abdul Rahim told Reuters in a phone interview from inside Syria.

The fighting Abdul Rahim was referring to forced at least 150,000 residents of these villages to flee to Azaz.

They are sheltering in camps at the Turkish border and rebels say they have not been allowed to go back to their homes.

Rebels mobilised

As early as Friday, thousands of FSA fighters had already been mobilised in Turkeys Hatay province and Syrian locations east of Afrin.

Turkeys military said on Sunday it targeted at least 153 shelters, hideouts and ammunition depots of the Kurdish armed groups, as well as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in several areas.

But the YPG said that civilian areas were also hit, including Afrins city centre.

Meanwhile, three rockets have been reportedly fired from Syria, hitting four locations in two neighbourhoods in the Turkish province of Kilis.

Anadolu quoted Mehmet Tekinarslan, governor of Kilis, as saying that three people were injured in the attack.

Smoke rises from Syrias Afrin region following the Turkish operation on Saturday [Reuters]

Turkeys military has been hard-pressed to emphasise that only terrorists are being targeted in its latest operation.

On Saturday, Erdogan said the operation in Afrin would be followed by a push in the northern town of Manbij, which the US-backed Kurdish forces captured from ISIL in 2016.

The US has previously armed the Syrian Kurdish YPG, viewing it as the most effective ground force in its fight against the ISIL armed group.

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According to estimates, there are between 8,000 to 10,000 Kurdish fighters in the Afrin area.

Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting near the Syria-Turkey border, said the military and logistical build-up at the border continues.

She also reported hearing intensive shellings, heaving machine gun fire and jets flying over.

Russia, which controls the airspace over Afrin, has withdrawn hundreds of its soldiers deployed near the city before Saturdays operation.
Fresh elections avoided for now as Social Democrats approve negotiations with Merkels conservatives by 56 percent.

Germanys Social Democrats (SPD) have narrowly approved the start of formal coalition negotiations with Angela Merkels Christian Democrats.

At a special congress held in Bonn on Sunday, 362 out of 642 delegates voted to approve a preliminary coalition deal, paving the way for further negotiations and potentially ending the political deadlock that has prevented a new government from being formed since elections took place on September 24.

Martin Schulz, leader of the SPD, called the vote a key moment in the history of our party and warned the CDU/CSU that they now face tough negotiations.

In September, his party achieved its worst election result since Germany became a federal republic in 1949 and many within the SPD think renewing the grand coalition could further weaken the party.

Schulz himself initially rejected the idea of extending his partys coalition with Merkels conservatives but changed his mind after talks between the CDU/CSU, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens collapsed in November.

Up for review

Schulz pledged on Sunday to resist the CSUs demand to cap migrant arrivals at 200,000 a year and promised that any future coalition government would be put up for review after two years.

Merkel welcomed the decision taken by SPD delegates and said that the parties now face a lot of work to form a new government. She called for the talks to be wrapped up by mid-February.

Senior EU figures, too, were pleased with the outcome.

They have been anxiously awaiting the return to action of economic and political heavyweight Germany, hoping to see a government emerge that will unblock key EU reforms.

Very good news for a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe! Martin Selmayr, the chief of staff to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said on Twitter.

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Germanys anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) described the result as undignified, and said the SPD was flying blind into irrelevance.

The far-right party made big gains in Septembers election, becoming Germanys third-biggest political force with 12.6 percent of the vote.

The SPD go-ahead for talks is no guarantee that Merkel will get her fourth term as chancellor.

The Social Democrats 443,000 rank-and-file members will be given the chance to vote on the deal negotiated between the SPD and CDU/CSU.

The leader of the SPDs youth wing, Jusos, was among those who voiced opposition to coalition talks, saying the party should risk going into opposition.

For now, that means being a dwarf for a while so that we can in the future perhaps be a giant again, Kevin Kuehnert said according to German news site Deutsche Welle.

Reporting from Bonn, Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane said that division is what currently describes the state of the SPD.

Yes, this is a victory for Martin Schulz and the party leadership, but at a considerable cost. Fifty-six percent perhaps voted in favour, but that means that 44 percent of the party delegates voted directly against it, he said.

There was some pointed criticism of the sort of leadership style that the current leadership, Mr Schulz and some of his ministerial colleagues, have used in the last few months since the general election.

Coalition talks could start as early as on Monday.
Growing concerns over Rohingya repatriation deal

The repatriation plan, similar to a previous plan from the 1990s, will move refugees to joins thousands of already displaced Rohingya in Myanmar.
Jordanian king meets with Mike Pence in Amman, in a visit that comes after US named Jerusalem as Israeli capital.

A two-state solution is the only possible answer to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Jordans King Abdullah II has told US Vice President Mike Pence in a meeting in Amman.

The king said on Sunday he hoped Pences visit, the second leg of his regional visit, would rebuild trust and confidence after the US decision last month to name Jerusalem as Israels capital.

For us, Jerusalem is key to Muslims and Christians as it is to Jews, said King Abdullah II, calling for a two-state solution along 1967 lines that would name East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state that exists side by side with a secure, recognised Israel.

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It [Jerusalem] is key to peace in the region, and key to enabling Muslims to effectively fight some of the root causes of radicalisation.

King Abdullah II, a staunch US ally, also said the decision by Washington to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem does not come as a result of a comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

For his part, Pence acknowledged the kings role as the custodian of holy sites in Jerusalem.

He also defended US President Donald Trumps Jerusalem decision, but stated that Washington still supports a two-state solution if the parties agree to it.

Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, said, however, that for Palestinians, Pences message about the two-state solution is entirely overshadowed by the US Jerusalem decision.

Trumps move on December 6 sparked anger across Palestine and the wider Arab and Muslim world.

Palestinians also made clear that they did not wish to meet Pence during his trip to the Middle East, reiterating that the US could no longer be involved in the peace process following Trumps decision.

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For many Palestinians, Pence himself is part of the problem.

The shift in US policy with which he was closely associated was welcomed by his evangelical Christian base, many of whom believe the return of the Jews to the Holy Land is a precursor to Jesus second coming.

Pence has an agenda that is extremist, fundamentalist, literalist  [a] Christian absolutist ideology which goes against all the beliefs and commitments of the Arab and Palestinian Christians in particular, and they feel that they have been betrayed by somebody who has been dealing them a tremendous injustice using religion as a justification, said Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Pences visit to Jordan is part of a four-day regional tour, which started on Saturday with a visit to Egypt.

In Cairo, Pence met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to discuss bilateral ties between the two countries.

The two leaders also spoke about ways to eliminate what Sisi called the disease and cancer of terrorism.

Egypt and Jordan are key allies to the US and the only two Arab countries that have diplomatic ties with Israel.

After Jordan, Pence is heading to Israel, where he is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and address the Knesset.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Yanghee Lee says camps in Bangladesh are at risk of disease and landslides.

Humanitarian conditions in camps hosting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are set to worsen in the next few months, a human rights investigator has told Al Jazeera, while also raising concerns about a plan to repatriate the fleeing minority back to Myanmar.

In an interview from Balukhali refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Yanghee Lee, a UN special rapporteur who was banned from visiting Myanmar, said that with Bangladeshs monsoon season approaching, the crammed camps will be witnessing landslides and we may see a huge number of casualties.

Lee also warned of the possibility of an outbreak of diseases that would spread due to heavy rainfall, which may become impossible to contain from spreading elsewhere.

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The UN envoy was to visit Myanmar in January to assess the state of human rights across the country, including in Rakhine state, where a brutal military crackdown has sent more than 650,000 minority Rohingya fleeing into neighbouring Bangladesh.

People fleeing the violence have told of a systematic campaign of mass killings, rape and arson. The UN has described the situation as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

Lee took up the rights monitoring role in 2014, and is required to visit Myanmar two times a year in order to report to the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly.

She was banned last month from conducting her investigation.

Its just not human

In the interview with Al Jazeera, Lee urged the international community to aid in dispersing the overcrowded camps in Bangladesh.

The concentration of people  its just not human.

As part of the repatriation deal signed by the two Asian neighbours in November last year, Bangladesh and Myanmar officials agreed last week on plans to facilitate the return, over the next two years, of those displaced.

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Some 1,550 refugees will be sent back each week, which will add up to approximately 156,000 over a period of two years.

But Lee said the situation in Myanmar is not conducive for refugees to return.

First of all, where would they go back to? Theyve lost their livelihood, theyve lost their crops, theyve lost their fields, she told Al Jazeera.

All the rice now is reportedly being sold elsewhere to other countries. Theyve lost their homes, so the rebuilding process is going to be huge, and the people should not be subjected to living in another camp-like situation.

She also urged that the return of any refugees to their homes be entirely voluntary, stressing there needs to be informed consent  so they will know exactly what they are going back to.

The current Rohingya crisis started in August, when Myanmars army launched a bloody crackdown in response to attacks on border posts by the armed group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

The mainly Muslim minority, living primarily in Rakhine State, is not recognised as an ethnic group in Myanmar, despite having lived there for generations. They have been denied citizenship and are rendered stateless.
Romania: Tens of thousands protest against corruption

Demonstrators brave police and poor weather to protest against law that will make it more difficult to prosecute high-level officials.
Sudan-Egypt border: Tensions rises over disputed region

Conflict over the region has been exacerbated by Sudans support for a Somalian hydroelectric dam that will limit the amount of water that reaches Egypt.
The attack on Kabuls Intercontinental Hotel has left at least five people killed and six others injured.

A marathon deadly siege on a major hotel in Afghanistans capital, Kabul, has ended with the killing of all gunmen who fought off security forces for 16 hours.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the heavily-guarded Intercontinental Hotel in the Bagh-e Bala which left at least 18 civilians dead and 22 wounded.

Dressed in army uniforms and armed with automatic weapons, the attackers stormed the building on Saturday evening.

The assault sparked dramatic scenes, captured by Afghan news channels, as guests climbed down bedsheets tied to balconies to escape, with some losing grip and falling to the ground.

Special forces rushed into the scene to fight the attackers, in a gun battle that continued well into Sunday.

Najib Danish, spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry, told Al Jazeera that four Afghan civilians and 14 foreigners were among those killed. Four attackers were also killed.

Afghan airline company Kam Air said in a statement that some of their employees had been killed and wounded in the attack. The company used the hotel to accommodate its staff.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Twitter that an Ukrainian national was among the dead.

Omar Zakhelwal, Afghanistans ambassador to Pakistan, told Al Jazeera the Afghan counsel general in Pakistans Karachi had been killed in the attack.

We know the fighting went room-to-room, we know that many guests spent terrifying hours overnight hiding in their rooms as the gunmen moved through the hotel.

Officials are inside [the hotel] now to conduct their investigations and to assess whether they will find any more casualties, Al Jazeeras Jennifer Glasse, reporting from Kabul, said.

We know the fighting went room-to-room, we know that many guests spent terrifying hours overnight hiding in their rooms as the gunmen moved through the hotel.

A Taliban spokesperson claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was carried out by five of its members.

Our five fighters, Bilal, Ayubi, Khalil, Bashar and Abid entered the building and conducted the operation that resulted in the death of 10 foreigners and Afghan government officials, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, told Al Jazeera.

The Afghan government, however, said the attack had been carried out by four attackers.

We recovered the bodies of at least four attackers, said Danish.

A witness, Abdulhaq Karimi, told Al Jazeera that several bodies of security guards could be seen close to the gate of the hotel.

The interior ministry said a private firm had assumed responsibility for the security of the hotel around three weeks prior to the attack.

Authorities launched an investigation to find out how the attackers had managed to enter the heavily-protected building that is frequented by government officials and foreigners.

The fighters can manage to attack anywhere they like. Nowhere is safe, said Karimi, the eye witness.

Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul killing at least six people, including a foreigner, in a twelve-hour fight with security forces [Shah Marai/AFP]

The attack came days after the US embassy in Kabul had issued a warning that armed groups may be planning attacks against hotels in the city.

This was the second time the Intercontinental hotel came under attack.

In 2011, an overnight assault by Taliban fighters and suicide bombers on the hotel ended with security forces killing the attackers and the deaths of at least 10 civilians.

The siege was just one of several attacks on Sunday.

In a village in the northern province of Balkh, Taliban fighters raided houses in the middle of the night, pulling police officers from their homes and shooting them dead.

At least 18 officers were killed, deputy police chief Abdul Raziq Qaderi told local reporters.

In western Herat province, at least eight civilians were killed when a car hit a Taliban-planted roadside mine, officials said.
US urges restraint and France calls Security Council meeting as showdown looms between Turkish troops and Kurdish YPG.

The US has urged Turkey to exercise restraint in its ongoing military operation in northern Syria as Turkish ground forces pressed ahead against the Syrian Kurdish group YPG in the enclave of Afrin.

Washington considers the YPG its closest ally in Syria, viewing it as the most effective ground force in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

Heather Nauert, spokeswoman for the US Department of State, said on Sunday that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with his Turkish and Russian counterparts on the phone and called against an escalation in fighting in northern Syria.

We urge Turkey to exercise restraint and ensure that its military operations remain limited in scope and duration and scrupulous to avoid civilian casualties, said Nauert.

The statement on Sunday came just hours after Turkey said its ground troops had crossed into northern Syria.

Ankara considers Syrias Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the YPG, terrorist groups with ties to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long fight inside Turkey.

It fears the establishment of a Kurdish corridor along its border.

Speaking in Istanbul earlier on Sunday, Binali Yildirim, Turkeys prime minister, said Turkish forces had crossed into the YPG-controlled region in Syria at 08:05 GMT from the Turkish village of Gulbaba.

He said Turkey intended to establish a 30km safe zone in Afrin.

Throughout the day weve heard the sound of jets in the sky, intense artillery and machine-gun fire, Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from the Turkey-Syria border, said.

The Turkish army has said it is targeting only terrorist positions and utmost importance was being given to not harm civilians.

Well-trained force

According to estimates, there are between 8,000 to 10,000 Kurdish YPG fighters in the Afrin area.

Turkey says it will continue its operation until it has pushed the YPG away from its borders, our correspondent said.

No one knows how long this will take or what the implications may be.

The YPG are extremely well trained. They know the terrain in Afrin but Turkey has superiority in the skies, and that is a huge advantage.

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Reacting to Turkeys ground advance into Syria, France called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Ghouta, Idlib, Afrin  France asks for an urgent meeting of the Security Council, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French foreign minister, said on Twitter on Sunday.

Le Drian said he had talked to his Turkish counterpart during the day and called for a complete ceasefire in Syria.

Frances request for the emergency meeting comes one day after the Turkish operation against the YPG began.

On Saturday, Turkish jets carried out air raids against targets in Afrin.

Russia, which controls the airspace over Afrin, withdrew hundreds of its soldiers deployed near the city before Turkeys operation began.

Several diplomats and mission chiefs of the permanent members of Security Council  the US, Russia, the UK, France and China  were brought up to speed on the developments in Afrin.

Erdogans warning

For his part, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he hoped the military operation would be completed in a very short time.

But Erdogan also warned pro-Kurdish opposition supporters in Turkey not to hold protests.

Know that if you go out on the streets, authorities are on your necks, he told thousands of supporters in Bursa.





This is a national struggle, and we will crush anyone who opposes our national struggle.

Earlier, Anadolu news agency reported that Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters had advanced towards Afrin in the early hours of Sunday, supported by Turkish troops.

The YPG confirmed the advance, saying two villages in Afrins Bilbil district near the Turkish border had come under attack.

About 25,000 Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels were joining the Turkish military operation in northern Syria with the goal of recapturing Arab towns and villages held by the YPG, a Syrian rebel commander told Reuters news agency on Sunday.

As early as Friday, thousands of FSA fighters had already been mobilised in Turkeys Hatay province and Syrian locations east of Afrin.

Major Yasser Abdul Rahim, who is also the commander of Failaq al-Sham, a main FSA rebel group in the operations room of the campaign, said the rebels did not seek to enter Afrin but encircle it and expel the YPG.

We have no interest in entering the city only the military targets inside the city and the villages around it. We aim to encircle the city and ensure the militias are evicted. We wont fight in the city as we have no problem with civilians, he said.

A main goal of the military operation was to recapture Tel Rifaat, a town southeast of Afrin, and a string of Arab villages the YPG captured from rebels in February 2016, driving out tens of thousands of inhabitants, Abdul Rahim said.

Smoke rises from Syrias Afrin region following the Turkish operation on Saturday [Reuters]

The task of the Free Syrian Army is first to regain sixteen Arab towns and villages occupied by the foreign militias [YPG] with the help of the Russian air force, Abdul Rahim told Reuters in a phone interview from inside Syria.

The fighting Abdul Rahim was referring to forced at least 150,000 residents of these villages to flee to Azaz.

They are sheltering in camps at the Turkish border and rebels say they have not been allowed to go back to their homes.

On Saturday, Erdogan said the operation in Afrin would be followed by a push in the northern town of Manbij, which the US-backed Kurdish forces captured from ISIL in 2016.
International aid organisation says deaths in Yemen likely to rise as bacterial disease spreads.

Deaths caused by diphtheria, a serious bacterial infection, are likely to rise in Yemen if a blockade imposed by a Saudi-led military coalition is not lifted, a major international charity has warned.

Save the Children said in a statement on Sunday that minors in the war-torn country were the most affected in what it called the worst diphtheria outbreak for a generation.

Diphtheria is a contagious infection that targets the bodys respiratory system. Though preventable by vaccines, it can lead to breathing problems, heart failure and death.

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Since August, the aid organisation said it recorded at least 52 deaths from the disease, the majority of which were children under the age of 15.

Some 716 others were infected during the same time period.

Theres so little help right now that families are carrying their children for hundreds of miles to get to us, Mariam Aldogani, the groups field coordinator in the port city of Hudaida, said.

But theyre arriving too late and infecting people on the way.

According to Save the Children, the outbreak has hit the western provinces of Ibb and Hudaida the hardest.

Apart from severe food and fuel shortages, Yemens population is already facing an ongoing widespread cholera epidemic, described as the worlds worst, and an outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea.

The United Nations has said that spread of disease is man-made, referring to the war between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition that is fighting them.

Yemen has been torn apart by conflict since 2014, when Houthi rebels, allied with troops loyal to the late President Ali Abdullah Saleh, captured large expanses of the country, including the capital, 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.

The Saudi-led coalition closed air, land and sea access to the Arabian peninsula country for all humanitarian workers and organisations on November 6, saying the blockade would stop arms from reaching Houthi rebels.

The blockade was eased weeks later, but many warned that the move did not go far enough, including aid and human rights groups who warned that the spectre of mass famine would continue to loom over the impoverished country

The UN says that more than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which has also displaced more than three million.
During 1940, three of the most significant Zionist leaders in the world  Chaim Weizmann, Vladimir Jabotinsky, and David Ben Gurion , all visited the United States , hoping to gain a measure of American Jewish support or US government support for the creation of a Jewish army to help fight the Nazis. Rick Richman's new book, Racing Against History , provides an interesting and very carefully researched history of these visits, the leaders' goals, what they accomplished, and what prevented greater success. Richman's book is a fascinating look at a moment in time, different seemingly from our own, but with some of the same issues.

Many fewer people are aware today of Jabotinsky than of Weizmann or Ben Gurion. Richman provides an illuminating portrait of this exceptional Jewish leader and his work, which will serve as an introduction for many. Nearly 40 years after Jabotinsky's death, Menachem Begin became the first Israeli Prime Minister whose politics were rooted in his vision.

In World War 1, the British had allowed the creation of a Jewish legion, 15,000 strong, that had fought on their side in various places, with Jabotinsky having a leadership military role. Weizmann, a highly respected British chemist with many British government contacts, parlayed the Jewish help for Britain in the war to gain support for creation of a Jewish homeland in historic Palestine, laid out in the Balfour Declaration, and eventually leading to the British mandate for Palestine between the wars.

The visits to America in 1940 were designed in part to get American help to change British policy in Palestine, which had shut the door on Jewish migration, in defiance of their mandate to allow Jewish settlement of the land in Palestine. This was an urgent goal given the enormous and growing number of Jewish refugees in Europe following the invasion of Poland in September,1939 by the Germans and the Soviet Union, and the collapse in the spring of 1940 of a number of Western European countries with sizable Jewish populations of their own  the Netherlands, and France, among them. Already, the Jewish communities of Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia were dealing with severe discrimination and worse following the Nazis taking control, each in the 1930s. The Zionist leaders hoped that after the war, the Jewish contribution to the war effort would enhance the chances for the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, as promised in the Balfour Declaration.

The United States was on the sidelines of World War 2 throughout the year 1940, with minimal support provided to Great Britain, the last of the democratic holdouts after the French capitulation in June 1940. Most Americans, most Jewish Americans, and an overwhelmingly majority in the Congress, were wary of getting involved in the war in Europe. In the case of many Jewish Americans, they were reluctant to appear as warmongers, making special pleas for their beleaguered religious brothers and sisters abroad, thereby risking American lives and treasure in another conflict. While the supply of war material to Britain grew in 1941, it took the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941 to awaken Americans to the catastrophe already underway across the oceans.

The visits to America by the three Jewish leaders were uncoordinated, and never overlapped. In retrospect, they were a failure, though they did create much more interest in Zionism in America. Jabotinsky held public rallies with large enthusiastic crowds, and was by far the most direct about the enormous threat to the world's second largest Jewish community in Poland. The dislocation was particularly severe in the German zone of occupation, where the brutal anti- Semitism of the Nazis was on full display. The Russians treated everyone badly, but Jews were not a target in quite the same way. Jabotinsky had warned of the severe danger for Jews in Eastern Europe before the war started. As Hitler built his power, his expansionist desires became obvious, and other Eastern European countries adopted similar fascist leadership. Jabotinsky talked of the need for more than a million or even several million Jews to be absorbed in Palestine. While the threat to the Jews grew, Britain, catering to the Arabs, adopted new restrictions on Jewish emigration to Palestine with its issuance of a white paper, which Weizmann fought to no avail.

The Holocaust historian Raul Hilberg estimated that by the end of 1940, fewer than 100,000 of Europe's Jews (out of a population of 9 million), had already perished. In the next two years, the toll would be horrific  about 4 million murdered, over two thirds of that number in 1942, the first year in which the United States was fully engaged in the war. The German invasion of Russia in June 1941 led to the most intense period of Jew killing, utilizing both einsatzgruppen gunmen and various means of slaughter in the death camps, from gas to starvation.

Could the visits of the Zionist leaders to America have led to actions which prevented or minimized the enormity of the destruction of Europe's Jews by the Nazis? This seems highly unlikely in one sense, given that most of the murdered Jews were located deep in Eastern Europe, where neither the British nor Americans had much chance to influence events on the ground in 1941 and 1942. However, had the British been more welcoming of Jews to Palestine, or America to Jewish immigration in 1940 and the 1930s, there is no real argument that many more could have been saved among those willing to leave.

The failure of the Zionist leaders to influence either American or British policy is not surprising. The three leaders were at odds with each other. Ben Gurion, the leader of the pre-state Jewish community in Palestine, and a committed socialist, headed the Labor Zionist movement. He and Jabotinsky had not communicated with each other for years. The Zionist Organization of America, was a rival of Jabotinsky's New Zionist Organization. The ZOA largely boycotted Jabotinsky's New York City rallies. Jabotinsky's more public calls for actions contrasted with Weizmann's quiet diplomacy.

Weizmann, who was the first of the leaders to visit the United States, and had little expectation that America or American Jews would be able to do much to influence the British.

Jabotinsky sounded the loudest alarm about the fate of European Jews and created the greatest stir, but his sudden death from a heart attack in upstate New York in early August 1940, in the middle of his American trip, seemed to sap the energy of the movement he was creating.

Ben Gurion seemed to alienate most American Jews he met with on his trip, the final of the three visits.

Jabotinsky thought Zionism's quest for the establishment of a Jewish state, was a singular goal, not a socialist paradise in Palestine, a goal Ben Gurion supported.

In 1940, FDR was planning to run for a third term, something no former President had ever done before. The eventual Republican nominee, Wendell Willkie, a businessman, warned that Roosevelt would take the nation to war if re-elected. The race was expected to be much closer than the first two Roosevelt victories, and FDR, a consummate and cautious candidate, was reluctant to allow Willkie to establish much space from Roosevelt as the peace candidate. Jewish Americans were overwhelmingly Democrats, and big fans of Roosevelt, and many in the Jewish leadership, were hesitant about putting Roosevelt in a difficult position by lobbying for anything connected to the war effort. As for Jewish immigration to America, that door had been largely shut in 1924 with the immigration act passed that year, five years before the Great Depression. Now with millions of Americans out of work, and widespread poverty, there was little sympathy among Americans for reopening the immigration door to anyone and creating more competition for the few jobs to be had.. There was also open and broad based public anti-Semitism on radio and in newspapers, in the corporate world, and in the Roosevelt administration itself and among members of Congress.

Roosevelt proved himself generally uninterested in the plight of European Jews until the last year of the war, when assistance was provided to the remains of the Hungarian Jewish community, one of Europe's largest. His successor as President, Harry Truman, took decisive action, recognizing Israel in 1948, the day it declared itself a new nation. That action was to a large extent due to the efforts of Chaim Weizmann to convince Truman to support the Jewish state, after a long time Jewish friend of Truman's from Missouri, Eddie Jacobson, had facilitated a meeting between the two.

In the end, Jabotinsky was the most prescient about the threat to the Jews of Europe, the most clearheaded about a Jewish army and the most inspiring of the three. Weizmann had a major role in two of the key formative moments in the creation of a Jewish state: getting the Balfour Declaration and gaining American recognition of the new state of Israel. Ben Gurion led the Jews of Palestine single-mindedly on the path to nationhood and in the war of independence and for years after.

In 1940, Jews were almost 5 million in number in America, about 4% of the population, double their share today. But their political influence was not great; there were only a handful of Jewish members of Congress and Zionism was not a cause for many. And Jews were divided and at each other's throats, fighting over policy and power in the community. It was not a surprise, given the lack of coordination among the three visitors to America accompanied by the divided state of the American Jewish community, that an America reluctant to enter the European war would show much interest in a Jewish army to fight overseas, no matter how it was organized and staffed.

Today, the Jewish community and the state of Israel face different threats, but some things remain the same. Most Jews in America are still on the left politically and will rally behind Democrats, whether or not their policies are supportive of Israel and a close relationship between the two countries, or other Jewish causes. Different issues than Israel matter more to most Jews, just as in 1940.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the leader of the Reform movement, the largest denomination among American Jews, recently criticized President Trump's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, Israel's capital for nearly 70 years , even though Congress had overwhelmingly passed legislation in 1995 on a bipartisan basis directing such a move. Jacobs apparently could only support such a move if it were undertaken by a Democrat.

Naturally, Jacobs and many reform members, and most Jewish members of the Senate and House of Representatives, supported President Obama's Iran nuclear deal, and are reluctant to criticize it today. Some have also been passive in showing support for Iranian demonstrators on the streets, though it is obvious that the nuclear deal did not improve conditions for Iranians, but merely funded more extensive international aggression by Iran and its proxy armies, and greater theft by the Iranian leadership and its Revolutionary Guard.

It is clear that the Zionist leaders in 1940 understood correctly that the Jewish future depended on having one's own state. Had Israel existed before World War 2, many European Jews would have been saved. Israel now has a larger Jewish community than the United States, with the highest birth rate among the Western democracies. The nation has a strong economy, has become a technology powerhouse, and maintains a respected military capability.

The push for a Jewish army to fight the Nazis did not succeed, except for a very small operation in 1944 by one 5,000-member brigade which fought with the British in Italy. It was certainly not that effort that led to the creation of Israel, and even a much larger operation, such as Jabotinsky envisioned: an over 100,000-member Jewish army. Even that would still have been only a tiny percentage of the total combat forces on the allied side in the war.

The news about the nature and extent of the Holocaust and the large displaced Jewish population in Europe at the end of the war made more people and governments sympathetic to a Jewish state. That, plus the low level war between Jews and Arabs in Palestine and between each group and the British, finally led to the partition resolution, and Britain's abandonment of Palestine in 1948. It was only then that a Jewish army could fight for Palestine, which they did successfully, to create a new State of Israel.
What are the basic facts about climate that people need to know? Four questions can aid in the understanding of this complicated topic.

As much of America remains frigid, media headlines shout far and wide that catastrophic man-made climate change is to blame. But is it true?

First, is the Earth warming?

Second, if it is, what is causing the warming?

Third, assuming that CO2 is causing the Earth to warm, what is the cost of mitigating its impact?

And fourth, if CO2 has little or no impact on the Earth's temperature, can anything good come from future increases of CO2?

So is the Earth warming? Yes! The Earth is warming, and it has been for over 150 years as the world emerges from the Little Ice Age. Atmospheric CO2 has also been increasing since WWI.

What causes the warming? That is a matter of intense debate.

In the 1980s, meteorologists observed that the Earth's temperature was increasing at the same time as atmospheric CO2 concentration was rising.

A group at NASA concluded that CO2 is driving the warming. They developed a numerical model of the atmosphere that projected an alarming rise in the Earth's temperature and made public announcements of an impending disaster. All the alarmist statements from the 1980s until today are based on numerical models.

But beginning in 1998, the Earth's temperature plateaued (currently referred to as the "pause") while CO2 levels continued to spiral upward. This caused a number of scientists outside the "alarmist" community to undertake an in-depth review of what has become a serious controversy.

These "skeptics" are convinced that meteorological data overwhelmingly show that CO2 is not a major factor in the global temperature. Their belief is based on three primary reasons.

First, the pause has lasted for nearly twenty years, while atmospheric concentration of CO2 continues to rise. Second, there is a poor correlation between CO2 and the Earth's temperature, as evidenced by the current pause and the fact that what correlations exist often show that temperature changes before CO2 rather than vice versa. And third, failure of the numerical models, which predict double and triple the warming seen in real-world observations, suggests that the CO2 terms in the models are wrong.

Nevertheless, assuming that the alarmists are right and CO2 is causing global warming, what would be the cost to mitigate warming driven by CO2?

This brings us to the meeting of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris in December 2015, when 194 nations agreed to reduce CO2 emissions by unrealistic amounts.

It was recognized that developing nations would need financial help to achieve their goals. The conference agreed to establish a "Green Climate Fund" that would be distributed to developing nations. The goal was to have $100 billion in this fund by 2020. Of the 194 countries, 46 agreed to be donor nations, which means there would be almost 150 receiver nations.

At the meeting, the 46 donor nations made an initial pledge of $10 billion, with 90% coming from six countries: England, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United States, with the U.S. carrying the heavy load of $3 billion. It was agreed that pledges would be paid in two years. Yet, two years later, only $3.4 billion has been collected, with over one fourth of it from the U.S.

In 2017, however, President Trump announced that the U.S. would pull out of the agreement. If we were to rejoin the Paris agreement, we would have to pay over $2 billion immediately to satisfy our pledge, and that would only be the beginning, because the goal is to have $100 billion in the "Green Climate Fund" by 2020. Without billions of dollars from the U.S., the Paris Agreement is doomed.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates that it will cost the world $7.4 trillion by 2040, and Bjrn Lomborg estimates that it will cost from $70 to $140 trillion by 2100 if all nations comply with the Paris Agreement.

In addition, there have been billions of dollars spent domestically on global warming. The Capital Research Center estimated the United States spent $166 billion on global warming from 19932014, and the budgets for 20152017 were around $20 billion per year.

What does all this money buy us? Estimates assuming that CO2's warming effect is large range to as much as a 1.5-degree centigrade reduction in global average temperature at the end of this century. But the most credible figure, generously based on the IPCC's own assumptions of CO2's warming effect, seems to be under 0.2 degrees centigrade. That is a lot of money for an insignificant result.

Finally, if the skeptics are right, and CO2 is not a major factor in the Earth's temperature, warming prevented by the Paris agreement would be even less, though the costs would remain the same.

Meanwhile, can anything good come from expected future increases of CO2? The answer is a resounding yes!

We have known for years that CO2 enhances plant growth. Over 1,000 scientific studies on a variety of plants have documented this growth, but only recently has there been an attempt to put a monetary value on the increases.

Dr. Craig Idso, in a fascinating investigation, used the results of these studies to determine the growth rate of 45 plants for the period 19612011. These plants produce 95% of the food for the world's population. He then converted this growth into a dollar value. For the fifty-year period ending in 2011, growth of plants by CO2 resulted in an increase of $3.2 trillion for the world's agricultural community.

Dr. Idso then projected these results forward to 2050, assuming that CO2 would continue to increase at the current rate. The world could realize an astounding $9.8-trillion additional bonus!

The great news is that it costs nothing to achieve this goal. All we have to do is continue using fossil fuels at today's rate.

In summary, the alarmists' policies will cost trillions of dollars in a largely ineffectual attempt to mitigate warming, with no proof that mitigation is necessary and with current attempts proven to be utterly dismal. The skeptics' solution will result in a return of trillions of dollars in increased agricultural growth and, more important, will allow developing countries to continue using abundant, affordable, and reliable energy sources  namely, fossil fuels  to rise and stay out of poverty and avoid the high rates of disease and premature death that invariably accompany it.

Neil L. Frank, Ph.D. (meteorology), a fellow of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, was director of the National Hurricane Center (1974-1987) and chief meteorologist for KHOU-TV, Houston (1987-2007). In retirement, he continues studies on hurricanes and climate change.
Social Security is, barring an immediate and massive overhaul in how benefits are paid to the back-end of the Baby Boomer generation and beyond, on its deathbed. There can be no mistaking that fact.

Since 2010, [Social Security] has been running at a cash-flow deficit  meaning that the Social Security payroll taxes the government collects aren't enough to cover the benefits it's obliged to pay out. That should have been a signal that the time had come to look at reform. Instead, we've spent the last seven years ignoring the problem. To get by, the program started tapping into assets set aside beginning in the 1980s for rainy days. Prior to 2010, the program collected more in payroll taxes than was needed to collect benefits at the time. The leftovers were "invested" in Treasury bonds through the Old-Age Trust Fund, which is now being drawn down.

The 2010 mark for this cash-flow deficit didn't occur willy-nilly. It could be argued that our government hastened, or at the very least exacerbated, this cash-flow deficit with its "payroll tax holiday," a bipartisan effort instituted in late 2009 that persisted until 2013. This political maneuver slashed payroll taxes by roughly one third, from 6.2% to 4.2%. The uncollected 2% (not peanuts in a country the size of ours) happens to coincide with the moment in time in which the government's payroll tax receipts couldn't cover its Social Security liabilities. The cost of this "payroll tax holiday" is estimated to be $240 billion in tax revenue, some of which, at least, would have otherwise gone to pay out Social Security's beneficiaries. Much of this $240 billion in uncollected revenue necessarily became issued federal debt.

I wrote in 2013, and I still maintain, that ending the payroll tax holiday was a sober and responsible measure to correct an irresponsible and stupid attempt at economic stimulus. But it didn't really matter after the fact. That 2% was reinstated in 2013, and in 2014, Social Security still suffered a $39-billion deficit in its annual balance sheet when you consider receipts versus liabilities.

The circumstances appear dire when framed this way, to be sure. But advocates of Social Security argue that the manner in which I and Veronique de Rugy describe the "deficit" between receipts and liabilities is not entirely accurate, because the federal government's interest payments to Social Security currently cover that discrepancy, and amount to trillions in "reserves."

And interestingly, despite the intent, the circumstances appear just as dire when framed that way.

For example, Matthew Frankel argues at USA Today that "there are several trillion dollars in Social Security's reserves," but he admits freely that those reserves are not "just a pile of cash sitting in a warehouse somewhere." The Social Security Administration "invests the money it has in special U.S. government bonds. This is a win-win for the government and for Social Security. The government gets to use Social Security's excess cash to fund its operations, and Social Security generates "extra income" via interest paid by the Treasury.

In other words, the U.S. Treasury "owes" the Social Security Administration interest on its purchased debt, as well as the principal that it "lent" to the Treasury throughout the years. These  the principal and the interest  are the "trillions" of reserves that Frankel cites. But the U.S. Treasury is currently running at a massive deficit and is over $20 trillion in debt, so, for it to repay the principal of the debt and the interest owed to the Social Security Administration when payroll tax receipts fail to meet Social Security's obligations, the Treasury has to borrow more money to pay those obligations.

And how do they do that? By issuing more federal debt, of course. Billions upon billions of debt.

This is what Veronique de Rugy means when citing that the unused annual receipts from payroll taxes were "invested" in Treasury bonds over the years. The quotation marks are sarcastic emphasis meant to highlight that this is not "investment," but rather the perpetual issuance of government debt to pay for other government debt.

Excess payments to Social Security have never been placed in an "investment." It is the financial equivalent of opening a second credit account to pay off a longstanding debt for a credit account that had been building for decades. It's simply more debt, with a curiously devised bookkeeping mechanism hiding the fact that the creditor and the debtor are one in the same.

The government cannot, and could never, "invest" excess payroll taxes, and to suggest that the government does so is only clever semantics. The Social Security Administration can, by law, only buy new debt from the Treasury with any excess revenue. As of today, the Treasury has long since used the money it has borrowed from the excess collection of taxes for Social Security payments over the years and is now relegated to borrowing more money in order to pay its obligations when payroll tax collection falls short of Social Security liability.

In the plainest terms, the government has borrowed money from itself for decades while promising interest payments and principal repayment to itself. It spent the money it has borrowed for its own separate purposes, and is now borrowing more money in order to pay itself back the principal and interest it owes.

Government was fine with this arrangement in decades past. In fact, government couldn't have been happier about it. It was free money in exchange for IOUs that some other schmucks (i.e., me, my kids, and my grandkids) will have to pay for. But now the reckoning for Social Security is nigh. The debt is coming due, and the fiscal irresponsibility of the past is becoming ever more exposed.

No one has a perfect answer about what to do to fix Social Security. When something is so fundamentally broken, so fiscally incomprehensible, so distant from the intended form of governance among a free people, and when such a thing has existed for so long, how might one seek to fix it?

Perhaps the only answer is to undo its wrongs to the greatest extent possible. Veronique de Rugy has a fairly simple suggestion:

Congress should make it easier for all Americans to save. One way to do that is through the creation of Universal Savings Accounts, or vehicles that allow people to invest money without all the complicated rules that now apply to IRAs and 401(k)s. In addition, Congress should boost the maximum contributions people can make to Health Savings Accounts, so that more Americans can afford the medical expenses most of us inevitably incur in our old age. More broadly, Congress should shift away from Social Security into a "funded" system based on real savings, much as Australia and others have done. The libertarian economist Daniel J. Mitchell notes that, starting in the '80s and '90s, that country has required workers to put 9.5 percent of their income into a personal retirement account. As a safety net  but not as a default  Australians with limited savings are guaranteed a basic pension. That program has generated big increases in wealth. Meanwhile, Social Security has generated big deficits and discouraged private saving. Who would you have emulate the other?

Who, indeed?

We should do all we can reasonably do, while respectfully considering the contributions of and obligations toward existing beneficiaries, to allow working Americans the means to invest as they would have their own money be invested, rather than force them to continually and increasingly provide life support to this dying government slush fund. That's as simple a start as we might find.

William Sullivan blogs at Political Palaver, and can be followed on Twitter.
Based on its stock price and the competition among cities to subsidize its planned new second headquarters, a lot of people seem to think that Amazon does everything right. But based on this report by Hayley Peterson in Business Insider, the halo is slipping from its perch atop Jeff Bezoss head.

Many customers are blaming Amazon, which bought Whole Foods in August for $13.7 billion. Analysts have speculated that the shortages could be due to a spike in shopper traffic in the wake of the acquisition. But Whole Foods employees say the problems began before the acquisition. They blame the shortages on a buying system called order-to-shelf that Whole Foods implemented across its stores early last year. Business Insider spoke with seven Whole Foods employees, from cashiers to department managers, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. Order-to-shelf, or OTS, is a tightly controlled system designed to streamline and track product purchases, displays, storage, and sales. Under OTS, employees largely bypass stock rooms and carry products directly from delivery trucks to store shelves. It is meant to help Whole Foods cut costs, better manage inventory, reduce waste, and clear out storage.

Pictures accompanying the article remind one of Venezuela:

Boston (photo via Business Insider)

Hartford (photo via Business Insider)

Actually, the OTS system  introduced just before the acquisition of Whole Foods by Amazon  is a variant of the Just-in-time (JIT) inventory management system pioneered by Toyota and now widely used in manufacturing in Japan and elsewhere. Because I spent a couple of decades consulting in the auto industry and had sequential multi-year engagements with two of the worlds biggest companies in the industry, I am rather familiar with this system, how it works, and especially with the management disciplines necessary to make it work well.

The basic strategy is to avoid build-up of inventory at the factory (or supermarket) level by making a tightly-linked system where new parts supply(or food) is delivered as it is used (or sold). First and foremost, it requires suppliers to build the capacity to make frequent deliveries, and to be immediately responsive as the factory-floor (or supermarket shelf) inventory drops to a level requiring re-stocking. It also requires the factory-floor (or supermarket) personnel to be knowledgeable and alert -- and in essence be responsible for inventory. They become critical elements of the management system, replacing back-office personnel who normally would have cut the orders to suppliers.

In the auto industry, this often results in parts suppliers building their own factories very close to the final assembly plants. This is one big reason why Alabama is celebrating the news of a massive $1.6 billion Toyota-Mazda auto assembly plant in Huntsville. Parts suppliers will attracted to the area to be able to supply parts on a JIT basis  sometimes even making hourly deliveries -- multiplying the number of jobs there beyond the 4,000 workers expected to work directly for the plant. In Japan, employees of suppliers sometimes work inside the final assembly plant. The level of trust required is enormous. This means that the relationships tend to be very stable over time, and often include some level of shared ownership (called keiretsu in Japan) linking the suppliers to their customer.

The situation of a supermarket chain is very, very different from auto manufacturing, making it much harder to apply such a system. Fresh produce varies with the weather, so its supply cannot be reliably planned to be as responsive as spark plugs or bumpers. It is also not of uniform quality, requiring judgment calls to be made on which products to buy and display and which to pass up, or discount.

Wages for floor staff in supermarkets generally do not approach the levels of the auto manufacturing industry, with the consequence that there is a lot more staff turnover. The most essential ingredient in making a JIT (or OTS) system work is staff training and buy-in to the responsibilities. The floor-level workers have to be smart, reliable, and very well-trained. The vendors, too, have to be absolutely on the ball, ready to do handstands or whatever else required to make sure that their customer gets the supplies when they need them, not the day after.

The threat of an automobile assembly line shutting down because a part has stocked out is so visible, so financially consequential, and so embarrassing that incredible effort will be expended to make sure it doesnt happen. Running out of Romaine lettuce at a Whole Foods is also embarrassing, but the entire store does not shut down.

There actually are good reasons for Whole Foods to want to have an OTS system. Fresh food rots when it languishes in a store room, unlike spark plugs or bumpers. But rushing into a system without adequate preparation inside and outside the company (getting vendors to change their ways) is a recipe for disaster. It requires consistent and energetic support from the top. The fact that this program was being implemented at the same time Amazon took over Whole Foods was a danger sign.

Given the fact that Amazon manages many huge distribution facilities all over the country, no doubt Amazon has great inventory management skills of its own. But applying them to a system where the supply is by nature erratic, owing to weather and other factors, was risky. I cant say that it is an impossible task, but maybe the difficulties were greatly underestimated.
In 1832, South Carolina passed the Nullification Ordinance that stated that the Federal Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 were "null, void, and no law, nor binding upon this State, its officers[,] or [its] citizens."

California is resurrecting the discredited Nullification Doctrine that states can nullify and not obey federal law they do not agree with.

The basis for the nullification theory is that the federal union was a compact of sovereign states. The federal government was the states' agent with specified, delegated powers. Many agree that the Constitution gave the federal government only specific enumerated powers, and not a general mandate to pass laws. But the Nullification Doctrine goes further to state that the states have authority to determine when the federal government exceeded its powers and that the states can declare acts to be "void and of no force" in their jurisdictions.

It is legitimate and within our constitutional framework for a state or other local government, or any person, to challenge in federal court any federal law as unconstitutional. It is not within our system that a state or any person can decide which federal law to obey. But that is the reasoning of extremists such as those who refuse to pay income tax, or sanctuary cities and states that refuse to obey federal immigration laws. This is distinguishable from those who choose civil disobedience to protest a law they view as unjust and agree to bear the consequences of civil disobedience.

California passed an "Immigration Worker Protection Act," effective January 1, 2018, which is based on the Nullification Doctrine. The act requires the federal government to comply with California law for California employers to detain "employees," such as obtaining a warrant and notifying the employees of an audit to verify employment status.

The key points of the act are that the federal government must:

Ask for a warrant or subpoena before granting ICE access to a worksite or employer documents or information.

Notify employees before an audit of employee records such as I-9 forms, by hand if possible, within 72 hours of receiving notice of the inspection. If the employee is unionized, written notice must simultaneously be provided to the collective bargaining representative.

Provide employees with a copy of the inspection results, by hand if possible, within 72 hours of receipt[.]

Employers will be prohibited from re-verifying the employment eligibility of a current employee unless specifically ordered to do so by federal law[.] The notice must be hand-delivered if possible[;] otherwise[,] use mail or email.

The notice must be hand-delivered if possible; otherwise, use mail or email.

This act is aimed at protecting illegal aliens  or, as California refers to them, "immigration workers" and "undocumented immigrants"  from enforcement of federal immigration laws.

This act clearly violates the supremacy clause of our Constitution. California is legislating the conditions under which federal immigration laws can be enforced in the state, yet immigration policy is solely within the jurisdiction of the federal government. This act is similar to a state passing a law specifying how the IRS can examine taxpayers, or how OSHA agents may inspect workplaces, or how the FBI may question resident of a state.

In 2010, Arizona passed a law requiring state and local police to investigate the immigration status of anyone they reasonably suspected of being an illegal alien. The Obama DOJ promptlysued Arizona. Attorney General Holder stated: "Seeking to address the issue through a patchwork of state laws will only create more problems than it solves[.]"

In Arizona, et al. v. United States (2012), the Supreme Court allowed the police to check on immigration status but struck down most of the law because of where it conflicts with federal law. It struck down the sections that added criminal penalties where there were no federal criminal penalties. It re-affirmed these basic principles:

The government of the United States has broad, undoubted power over the subject of immigration and the status of aliens. Unlawful entry and unlawful reentry into the country are federal offenses. Once here, aliens are required to register with the federal government and to carry proof of status on their persons. Failure to do so is a federal misdemeanor. ICE officers are responsible "for the identification, apprehension, and removal" of illegal aliens from the United States. The federal government has occupied the field of alien registration. This means federal law preempts state law.

Arizona enacted stricter laws than the federal laws because of the effects in Arizona of illegal immigration and the desire to protect Arizona residents. Arizona's law was consistent with the federal immigration laws in preventing illegal immigration and locating and deporting those who violate federal immigration laws. Arizona's laws should have been upheld in their entirety, because they did not weaken federal immigration laws, but added state procedures to enforce federal immigration laws.

But California is weakening federal law because it gives illegal immigrant workers greater protection than under federal law for the apprehension and removal of illegals. The California law is not consistent with the purpose and premise of the federal immigration laws because California law imposes restrictions on how federal officials can enforce federal immigration laws in California.

For example, the California attorney general, Xavier Becerra, announced that California will prosecute and fine employers who cooperate with federal ICE officials and do not follow the California restrictions effective January 1, 2018:

It's important, given these rumors that are out there, to let people know  more specifically today, employers  that if they voluntarily start giving up information about their employees or access to their employees in ways that contradict our new California laws, they subject themselves to actions by my office. We will prosecute those who violate the law.

Seems as if Becerra wants a confrontation with President Trump and the federal government. He must have ambitions to run for governor or senator.

The California law is clearly unconstitutional. The Sessions DOJ should move quickly to end this for the protection of neglected California legal residents. The DOJ should file criminal charges, starting with Becerra, against any state agent who interferes with or threatens federal officials who are following federal immigration laws.
He will introduce a bill to provide the state with oversight powers that will have an unknown effect on home schooling.

California Assemblyman Jose Medina believes that the "torture house" where 16 children were held in captivity, starved, and beaten happened because of poor oversight of private and home schools.

NBC News:

No state agency regulates or oversees private schools in California. The California Department of Education said in a statement this week that it is "sickened by this tragedy" but the department "does not approve, monitor, inspect, or oversee private schools" but would "gladly" work to change the laws. Documents show that David Turpin filed private school affidavits, including in October of 2017, listing him as the principal of "Sandcastle Day School" and with a yahoo account as an email address. Private schools are subject to an annual inspection by the state or local fire marshal. But the Turpins never alerted Perris city officials they were operating one at their home, Fire Marshal Dave Martinez told NBC News this week. "It's a home-school so it's not licensed," he said. "If it was a licensed facility, it would trigger our inspections." The superintendent of the Perris Union High School District said this week that the district has no oversight of home schools. An official with the Murrieta school district, where the Turpins used to live and where David Turpin also previously filed an affidavit for a private school, also said the district had no involvement. Perris Union High School District Superintendent Grant Bennett said his district is not told when a private school is operating in the district. He thinks the law should be changed. "Someone need to be overseeing this," he said Friday. Scott Roark, a spokesman for the California Department of Education, said the policy is that after a private school affidavit is filed noting six or more students, a federal code is generated for that school and the local district is notified. The local district usually sends a letter to the school that its eligible for federal assistance, but the school does not have to respond, and some don't.

Obviously, no one wants a repeat of the horror house those kids lived in. It's unclear whether they received any education at all.

And perhaps some oversight is in order considering the fact that parents like the Turpins can take advantage of current law:

Coleman said her group, which advocates for responsible home schooling, wants a requirement that home-schooled children in California have some sort of annual assessment by a mandated reporter so that abuse or neglect can more easily be identified. "That would ensure that the child is in the presence of a mandated reporter at least once a year," Coleman said. She and the legislative policy analyst for the group wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times this week about abuse in the home-school system. "We recommend requiring the sorts of things that responsible home-schooling parents already do," said Coleman, who was home-schooled herself from kindergarten through 12th grade in Indiana. "Our goal is not to make it harder for those parents to home-school, our goal is to make it harder for parents like the Turpins to home-school, she said.

The problem is the animus toward home schooling from teachers unions and whether they would hijack any legislation and turn it into a nightmare for parents who wish to homeschool their kids. Given the power of teachers unions in California, this fear is not without foundation.

Parents home school their kids for a variety of reasons. But there is almost universal agreement among parents that they home school their kids because the local public schools were inadequate. For some, there is also a question of their children's safety - an irony considering that legislation will seek to protect kids from abuse.

The bottom line is that, while some lawmakers will mean well, there is a real danger that road blocks will be placed in the way of parents looking to home school their children. These barriers could include a blizzard of paperwork or onerous requirements about fire safety and other measures designed to "protect" children in their own home.

If the teachers unions get their way, the path to home schooling will be strewn with boulders.
The incident took place Wednesday, two days before [d]efense [s]ecretary Jim Mattis unveiled a new strategy calling China and Russia the biggest threats to the U.S., not terrorism. Mattis said the U.S. military advantage over Beijing and Moscow is "eroding."

A U.S. Navy warship sailed close to a contested reef west of the Philippines this week, drawing the ire of Beijing[,] which issued a statement Saturday accusing the U.S. of trespassing in its territorial waters. China has laid claim to the reef for more than five years.

There is new evidence of SecDef Mattis's new strategy in the latest showing of the American flag via a Freedom of Navigation exercise in the Pacific.

A U.S. official confirmed the operation to Fox News saying it was merely "innocent passage" when the USS Hopper, a guided[] missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of the uninhabited reef, Scarborough Shoal.

It seems that Secretary Mattis is supporting our Philippine allies around Scarborough Shoal.

Also from the WSJ:

Use of low-cost fighter planes would allow deployment of higher-tech jets to areas requiring their advanced capabilities The most advanced U.S. planes, like the F-35 and F-22, also contain classified communications and network software that Washington is unwilling to share with all allies. Fielding a low-end plane wouldn't only be more cost-effective[;] it would also allow the U.S. and allies to talk and share data more efficiently. "The strategy is to drive violent extremism down so local police can manage it," Gen. Goldfein said. "That is the strategy from the Philippines to Nigeria and everywhere in between. If that is the strategy, how do we get a platform-sensor weapon we can build into a coalition?"

With American help, the Filipinos defeated ISIS in Mindanao. More detail on the light attack aircraft program is available from The War Zone here.

Thanks to a newly released briefing, we can now reveal even more information about the pair of OV-10 Broncos that the U.S. Special Operations Command sent to Iraq to hunt ISIS. This includes information about the unique configurations of these Vietnam-era planes, such as their ability to track targets by homing in on cell phone signals and to share data across multiple networks. We also found out about the extensive testing that preceded their trip to the Middle East and the lessons learned from employing updated light attack aircraft on a modern battlefield.

In July 2017, the Pentagon's Joint Requirements Oversight Council formally directed U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, to conduct a "limited objective experiment" to see if a light turboprop aircraft could provide more flexible and responsive close air support and limited strike capabilities both when operating from remote or austere locations  or even an aircraft carrier, amphibious ship, or sea base  or in support of a larger force, according to the undated presentation, which we obtained via the Freedom of Information Act. The theory, which is one we have argued for more than once ourselves, was that such an aircraft could be a cost-effective tool for limited conflicts that would also free up far more costly higher-performance or specialized aircraft from having to conduct these missions.

The swamp may be shut down, but Secretary Mattis is hard at work.
Animals are all over the internet in many different forms such as cute photos, memes, news stories and so on. We love these furry hair balls SO much that...

4 years ago
Have you ever wondered what percentage of Muslims are peaceful? Thirty percent? Fifty? Seventy? Eighty?

The actual number is 99.99%!

That comes from an op-ed-writer at the New York Times named Mustafa Umar, an imam of the Islamic Institute of Orange County, California.

Iman Umar, or "Sheik," as he is called by his congregants, writes how his congregation has been terrorized by Donald Trump. Women who wear the hijab worry that Americans disapprove of them dressing like slaves and wonder if they should assimilate and dress like everyone else in America. How degrading is that?

Muslims, who pray five times a day, are afraid to pray in the middle of malls and parks for fear of public disapproval. Actually, no other religion prays in such public spaces as Muslims do, because other religions don't want to push their practices in other people's faces.

President Trump's "Muslim ban," which didn't affect most Muslims, also worried congregants. So Sheik's congregation is under a lot of pressure  no one has actually harmed any of them, and no one has even threatened to harm any of them, but they feel, psychologically, like victims.

In that context, Iman Umar writes to reassure us that 99.99% of Muslims are peaceful. So the 0.01% of Muslims who are violent include only the following:

1) The entire population of Syria, where Sunnis are killing Shi'ites and vice versa.

2) The entire population of Iraq, where Sunnis are killing Shi'ites and vice versa.

3) The entire population of Yemen, where Sunnis are killing Shi'ites and vice versa.

4) Most of the population of Iran, which funds Hezb'allah and is fighting in Syria.

5) Large portions of the population of Afghanistan and Pakistan, which supports the Taliban.

6) Large portions of Saudi Arabia, which funds radical madrassas in Pakistan and other places.

7) Large subsets of the Egyptian population that are part of the Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist groups.

8) Large subsets of the Muslim populations of Great Britain, Norway, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, which behead people, kills Jews, run trucks into crowds, and conduct large-scale rapes.

9) Large subsets of the population of Nigeria that support Boko Haram and large subsets of the population of Libya, which also support radical Islamist groups.

I'm sure there are a few groups I'm missing, like Hamas and the PLO. That 0.01% casts a wide net.

But I'm convinced that the imam knows what he's talking about. His Islamic Center has a long history of peace and tolerance. Except for this, of course (citations omitted):

Wagdy Ghoneim is a radical Egyptian cleric who was imam at IIOC [Islamic Center of Orange County] until his November 2004 arrest by U.S. authorities for immigration violations. Ghoneim was allowed into the U.S. as a religious worker to preside over a Texas mosque[] but failed to get permission to move to California with his family, which qualified him as being "out of status," making Ghoneim subject to deportation. According to U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice, he was held without bond after his arrest "based upon Department of Homeland Security concerns that his [Ghoneim's] past speeches and participation in fund[]raising activities could be supportive of terrorist organizations. Ghoneim was also denied entry into Canada in 1998. Gerald Belanger, the manager of Canada's Citizenship and Immigration's ports of entry operations in Windsor, stated that Ghoneim had been denied entry because "[our] computerized information system indicated he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas  both known terrorist organizations. Ghoneim led an audience in a song with the lyrics, "No to the Jews, descendants of the apes," at a rally at Brooklyn College in May 1998.

Ghoneim, the former imam at Umar's own mosque, must be one of those 0.01-percenters he was referring to.

The New York Times had a starring role in covering up the mass murders of Josef Stain. Then the NYT covered up the Holocaust. Now it is providing cover for the mass murdering inclinations of Muslims. The names have changed, but what the paper does is the same.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.
I watched the opening segment last night, which was a mirthless five-minute take attempting to convince us President Trump was dumb. Later on in the program, at the half-hour mark, the second political skit, led by actress and guest host Jessica Chastain was more interesting.

I don't watch television, but as part of a video classroom assignment on how show segments are strung together, I ended up watching Saturday Night Live. I watch it anyway on YouTube for the glimpse it gives on how the left "thinks."

Using the format of a cheesy game show with a panel of three contestants, Chastain asked her contenders in the five-minute segment whether this or that action of President Trump's "matters anymore."

From the Hill's description:

The skit poked at many of Trump's past comments and actions as president, suggesting that people don't really care about what he does. "First question: The president refers to all nations as poo-poo holes and says all Haitians have AIDS. Does it even matter anymore? Chastain asks, referring to Trump's recent comments during an Oval Office meeting. "That's really bad, that has to matter, yes," a contestant played by Kate McKinnon answers. But Chastain responds: "Actually, it does not matter. Zero consequences and everyone moves on."

The skit moves on to ever more outrageous scenarios, none of which "matter anymore" to highlight that the public doesn't give a darn about the media's frenzy at President Trump's tweets or its slambook-style leaks of his offhand supposed remarks. In the course of the drama, Chastain gets more and more wound up at how Trump gets away with whatever it is the left says he gets away with and near the end of the skit swigs a booze bottle to drown her exasperated sorrows as the contestants try to comfort her.

Supposedly, we should be left upset at how President Trump says outrageous things and gets away with them. But what we are really seeing is the left getting worn down by its own hysteria over this or that tweet not being enough to overthrow President Trump from office, while the rest of the country prefers to remain focused on the Trump economic recovery, with all its paycheck raises, bonuses, tax cuts and cuts to red tape.

Most people will tolerate anything Trump says because the real thing that matters is that he brings home the bacon. That has got to enrage the left. What they want is for the rest of us to focus on tweets.

The American public just isn't that stupid.
Religious leaders and 'the times' versus God

Americans of every race, origin, and culture once observed the universal wisdom that informed them that the lack of morality causes serious trouble, suffering, and worse. Has the knowledge vanished completely from our midst  that to begin with, there must be a moral foundation to human society? Is it not plain enough to all that since the virtual abandonment of morality in our country, things have gotten worse? What happened to the many whose calling it is to enlighten us with the wisdom enshrined in the Golden Rule and threaded into every humane culture since B.C.? In these times, a good many of our religious leaders appear to be blind to their own mission. In following the times instead of leading them, they fail in to guide people through the twists and turns of life. I have seen pastors fall apart trying to explain the Ten Commandments, as though facing a trick question on a final exam. The sermons, the homilies in the mainstream churches over the past five decades have generated fog, not light, raising the suspicion that the preachers avoid or outright reject the Word of God because it is considered subversive!

Incredibly, today's mainstream clergy spread the terrible error that being politically correct overrides being morally correct. It is the other way around! Plain to all who are awake and honest, this carelessness of thought and exit from conscience crushes what is sacred and inviolable to human life. Wake from the slumber! What times are these that we are all supposed to embrace or face some form of legal retaliation? A full answer would try any reader's patience. I'll be brief: these are times improved by at least one generation of 20th-century hotshots who were smarter than everyone who came before them, back over the centuries. They are times when to follow God is wrong because His Word requires that you actually take responsibility for your actions. The unexpurgated Christian Gospel, for instance, is too full of politically incorrect absolutes and mandates. What kind of God is it Who won't let you lie, cheat, steal, hate people, treat those who disagree with you like trash? What kind of God is it Who insists that sex is designed for bringing children into the world, an act of joy between a man and a woman whose love for each other is proof that they are ready and willing to be loving parents? Such a God is unfit for "the times"! And speaking the truth in these times is dubbed "hate speech." Typical church leaders today follow the politics of the day, in de facto defiance of the tenets of their professed religions. For example, a Christian minister who is supposed to be a spokesperson for Christ and convey the teachings and guidance of Christ turns his back on the founder of his church each time he ignores or counters or alters Christ's teachings. To compound the mischief, such a minister (consciously or not) pretends to be delivering the Truth and ministering to God's will! I call this treason. The subversion of what is eternally true and sacred to human life is the enemy of any successful society, a reality that has made some of us sound the alarm for decades in the hope of alerting people of goodwill to the destructive power of people in high places who have little respect for the sanctity of life and have no use for God, family, or country. A World War II veteran (my brother) concluded a public prayer he delivered at a National Prayer Breakfast by asking God to "send us men and women with hearts ablaze with Thy love  patient, courageous, strong, and true. These are the patriots our nation needs  those brave enough to do Thy will." Americans of every race, background, and political belief need more than ever to stand up and denounce the words and actions of the many in positions of leadership and influence who knowingly or unknowingly undermine our country and the liberty and justice for which it stands.
Politico:

I think its more difficult to get any agreement on DACA in a shutdown, said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy heading into a meeting with GOP leaders Saturday. He was referring to the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, shielding hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children from deportation, known as Dreamers.

White House Legislative Director Marc Short, who attended a closed-door meeting of House Republicans, echoed that stance.

"I think the administration's position is that as soon as they reopen the government, we'll resume negotiations on DACA," Short told reporters. "It's hard to negotiate on that when they're keeping our border agents unpaid, our troops unpaid, not paying for American services."

Trump, who canceled a weekend trip to Florida to celebrate his first anniversary in office, spoke with Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday morning, aides said.

House Republicans scoffed at a tentative framework to reopen the government being discussed by a bipartisan group of senators.

Under the proposal  conceived by GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jeff Flake  Senate Democrats would agree to re-open the government and fund agencies until Feb. 8. In exchange, they would secure a vote on a bipartisan Dreamers bill. While McConnell signaled that he might go along, Senate Democrats also wanted a commitment from Ryan to include the bill in must-pass legislation in the House.

But McConnell would not agree to that demand, senators said, because he cannot bind the House to a Senate deal. Graham and Flake have started meeting quietly with well over a dozen fellow senators, both Democrats and Republicans, to hammer out a compromise.

"My hope is that this bipartisan group will go back to the leaders of both parties and try to find a way to move forward," Graham said as he left Saturday's meeting, held in the office of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

But all along, Ryan has insisted the Senate needs to approve the House bill to fund the government until Feb. 16 as a starting point for any broader agreement.
The spotted lanternfly was first seen in Pennsylvania in September 2014, according to the state Department of Agriculture. That took place in Berks County, where the most serious concentration of the pests now exist, prompting a quarantine.

It's one of six eastern Pa. counties where the bugs have been found, and the urgency last summer prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to award the state more almost $3 million for activities to control the spotted lanternfly and for public outreach.

According to the state's Ag department, "this pest poses a significant threat to the state's more than $20.5 million grape, nearly $134 million apple, and more than $24 million stone fruit industries, as well as the hardwood industry in Pennsylvania, which accounts for $12 billion in sales."

Turns out it's an issue that is more than Pennsylvania's concern.

Dr. Tony Wolf, a Viticulture Extension Specialist at Virginia Tech who writes a monthly newsletter that's relevant to the region, devoted part of his January newsletter to the spotted lanternfly because of an appearance in Virginia.

READ MORE: Quarantine expanded to 13 counties in battle against invading insect

He wrote that he "had the opportunity on Friday, 19 January to visit a stone and block company site in Winchester where staff from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services had found spotted lanternfly egg masses in early January. In addition to the egg masses, which were observed on Tree of Heaven trunks, we saw a (dead) adult spotted lanternfly as well. Thus, in addition to the original site of infestation in Pennsylvania, and the more recent occurrence in Delaware and New York, the spotted lanternfly is also now in Virginia. We've been aware of this invasive pest for the last two years and have anxiously watched as Pennsylvania's Department of Agriculture and others have studied the insect and attempted to keep it quarantined to the original detection site in eastern Pennsylvania. It is apparent at this point that like brown marmorated stink bugs and emerald ash borers, we have a new invasive insect pest threatening forestry and agriculture in Virginia. I've asked Dr. Doug Pfeiffer, fruit entomologist with Virginia Tech, to provide an update on spotted lanternfly at the upcoming VVA winter technical meeting (23-24 February 2018)."

Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is native to Southeast Asia, where it was introduced into South Korea in 2006. By 2009 was found throughout the southern Korean Peninsula where it had become a major pest of grape and peach, Wolf wrote. "First identified in Pennsylvania in 2014 on a damaged Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), its range in Pennsylvania is expanding and it has now been identified in Delaware and New York. A quarantine is in place for affected areas in Pennsylvania and eradication attempts are currently underway. Its preferred host is Tree of Heaven but it feeds on over 70 other plant species. Agricultural crops that are most likely to be impacted are hops, grapes, peaches, and apples; however, there are damage reports from it feeding on basil, cucumber, horseradish, and blueberry as well. These planthoppers are phloem feeders and the feeding can weaken and ultimately kill host trees and grapevines. In addition, the heavy feeding produces a massive amount of honeydew which the insects excrete on a daily basis. The honeydew causes sooty mold to develop on affected surfaces, including fruit, trunks, and ground cover."

Pennsylvania's hardwood exports, he continued, are also being negatively affected. "Spotted lanternflies are heavily feeding on walnut, oak, maple, and hickory, which is causing flagging of shoots and tree dieback. It has also been found on alfalfa, corn, and soybeans, but does not appear to cause as much damage on these agronomic crops."

Currently, the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department has placed a quarantine on 13 counties - including Berks, Schuylkill, Montgomery, Lancaster, Lehigh, Lebanon, Northampton, Chester and Philadelphia - to stop the insects from spreading.

Berks County vineyard managers and winery owners have seen their share of damage.

Jef Stebben, the winemaker at Maple Spring Vineyards in Bechtelsville, said last August that the winery and its vineyards "are basically at Ground Zero" for the insect. "The original infection occurred about two miles from our vineyard, as the crow flies. Various universities have come out to examine our vineyard and assess the level of threat to agriculture. Needless to say, we have a large population of the bugs.

Joanne Levengood, the winemaker and one of the owners at Manatawny Creek Winery, near Douglassville, noted that they were seeing the insect, too. "I think the jury is still out on how big of a threat they are going to be to vineyards," she said.

READ MORE: Feds award Pa. almost $3 million to control Spotted Lanternfly

Calvin Beekman grows grapes, apples and peaches on his family's orchard in Washington Township and told the Reading Eagle in November 2017 that the spotted lanternflies began to swarm his vineyard in August.

"They just kept coming and coming and coming," Beekman told reporter Jim Lewis. "It was unbelievable, swarms and swarms and swarms of them by the thousands."

Beekman said the insect, a pest in 2016, had become a plague a year later, covering vines, buildings and even nearby houses.

"Before you know it, the spread of this thing will be huge," Beekman said.

Since then, the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) has opened an email hotline for the early detection of invasive pests, including the spotted lanternfly, and Pennsylvania just last week asked the federal government for more support.

Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-16th District, wrote in a letter to a congressional committee signed by Pennsylvania's entire 17-member House delegation that the spotted lanternfly could "devastate" Pennsylvania's economy and even cause serious disruptions to the global supply chain.

Pennsylvania's congressmen request $20 million to $40 million in federal funding to combat the insect, lancasteronline.com reported. They asked that the additional funding be made in the 2018 federal Farm Bill.

Anyone who finds the insects or egg masses outside the quarantined counties is asked to notify authorities by emailing badbug@pa.gov or calling the Invasive Species Report Line at 866.253.7189. The department requests details including the location of the sighting and the spotter's contact information, and also requests photos to help confirm sightings.
The last of one of the industry's best-selling business jets has been delivered.

Gulfstream today announced the final Gulfstream G450 has been handed over as American manufacturer prepares to usher in its successor - the all-new Gulfstream G500.

"For the past 12 years, the G450 has been one of the best-selling business jets in the industry, beloved by pilots and passengers alike for its technological advances, smooth handling, impressive range and unsurpassed passenger comfort," said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. "During its 30-year history, the GIV series transformed business aviation, and the G500 is already well on its way to doing the same, with the industry's first active control sidesticks and the most integrated application of touch-screen controls in the flight deck."

The G450 entered service in 2005 after demonstrating even more range than originally anticipated - 4,350 nautical miles/8,056 kilometers at Mach 0.80. The aircraft can sprint 3,500 nm/6,482 km at Mach 0.85. The G450 fleet, comprising more than 360 aircraft, has amassed more than 964,000 hours and more than 461,000 flights.

"The G450 made its mark in aviation history and remains an important member of the Gulfstream family. We will continue to provide industry-leading product support and sustaining engineering for our G450 customers," Burns said.

Like the G450, the G500 will deliver more range than originally announced. The aircraft will fly 5,200 nm/9,630 km at Mach 0.85 and 4,400 nm/8,149 km at Mach 0.90. Five G500 aircraft are undergoing flight testing, with type certification anticipated in early 2018.



The final G450 is handed over to its new owners
The UAE and Turkey's third city - Izmir - will be connected later with direct flights to Sharjah with Air Arabia.





Izmir, which is the third largest city in Turkey, joins Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum and Trabzon as the carrier's fifth destination in the country when it starts on 27 June.

The flight will operate twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) at 21:05 hours, and arriving the next day at Izmir's Adnan Menderes International Airport (ADB) at 00:50 hours local time. The return flight will depart Izmir at 01:30 hours, landing in Sharjah at 06:50 hours local time.

Adel Al Ali, Air Arabia's group chief executive officer said "Turkey is a country with a true epitome of a cultural crossroad, and holds history that is as tangible and accessible as any of its modern-day attractions. We are immensely pleased to announce Izmir as our fifth destination in Turkey. Air Arabia's goal will always be to allow passengers the ability to explore new destinations through affordable travel options. This new flight to Izmir is an exciting destination for residents in the UAE and GCC to visit just in time for the summer holidays."

Home to historic sites such as Ephesus and Pergamon, Izmir sits as a focal point of rich Turkish culture, history and heritage on the Central Aegean coast of Turkey. Its swarmed bazaars, endless dining options and an enchanting waterfront promenade cover sufficient grounds to earn it an accolade as Turkey's city of life.


Here we go again: President Donald Trump and Congress were unable to reach agreement on temporary spending plan late last week to keep the government open, so the U.S. Department of Education and other government agencies were on a partial shutdown as of midnight Friday. Its the first time this has happened in four years.

Lawmakers then spent the weekend trying to hammer out a deal. Whats the practical implications? A short-term shutdown means a much quieter-than-usual situation at the departments headquarters at 400 Maryland Ave., but not much immediate impact at most school districts. A longer-term shutdown, however, could cause more headaches. Head Start, the federal preschool program, and Impact Aid to districts with a federal presence in their backyard would likely feel the pinch first. (See below for more).

Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions about what happens because of a government shutdown:

How many people will still report to work at the Education Department? A lot fewer than usual. More than 90 percent of the departments nearly 4,000 employees will be furloughed for the first week of the shutdown. Of course, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her top aides still come in. If the shutdown goes on for more than a week, more employees could return on a temporary basis, but it would not be more than 6 percent of the departments staff.

This could lead to a frustrating situation for districts and state education agencies that are trying to get quick answers to their questionsfurloughed federal employees arent even supposed to check their work email. More in the departments shutdown plan.

Will there be any delay to formula funds, such as Title I, special education, and career and technical education? Probably not. Those programs are forward funded, meaning that school districts have had their money for this school year for months.

But the long budget fight does make it harder for districts to plan their spending for next year, in part because the Trump administration and the U.S. House of Representatives have moved to eliminate Title II, a $2 billion program aimed at improving teacher quality.

What about Impact Aid? Districts that receive federal Impact Aid dollars were among the first to feel the pain of the 2013 shutdown , which hit just as some districts were applying for early funding. Impact aid districts likely wont feel much of a pinch from a very short shutdown, lasting just a few days, said Bryan Jernigan, a spokesman for the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools. (Impact Aid goes out to some 1,200 districts that lose out on tax revenue, thanks to a federal presence, such as a Native American reservation or a military base nearby.)

If the shutdown goes on for a long time, though, things could get messy for Impact Aid districts. Thats partly because Jan. 31 is the deadline for districts to apply for their full-year payments. Most wait until the last minute to submit their applications, the department has told NAFIS. If the shutdown goes on for a long time, there may not be anyone around to answer technical questions or resolve potential application glitches, Jernigan said. Whats more, districts that submit late applications could be subject to a 10 percent reduction in funding. NAFIS isnt clear at this point if the secretary would be able to waive that penalty, given the circumstances.

Impact Aid districts are unclear and a little nervous about what will happen if the shutdown drags on, Jernigan said.

The timing of the 2013 shutdown, on Oct. 1, wasnt great for Impact Aid districts either. Some were in the middle of applying for early payments, but those didnt process because department staffers were furloughed. A handful of districts ended up having to take out short-term loans to make ends meet, Jernigan said.

What about the Head Start program? Head Start grantees receive their money annually, but not on a calendar year or fiscal-year cycle, explained Robin Winchell, the public affairs director for the National Head Start Association, an advocacy group. Instead, a portion of the nations 1,600 grantees receive money on the first of every month. So a government shutdown wont affect funding for any programs, as long as it ends before the first of February.

The last time there was a government shutdown, it affected nearly two dozen grantees that were expecting funds by Oct. 1. Houston-based philanthropists John and Laura Arnold provided a $10 million interest-free loan to help keep affected centers open.

What about implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act? The Education Department has been approving plans at a fast and furious clip in recent weeks. So far, 33 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have gotten the green light. Seventeen are still waiting for an answer. The department, though, wont be able to do much during a shutdown, both when it comes to answering state education agencys specific questions and actually approving plans.

Thats part of the reason advocates for state chiefs hope the government turns the lights back on soon.

The shutdown of the federal government is never a positive step for our nations schools or our students, said Stephen Bowen, interim deputy executive director at CCSSO. Most immediately, it could halt the efforts of many states working to implement the Every Students Succeeds Act as they wait for staff at the U.S. Department of Education to review and approve their state plans. In the long term, it could have budget implications for states and schools. We hope our governments leaders find a resolution.

What about student loans and college aid? Pell Grants and federal student loans would largely be unaffected by the shutdown. Campus-based aid programs, such as Work Study arent so lucky. Oh, and the Office of Federal Financial Aid has already made it known it wont be fielding questions on Twitter.

In the event of a government shutdown, we will not be tweeting or responding to questions on Twitter. However, our contact center will remain open. If the government shuts down, you can direct your FAFSA or student loan related questions here: https://t.co/weksnVk1jZ  Federal Student Aid (@FAFSA) January 19, 2018

What about school meals? Funding for most child nutrition programs, including school lunch and school breakfast programs, which are run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, would not be affected by the shutdown, according to the School Nutrition Association, an advocacy organization that tracks the issue.

What about federal data? Sorry, edu-researchers, you may be out of luck. Back in 2013, folks trying to access the Institute of Education Sciences web site or any of its ancillary sites (like the National Assessment of Educational Progress) were confronted with this message:

Theres a real possibility that will happen this time around too, if the standoff isnt resolved quickly.

Overall, that doesnt sound so bad. A short-term shutdown really isnt so bad. In fact, back in 2013, most school districts barely noticed that the government had shuttered its doors.

A longer-term shutdown is a different story. A protracted delay in Department obligations and payments beyond one week would severely curtail the cash flow to school districts, colleges and universities, and vocational rehabilitation agencies that depend on the Department to support their services, department officials wrote in their shutdown plan released earlier this week.

Why is this happening? The funding fight doesnt have much to do with schoolsits all about immigration policy. Last year, President Donald Trump took steps to begin winding down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program. Unless Congress acts, the program will end in March. No one is exactly sure what that means for the 800,000 Dreamers"including thousands of teacherswho have gotten legal status through the program, which allows undocumented immigrants who came the country as children to remain here legally. Democrats say they wont vote for a funding bill without getting a fix for DACA, or at least an agreement to keep working on it. The Childrens Health Insurance Program, which expired late last year, is also waiting for congressional action. A bill passed by the House to keep the government open would have extended funding for the program for six years. More from the Washington Post .

What happens next? Even if Congress and the White House are able to come some sort of compromise to turn the governments lights back on soon, that may not be the end of the story. Any deal is likely to include a temporary funding measure, which means theres a possibility we may be right back here in Shutdown Land a few days or week from now.

Photo: Police tape marks a secured area of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 19 in Washington, as a divided Congress hurtles toward a government shutdown. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Associate Editor Christina Samuels contributed to this post.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
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The low levels of education in the rural areas make people less suitable for skilled jobs and employability.

The finance minister Arun Jaitley said the agriculture sector will be prime focus of his Budge for 2018 and the Prime Minister promised to double farm incomes in five years. Keeping these promises as goalposts and the World Economic Forum's latest Global Risks Report 2018  showing environmental disasters, cybercrime, large-scale involuntary migration and illicit trade as among the most notable risks, in terms of likelihood, facing the world this year  there are issues raised here for the FM to address.

Agricultural Sector

This sector's growth rate has been below GDP growth rate for the past three decades. The average size of the land farmed has decreased to 41.14% (1.16 / 2.82 hectares) in five decades, due to generations of families sharing the same land. The land holding average is 1.16 hectares and two out of three of them are having less than 1 hectare. The agriculture share in the rural output for the decades from 1982 has shrunk by 25.2% (from 64.4% to 39.2%), while employment in agriculture sector did show a decrease of 19.5% (from 83.6% to 64.1%), but not to the corresponding levels. We may discern from this that there is a large number of workers in smaller units, whose overall contribution to the GDP is coming down.

The average farm household income is approximately Rs 77,112/- per annum with approximately 50% is for self-consumption of rice and wheat while most of the output is sold to the trader than to the government agency which provides minimum support price. The input costs are 30%, of which fertilisers (24%) and labour (22.5%). The agricultural sector being exposed to the natural vagaries and price rises, the unviability of small land holding has translated to rural indebtedness, the average loan amount for marginal farmers being Rs 47,000 and the money is borrowed from private moneylenders. To a large extent, this indebtedness has led to Rs 3 lakh farmers killing themselves across India. Now from where will the solution come? The question is how do we reduce the rural indebtedness? The malnutritional levels are highest in the world with 44% of children under the age of five are underweight and 72% of infants and 52% of married women have anaemia. This also impacts their cognitive abilities, thus reducing per worker productivity, which is lowest in the world. What are the solutions to these issues in the budget?

Let us examine one solution. That is taking away the rural worker to more productive employment, which should reduce the burden on that sector. One statistic that is generally missed in the equation is the education levels in rural areas.

The low levels of education in the rural areas make people less suitable for skilled jobs and employability. Therefore, the solution may come from investment in education in rural areas which will provide an incentive to get away from agricultural jobs.

Make in India

Let us examine the startup scenario. There are a large number (90%) of failures attributed to lack of innovation by Indian entrepreneurs whose business models are not sustainable. However, Indians are innovative as 750 global MNCs have their research centers in India and most of the global innovations, such as zero light landing and prevention of midair collision software, come from Indian R&D centres. There is no dearth of innovators but they are not enabled to create products and services. How are these asynchronies likely to be addressed by policy interventions?

Housing bubble?

The RBI released a report on Affordable Housing in India. The report explained in detail in a section dealing with home loans that there is an increase of 23.5% in the loans in the less than Rs 10 lakhs segment under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, where there is interest subsidy of 6.5% for households with income less than Rs 3 lakhs. The loans under this segment amount to Rs 1,08,732 crore. If the default rate increases with more housing loans, non-performing assets are likely to impact the health of Public Sector Banks that are already under greatest strain due to wilful defaulters.

Taxation

Only 0.16% of India's population pays 76% of Income-Tax paid by individuals. There is a claim on the part of GOI that there is an increase in the number of people who are in the tax net. Let us consider the proportions.

We may discern that approximately 50% only pay taxes. It indicates that there will be more work and no tax to the government. Where is the solution? Behavioural economics suggest if the trust of the individual is low on how his money is being used in economic prosperity, then he or she is likely to avoid taxes. Now these figures clearly indicate that there is trust deficit of the citizens on how his money is spent?

Corporate subsidies

As many as 52,911 profit making companies pay zero tax. The customs duty write offs for jewellery and diamonds cumulatively amount to Rs 5 lakh crores from 2006. In the 2016 Budget, it was promised that corporate subsidies would be removed over a period and yet there is no sign of it.

Will the FM's Budget be creative enough to take the risks, trust deficits and growth to everyone or will it just be more slogan-based economics?

Prof K.Prabhakar is a social economist
The lead actors of the action drama displayed their 'irritation' by liking a meme best explaining their connundrum.

Sidharth Malhotra and Manoj Bajpyee in a still from 'Aiyaary.'

Mumbai: It's perhaps for the first time in recent memory that there has been such chaos surrounding release dates of multiple films.

The release dates of Pad Man and Aiyaary have been nothing short of a game of musical chairs.

While Aiyaary and 2.0 were earlier set to clash on Republic Day, followed by the former with Pad Man, the film that is eventually releasing on the favourable date is Padmaavat.

While Aiyaary shifted to February 9 after Padmaavat announced 25 January as the release date, Akshay has taken their release date again by making way for his good friend Sanjay Leela Bhansalis film.

But the lead actors of Aiyaary, Sidharth Malhotra and Manoj Bajpyee dont seem pleased with the development as they liked a meme and the caption which perhaps hints at their irritation, Aiyaary just can't get a solo release.

Aiyaary just can't get a solo release. pic.twitter.com/tiyDkvUIxy  Bollywood Gandu (@BollywoodGandu) January 20, 2018

In Likes mein kaafi dard chhupa hai pic.twitter.com/TM1R6mQnRP  Bollywood Gandu (@BollywoodGandu) January 20, 2018

Manoj also retweeted, with a smile emoji, a Twitter users post which translated as, Move away because of the fear of being crushed, and then say we made way.

             MrB (@brahmatmajay) January 20, 2018

Akshays fans took the post as a dig at the superstar's big-hearted decision to shift his release, and trolled the user and also Manoj.

Manoj later deleted the tweet and clarified about it being a co-incidence to Mid-day, I retweeted a journalist friends statement and soon after realised that fans of Akshay Kumar were trolling me. I didnt even know he had postponed his film. It was a mere confidence.

Incidentally, both Sidharth and Manoj are close to Akshay, the former having worked with him in Brothers and promoting his films regularly, while the latter worked with him in Baby and Naam Shabana.

Itd be interesting to see what Akshay has to say about these tweets.
The party also announced that its MPs along with other stakeholders will take part in a march to the Parliament on Jan 29 over the issue.

senior AAP leader Gopal Rai slammed the Congress government for initiating 49 per cent FDI in retail which was followed by the BJP who spiked it up to 100 per cent. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will hold a day-long bandh on January 23 in Delhi to protest against the ongoing sealing drive by the BJP-ruled civic bodies and the Centre's move to allow 100 per cent FDI in retail.

Speaking to reporters after the party's Delhi State Conference, senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said the BJP-ruled civic bodies were trying to snatch employment opportunities from people in the name of sealing business establishments.

"A large sum of money was collected under conversion and parking charges. The traders have neither received anything in return nor do they have any information about the money collected," Rai said, demanding that the centre stop levying these charges until the information is made public.

"Our party cadres in all 70 constituencies will join traders unions to raise the voice against these issues on January 23," he said.

The party also announced that its Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs along with other stakeholders will take part in a march to the Parliament on January 29 over the issue.

Rai slammed the Congress government for initiating 49 per cent FDI in retail which was followed by the BJP who spiked it up to 100 per cent.

Asked about the Bawana fire incident, Rai said only an investigation would reveal who was responsible for it.

"MCD issues licences in some cases and Delhi government also issues licences. Only the investigation will reveal who is responible for the incident," he said.

"A detailed probe by labour department has also been initiated," he added.
Sepoy C K Roy, was injured in Pakistani firing on Saturday and succumbed to injuries at the military hospital on Saturday night.

Villager shows a damaged section of his house after shelling from the Pakistani side on the India-Pakistan international border at Arnia Sector about 45km from Jammu on Saturday. (PTI Photo)

Jammu: An Army jawan injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan succumbed to injuries Saturday night, taking the death toll in the border firing in Jammu and Kashmir to 11 since Thursday, police said.

Sepoy C K Roy, posted in a forward post in Mankote sector of Poonch district, was injured in Pakistani firing on Saturday and succumbed to injuries at the military hospital on Saturday night, a police official said.

His death raised the number of persons killed in the Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in five districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch and Rajouri since Thursday to 11.

Soldier Chandan Kumar Rai have lost his life in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Mendhar sector of Poonch #JammuAndKashmir pic.twitter.com/LfXlpi22KC  ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2018

The dead included six civilians, three army men and two BSF personnel.

While a BSF jawan and a teenaged girl were killed on Thursday, four persons -- two civilians and one each BSF jawan and Army jawan -- were killed and over 40 others, including two BSF personnel, injured in the Pakistani firing on Friday.

Three civilians and an Army jawan were killed and 16 others injured in the ceasefire violations on Saturday.
'We plan to introduce 2 new words into lexicon of international fighter aircraft manufacturing: 'India' and 'exclusive',' said Vivek Lall.

'The fighter being offered specifically to India is uniquely the best state-of-the-art fighter,' Lall said adding that all three variants of the F-16 are single-engine aircraft. (photo: Representational | PTI)

New Delhi: American aerospace and defence firm Lockheed Martin has proposed to manufacture custom-built F-16 fighter jets in India, which its officials say will give the Indian industry a unique opportunity to become part of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem.

"We plan to introduce two new words into the lexicon of international fighter aircraft manufacturing: 'India' and 'exclusive'," Vivek Lall, vice president, strategy and business development, at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics told PTI in an interview.

"India-specific state-of-the-art fighter production in India will be exclusive, something that has never before been presented by any other fighter aircraft manufacturer, past or present. There will also be a significant export market available for Indian-made fighters," he said.

Vivek Lall, an Indian American who last year was instrumental in the decision of the Trump administration to sell top-of-the-line unarmed drones from General Atomics, in his previous capacity.

Noting that the India-specific fighter on offer and its programme's size, scope and success will enable the Indian industry to take advantage of unprecedented manufacturing, upgrade and sustainment opportunities well into the future, Lall said the platform will give the Indian industry a unique opportunity to become a part of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem.

"We intend to create far more than an "assembly line" in India," he said.

Vivek Lall claimed no other advanced fourth generation platform even comes close to matching the record of real-world combat experience and proven operational effectiveness.

"The fighter being offered specifically to India is uniquely the best state-of-the-art fighter," he said adding that all three variants of the F-16 are single-engine aircraft.

Many of the systems used on the India-specific platform are derived from key lessons learned and technologies from Lockheed Martin's F-22 and the F-35, the world's only operational fifth generation fighters, he said.

Northrop Grumman's advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar on the F-16 Block 70 provides F-16s with fifth generation fighter radar capabilities by leveraging hardware and software commonality with F-22 and F-35 AESA radars, he added.

The APG-83 radar shares more than 95 per cent software commonality with the F-35 radar and more than 70 per cent hardware commonality.

Lall said the F-16 provides the path to business relationships with Lockheed Martin, the only company in the world that has designed, developed and produced operational fifth generation fighter aircraft.

Technology improvements will also continue to flow between the F-16, F-22 and F-35 for decades, at a fraction of the cost to F-16 operators, he said.

The platform being offered provides unmatched opportunities for Indian companies of all sizes, including micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) and suppliers throughout India, to establish new business relationships with Lockheed Martin and other industry leaders in the US and around the globe, Lall said giving an insight into the offer being made by his company.

Asserting that approximately half of the Indian fighter supply chain will be common with the fifth generation F-22 and F-35, Lall said the aircraft brings the most modern avionics, a proven AESA radar, modernised cockpit, advanced weapons, longer range with conformal fuel tanks, auto ground collision avoidance capability, and an advanced engine with an extended service life.

Even with the addition of targeting systems and two 2,000 pound (lb) class Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), the aircraft has a mission radius exceeding 1,300 kms - 30 per cent greater than that of its closest competitor, he said.

"Many of the advances in systems on the aircraft India would get draw directly from key lessons learned from Lockheed Martin's work on the F-22 and the F-35," he said.

"The AESA radar is the result of over two decades of investment, use and experience with AESA technology, and it's fully operational today," Lall said.
PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to attend Davos meeting in about 20 years since HD Deve Gowda in 1997.

PM Modi will be accompanied by six union ministers -- Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, MJ Akbar and Jitendra Singh. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: With exquisite desi cuisine on the platter and live yoga sessions on display, the annual Swiss jamboree of the rich and powerful from 'a fractured world' will begin on Monday in Davos where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to pitch India as a growth engine for the global economy.

Over 3,000 world leaders from business, politics, art, academia and civil society will attend the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting over the next five days in the small ski resort town on snow-covered Alps mountains, where the Indian presence will be the largest ever with over 130 participants.

WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab will declare the summit open on Monday evening with a welcome message on the meeting's theme, 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World'.

It will be followed by honouring Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, Australian actress Cate Blanchett and legendary musician Elton John with the annual 'Crystal Awards' for their respective work towards improving the state of the world.

The evening will also see a ballet performance, while India will host the 'welcome reception' with the country's "exquisite cuisine and age-old Yoga heritage as well as the spirit of a young, innovative New India".

The official sessions will begin on Tuesday when PM Modi will deliver the 'opening plenary', during which he is expected to pitch India as an open economy that is ready for investments from across the world and also as a major engine to drive the global economic growth.

PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to attend Davos meeting in about 20 years since HD Deve Gowda in 1997.

During his 24-hour-visit, described by officials as "short but very focused", PM Modi will also host a dinner for CEOs from across the world, 20 of Indian companies and 40 from elsewhere, on Monday evening and will interact with a large gathering of 120 members of WEF's international business community on Tuesday.

Besides, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset, among other pull-asides, as per the government officials.

PM Modi will be accompanied by six union ministers -- Arun Jaitley, Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, MJ Akbar and Jitendra Singh.

The CEO delegation, led by top industry body CII, will include Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Azim Premji, Rahul Bajaj, N Chandrasekaran, Chanda Kochhar, Uday Kotak and Ajay Singh, among others.

Among global leaders, US President Donald Trump will be there to deliver the closing address, but any meeting with Prime Minister Modi is unlikely as the two would not be in town on the same day.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will also be in Davos, but officials in India have said no meeting is planned between him and PM Modi.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are among the other attendees.

While US President Donald Trump is expected to talk about his 'America First' policy, officials in India said PM Modi's central message at this multilateral forum will be about India being an economy that can be an engine of global growth and which wants others to participate in its growth and also wants to contribute to others' development.

A lot of focus is expected on what President Trump says and what would be the response of other world leaders, including from Germany, France and the UK.

Ahead of the summit, an annual WEF survey, likely to be discussed in detail during the meeting, showed that the world will see risks related to environment, economy and international relations intensify this year with a majority of stakeholders expecting political or economic confrontations between major powers to worsen.

In a first at the WEF summit, India will also host yoga training sessions for the entire duration of the meeting, while also showcasing Indian heritage and culture in Davos.

On the sidelines of the WEF summit, the Swiss government will also host the annual informal WTO ministerial meeting, which will be attended by Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu and his global counterparts.

According to a Swiss government statement, negotiations on a bilateral investment protection pact and the envisaged free trade agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, will figure prominently during PM Modi's meeting with President Berset.

PM Modi is expected to encapsulate the making of 'a new, young and innovative India', while he is also expected to talk about his experience with 'cooperative federalism' in India, while urging the world for a collective crackdown on terrorism, economic imbalances, cyber threats and various societal ills.

According to officials, PM Modi will also talk about numerous steps they have taken to make it easier to do business in India, check corruption, clamp down on black money, streamline taxation and boost sustainable growth.

Another star speaker will be ex-RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, who has been praised as well as criticised often for his vocal views on everything from politics to economics and is credited for predicting the global economic crisis of 2008.

He will speak on the power of economic narratives and how policymakers can address the challenges of the 21st century.

Bollywood king Shahrukh Khan, for a change, would not be seen serenading heroines with his signature 'open-arm' charm on Swiss Alps, but will rather talk about creating a change in India through women empowerment.
Launches his book 2G Saga Unfolds, says CAG report mere trash, deemed fit for dustbin.

New Delhi: Former communications minister A. Raja on Saturday claimed that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was repeatedly misinformed by his advisers and despite approving the telecom policy, chose to remain a passive observer.

Speaking at the launch of his book 2G Saga Unfolds at Constitution Club, Mr Raja said, I stand vindicated by the judgment of O.P. Saini in acquitting me, accepting my defence that the telecom policy had the approval of the then PM Manmohan Singh in the UPA-II government.

Former Union minister Farooq Abdullah, who released the book, said ultimately the truth and justice had prevailed and Mr Rajas acquittal was an endorsement of the telecom policy.

Mr Raja said that former CAG Vinod Rais report, which formed the basis of the alleged 2G spectrum scam that rocked this country, was a a mixture of inappropriate legal interpretations, incongruous comparisons and flippant allegations. Mr Rai was the sutradhaar who created the devious apparition. His report is mere trash, which is unanimously deemed fit for the dustbin and his statements would not have stood test of cross-examination. Mr Rai should be called as a witness in the criminal case filed against him, he said.

Explaining his side of the story, Mr Raja said the CBI registered the FIR in 2G case in 2009 and in 2010, the officers of the department of telecommunication gave their response to the draft CAG report.

He pointed out that the elaborate 108 page response stated that the issuance of licences in 2008 at 2001 prices on the basis of first-come-first-serve policy was based on the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The CAG, he said, ignored this clarification.

Blaming the media for the hype created about this scam, Mr Raja said the media hype deluded the masses about the moral delinquency while the arbitrating institutions diluted legal diligence and objective, civilised jurisprudence by voicing capricious personal opinions.

My anguish is that the government, headed by Manmohan Singh, did not back me up. His concern for national interest to take telephone to rural areas is proved beyond doubt by the support and mentorship he had provided for every step, Mr Raja said.
The programme was an interaction between the BJP president and first time voters.

Lucknow: The UP police, on Saturday, arrested former Congress MP Rajesh Misra in Varanasi after he led protests against BJP president Amit Shah, who was in the holy city to address BJPs Yuva Udgosh programme.

The programme was an interaction between the BJP president and first time voters.

As soon as the news of the arrest spread, Congress workers staged protests and shouted slogans at several places in Varanasi. Fifteen Congress workers were arrested from Bhojubeer crossing while many were detained at other places.

Immediately after this incident, people wearing black clothes were barred from entry the venue of the programme at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth. A senior police official said that this was being done to prevent people from showing black flags to the VIP guests. Even media persons were stopped from entering the premises. Over 30 invitees were also prevented from entering the venue because they were wearing black. According to reports, heavy security arrangements had been made after Congress workers distributed pamphlets.
Posted 1/21/18

New Hope Baptist Church invites the community to a performance by the Old Time Preachers Quartet at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2.

The event will be at New Hope Baptist Church, 762 State Hwy. 64, 
I thank Australia and other members of the Australia Group for export control for supporting Indias entry in it, he tweeted.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lauded Indias entry into an elite nuclear group, saying it reaffirmed the countrys strict non-proliferation commitments.

His remarks come in the backdrop of India becoming a member of the Australia Group (AG), a move that is expected to raise New Delhis stature in the field of non-proliferation and also help it acquire critical technologies.

I thank Australia and other members of the Australia Group for export control for supporting Indias entry in it, he tweeted.

He said over the last two years, Indias membership of the MTCR, Wassenaar Arrange-ment and Australia Group reaffirmed the countrys strong non-proliferation credentials also our commitment to global peace and security.

India is now a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) as well as AG, three of four non-proliferation regimes. The only one remaining is the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Candidates who have contested the 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections will also be invited to the meetings.

Lucknow: The Congress in Uttar Pradesh will now adopt a more aggressive posture against the ruling BJP after the manner in which BJP activists staged protests during the recent Amethi visit of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Raj Babbar will be holding two-day meetings at divisional levels in which about 10 to 15 active party workers from every booth and ward level will be invited. These meetings will begin from the end of this month.

A similar number of representatives from the frontal organisations will also be invited to these meetings in order to ensure total participation of all the wings of the Congress.

Candidates who have contested the 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections will also be invited to the meetings.

According to party sources, after these meetings, the Congress will launch its programme to expose the BJP from the ward and booth levels.

The Modi and now the Yogi governments have fooled the people with false promises. We are going to expose them by telling the people what they said and what they finally did  or did not do. The BJP has mastered the art of creating euphoria by telling lies and fooling the common man but we will now expose them at every level, said Mr Raj Babbar.

The party will also be appointing observers to ensure that the programmes are held at every booth. UPCC president and senior office bearers will also be attending these programmes on a random basis.
Fireworks likely at party meet in April, Bengal camp will push draft again.

New Delhi: The CPI(M) central committee, at a meeting in Kolkata, on Sunday rejected a resolution moved by its general secretary Sitaram Yechury and backed by its influential Bengal unit, for a political understanding with the Congress. With this, the battle has now shifted to the party congress to be held in Hyderabad in April, where an alternative resolution may be moved by at least 12 state units reiterating the need for a broader political understanding with the Congress in order to defeat the BJP in 2019.

The tyranny of the majority, which the Left party has accused the BJP of practising in the Lok Sabha on many occasions, came back to haunt the CPI(M) as its central committee defeated the resolution moved by the Bengal faction led by Mr Yechury by a margin of 55-31, virtually closing the door for any political understanding with the Congress ahead of the 2019 general election. The central committee instead adopted the draft put forward by Mr Yechurys arch-rival, former general secretary Prakash Karat.

However, highly-placed sources said at least 12 state units are prepared to move an alternative draft at the 22nd party congress to be held in Hyderabad in April.

Under the party constitution, if the total number of members of these units is more than one-third of the membership of total party members, they can move an alternate draft resolution to be taken up at the party congress. West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir are among the states which voted in favour of Mr Yechurys resolution at the central committee.

Interestingly, though Mr Yechury or his so called Bengal faction was hugely outnumbered by Mr Karats Kerala faction at the central committee as well as the politburo earlier, at the party congress the two sides would have almost equal representation. The party congress has roughly 600 members. Thus it would be easier for Mr Yechury to move any amendment he desires there. However, traditionally, the party congress has never accepted any amendment which goes against the sense of the draft resolution adopted by the central committee.

However, there were sure to be fireworks at the party congress over this. An adamant Mr Yechury had even threatened to quit at the politburo and central committee meetings if his draft was also not taken up for consideration along with Mr Karats draft.

When questioned on this at a press conferen-ce on Sunday, he said: I am here as the party has asked me to continue as the general secretary. Though disagreements are the norm in other parties, it is rare in the CPI(M). Once the party adopts a political-tactical line, everyone is supposed to stick to it. But in reality, the CPI(M) now has two party lines. The last time that happened  in the undivided Communist Party in 1964  it had split.

In the two months from now till the party congress, the draft will be put up for consultation. During this time, all state committees, intellectuals and other stakeholders can put forward their views and suggest amendments.

Sources said the central committee meeting held four rounds of voting over the draft. The first saw 51-25 voting, in the second round it was 30-52, in the third it was 35-52 while the final round saw 31-55 voting. There were a total of 75 amendments moved in the final round.

The draft political resolution adopted af-ter incorporating some amendments states that there should be no electoral alliance or understanding with the Congress, Mr Yechury told reporters in Kolkata after the central committee meeting was over.

Though the central committee and the politburo are dominated by the Kerala faction, a state where the CPI(M) is in power, it is the other state committees, led by West Bengal, which are keen on an alliance with the Congress as the party cadre feel that without it the party will lose all its electoral relevance.

Unfortunately, such an alliance in the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 had not worked for the CPI(M), with the party coming third, even after the Congress. After this, calls by the Karat camp for an ideologically pure stand gained mo-mentum.

Mr Yechury was also denied a third term in the RS which he could have won with Congre-ss support. He is also unlikely to get another term as party general secretary.
The researchers noted that it is not necessary for the yoga to be performed at a hot temperature.

Washington: Myth busted! A study has recently found that practising yoga in a room heated to 40 degree Celsius is no longer effective at improving the vascular health in people.

Bikram yoga, popularly known as hot yoga, is a trendy form of yoga that involves 26 poses performed in a room heated to 40 degrees Celsius.

According to researchers from Texas State University and the University of Texas at Austin, USA, a hot yoga style, is no more effective at improving health than the same yoga postures at room temperature.

The research indicated that the heated environment did not play a role in causing improvements in vascular health.

Despite its popularity, little is known about the health benefits associated with it and even less is known about the stipulation that it is carried out in a hot environment.

The researchers noted that it is not necessary for the yoga to be performed at a hot temperature with the effects also being seen at room temperature.

The corresponding author Stacy D Hunter said, "The new finding from this investigation was that the heated practice environment did not seem to play a role in eliciting improvements in vascular health with Bikram yoga".

D. Hunter claimed that this is the first publication to show a beneficial effect of the practice of yoga in the absence of heat.

The team analysed 80 participants and randomised to one of three study groups after preliminary screening.

The intervention lasted for 12 weeks and the participants were asked to attend three Bikram yoga classes per week.

It found that it can possibly delay the progression of atherosclerosis, which is a disease in which plaque builds up inside arteries and can cause heart attack or stroke.

However, the research showed that Bikram yoga can reduce changes in the lining of blood vessels that are involved in the development and progression of heart disease.

The research appears in Experimental Physiology journal.
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken also tried to suggest that the BJP had a role in the delay, but offered no evidence.

New Delhi: The Election Commission helped the AAP by delaying its recommendation for disqualifying 20 of the partys MLAs for holding offices of profit and enabled it in sending three candidates, including N.D. Gupta  a close associate of Union finance minister Arun Jaitley  to the Rajya Sabha, the Congress alleged on Saturday.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken also tried to suggest that the BJP had a role in the delay, but offered no evidence.

The EC on the instance of the BJP delayed its recommendation by a month and helped the Aam Aadmi Party. Had the recommendation come before the Rajya Sabha election, the AAP would have split due to internal rift, Mr Maken claimed.

For the second day in a row, Mr Maken attacked the AAP after the EC recommended that 20 AAP legislators be disqualified for holding offices of profit. On Friday, Mr Maken had demanded Arvind Kejriwals resignation on moral grounds.

Today, he said the AAP faced opposition from within over its nominees for the Rajya Sabha and the party would have possibly split had the ECs recommendation was announced last month when the party had decided the nominees.

We want to ask Arvind Kejriwal about the connivance between him and the BJP, which was behind the delay in disqualification recommendation, Mr Maken added.

Mr Maken added that the AAPs claim that the 20 AAP MLAs, who were appointed as parliamentary secretaries to ministers, did not enjoy any office-of-profit proved to be a blatant lie. Had there been any morality left in the 21 AAP MLAs, they would have resigned from their membership the moment the complaint was filed before the election commission on their issue of office-of-profit, he said.
The other partner of Jain has been identified as Lalit Goel.

New Delhi: A night after the national capital shook to the tragedy of Bawana fire where as many as 17 people were burnt alive, the police on early Sunday morning arrested the owner of the firecracker factory, Manoj Jain.

According to the police, the accused Manoj Jain who ran the factory, has been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible material. The maximum punishment under these sections is 10 years.

Investigation ordered into the tragedy revealed it was a factory of cold firecrackers used in stage shows and Holi celebrations, said Rajneesh Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini).

On Sunday morning, the accused was produced before the duty magistrate who sent him to judicial custody. The police will request for production of the accused before a regular magistrate and that he be sent to police custody tomorrow, Mr Gupta added. .

It may be noted that the supervisor kept by the factory owner at the premises namely Ajit Ranjan has also died in the incident. Jain had rented the factory from January 1. The other partner of Jain has been identified as Lalit Goel.

Meanwhile continuing its investigation into the tragic incident, the police have so far has managed to identify 14 people who died in the fire, including, the unit supervisor and his son.

The process to ascertain the identity of the rest is still underway. The police clarified that the three bodies yet to be identified include one female and two males.

On Sunday, a team from Forensic Science Laboratory visited the factory again and conducted a search of the premises for around four hours along with the assistance of police. The team sent the samples picked up at the factory site for detailed examination.
Party says Kovind should contemplate move; BJP and Congress demand Arvind Kejriwals resignation.

NEW DELHI: While the Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday termed President Ram Nath Kovinds decision to disqualify 20 party legislators as unconstitutional and dangerous for democracy, both Delhi BJP and Congress welcomed the move with the latter going a step further by seeking chief minister Arvind Kejriwals resignation over the matter.

Senior AAP leader Ashutosh tweeted: The Presidents order to disqualify 20 AAP MLAs is unconstitutional and dangerous for democracy. Mr Kovind should himself contemplate if he has enchanced his stature in history as the President of the Republic of India by signing to disqualify AAP MLAs.

AAPs Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said that he was sad to see that the President gave his verdict without listening to the AAPs stand.

His party colleague Atishi Marlena tweeted: The wrongful disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs by the EC underlines the need for removing Constitutional ambiguities about powers of the AAP government.

Coming out in defence of the AAP, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said that the Presidents order was a complete miscarriage of natural justice. He tweeted : No hearing. No waiting for the high courts order. It is Tuglaqshahi of the worst order.

Rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said that the disqualification of AAP MLAs was undemocratic as they were not even heard, which was against natural justice. Constitutional bodies in the country are being misused now-a-days. Appeal to public to deeply think about which hands the country will be secure in future.

Demanding Mr Kejriwals resignation, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Maken said his party was ready for by-polls. The Congress will hold a massive protest at the CMs office on Monday demanding his resignation, he said. Mr Kejriwal has lost the moral right to rule and he should step down now, especially after 20 of his MLAs were disqualified by the highest authority in the land, he said.

He also reiterated the allegation that the BJP and the Election Commission (EC) had helped the AAP by delaying the disqualification process and enabled it to send its three candidates to the Rajya Sabha.

The party would have split due to internal dissensions had the EC made the recommendation before December 22 last, when the three AAP candidates were elected to the Rajya Sabha, he claimed. The delay was deliberate, thanks to a deal struck between the BJP and the AAP, he said, rubbishing the AAPs claim that the disqualified MLAs were not given a hearing by the EC to present their case.

The Delhi BJP hailing the disqualification move, said The peopole of the city feel that the MLAs must return all benefits they were given to them from the day they were appointed as the parliamentary secretaries.
Six persons including three juveniles were today arrested from the southern part of Kolkata.

Kolkata: A young woman was allegedly gangraped at an abandoned place in Taratala on Friday afternoon. Six persons including three juveniles were arrested from the southern part of Kolkata for their alleged involvement in the gangrape of a woman, police said.

The victim, a 27 year old woman, is a resident of Baguiati. She had come to her aunts house in the Kolkata Port Trust colony, sources revealed.

She lodged a complaint with the Taratala police station at around 3 pm alleging that at around 12.30 pm when she had gone to buy chicken from a local shop nearby, a boy who works there invited her to go with him.

He took her to an abandoned house where other boys also came, said deputy commissioner of police (south west) Meeraj Khalid.

According to preliminary investigation, some of them committed penetrative sexual assault on the victim while others clicked photos and videos on their mobile phones.

Later they threatened the girl not to reveal the incident to anybody before their escape.

The police initiated a case under section 376D (gangrape) of the Indian Penal Code. The victim underwent a medical test. Mr Khalid added that six accused were arrested later.

They are a 15-year-old boy from C.P.T. Colony Market, Sumit Singh (23) of Sukdevpur in Mahestala, a 17-year-boy of Bandal Para in Maheshtala, Abhishek Kumar (18) of Old Calcutta Port Trust Mazdoor Lane, a 17-year-old boy of Old Calcutta Port Trust Mazdoor Lane and (6) Pradip Kumar Chowdhury (19) of Upen Banerjee Road in Parnashree.
Patel worked as an engineer at Q Logic, a software firm at Yerwada Pune.

A 35-year-old software engineer, along with his wife and their four-year-old son, were found dead in their apartment at Baner in Pune on Thursday night. (Representational image)

Pune: A 35-year-old software engineer, along with his wife and their four-year-old son, were found dead in their apartment at Baner in Pune on Thursday night. The bodies of Jayeskumar Patel, his wife Bhumika and son Naksha, were found at their residence at Vasant Vihar Society on Baner-Pashan Link Road. According to police, it is suspected that the death of the kid due to a chronic ailment could have made his parents go into shock or depression and led to their decision to commit suicide by hanging themselves.

Patel worked as an engineer at Q Logic, a software firm at Yerwada Pune. The family hails from Gujarat. Dayanand Dhome, police inspector of Chatushrungi police station said, Patel did not go to office for two days. His colleagues called him on his mobile but did not receive any response. They called the neighbours to find out whether Patel was at home. The neighbours rang the door for long and then informed the police.

Mr Dhome said, The police entered their house from neighbours balcony. Their bodies were lying there with strangulating marks on their necks. The kid had froth on his mouth. Its possible the child died due to some disease. We are still investigating.

Sanjay Thenge, police sub inspector of Pashan said the neighbours mentioned that Naksha had some chronic disease and often fainted.
He was one of the shooters who now operate his own gang. His last movement was from Karnataka to Delhi in 2011.

Three were arrested in May 2017 in connection with the case.

Mumbai: The crime branch has launched a crackdown on fugitive gangster Suresh Pujari and his gang members following the May 7 shootout on a restaurant manager in Nalasopara, arresting at least 22 shooters of the notorious gang.

Pujaris gang activities have been mostly taken place on the outskirts of Mumbai with them conducting shootouts in hotels and restaurants, officials said.

The count of cases against Pujari's gang has reached to 20 and officials said that most of these cases are registered in Thane and Navi Mumbai.

Crime branch officials, who crackdown the organized crime syndicates, stated that the gang has taken a hit in last one year after solving of cases of firing in Bhiwandi and other areas, going beyond their jurisdiction.

The two fringe gangs of Suresh Pujari and Ravi Pujari, both unrelated, carry out most of the underworld activities happening in on the outskirts of Mumbai.

Suresh Pujari's name has been figuring in incidents of targeting small time businessmen on the outskirts of Mumbai, officials said.

He was formerly associated with gangster Chhota Rajan, who was deported from Indonesia, and he first came on the radar of the Mumbai crime branch after his name figured in producer-director Mahesh Bhatt shootout case of 2006, in Juhu.

He was one of the shooters who now operate his own gang. His last movement was from Karnataka to Delhi in 2011. Our intelligence revealed that Suresh Pujari had travelled by road to Delhi and later he took a flight from there to Dubai before things heated up, a police officil said.
Posted 1/21/18

Ulysses S. Barnsley and Ludwell B. Durnil of Monett both were active in the companies that would build the Laurens Call airship, the Holbrook helicopter and aeroplane, and finally the DeChenne 
The BJP has to depend upon Mr Rane if wants to take on the Sena in the region.

Mumbai: In the wake of controversies over the Enron and Jaitapur projects, the proposed Nanar refinery is proving to be the next headache for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Shiv Sena has been leading local protests against the project, which compelled National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Narayan Rane also to oppose it too because his party, the Maharashtra Swabhimaan Paksh, will contest the elections next year.

The BJP does not have a political hold in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg regions. Local Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut lashed out at Mr Rane over refinery issue alleging, Rane is opposing it now because the BJP is not giving him entry in the Cabinet. It is a pressure tactic.

Unlike the BJP, the Shiv Sena is a force to be reckoned with in the Konkan.

Considering the fact that they may not be an alliance with the Shiv Sena in the next year's Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the BJP had created ties with Mr Rane, who had quit the Congress. Mr Rane has some influence in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

The BJP has to depend upon Mr Rane if wants to take on the Sena in the region, but its ambitious projects - which are facing opposition - have created hurdles for it.

Mr Rautm who is leading and participating in agitations against the Jaitapur and Nanar projects slammed Mr Rane, stating, "Where was he for the last few months when Shiv Sena was supporting local residents? He wasn't included in the Cabinet so he is supporting agitators to pressure the BJP.

Mr Rane was supporting a coal-based power project at Girye and pressurised residents. But that project was cancelled."
Love them, hate them ignore them at national peril, is the babu guarantee and Dilips belief. Share significant babu escapades dilipcherian@hotmail.com

The most recent example is the naming of 10 new joint secretaries last month, of which five are from the non-IAS services.

Apparently, there are only five IAS officers of the Chhattisgarh cadre in the capital, though the states quota is 31 officers.

If there was a single notable trend in 2017, it was the inroads made by non-IAS officers in positions traditionally considered the turf of the heaven-born.

Going by the liberal sprinkling of non-IAS officers at the joint secretary level, it does appear as if the supremacy of the IAS, who for decades considered themselves a cut above the rest of the All India services, is under threat.

In March 2017, the government named 16 new joint secretaries in key ministries and departments, including the ministry of home affairs and the department of financial services.

Ten of these officers were from services like Indian Forest Service (IFoS), Central Secretariat Service (CSS), Indian Postal Service (IPoS) and Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS).

For example, Vinod Kumar Tiwari, a 1986 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IFoS officer, was appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of tribal affairs in place of Manoj K. Pingua, a 1994 batch Chhattisgarh cadre IAS and Ms Vandita Kaul, a 1989 batch Indian Postal Service (IPoS) officer was made the new joint secretary in the department of financial services in place of A.V. Patil, a 1998 batch Tamil Nadu cadre lAS officer.

This was not the odd blip but a precursor to similar appointments.

In June, when 21 new joint secretaries were appointed, only four belonged to the IAS. The government made it clear that an officers specialisation had no bearing so far as the appointment of the joint secretaries were concerned.

Thus, income tax officer Vipin Chandra (1987 batch IRS-IT) was made the joint secretary in the ministry of earth sciences and Prasanta Kumar Swain, a 1987 batch Indian Postal Service officer, was appointed joint secretary in the department of agriculture, cooperation and farmers' welfare, replacing an IAS Shakil P. Ahammed.

Then, in another series of joint secretary appointments in November 2017, 10 of the 20 new joint secretary positions were bagged by the babus from Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS), IRAS, Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), Indian Economic Service (IES) and Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES). Dharma Reddy Alia, a 1991 batch IDES, was made joint secretary in the ministry of home affairs (MHA) replacing Nagaland cadre IAS, V. Shashank Shekhar.

Also, forest service officer Sanjay Kumar Sinha was appointed joint secretary in the department of higher education.

The most recent example is the naming of 10 new joint secretaries last month, of which five are from the non-IAS services. They include Amit Mehta (IoFS), K.K. Aggarwal (IRSE), Sanjay Upreti (IRAS), Gopal Krishna Gupta (IRSME) and Sudhir Garg (IRSEE).

Sources say that the government has been encouraging such appointments after seeing the reluctance of many state governments to send their IAS babus to the Centre on deputation.

Apparently, there are only five IAS officers of the Chhattisgarh cadre in the capital, though the states quota is 31 officers. Similarly, 11 IAS officers of West Bengal cadre are serving in Central deputation whereas the number should have been 56.

Whatever may be the reason behind the reluctance of IAS officers to serve at the Centre, it has created space for non-IAS officers to fill the gap.

And not just non-IAS officers, the government is increasingly open to hiring specialists from outside bureaucracy to design and implement its key programmes.

The heaven-born have all reasons to be increasingly nervous about the increased intrusions into their turf.

Will they try to reclaim lost ground, the coming months will reveal.
In the introductory note Mr Modi uses the words clean, cleanliness, litter and littering 21 times.

You are a revolutionary leader and you are revolutionising India. You are catapulting this magnificent state into the future, Israels Benjamin Netanyahu said to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week. What could he possibly mean? My dictionary defines revolution as involving or causing a complete or dramatic change. Usually the change a revolutionary seeks is a sort of insurrection against the established order, particularly the state. Since Mr Netanyahu is calling the India state magnificent (it would be fascinating to know why he thinks it is), it is safe to assume that hes not referring to Mr Modis attempts to overthrow that order. So what could he possibly be reaching for? I dont really know, and dont want to speculate. For a moment let us set aside the fact that Mr Netanyahu is here to sell arms to a customer susceptible to flattery.

However, it is very true that in one way, Mr Modi is seeking to bring about revolutionary change in the established order. What is this change? I would say it is reform, but not in the way the word is generally used.

Let me illustrate this by looking at one of Mr Modis signature initiatives: Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan. Readers will remember how it was launched: with the Prime Minister taking a broom and cleaning public spaces, and encouraging others to do the same and tweet about it. His website explained the purpose of Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan:

A clean India would be the best tribute India could pay to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth anniversary in 2019 While leading the mass movement for cleanliness, the Prime Minister exhorted people to fulfill Mahatma Gandhis dream of a clean and hygienic India. Mr Modi himself initiated the cleanliness drive at Mandir Marg Police Station in Delhi. Picking up the broom to clean the dirt, making Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan a mass movement across the nation, the Prime Minister said people should neither litter, nor let others litter. He gave the mantra of Na gandagi karenge, Na karne denge.

In the introductory note Mr Modi uses the words clean, cleanliness, litter and littering 21 times. The words toilet and sanitation appear once, in the line that Mr Modi has simultaneously addressed the health problems that roughly half of the Indians families have to deal with due to lack of proper toilets in their homes.

This is almost an afterthought, perhaps because it was an extension of earlier programmes and, therefore, uninteresting to Mr Modi.

Littering is an eyesore and at the most an aesthetic irritant. It is not a national crisis like sanitation is (38 per cent of our children are stunted at age two, giving them no chance of a fulfilling intellectual and physical life). But Mr Modis focus and his messaging was on littering, because what he was reaching for was a change in the individual Indian citizens character, which he saw as needing behavioural change; an internal transformation. This is reformation of the sort that is usually done by spiritual and religious leaders. It is not in the domain of popular politics.

One can similarly understand the motivation for eccentric actions like demonetisation through the same instinct of social reform. Indians must be weaned off black money and the way to do this is by forcing behavioural change and taking away their cash. Whether or not this is ultimately effective; whether or not it affects millions negatively; whether or not people will actually die from this slashing policy stroke; all of that the experts can quibble over later. Mr Modi must act and so he will force (compel) people to do the right thing, or that which he considers right. This is the reform of the father figure, which in many ways Mr Modi has become, given the nature of his popularity and where it springs from.

Bollywood director Madhur Bhandarkar recently wrote a piece (When a Prime Minister turned social reformer) referring to the same aspects. He wrote: There are several examples which show how our society is undergoing a major transformation. Initiatives like taking yoga to the masses, banning the use of red beacons to end VIP culture, special schemes for divyangs and sensitising people to their needs, ending the formality of getting forms/certificates attested by gazetted officers, exhorting people to prepare their own manure through composting  these may look like small initiatives but their impact is massive.

Whether this is what the Prime Minister of India should concentrate on is not something I want to look at here. The point is that this societal change is what he is drawn to. Sometimes he recognises that he may have approached the issue wrongly or hastily.

Today the Swachchh Bharat websites, including the one for urban centres, list the toilet and sanitation numbers front and centre and there is little if anything about littering.

In his reply to Mr Netanyahus praise, Mr Modi said, I have a reputation for being impatient to get results and so do you. We should expect that his attempts to reform us will continue.
Several people could be seen climbing over top-floor balcony using bedsheets to escape, with one losing his grip and plunging to the ground.

Smokes rises from the Intercontinental Hotel after an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018. Gunmen stormed the hotel in the Afghan capital on Saturday evening, triggering a shootout with security forces, officials said. (AP Photo)

Kabul: Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul killing at least six people, including a foreigner, sparking a twelve hour fight with security forces that left terrified guests scrambling to escape and parts of the building ablaze.

The Taliban on Sunday claimed responsibility for storming the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul.

Afghan security forces killed four attackers during the night-time siege, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told Tolo News, during which people trapped inside the landmark hotel were seen climbing over balconies to escape.

"The attack is over," he said.

"Five Afghans and one foreigner have been killed," interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP, adding around 150 people were rescued, including more than 40 foreigners.

"The body of the foreigner, a woman, was recovered from the sixth floor as the last attacker was being killed," he added.

But an official with Afghanistan's spy agency said the attack was "not over yet" with attackers "still shooting on security forces".

Dramatic images broadcast on Afghanistan's Tolo News showed thick black smoke and flames billowing from the top of the six-floor hilltop Intercontinental hotel -- which is not part of the global InterContinental chain.

Several people could be seen climbing over a top-floor balcony using bedsheets to escape, with one losing his grip and plunging to the ground.

Officials said four gunmen burst into the hotel on Saturday night, opening fire on guests and staff and taking dozens of people hostage.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest assault in the war-torn Afghan capital, which followed a series of security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners.

It was not clear how many people had been inside the hotel, which was attacked by Taliban militants in 2011.

During the night special forces were lowered by helicopters onto the roof of the landmark building, Rahimi said.

'Fleeing like crazy'

Afghan Telecom regional director Aziz Tayeb, who was attending the IT conference, said he saw the attackers enter the hotel as he was walking towards the exit.

"Everything became chaotic in a moment. I hid behind a pillar and I saw people who were enjoying themselves a second ago screaming and fleeing like crazy, and some of them falling down, hit by bullets," Tayeb said.

Local resident Abdul Sattar said he had spoken by phone to some of his friends who are chefs and waiters at the hotel and had been trapped inside.

"Suddenly they attacked the dinner gathering... (then) they broke into the rooms, took some people hostage and they opened fire on some of them," he told AFP.

Rahimi said the attackers were armed with small weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when they stormed the hotel, which is a popular venue for weddings, conferences and political gatherings.

The last major attack on a high-end hotel in Kabul was in March 2014 when four teenage gunmen raided the Serena, killing nine people including AFP journalist Sardar Ahmad.

The Intercontinental was previously targeted in June 2011 when a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people, including 10 civilians.

Security at the Intercontinental is relatively lax compared with other luxury hotels in Kabul.

Even before the attack was over, authorities were questioning how the assailants got past the hotel's security, which was taken over by a private company three weeks ago, Danish said.

"We will investigate it," he said.

A hotel employee told AFP that as he fled the staff living quarters located in a building next to the hotel he saw the new security guards running for their lives.

"They didn't do anything, they didn't attack. They had no experience," the man said on the condition of anonymity.
This was the third time in three days that Mr Singh was summoned.

Director General South Asia Dr Mohammed Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the repeated incidents of ceasefire violations, said the statement.

Islamabad: Pakistan on Sunday once again summoned Indian deputy high commissioner J.P. Singh at the Foreign Office to lodge protest against the alleged ceasefire violations. A foreign ministry statement said the Indian deputy high commissioner was summoned to lodge strong protest over the ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control and Working Boundary.

Director General South Asia Dr Mohammed Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the repeated incidents of ceasefire violations, said the statement.

The DG said the Indian side should permit United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions. This was the third time in three days that Mr Singh was summoned.
14 foreigners, mostly Ukraininans, dead in strike on hotel.

Afghan security personnel stand guard as smoke rises from the Intercontinental Hotel after an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday. Gunmen stormed the hotel in the Afghan capital on Saturday evening, triggering a shootout with security forces, officials said. (Photo: AP)

Kabul: Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul and killed at least 18 people, around 14 of them foreigners, sparking a 12-hour battle with Afghan forces backed by Norwegian troops that left terrified guests scrambling to escape.

Several Ukrainians were among those killed in the Taliban-claimed assault on the six-storey Intercontinental Hotel in the Afghan capital, Ukrainian foreign ministry official Vasyl Kyrylych confirmed.

Afghan interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said 14 foreigners were among the dead, but did not specify their nationalities, in comments to Afghanistan's Tolo News hours after the overnight attack that ended Sunday.

Terrified hotel guests climbed down bedsheets tied to balconies to escape the gunmen rampaging through the hilltop hotel overlooking the Afghan capital.

One lost his grip and fell in Tolo News television footage, which also showed black smoke and flames billowing from the hotel.

Special forces were lowered by helicopters during the night onto the roof of the landmark 1960s building. Afghan security forces killed all six attackers, the interior ministry said.

They were aided by Norwegian troops, Norwegian military officials told public broadcaster NRK. Norway has helped train Afghan elite forces since 2007.
The 27-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested at Heathrow Airport under terrorism laws.

The woman's two-year-old son, whose nationality remains unclear, has been taken into the care of the state. (Representational Image)

London: A British woman who married and gave birth under the Islamic State regime in Syria has become one of the first so-called jihadi brides to be arrested on her return to the UK, a media report has claimed.

The 27-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested at Heathrow Airport under terrorism laws when she landed from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, earlier this month, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

Her two-year-old son, whose nationality remains unclear, has been taken into the care of the state.

Scotland Yard has released the woman on bail while it continues its investigation.

The UK authorities are working on a series of measures to tackle cases of such ISIS brides and children returning to the UK following the terrorist group's defeats in its Syrian and Iraqi strongholds last year, the report said.

Aqsa Mahmood, a 22-year-old Pakistani-origin suspected ISIS recruiter from Glasgow, has been stripped of her British citizenship to prevent her returning to Britain.

The UK Home Office argues that Mahmood has not been made "stateless" because she is eligible to apply for citizenship in the country where her parents were born, which is Pakistan.

A similar order has been made against another British woman who fled Syria at the end of 2016 after her husband, a prominent British figure in ISIS, died in a battle.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave birth to two children, now aged one and three, in the war zone, which means they have no nationality, the report said.

All three remain stranded in Turkey.

The UK's social services departments have been drawing up plans to take into care British children known to have travelled to Syria and Iraq with their families, should their parents bring them back home.

More than 100 British women are thought to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the terror groups.
The two-day visit of the UN Security Councils sanctions monitoring team will begin on Thursday.

Saeed, the chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: Amid mounting global pressure on Pakistan to act against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and entities linked to him, a UN Security Council team will visit the country this week for an assessment of Islamabads compliance with the world bodys sanctions regime.

The two-day visit of the UN Security Councils sanctions monitoring team will begin on Thursday.

The monitoring team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee will be in Islamabad on January 25 and 26, a senior Pakistani official was quoted as saying by Dawn.

The UN monitoring teams visit is taking place amid increasing pressure on Pakistan from the US and India with respect to the inadequate implementation of the sanctions on Saeed and entities linked to him.

However, Pakistani officials, insist that the trip is a routine visit.

Saeed was listed under the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

On Friday, the US State Department said it has told clearly to Islamabad that Saeed is a terrorist and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, reacting strongly to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasis remarks that there was no case against the Mumbai attack mastermind.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said: He is listed by the UNSC 1267, the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is a designated foreign terror organisation.

We believe that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Nauert had said.

Saeed, the chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

The terms of reference of the monitoring team for Pakistan visit are not publicly known, but as per its general mandate it assists the 1267 Committee in keeping an eye on the freezing of the financial assets of listed persons and entities and checking provision of training and other material to them and their travel, the paper said.

The UNSC monitoring team intimates instances of non- compliance to the committee through its reports. At the same time it also advises and assists member states on implementation of the regime.

Pakistan has remained under the Financial Action Task Force scanner over allegations by the US and India about the UNSC sanctions not being fully implemented, the paper said.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.
In the Marian celebration in Trujillo, Francis speaks of Mary, "a mestiza Mother, because in her heart all races find a place, for love seeks out every possible way to love and to be loved". He recommends priests and consecrated to remember the moment of their vocation to be, like the apostles, bearers of joy and builders of community.

Lima (AsiaNews) - Look to Mary  who "will always be a mestiza Mother, because in her heart all races find a place, for love seeks out every possible way to love and to be loved" - to have gratitude for our mothers and grandmothers and fight the scourge of femicide (in 2017 in Peru there were 368 murders or attempted murders of women). There were 35 images of Mary in the Plaza de Armas of Trujillo, yesterday afternoon, brought from every place in the region for a Marian celebration that led Pope Francis to say that he was in "an open-air sanctuary".

Francis dedicated a Marian celebration (in the photo) the third and last appointment of his day in Trujillo, where he celebrated mass, and which was preceded by a meeting with priests and consecrated persons whom he recommended to remember the moment of their vocation to be, like the apostles, bearers of joy and builders of community.

"Our vocations - he said - will always have that double dimension: roots in the earth and hearts in heaven. When one of these two is missing, something begins to go wrong and our life gradually withers". Memory, therefore, first of all, " in order to discover the sap that nourished the hearts of disciples for centuries, and thus comes to recognize Gods presence in the life of his people".

In his speech, Francis first made reference to the Baptist, the one who knew he was only one who "announces". " knew that his mission was to point the way, to make beginnings, to open up spaces, to proclaim that another was the bearer of Gods Spirit. To be a people of remembrance frees us from the temptation of thinking that we are messiahs. We can fight this temptation in many ways, but also with laughter. Yes, learning to laugh at ourselves gives us the spiritual ability to stand before Lord with our limitations, our mistakes and our sins, but also our successes, and the joy of knowing that he is at our side.

And because this role does not make you feel too important, "Learning to laugh at yourself", which "gives us the spiritual ability to stand before the Lord with our own limits, errors and sins, but also with our own successes, and with the joy of knowing that He is by our side. Two tablets: very now and again, look in the mirror ".

And "do not forget, let alone despise, the simple and faithful faith of your people. Know how to welcome, accompany and stimulate the encounter with the Lord. Do not turn into professionals of the sacred who forget their people, from where the Lord has drawn you. Do not lose your remembrance of and respect for those who have taught you to pray ".

Pointing to the example of Andrew, Francis emphasized that joy which "is a constant in the heart of the Apostles, and we see it in the strength with which Andrew confides to his brother: 'We have encountered him!'. Therefore 'the joy of the Gospel fills the heart and the whole life of those who meet with Jesus' ". Here, then, is "the challenge" of contrasting "in this fragmented world", isolation, loneliness. "The challenge for us is to be architects and community prophets. Because nobody is saved alone. And in this I would like to be clear. Fragmentation and isolation is not something that occurs 'outside', as if it were only a problem of the 'world'. Brothers, divisions, wars, isolation, we also live in our communities, and how bad they make us! ".

Finally, Mary, "Mother who does not abandon her children" and who "continues to defend us and to show us the Door that opens the way to authentic life, the Life that does not rot". To the faithful gathered in the square the Pope defined the Madonna " She walks beside every one of her children, in order to lead them home. She accompanies us all the way to the Gate that gives Life, for Jesus does not want anyone to remain outside, in the cold".

" Looking to Mary, I do not want to conclude without asking all of us to think of the mothers and grandmothers of this nation; they are a true driving force for the life and the families of Peru. What would Peru be like, without its mothers and grandmothers! What would our lives be like without them! Our love for Mary must help us to feel appreciation and gratitude for women, for our mothers and grandmothers, who are a bastion in the life in our cities. Almost always in silence, they carry life forward. It is the silence and strength of hope. Thank you for your witness. Appreciation and gratitude. But in thinking of our mothers and grandmothers, I want to invite you to combat a scourge that affects our American continent: the numerous cases where women are killed. And the many situations of violence that are kept quiet behind so many walls. I ask you to fight against this source of suffering by calling for legislation and a culture that repudiates every form of violence.

Brothers and sisters, Our Lady of the Gate, Mother of Mercy and Hope, shows us the way and points out the best defence against the evil of indifference and insensitivity. She brings us to her Son and encourages us to promote and spread a culture of mercy based on the rediscovery of encounter with others, a culture in which no one looks at another with indifference or turns away from the suffering of our brothers and sisters".
At the Angelus in the Plaza de Armas, Pope Francis calls on young people to follow Jesus with all of themselves, without discouragement, in the example of St. Martin of Porres, the half-caste saint. Silent prayer for peace in the Republic of the Congo. To the bishops, the example of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, an indefatigable evangelizer: "Today we would call him a 'street bishop'". To the contemplative religious the invitation to pray for the unity of the Peruvian Church.

Lima (AsiaNews) - "The heart cant be photoshopped, because thats where authentic love and genuine happiness have to be found": with this neologism Pope Francis today addressed the young people gathered in the Plaza de Armas in the Peruvian capital. In a morning full of meetings - at 9.15 am with the contemplative religious (see photo); at 10.30 am with a prayer before the relics of the Peruvian saints; shortly before 11 am with the bishops of the country - the pontiff dedicated the moment of the Angelus to the young, remembering their importance because "in this year ... we are preparing for the Synod of young people". Before the Marian prayer, he invited the thousands of young people present to make a silent prayer for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The call that the Pope madenot to "fotoshop" is an exhortation not to be discouraged or to hide reality by embellishing it in a virtual way. "Jesus - he said - Jesus does not want you to have a cosmetic heart. He loves you as you are, and he has a dream for every one of you. Do not forget, he does not get discouraged with us. But if you get discouraged, I invite you to take a look at the Bible and remember the kind of friends God chose.Moses, he was not articulate; Abraham, an old man; Jeremiah, very young; Zacchaeus, small of stature; the disciples, who fell asleep when Jesus told them they should pray; Paul, a persecutor of Christians; Peter, who denied him... and we could go on with this list. So what excuse can we offer?

When Jesus looks at us, he does not think about how perfect we are, but about all the love we have in our hearts to give in serving others. That is the important thing for him, and he will always be concerned about that. He does not worry about your height, or whether you speak well or badly, whether you fall asleep when you pray, or whether you are very young or very old. His only question is this: Do you want to follow me and be my disciple? Dont waste time disguising your heart, but instead fill your life with the Spirit!Jesus is constantly waiting to give us his Spirit, who is the Love that God wants to pour into our hearts, to make us his missionary disciples. In following Jesus, we never, ever, remain shut out. Even if we make mistakes, the Lord always gives us a new opportunity to keep walking with him".

As an example of this he cited the story of St. Martin of Porres (1579-1639), son of a slave of African origins and a Spanish aristocrat, who became a Dominican religious, assigned to the most humble tasks (because he was half caste), but the whose reputation of holiness and as an educator gave a great boost to evangelization: "Nothing prevented that young man from achieving his dreams, nothing prevented him from spending his life for others, nothing prevented him from loving, and he did so because he had realized that the Lord loved him first. Just as he was: a mulato. He had to face many hardships ".

Saint Turibius, model for bishops

The example of the Peruvian saints, in particular of San Turibius of Mogrovejo (1538-1606), archbishop of Lima, was offered by Francis to the Peruvian bishops. The Pope called him "the man who wanted to get to the other shore. He left "behind the comfort of the bishops residence and traverse the territory entrusted to him, of the twenty-two years of his episcopate, eighteen were spent outside of his city, three times crossing his territory. He added: Today we would call him a street bishop. A bishop with shoes worn out by walking, by constant travel, by setting out to preach the Gospel to all: to all places, on all occasions, without hesitation, reluctance and fear".

Turibius also carried out a great commitment to evangelization in local cultures: With the Third Council of Lima he provided for catechisms to be compiled and translated into Quechua and Aymara. He encouraged the clergy to learn the language of their flock in order to administer the sacraments to them in a way they could understand".

The saint also engaged in the field of charity and justice, coming to excommunicate some powerful colonizers who oppressed the people and were corrupt. He also opened the path of the priesthood to men of mixed race, "trying to encourage and stimulate that the clergy, if they had to stand out in something, were for the holiness of the pastors and not for the ethnic origin".

Finally, the pope recalls Turibius commitment to the unity of the Church. "Dear Brothers - he invited the bishops - work for unity, do not remain prisoners of divisions that reduce and limit the vocation to which we have been called: to be a sacrament of communion".

Shortly before the meeting with the bishops, the pope had gathered in prayer in the cathedral in front of the relics of the Peruvian saints (Turibius of Mongrovejo, Rose of Lima, Martin de Porres, Francisco Solanos, Juan Macias ...).

In the early morning he went to the sanctuary of the Senor de los Milagros, where he met with about 500 contemplative religious. The pontiff also asked them to "pray a lot for the unity of this beloved Peruvian Church" and proposed them to live the contemplative life with the prayer to "heal the wounds of our many brothers and sisters". "The cloistered life - he added - cloistered life neither closes nor shrinks our hearts, but rather widens them in our relationship with the Lord, making them capable of feeling in a new way the pain, the suffering, the frustration and the misfortune of so many of our brothers and sisters who are victims of todays throwaway culture.

This afternoon, the pope will celebrate mass at the Las Palmas Air Base, his last encounter with the Peruvian population. After the farewell ceremony, he will board a plane at 6.45 pm (local time) to return to Rome.
SAPIYKUNAPAQ: My Roots, Mis Raices exhibition will be Thursday at ArtsBuild, 301 E 11th St., from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The exhibition portrays artist Alex Paul Lozas Peruvian heritage, from ancient indigenous folktales to the encounter between the Incas and the Spanish conquistadors. It also highlights the Peruvian indigenous culture, African and European cultural influence.

Mr. Loza said, The inspiration behind these paintings is a reconnection with my Peruvian roots and a response to young U.S. born Latinos who experience a disconnection with their Latino heritage. I can relate as I too experienced this disconnection during my adolescence. Only by connecting to our roots, we will understand who we are and at the same time construct a better appreciation for other cultures and opinions.

Rodney Van Valkenburg, the director of grants and initiatives at ArtsBuild, said, "I appreciate the multi-layered impact of the 'Embracing Your Raices' series. The series celebrates the significant work of a local artist and explores historical and cultural influences within his personal story. It is a great example of an arts integrated project that blends all of these aspects into a cohesive, unified series.

"The Equity in the Arts grant program was designed to shine a bright light on the impressive talent among local African American and Latino artists. This project by artist Alex Paul Loza is an outstanding example that we are meeting the program's goals."

Mr. Lozas exhibition was first displayed at John C. Williams Art Gallery on Southern Adventist University campus in Collegedale. He hopes that after attending this exhibition, "you take the opportunity to discover or rediscover your roots, bond with peoples of diverse cultures and celebrate each others similarities and differences."

Alex Paul Loza is a visual artist based in Chattanooga with his heart for social advocacy and a deep appreciation of figurative narrative art. He received his BFA from the American Academy of Art in Chicago (2001). With more than 15 years of experience, he has been commissioned to paint portraits for private collectors throughout North and Latin America. He has led, created and collaborated with national muralists in several public art projects in Chicago and Chattanooga. Learn more at alexpaulloza.com.


By Jason Yosar, Associate Lecturer, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland

Marcella Cheng/The Conversation, CC BY-NC-ND

This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions theyd like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome  serious, weird or wacky!

How do glasses help you see?  Andy, age 5, Vincentia.

Hi Andy, and thank you for your question about glasses.

Youve asked this at a very good time because more and more people are needing to wear glasses, including young children, and we dont really know why.

Our eyes let us see because light enters each eye, and the eye then creates a message that goes to the brain.

The eyeball itself doesnt actually see  the brain sees. The eyeballs just take pictures, like two little cameras. To see properly, each eyeball needs to send the light that enters it onto a very exact spot inside the eyeball, called the retina. If the light falls onto the wrong place, your vision will be blurry.









Wikimedia Commons/Hackfish, CC BY





Many people dont need glasses and can see just fine. This is because their eyeballs are focusing light properly onto the retina.

However, some people have eyeballs that are too long. They are called shortsighted. For these people, things far away, like street signs or the classroom blackboard, can look blurry.

Other people have eyeballs that are too short. They are called farsighted and things close to them, like a book or a mobile phone, can look blurry.





Read more:

Curious Kids: Why is the sky blue and where does it start?





Both shortsighted and farsighted people need glasses to help them see clearly.

They work by helping the eyeball to focus light onto the correct place, the retina. Only then can the eye see clearly.









Marcella Cheng/The Conversation, CC BY-NC-ND





Maybe you have a grandma or grandpa who wears glasses whenever they are reading books or using their mobile phone. When people get older, they usually become a little bit farsighted because a part of their eye called the lens becomes stiff and doesnt work properly.









Flickr/Ryan McDonough, CC BY





More and more young people in the world are needing to wear glasses.

Were not sure why, but some scientists think that children who spend too much time inside are more likely to need glasses. We dont know if its because they arent getting enough sunlight or if theyre simply reading too much or playing too many video games when they get home.

Most children in China are shortsighted and need glasses to see things far away. The Chinese government is so worried about this that they are making sure all students spend some time outdoors instead of just being inside the classroom.





Read more:

We can prevent an epidemic of short-sighted kids with more time outdoors





Glasses can cost lots of money, and children who need glasses but dont wear them dont do as well in school. Once you need glasses, you usually need them forever - your eyes wont go back to normal on their own.

I hope that one day we can find out why peoples eyeballs become too long or too short and then we can stop people needing to wear glasses in the first place. Then people will never lose or forget their glasses ever again!









Marcella Cheng/The Conversation, CC BY-NC-ND





Hello, curious kids! Have you got a question youd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to us. You can:

* Email your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au





* Tell us on Twitter by tagging @ConversationEDU with the hashtag #curiouskids, or





* Tell us on Facebook









CC BY-ND





Please tell us your name, age and which city you live in. You can send an audio recording of your question too, if you want. Send as many questions as you like! We wont be able to answer every question but we will do our best.

Jason Yosar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Originally published in The Conversation.
Bws1975 said: Hi



My wife and I have been married for 2 years and been living together for 2 and a half years. We want to apply for a partnership visa later this year. I am hoping to have saved enough money.



Anyway I am not able to afford an agent as they are very expensive to pay ontop of the application fee.



We are wanting to apply by ourselves and I was wondering if anyone has a template I could use to start compliing our application in the mean time. or can advise of any how to do guides? Click to expand...

You can afford the $ 7000.00 application fee, but cannot afford professional advice, although it seems you have no idea how to go about dealing with the application ? In my view, if you need a "template' (which does not exist) you cannot afford NOT to use a registered migration agent. Most registered migration agents charge way less than theapplication fee, so it is really just a matter of perspective of what is expensive. After all, you are talking about your and your partner's lives and future here.However, as a first step, there is an enormous amount of free information on this forum, so start by doing some research, so you have at least a grasp of the basic requirements and potential issues.
During my two visits to Japan, I've only stayed in Osaka for a short period of time. That meant I had to carefully select my activities when exploring Osaka. Although the city has much to offer from the Osaka castle to the aquarium to Spa World, I decided to split my time between Universal Studios and Nara. The Universal in Los Angeles had not yet built the Wizarding World of Harry Potter; as a huge fan of the series, I made it a must to visit. As expected, it was everything and more!

Before visiting Universal Studios, I highly, highly recommend that you purchase a fast pass online. It's actually not that expensive to purchase and definitely worth the money. You can choose a time to enter Harry Potter rather than arriving at the park only to realize you have to wait 5 hours before you can enter this section. You can also skip the 3-4 hour wait for the ride with the fast pass (I only waited about 20 minutes!)

Walk through the forest path to enter the amazing Harry Potter World.

Expect large crowds of people no matter what day of the week you visit. Even during the beginning of November on a Monday, there were hoards of people left and right. It even appeared as students were taking a field trip.

The attention to detail put to building Harry Potter World is astonishing. Every store appears just as it does in the movie. Line up at Ollivander's to see Ollivander himself and purchase a wand for $50. Visit Honeydukes for a sweet treat or the Owl Post for a glimpse at the magical creatures.

After strolling through Harry Potter World, you know you have to stop by the food court and buy a pint of that famous butterbeer.

The food served is typical American fare with corn on the cob, roasted chicken, bbq meats and such. The butterbeer though? Surprisingly very sweet. Similar to cream soda, it wasn't my cup of tea but others quite enjoyed it.

I could spend hours here but at last, it was time to depart. The rest of the theme park is just like any other Universal, nothing too special.

Take a break from the fantasy world and enter reality at its finest at Nara, the second stop while exploring Osaka. Home to the oldest Japanese temple, Nara is easily accessible with Kintetsu local, express or rapid express trains. Technically Nara is not located in Osaka (about 30 minutes away) but it's still close enough to visit if you're staying in Osaka.

Immediately off the station, you will begin to see deer wandering the streets.

Walk towards the Todai-ji temple to see larger gatherings of the animal.

Vendors along the road sell crackers that you may feed to the deer. Supposedly, the animals are trained to bow as a request for food. You, in turn, bow back and hand them a cracker. But be warned! As soon as the deer know you have food and are willing to feed them, they start to swarm you.

They can get a little aggressive, nipping at your clothes and following you until you give them a cracker. Fun little story: one of the deer snatched a girl's 10,000 yen out of her hand, thinking it was food! So if you're planning on feeding the animals, don't hold out bills in your hands just in case!

The larger the crowd, the more deer there are. It is quite amazing how the city has managed to keep these animals in their natural habitat. Although they had to remove the horns to prevent any attacks, the deer seem overall at peace.

Once you've had your fun with the deer, enter Todai-ji Temple.

Even the temples have antlers!

Pay a small fee to enter the temple, which is the largest wooden structure in the world and see an immense statue of the Cosmic Buddha. Souvenirs are also available for purchase inside.

If and when I return to Osaka, I would be happy to revisit Nara Deer Park. A unique experience to say the least while exploring Osaka.

Next up, my visit to the 3 Michelin star restaurant, Kikunoi Ryotei.

Check out the rest of A Taste of Japan series:

Part 1: Tsukiji Market

Part 2: Sushi Dai

Part 3: Tokyo

Part 4: Kikunoi Akasaka

Part 5: Kyoto Pt 1

Part 6: Kyoto Pt 2

Part 7: Osaka Eats

Part 9: Kikunoi Ryotei
Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi has taken steps to grow its business in Brazilian markets, where the company acquired a home-grown counterpart called 99 earlier this month.

China's leading on-demand mobility platform Didi Chuxing has taken steps to grow its business in Brazilian markets. [Photo: sina.com.cn]

"DiDi and 99, two young companies founded in 2012, are going to do bigger things together," DiDi's founder and CEO Cheng Wei recently told Brazilian executives and employees following the sale.

Clients of 99 in some 500 cities across Brazil were also notified of the changes with a text message titled "A special day in the history of 99."

"From now on, you will get even more benefits from using 99, because we will have more technology and more financial resources to offer you increasingly better service," the message said.

The startup 99 is a pioneer in its field in Brazil, with some 300,000 drivers and 14 million registered users.

After initially buying a strategic 10 percent stake in the South American company some years ago, DiDi "sent engineers and technicians to Brazil to work with colleagues at 99, with an aim to perfect the Brazilian company's products, services and operations," Gu Tao, DiDi's vice president and director for Latin America, told Xinhua.

The investment paid off last year with the launch of 99 POP, a service that allows users to hail a car to tour the city.

Taking into account local conditions, China's private-sector investments abroad have matured to bring more mutual benefits to investment destination countries and China, he said.

"So when China's international companies enter the Brazilian market, they help the development of local companies," said Gu.

"We hope that technologies for smart transportation, such as smart traffic lights and reversible lanes, which have already been used very successfully in more than 20 Chinese cities, will help to resolve problems in big Brazilian cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro," he said.

Matheus Moraes, director of policies and communication at 99, believed the fusion of the two companies will benefit both.

"I am very proud of the agreement. DiDi is already one of our leading strategic partners, contributing to 99's success in the country," said Moraes.

"We feel privileged today to be one organization with an even stronger objective: to improve the transportation industry and citizens' quality of life," Moraes said.

What's more, he viewed the acquisition as a reflection of international cooperation in a new era.

"We are now a global company... We share the same goal, the same criteria and the same mission. We are extremely confident that together we will achieve greater results," said Moraes.

"We plan to consolidate DiDi's organization in Latin America and we are looking to a future with more intelligent cities through our AI (artificial intelligence) capacities," Moraes said.

As a "global company, we aspire to redefine the future of mobility around the world. We strive to provide a better transportation service for millions of people, helping them to move rapidly and safely. Our mission is to be a global leader in smart transport systems," said Moraes.

Global competitor Cabify, a Spanish venture that last year acquired Easy Taxi's operations in Brazil, believed the fusion between 99 and DiDi will benefit the ride-hailing sector in general.

The head of Cabify in Brazil, Daniel Bedoya, said "99's acquisition by a Chinese company breaks Uber's (market) dominance. It represents a consolidation of the sector, providing a more equitable atmosphere for competition and more options for clients."

Bedoya also said sector companies should not compete in terms of pricing, but in quality of service, to provide users with more comfortable rides and greater conveniences.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 20)  Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano slammed an international human rights group for saying that the Philippines is in its "worst human rights crisis" since the Marcos dictatorship.

"We will not allow Human Rights Watch to portray an unfair and unjust image of our country nor will we let it question the strength of our democracy," Cayetano said in a Saturday statement.

Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit group that has frequently criticized the Duterte administration, made the comparison in its 2018 report, saying that President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has claimed an estimated 12,000 lives in alleged extrajudicial killings.

"Duterte has plunged the Philippines into its worst human rights crisis since the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos," the group said on Thursday.

Human rights violations marred the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was in power from 1965 to 1986.

Related: Martial law victims receive first half of monetary compensation

The group's investigation found the Philippine National Police and its agents have repeatedly carried out extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, and then falsely claimed self-defense.

"Police have planted guns, spent ammunition and drug packets on victims' to implicate them in drug activities," it reported.

Citing government figures, Cayetano said 3,968 drug personalities were killed in 80,683 anti-illegal drug operations from July 1, 2016 to December 27, 2017.

He added that during the same period, 119,023 drug personalities were arrested, while 86 law enforcement officers were killed.

Cayetano said the Duterte administration is doing everything it can to protect the rights of all Filipinos, including criminals.

"It is because this change is disruptive, those who were previously above the law and those who have political interests to advance have resorted to a massive disinformation campaign," he said.

Cayetano accused Human Rights Watch of intentionally misleading the international community.

"Human Rights Watch is among those that has been deliberately misrepresenting the figures to make it appear that there exists a culture of impunity in the Philippines and that the country's democratic institutions are at risk," he said. "These assertions are unfair to the Philippines and to the Filipino people."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)  Local businessmen proposed Sunday Congress should vote separately on constitutional amendments.

In a statement, the Makati Business Club (MBC), Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), and Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) said the proposed mode of voting is the intention of the framers of the 1987 Constitution.

"We deem it more democratic for the two Houses to vote separately so as to recognize the autonomy of the Senate body and to avoid diluting the voice of our Senators in this critical process," the groups said.

They added the proposed amendments should be presented and discussed with the public before seeking approval through a nationwide plebiscite.

Senators and congressmen are debating on whether they should vote jointly or separately as the Duterte administration pushes for a shift to a federal form of government.

The House of Representatives approved on January 16 a resolution that will allow Congress to convene as a Constituent Assembly and vote jointly, while the Senate is against it.

RELATED: Expert, lawmakers: Ideal scenario on Cha-cha is to meet jointly, vote separately

On the shift to a new form of government, the groups said they believe a constitutional convention, or con-con, would be the best way to introduce amendments.

A constitutional convention is a separate gathering of duly elected delegates for the purpose of revising the Constitution, which is then voted upon by the people.

"Individuals who wish to be elected for this role can properly present themselves and their views during the campaign period," the businessmen said.

Critics have slammed suggestions for a "no election" scenario when the process of amending the constitution begins, as this would extend the terms of lawmakers, presenting a conflict of interest.

READ: No election scenario looms amid push for federalism

"While such mode would entail greater costs to implement and probably more time, it should be seen as a justifiable investment that will result to significant social returns in the long run," they said.

Another mode of changing the Constitution is through a constituent assembly where both Houses decide on proposed revisions, which are then presented in a plebiscite.

Amendments on specific provisions only

While the businessmen are for updating the Constitution, they said it should only be for "certain economic provisions."

They added their proposal was aligned with the government's push to lift economic restrictions in the Constitution so that more business areas will be opened to foreign investors.

The provisions pertain to limits placed on foreign investment, participation in the governing bodies of the certain industries, shares in capital, and in the case of educational institutions - enrolment.

The businessmen said revisions in these specific situations would mean a "fresh infusion of financial investments" in sectors that receive little capital; introduce new technology; and promote healthy competition.

They said it could also be beneficial given the country's commitment to the economic community of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)  The Palace said freedom of speech and of the press is not dead in the country despite the revocation of online news agency Rapplers license to operate, said Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Sunday.

The current state of the conversation between the President and the media is proof that freedom of expression and freedom of the press is very much alive in this country, Roque said.

He said the government has not shut down or censored any media agency and publication, and added President Rodrigo Duterte values freedom of expression, and knows how to deal with the media.

Dutertes use of harsh language, Roque said, is just his way of responding to the medias portrayal of him.

Roque also said the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) order revoking Rappler's registration over ownership and control issues is based on existing laws and the Constitution.

The real issue here is money, lots of money, which the SEC said was procured by Rappler in a manner that violated the Constitution, it is farthest from the freedom of expression issue, Roque said.

The Presidential spokesperson also allayed fears that the order against Rappler is just the first of many, with news agencies tagged as critical of Duterte to follow.

Roque said the decision to renew the license of news outlets to operate lies on the Congress, as Duterte only has the power to either veto or sign it into law.

Aside from their license revocation, Rappler is also facing a cybercrime complaint with the National Bureau of Investigations, for which its Chief Executive Officer Maria Ressa and two others were subpoenaed.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)  The Thomasian alumni community honored several government officials on Sunday, including Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux "Mocha" Uson.

University of Santo Tomas (UST) Alumni Association President Henry Tenedero said they gave Uson the Thomasian Award for Government Service (TAGS) to serve as an inspiration to other government workers, regardless of political affiliation.

"Who are we, the UST Alumni Association, to judge your  whatever  sense of morality? That's why we are giving you the award to inspire you to lead," said Tenedero of Uson.

He also clarified the award given to Uson is different from the Outstanding Thomasian Alumni Leadership Awards, the "highest award bestowed by the university."

"TAGS, initiated by the UST Alumni Association, is envisioned to inspire and challenge the recipients to lead the Thomasian core values of compassion, competence, and commitment," Tenedero said in a statement.

Uson told CNN Philippines she is grateful for the award.

"It is a great honor for me that my Alma Mater recognizes my efforts to fight for change in our country. If my stay in UST has taught me something, it is to fight for what I believe in, regardless of the difficult obstacles ahead," she said.

The 35-year-old blogger graduated with a Bachelor's degree in medical technology from UST in 1998, and took up medicine the year after. She dropped out on her second year to pursue her musical career.

Other awardees include Senator Joel Villanueva, Health Secretary Francisco Duque, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin.

Some netizens said Uson deserved the award.

Social media backlash

However, not everyone was happy with the assistant secretary's award.

The UST Central Student Council, in a statement, said it "strongly denounces" the decision to honor Uson.

"We express our dismay over this even as Mocha Uson does not, in any way, embody the ideals of a real Thomasian, and with all due respect," it said.

The group Movement Against Tyranny, who called the PCO assistant secretary "the Duterte regime's queen of fake news," asked the UST community to wear black on Monday to protest the award.

Some netizens also said there are more alumni worthy of the recognition.

Pretty sure there are more deserving Thomasian alumni than Mocha Uson.......... https://t.co/8COONNGCpZ

 Elize (@elizewho) January 21, 2018

But Uson has a message to her "bashers."

"Ang patuloy ninyong pang babash ay patunay lang na may freedom of expression/speech sa ating bayan (Your continuous bashing proves there is freedom of expression/speech in our country)," Uson said through her Facebook blog.

Uson, a vocal supporter of the Duterte administration, was first appointed as a board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board in January 2017.

She was then appointed to the Presidential Communications Operations Office as Assistant Secretary for Social Media in May.

Her controversial "Mocha Uson Blog" was subject of a Senate inquiry on fake news in October, as she has been repeatedly accused of peddling wrong information.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21) - The Philippines takes a hands-off approach to the latest US-China 'intramural' in the South China Sea following China's accusation that an American warship sailed near Panatag Shoal, an area it claims is part of its territory.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Sunday the Philippine government could not confirm the incident, but he added the country should not be involved in the issue between the United States and China.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said last week that an American warship sailed within 12 nautical miles off Huangyan island (or Panatag Shoal as is known in the Philippines), an area which he said is part of Chinese territory.

Lu said as the warship sailed in the area without government permission, "China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its sovereignty."

Roque said the government's primary concern in the Panatag Shoal, a disputed lagoon claimed by the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, is to ensure fishermen can pursue their livelihood in the area.

"Despite the ongoing unresolved controversy on the issue over Scarborough Shoal, what is important is that our people are once again able to pursue their fishing livelihood in Panatag," Roque told CNN Philippines.

In November 2016, Philippine boats have been allowed by Chinese patrol vessels to enter and fish in the contested Panatag Shoal for the first time in years.

He reiterated the Panatag Shoal is Philippine territory under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the applicable law on the acquisition of territory under the international laws.

Roque added the Philippines and China now have a "mutual cooperation" amid bilateral relations, and that member countries of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) are looking forward to the negotiations of a code of conduct in the area.

"We hope the code of conduct can be resolved or concluded at the soonest time possible," he said.

Four ASEAN countries-the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei-also claim parts of the South China Sea, along with China and Taiwan.

Tensions among the South China Sea claimants have been simmering since July 2016, when the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague unanimously ruled in favor of the Philippines, saying China doesn't have the right to resources within its "nine-dash line," boundary.

The Philippines argued that China's "nine-dash line" maritime claim is excessive and encroached into the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. China has refused to recognize the tribunal's ruling.

The "nine-dash line" is China's purported historical boundary that covers about 85 percent of the South China Sea, including 80 percent of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 21)  Six soldiers were wounded after the military clashed with 10 members of terrorist group Maute in Lanao del Sur early Saturday, the military said.

Joint Task Force Ranao engaged in a 35-minute firefight with members of the terrorist group at Barangay Kalilangan, Masiu, a town an hour away from Marawi City.

The military said the terrorists tried to escape through Lake Lanao but failed after government forces sunk their boats.

The troops recovered a hand grenade and a grenade launcher, several pieces of ammunition, an ISIS flag, and several drug paraphernalia, among others, the military said.

"We shall continue to totally eliminate the remaining Daesh-inspired groups in Lanao provinces and to sustain our efforts to prevent them from establishing Wilayat (Islamic State) and spreading Daesh (ISIS) ideology in our joint area of operation," First Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo said.

The military said this is the first encounter since the liberation of Marawi from terrorists in October 2017 after a five-month crisis.

The whole Mindanao remains under martial law after President Rodrigo Duterte requested for the extension of military rule until the end of 2018.

The President cited attacks of the New People's Army and other local terrorist groups as reason for the extension, which the Congress approved in December.
Flooding has been reported in a number of locations around the country.

Kilkenny County Council warning that Thomastown and Inistioge are likely to flood later this evening from 8pm onwards.

The local authority has been monitoring water levels throughout the day.

The AA said that some roads in Dublin have been affected, with the Malahide/Donaghmede Rd (R124) closed between Malahide and the Chapel Road junction.

Counties Sligo, Longford, Limerick and Donegal have all seen roads flooded.

#LIMERICK The Rosbrien Rd is closed near Old Crescent RFC in Dooradoyle due to flooding. https://t.co/PSzIBsvOzE  AA Roadwatch (@aaroadwatch) January 21, 2018

The AAs Chris Jones says there are a number of road closures in Tipperary and Kilkenny also.

"There is a lot of flooding, actually, in many parts of the country, following the heavy rain that weve had," he said.

"In Tipperary, the Limerick route outside Newport - thats going to remain closed just outside the town until Monday morning,

"The Ballina to Birdhill road is also closed after the Shannon burst its banks.

"Theres a closure too in Kilkenny, on the N77 Portlaoise Road, between Henebrys Cross and Ballyragget, while in Kilkenny City, Circular Road is closed."

#LAOIS Emergency services are dealing with flooding on the N80 Carlow/Portlaoise Rd at Stradbally Cross. https://t.co/PSzIBsvOzE  AA Roadwatch (@aaroadwatch) January 21, 2018

In Donegal, flooding has been reported on several routes, including on the N15 Ballybofey/Lifford Rd between Ballybofey and Castlefinn, on the N13 Ballybofey/Letterkenny Rd at the Raphoe turnoff and on the Convoy/Raphoe Rd (R236).

- Digital desk
by Gordon Deegan

The Defence Forces spent 360,000 on its 2017 recruitment campaigns, resulting in 13,854 male and female applications.

The 360,000 spend on the two recruitment campaigns last year was made up of the 180,000 on content creation; 130,000 on advertising, events and merchandising with 50,000 spent on communications research and training.

The campaign had a strong digital and social media dimension with a special focus seeking to attract sporty women.

This resulted in 1,585 women - or 11.5% of applicants - seeking to join and the focus on recruiting more women is part of the Governments plan to double female participation in the Army from its current 6%.

The figures show that female applicants make up just under 10% of new inductees with recruitment from the 2017 continuing from recruitment panels in place.

Of the 751 inducted last year - which represents an historic high - 72 were women.

On the total 13,854 applications received, a spokeswoman for the Defence Forces said yesterday that the level of applicants met and exceeded the Defence Forces applicant targets for 2017.

The spokeswoman said yesterday that the 180,000 spend on content creation included an interactive video, a 90 second video and gifs, many of these assets will be used during future recruitment competitions.

As part of the fresh approach, the Defence Forces became the first military organisation in the world to create a first-person interactive video in the recruitment campaign

On the overall numbers seeking to join, the spokeswoman pointed out the number of applicants eager to join the Defence Forces is a reflection of the wide variety of roles that are on offer within the organisation as well as the opportunities available to those who join, from third level education to representing Ireland in the service of peace.

At the end of last year, the strength of the Defence Forces totalled 9,173.

The spokeswoman said that of 524 females applying for Cadetships, 20 were successful while of the 1,032 females applying for General Service Recruitment competitions last year, 52 females have been inducted so far but induction from these competitions are still ongoing.

The spokeswoman said that of the 29 females applied for Air Corps Apprenticeships, none have been inducted.

Depending on the route a person decides to join the Defence Forces they will undergo specific training, for example: an Army cadetship is 15 months, a naval cadetship is 20 months and an Air Corps Cadetship is a minimum of 30 months.

A breakdown of the inductees today shows that 615 were recruited into general made up of 553 in the army and 62 in the naval service. An additional two were recruited into military medicine; 22 air corps apprentices, 11 direct entry naval officers and 101 cadets made up of 74 in the army; 17 in naval service and 10 in the Air Corps.
(CNN)  President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Russia of helping North Korea skirt international sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"Russia is not helping us at all with North Korea," Trump told Reuters in an interview. "What China is helping us with, Russia is denting. In other words, Russia is making up for some of what China is doing."

Trump's rare criticism of Russia came as he commended China for largely complying with international sanctions that are aimed at ramping up pressure on Pyongyang by further isolating the regime that has threatened the US and its allies in Asia with nuclear attacks.

His comments appear to reference reports that Russian tankers have helped refuel North Korea with shipments at sea and follows allegations from US officials that Russia has been lax in its implementation of UN Security Council sanctions.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who returned to the US from a trip to South Korea and Japan on Tuesday, said it is clear that the Russians and Chinese continue to aid North Korea despite additional sanctions.

"The Russians are definitely providing supplies to the North Koreans and so are the Chinese. It is very clear both the Russians and Chinese are violating the additional sanctions," the Illinois Democrat told reporters Wednesday.

Duckworth also highlighted that China and Russia continue to import North Korean "slave labor."

"The two countries that consume the most North Korean slave labor are China and Russia," she said.

Trump also declined for the second time in as many weeks to confirm whether he has communicated with Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader. He reaffirmed that he is open to sitting down with Kim, but expressed doubt that direct talks would help "solve the problem."

"I'm not sure that talks will lead to anything meaningful," he said. "They've talked for 25 years and they've taken advantage of our presidents, of our previous presidents."

Trump's comments came as South Korea and North Korea have engaged in the most substantive direct talks in years, which have led to plans for the two countries to march together in the Olympics under a united flag.

Trump's criticism of Russia followed a warning from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday that both Russia and China must tighten their enforcement of existing sanctions.

"We cannot abide lapses or sanctions evasions. We will continue to call attention to and designate entities and individuals complicit in such evasive actions," Tillerson said during a conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, about confronting the North Korean threat.

Alleged Russian oil shipments to North Korea have undermined the intended effect of UN sanctions targeting North Korean energy supplies. Gas prices in the country reportedly dropped in December, with academic and news reports suggesting that increased Russian exports were responsible.

In late December, a US-led UN Security Council Resolution added the toughest restrictions on North Korea to date, banning exports of industrial equipment, machinery, transportation vehicles and industrial metals to North Korea.

It also would have required countries using North Korean laborers to send them back home no later than 12 months from the adoption of the resolution -- a specific Tillerson focus, as these workers send significant amounts of money home to North Korea. But Russia stepped in, issuing strenuous complaints, and as a result the deadline was pushed back to 24 months.

Russia officially has some 40,000 North Korean workers, and possibly more, many of whom work in construction. Some analysts worry that Moscow will find loopholes for them to stay, citing "humanitarian" reasons.

Russia has also stepped in to give North Koreans their second point of internet access to the outside world as China has helped further isolate the regime.

Pyongyang had been reliant on China for a connection to the outside world, but in October, the North Korea monitoring project 38 North reported that Russia's state-owned company TransTeleCom had provided Kim with a new internet connection. The outreach happened just as the US campaign to cut North Korea's access to the rest of the world was gathering steam.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also offered vocal support for the North Korean regime. Speaking at a September forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok, Putin condemned what he called Pyongyang's "provocative" nuclear tests, but he said he understood North Korean concerns and offered a warning to Kim about what happens when leaders give up their nuclear weapons.

North Koreans "know exactly how the situation developed in Iraq," Putin said, pointing to the US invasion of Iraq in spite of the country abandoning its nuclear weapons program.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Trump says 'Russia is not helping' with North Korea."
Update 1.43pm: Search teams in Austria are continuing their search for a missing Irishman this afternoon.

River searches have been taking place in Vienna for the past three hours for Ross Hanlon from Athboy in County Meath.

The 21 year college student was last seen on Friday when he was out with friends in the Austrian capital.

Katharina Weinmann of Austrian TV Station O.R.F revealed the search has moved to a river located close to where Mr Hanlon was last seen.

"Ross left a nightclub at 2am ... a nightclub which is next to a river.

"Today, for the last three and half hours, they have been searching for him by boat"

Um 19.00 Uhr berichten wir in #wienheute uber die verzweifelte Suche nach einem 21-jahrigen Studenten aus Irland, Ross Hanlon. Aber es gibt auch was Erfreuliches: #tratschenmitbudgen geht in die zweite Runde mit Star-Woman Gerda #Rogers. pic.twitter.com/NjEq4BZDLj  KathiWeinmann (@KathiWeinmann) January 20, 2018

Earlier: Search for Irish man missing in Austria continues

The family of a young Irishman missing in Austria has turned to social media for help.

A picture of Ross Hanlon from Athboy in County Meath is being circulated on Facebook with an appeal for anyone with information, to get in touch with either the Irish or Austrian authorities.

The 21 year old was last seen in Vienna in the early hours of Friday morning.

Katharina Weinmann is covering the search for Austrian TV Station O.R.F.

She said Ross had travelled to Vienna with friends but got separated after a night out.
Update 5.42pm: A shocked mother told neighbours her "little girl" had been stabbed as they tried to comfort her after the knife attack.

Mylee Billingham was named by police today as the schoolgirl who died in hospital after being found critically wounded.

A 54-year-old man found with stab injuries at the bungalow in Valley View after what West Midlands Police said was a "domestic incident" is fighting for his life in hospital.

Graham Greatrex, 74, told how emergency services rushed to the quiet street at 9.15pm.

Mr Greatrex, who lives a few doors from the crime scene, told the Press Association that as he helped the mother she said a man had "stabbed my little girl".

He added: "She was in shock and she couldn't say anything else."

Today, the home was being searched by forensics experts in the cordoned-off, one-storey dwelling, which is believed to belong to the local authority.

It was one of a row of terraced bungalows in the street.

Detective Inspector Jim Colclough, who is leading the investigation, said: "We are still at the early stages of understanding exactly what happened and why - but I can confirm we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this investigation."

Mr Greatrex said a man had lived there for the past six months after the previous occupier, a woman, had died.

But he said he did not know the current occupant.

He added: "It was a bit of a shock. You can't imagine it happening on our doorstep, especially when it's a little girl."

Other neighbours said they were also stunned at news that a child had died.

Bob Weir, who lives two doors away from the bungalow where the stabbing happened, said he had initially thought the incident was drug-related.

Mr Weir, 72, added that a middle-aged man lived at the now sealed-off property, apparently on his own.

The pensioner told reporters: "I didn't hear until this morning what it was and I was absolutely shocked - I didn't know the bloke who lived there and he hadn't lived there long, maybe six months, if that.

"There were police cars both sides of the road, ambulances ... all sorts. I thought it was something to do with drugs.

"I didn't know there were any kids in there. I thought he just lived on his own. I never saw a girl or a woman there."

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "I only knew the guy to say hello to and I think he was married and was living there on his own.

"I didn't hear anything before the police got here.

"It's really sad. This is not the sort of area where you hear of anybody being stabbed."

Earlier: Girl, 8, dies after stabbing in 'domestic incident' in UK

A man has been arrested after an eight-year-old girl was stabbed to death in a "domestic incident", police said.

The child was discovered seriously wounded at a property in Brownhills, near Walsall, on Saturday night, and died a short time later in hospital.

West Midlands Police said the man, 54, was also taken to hospital with a stab wound to the stomach.

He is in a stable condition and will be questioned "in due course" over the incident in Valley View, a residential street on the edge of the town.

Police were called to the scene at 9.15pm.

Detective Inspector Jim Colclough, from the homicide unit, said: "We are treating this as a domestic incident and are not looking for anyone else in connection with the childs death.

"Our family liaison team are supporting the family of the little girl, who are naturally devastated by her death. Our thoughts remain with them."
Pope Francis has spoken out about violence against women in Latin America describing the violence as "a plague".

Speaking at a Mass in the northern city of Trujillo, the Pope said: "There are so many cases of violence that stay silenced behind so many walls," the Pope said on Saturday.

The BBC reported him as continuing: "Im calling on you to fight against this source of suffering including legislation and a culture that rejects every type of violence."

His comments follow UN digures which show that half of the 25 countries with the largest number of murders of women are in Latin America.

The Argentine Pope, 81, is on the second and final leg of a week-long regional tour where on Thursday he became embroiled in a row over clerical sex abuse.

He drew anger by accusing victims of a paedophile priest of slandering a bishop who they say tried to cover up the priests crimes.

At the end of his visit there, Francis said there was "no proof" for claims that abuse by Father Fernando Karadima had been covered up by Bishop Juan Barros.

Reacting the Popes top adviser on clerical sex abuse has implicitly rebuked the pontiff over his accusations of slander against Chilean abuse victims, saying that Francis words were "a source of great pain for survivors of sexual abuse".

Cardinal Sean OMalley, the archbishop of Boston, said he could not explain why Francis "chose the particular words he used".

In an extraordinary effort at damage control, Cardinal OMalley insisted that Francis "fully recognises the egregious failures of the church and its clergy who abused children and the devastating impact those crimes have had on survivors and their loved ones".

Francis sparked national uproar upon leaving Chile on Thursday by accusing victims of the countrys most notorious paedophile priest of having slandered another bishop, Juan Barros.

The victims say Bishop Barros knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it - a charge which the bishop denies.

"The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, Ill speak," Francis told Chilean journalists in the northern city of Iquique.

"There is not one shred of proof against him. Its all calumny. Is that clear?"

The remarks shocked Chileans, drew immediate rebuke from victims and their advocates and once again raised questions over the 81-year-old Argentine Jesuits stance on the issue.

The scandal over the crimes of the Rev Fernando Karadima has devastated the credibility of the Roman Catholic Church in Chile, and Francis comments will likely haunt it for the foreseeable future.

Cardinal OMalleys carefully-worded critique was remarkable since it is rare for a cardinal to publicly rebuke the Pope in such terms.

But Francis remarks were so potentially toxic to the Vaticans efforts to turn the tide on decades of clerical sex abuse and cover-up that he clearly felt he had to respond.

Cardinal OMalley headed Francis much-touted committee for the protection of minors until it lapsed last month after its initial three-year mandate expired. Francis has not named new members, and the committees future remains unclear.
Update 10am: The fugitive former leader of Catalonia has arrived in Denmark and prosecutors in Spain immediately started proceedings to have him arrested and extradited.

Carles Puigdemont landed at Copenhagen airport on Monday morning on a flight from Belgium, where he has been since fleeing Spain.

Carles Puigdemont has arrived in Denmark.

He was immediately surrounded by media but made no comment before he got into a car that drove him away to an undisclosed location.

He is expected to take part in a debate at the University of Copenhagen on Monday.

The following day he has been invited to the Danish Parliament by a Faeroese lawmaker, although leading members of the government and opposition have declined to meet him.

In Spain, the state prosecutor's office said it has asked the Supreme Court to approve a European arrest warrant for Mr Puigdemont's arrest. It is unclear if Judge Pablo Llarena will grant it.

In December, Mr Llarena withdrew a similar order amid concerns that Belgium would send Mr Puigdemont back to Spain but restrict the crimes with which he could be charged.

Copenhagen police spokesman Riad Tolba told The Associated Press that no arrest warrant has arrived yet, so Mr Puigdemont has not been arrested.

Mr Puigdemont is being investigated by Spain over a unilateral declaration of independence by Catalonia's parliament on Oct. 27.

Earlier: Spain to seek arrest of Carles Puigdemont if he enters Denmark

A European arrest warrant will be reissued for the fugitive former leader of Catalonia if he leaves Belgium and enters Denmark as planned, Spains state prosecutors office said.

The regions ex-president Carles Puigdemont is scheduled to attend a debate at the University of Copenhagen on Monday.

The trip would be Mr Puigdemonts first outside Belgium since he fled there to avoid a court summons in Spain for his role in a failed secession bid led by his government in October.

The state prosecutor said that if Mr Puigdemont enters Denmark as planned it will "immediately request" the Spain Supreme Court to issue a European warrant for his arrest by Danish authorities.

Spain issued a European warrant for Mr Puigdemonts arrest in November, but withdrew it after a month.

- PA
(CNN)  Six hundred delegates from Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD) will descend on the city of Bonn this Sunday for a special party congress.

All eyes are on one agenda item: A vote on starting official coalition negotiations with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their more conservative sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).

Just six weeks ago, the SPD voted overwhelmingly to start the initial exploratory talks. This time, it looks to be on a knife edge.

But if the vote passes, the collective sigh of relief is likely to drown out any celebrations.

It's nearly four months since Germany's federal election, in which support for the country's two largest parties slumped leaving Merkel with a mathematical and ideological quandary in her effort to form a new government.

Talks with the liberal FDP (Free Democratic Party) and Green Party collapsed, leaving a renewal of the so-called "GroKo" (Grosse Koalition or Grand Coalition) as the only option -- unless Merkel opts to rule alone in a minority government or put the country on the path to new elections.

"No one is particularly excited about another grand coalition," said Christoph Nguyen, political scientist at Free University Berlin. "But most of the alternatives are even less pleasant to consider."

"It's a bad option, but probably the least bad option."

Germany's had this government for the last four years. So what's the problem?

After leading the SPD to its worst election performance since World War II, Martin Schulz immediately and categorically ruled out a new GroKo.

Voters had called for change, he argued, and the party needed time to regroup and redefine itself in opposition. Launching into a new GroKo would also mean granting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) a set of privileges enjoyed by the largest opposition party -- which Schulz was keen to avoid.

After the FDP walked out of coalition talks two months later, Schulz was quick to stifle rumors of a U-turn.

"I am not available for entering a grand coalition," he said. "It's quite clear that the grand coalition got the red card."

But, under pressure from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who urged the country's leading politicians not to rush headlong into new elections, Schulz soon began to change his tune.

Leopold Traugott, policy analyst at think tank Open Europe, thinks he had little choice. "The SPD is stuck between a rock and a hard place," he told CNN.

With the party currently polling at its lowest ever level, new elections aren't a good option. But during the last GroKo, the far-right AfD grew into the country's third-largest party, with the SPD and CDU/CSU losing votes to fringe parties on both the left and right.

"Another four years of this government is likely to strengthen that trend," Traugott said. "The political landscape is becoming more fragmented -- the fringes keep growing."

That's definitely bad news for Schulz -- and the youth wing of his party isn't allowing him to forget it.

Traveling around Germany this week, lobbying for "yes" votes, Schulz has been greeted by groups of protesting "Jusos" (young social democrats), chanting "Never, never, never again GroKo."

Their hashtag #NoGroko has been gaining significant traction on social media.

The Jusos have a "somewhat justified fear that the SPD is ruling itself out of existence," said Nguyen, "that they will continue to lose votes until they become a minority party."

A new GroKo -- which is fast becoming the status quo in German politics and is widely considered an obstacle to genuine debate and real reform -- seems unpopular among the general public too.

A recent poll from public broadcaster ARD showed that 52% of respondents did not think another grand coalition was a good idea.

"There's dissatisfaction about the way the main parties have ruled and the way they've disregarded criticism," said Traugott.

Is anyone happy about it?

Merkel's sigh of relief will likely be the loudest if the motion passes on Sunday. She has repeatedly stated her preference for a new GroKo -- and the sooner the better.

"She knows how to handle the SPD," said Traugott. "It's a comfy solution for her."

Despite their many public protestations, the opposition parties are likely to be pleased too. They all profited from the demise of the CDU/CSU and SPD after the last grand coalition and will be hoping for more of the same.

One branch of the AfD has already made its ambitions clear. A new GroKo "could make the #AfD the second strongest party in the polls," the party's Thuringia branch wrote in a tweet on Monday.

It is already relishing the prospect of being the largest opposition group in parliament, which the party's co-chairman, Joerg Meuthen, described in a Facebook post as the "only bright spot" in a so-called "LoKo" ("loser coalition").

Indeed, politicians of all stripes -- well versed in the practice of attacking a CDU/SPD government -- have already begun launching grenades from left, right and center.

This is "not the renewal project for our country that we need," said FDP leader Christian Lindner in a video posted to Twitter, while Green Party co-leader Cem Oezdemir accused the CDU and SPD of behaving like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, forever splitting up and remarrying.

If Merkel and Schulz do eventually limp over the finish line -- which probably won't happen before April or May even if things go well -- their new GroKo is likely to be weaker than the old one and even easier to attack.

The parties involved lost more than 100 seats between them at the last election -- and they're facing four opposition parties now, instead of just two.

Moreover, the very visible "internal split" in the SPD won't heal easily, according to Nguyen, and Merkel, who seemed almost indestructible before the election, is weaker too, despite weathering this particular storm better than most politicians.

So how should the SPD vote on Sunday? Nguyen sees little hope either way: "They're damned if they do and damned if they don't."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "'The least bad option:' Germany limps toward a new government."
Why Liberalism Failed Patrick J Deneen Yale 305 pages; $28 Its not every day that a book garners glowing blurbs from both Rod Dreher of The American Conservative (clarifying) and the socialist scholar Cornel West (courageous), but then these arent ordinary times. Patrick J Deneens Why Liberalism Failed speaks to a profound discontent with the political establishment. During the 2016 election, Theyre all the same was a line heard from Americans disgusted with both parties. Judging from this book, Mr Deneen would ...
The next leg of the Indian two-wheeler market's 'scooterisation' will come from the rural and semi-urban pockets as scooters evolve as the preferred vehicle of commute for families there.

As such, scooters have been outpacing the overall two-wheeler industry growth rate for some time, and now major players say that growth from the rural areas has picked up too. The industry leader, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), now sells three scooters for every seven motorcycles in rural and semi-urban pockets as against one scooter for every nine bikes around five years ...
A replica of the iconic Qutub Minar made out of municipal waste, costing Rs 16 lakh, has been erected in a newly-created street roundabout near the Delhi international airport, officials said.

Lt Governor Anil Baijal today inaugurated the project, alongside a beautified site underneath the Mahipalpur flyover in south Delhi, ahead of the Indo-ASEAN summit here.

"The most important feature of the development project is that the replica of the Qutab Minar has been produced from the waste material lying at SDMC stores.

"Termed 'Waste to Art', it is one-of-its-kind installation in the capital. The cost of replica is Rs 16 lakh whereas the total cost of the beautification and development is Rs 3.50 crore," the SDMC said in a statement.

In an unprecedented event, leaders from all 10 ASEAN countries will be attending the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath on January 26. A host of commemorative events are being organised to mark 25 years of Indo-ASEAN ties.

The summit is slated to be held on January 25.

"Since the road is under the jurisdiction of the NHAI, a request was made to allow the SDMC to undertake the redevelopment of the space under the Mahipalpur flyover and the rotary leading to the IGIA.

"The plan, involving construction of boundary wall with designer grills, internal walkways, fixing of 750 bollards & and 800 floodlights, landscaping, plantation, etc., was agreed to be provided at the site," the statement said.

"The work on the entire project, spanning an area of 2.34 acres has been completed in 17 days, the SDMC claimed.
Union minister has claimed that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution of man was "scientifically wrong" and it needs to be changed in school and college curriculum.

Singh, the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, said our ancestors have nowhere mentioned that they saw an ape turning into a man.

"Darwin's theory (of evolution of humans) is scientifically wrong. It needs to change in school and college curriculum. Since the man is seen on Earth he has always been a man," he said while speaking to reporters on Friday.

The IPS officer-turned-politician was in this central Maharashtra city to attend the 'All India Vaidik Sammelan.'



"Nobody, including our ancestors, in written or oral, have said they saw an ape turning into a man," he said.

"No books we have read or the tales told to us by our grandparents had such a mention," the minister added.

Darwinism is a theory of biological evolution that states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.

It was developed by Darwin, a 19th-century English naturalist, and others.
Three police personnel were suspended in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district for allegedly refusing to take two wounded teenagers to a hospital in their vehicle which led to their death, a police official said on Saturday.

Saharanpur SP (City) Prabal Pratap Singh said Arpit Khurana and his friend Sunny, both aged 17, were on their way home on Friday night when they lost control over their motor-bike and it crashed into a pole in Beri Bagh area.

Locals rushed to the scene and pulled them out of a drain they had fallen into after the crash.

The teenagers were seriously wounded, the SP said, adding that the residents then informed the police on the 'Dial 100' service.

They said the policemen who reached the site refused to take the wounded persons in their vehicle to a hospital, he said.

The policemen reportedly refused because the blood of the injured teenagers would stain their vehicle, the SP added.

The residents then took the teenagers to a hospital in an autorickshaw but doctors there declared them 'brought dead'.

Three policemen - Indrapal Singh, Pankaj Kumar, and Manoj Kumar - were suspended over the alleged incident, the SP added.
Terming as "historic" his recent visit to India, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that his six-day trip will be "long remembered" as it contributed in strengthening of bilateral ties.

Netanyahu arrived in New Delhi on January 14 and was received by his "friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the airport, setting aside protocol.

"I returned last week from a historic visit to India. I thank my friend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the exceptionally strong and warm reception," Netanyahu told his cabinet at the start of the weekly meeting.

"It reflects the closer ties between us, very close, as well as the closer ties between our countries and peoples," he said.

"This is a visit that will be long-remembered. It contributed, and will yet contribute, to Israel in the economic, security, technology and diplomatic spheres," he added.

Modi accompanied the Israeli Prime Minister for most part of the trip.

India and Israel signed nine agreements across several sectors to boost bilateral trade and cooperation.

Netanyahu also recollected some moving moments from his trip, particularly his meeting with Moshe, the now 11-year-old kid who survived the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which his parents were killed.

"I must say that there were many very moving moments, but above all I will remember two special events that touched our people," Netanyahu said.

"First was the meeting with Moshe at the Chabad House. A sweet boy who is living with his loving grandparents, in effect with the love of the entire Jewish People. Thanks also go to the Indian nanny, Sandra, who saved him and accompanied him on the visit," he said.

Moshe was two-year-old when his parents, Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, who were serving as Directors at Chabad House, were killed along with six others when the place was attacked by Pakistani terrorists during the November Mumbai attacks.

The attack on Chabad House and other locations like the Taj Hotel left 166 people dead.

Moshe was rescued by his nanny Sandra and he later moved to Israel, where he stays with his grandparents.

Sandra has been given honorary citizenship by Israel and now lives in Jerusalem where she works with kids with special needs.

"The second moving event was with the Indian Jewish community. This is a very small community most of whose members have come to Israel and contributed to the building up of the country and the development of the state. But their contribution to India is out of proportion to their numbers," Netanyahu said.

"They carried the flame for generations and looked forward to this moment when the Prime Minister of Israel came to India. They spoke there, each one in turn, and many simply wept with joy, not because there has ever been anti-Semitism in India; there never has.

"But they hoped for the meeting between cultures and between states and peoples, and it happened before their eyes," he noted.

"It was simply an extraordinary experience", the Israeli Premier stressed.

Netanyahu's successful visit to India has brought the Israeli leader a sigh of relief from a hostile local press that has been critical of him on allegations of corruption.

He has also faced flak for an embarrassing recording of his son who had made demeaning remarks about women during a visit to strip club in Tel Aviv about two years ago.
Three more people, including a fire officer, were arrested on Saturday in connection with Mumbai tragedy.

The arrested people have been identified as Ravi Surajmal Bhandari, partner of Kamala mill, Rajendra Baban Patil, fire officer and Utkarsh Vinod Pande, supplier and contractor.

Around 14 people were killed and 12 suffered critical injuries in the massive fire that broke out at the Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel locality in Mumbai in the wee hours of December 29.

The Mumbai Police had earlier arrested two owners of Mojo's Bistro, the restaurant from where the fire triggered and also the son of former Pune police commissioner K K Pathak.

Earlier, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in its reports, had confirmed that the fire started from Mojo's Bistro and spread rapidly to '1 Above' restaurant.
Calm prevailed along the International Border and the Line of Control in five districts of Jammu and Kashmir overnight after three days of intense shelling by Pakistan which left 10 persons, including six civilians dead, and over 50 others injured.

There was no report of firing by Pakistan along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts since last night, and along the LoC in the twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch from 4 am, BSF and police officials said.

International Border was almost calm except a few rounds of shelling in Arnia sector last night, a BSF spokesman said.

He said the firing from across the border stopped in Samba and Kathua districts in the afternoon but was intermittently going on in some areas of Jammu district.

The last few mortar shells landed in Arnia sector around 10 pm yesterday without causing any damage.

There was no report of Pakistani firing from anywhere during the night, he said.

A police official said barring Shahpur sector, the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri also remained almost calm as there was no major ceasefire violation by Pakistan since last evening.

Small arms firing from across the border were reported from Shahpur sector of Poonch for a few hours till 4 am, but there no casualty, he said.

He said authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation and rushed police teams to affected areas to ensure prompt assistance to the people.

The people were asked to stay indoors and not to touch any suspicious object in their area as it could be unexploded mortar shell, he said adding the people were also asked to inform police or the Army if any such shell is found so that the same can be destroyed.

The firing from across the border started on Thursday and so far 10 persons, two each from the Army and BSF, and six civilians were killed and over 50 others injured.

The firing also forced thousands of people to flee their homes and take shelter in rehabilitation camps or with their relatives.

The ceasefire violations triggered migration of over 35,000 people from their border hamlets as the authorities sounded a red alert and asked people to move to safer areas.Over 300 educational institutes along the IB and LoC in the Jammu region have been closed for the next three days by the administration in the wake of increased tension due to the shelling.On Friday, two civilians and two jawans were killed and 35 others, including three jawans, injured in heavy mortar shelling by Pakistan troops on civilian areas and outposts along the IB and LoC in Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir.On Wednesday also a BSF jawan and a teenaged girl were killed and 8 others injured in Samba and Jammu districts."Pakistan resorted to unprovoked shelling in Gajansoo area of Kanachak sector in Jammu this afternoon and shells fell in the Gajansoo bus stand in which two persons were injured," a police officer said.He added they were shifted to a hospital and one of them, 25-year-old Tarseem, died later.Pakistan Rangers also shelled forward hamlets in R S Pura, they said adding that two civilians - 17-year-old Gaura Ram of Kapur R S Pura and 45-year-old Gour Singh of Abdullian were killed and five others injured.Pakistan army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms and automatics and mortar bombs in Krishnagati sector along LoC in Poonch around 0820 hours, a defence spokesman said adding that the Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively.In the exchanges, Sepoy Mandeep Singh was injured and later succumbed to his injuries, he said.

The 23-year-old belonged to Alampur village of Sangrur district in Punjab and is survived by his father Gurnaam Singh. Pakistan Rangers resorted to heavy unprovoked shelling targeting villages along IB near Chenab river (Akhnoor) to R S Pura throughout the night. The shelling was still on when reports came this morning, a BSF officer said. Pakistan forces have been directly targeting civilian villages to cause death and destructions, he said adding that the BSF was giving them a befitting reply.
Thai police have arrested an alleged kingpin in Asia's illegal trade in endangered species, dealing a blow to family-run syndicate that smuggles elephant ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts to Chinese and Vietnamese dealers.

Boonchai Bach, 40, a Vietnamese with Thai citizenship, was arrested on Friday evening over the smuggling of 14 rhino horns worth around $1 million from Africa to Thailand.

His downfall follows the December 12 arrest of Nikorn Wongprachan, a Thai Parks and Wildlife Conservation official, at Bangkok's main airport as he attempted to smuggle the rhino horn from the quarantine section to a nearby apartment.

The horn was smuggled into Bangkok by a Chinese man who was arrested a day before on arrival from Johannesburg, South Africa.

The police sting led to Boonchai, who financed the network.

"This is a major smuggling syndicate and Boonchai is a ringleader," General Chalermkiat Srivorakan, deputy police chief, told reporters Saturday after the suspect arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport ahead of his remand.

"Boonchai admitted he was involved," Chalermkiat said, adding he faces up to four years in jail for smuggling parts of protected animals.

For years Boonchai and the Bach family are believed to operate with impunity from Nakhon Phanom in northeast Thailand, bordering Laos - linchpin players in a multimillion-dollar trade in illegal wildlife.

The town is a pivot point in Asia's wildlife trafficking chain, in part because it is the narrowest neck of land for smuggled goods to transit through Thailand, into Laos and onto Vietnam, a major market for animal parts used in traditional medicine.

Freeland, a counter-trafficking organisation which works closely with Thai police, said the Bach family are part of a sprawling Southeast Asian crime organisation dubbed "Hydra".

The Bachs have "long run the international supply chain of illicit wildlife from Asia and Africa to major dealers in Laos, Vietnam and China," Freeland said in a statement following the announcement of Boonchai's arrest.

They are believed to work alongside Vixay Keosavang, a Laotian dubbed "the Pablo Escobar of animal trafficking", who orchestrates a major wildlife trafficking ring from the Communist state, bribing officials to allow him to operate.

Laos has long been a top transit hub for smuggling wildlife products, with widespread corruption and weak law enforcement allowing the criminal activity to flourish.

China and Vietnam are among the world's biggest markets for parts from endangered or protected species including tigers, elephants, rhino and pangolins.

The traditional medicine market flourishes despite the total lack of scientific evidence as to their efficacy and government campaigns to end the trade.
Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal will meet top bosses of multinational companies like Philips, Hitachi, Hewlett Packard, Volkswagen and Siemens in Davos where he is accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union ministers for the World Economic Forum.

Finding transport and energy solutions is high on Goyal's agenda, officials close to the developments told PTI.



The officials hoped that at a time when there is growing competition among multinational corporations to get into the railway business, Goyal's interactions with the who's who of the industry will lead to investments in the national transporter.

He will speak at an interactive session where he will share the dais with Rachel Kyte, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All.

Goyal, who earlier headed the new and renewable energy ministry, has set an ambitious target to source 25 per cent of Railways' energy requirement from renewable energy sources by 2025.

At the session, he is expected to speak on India's plans to transition to alternative energy sources, partnering on energy solutions to meet climate targets and collaborating on greater efficiency through smart city designs.

Also on the schedule are discussions on energy, digital, mobility and infrastructure industries.

The railway minister will also discuss issues relating to transport and how a city space can be developed so that all modes of transport are interconnected seamlessly.

The officials said he will also be part of a workshop where private-sector leaders from mobility industries as well as policy-makers and experts will discuss the solution to the mobility challenges.

"Connecting and integrating disparate modes of transport city bus, ocean shipping, rideshare, autonomous pod, bike-share, air travel, rail to enhance the overall efficiency of the transport network and enable faster, safer, cleaner and more affordable mobility of people and goods will be discussed," a senior official said.

Goyal is also likely to have one to one meetings with Chief Executive of Japan Bank Tadashi Maeda for International Cooperation (JBIC), and Jin Liqun, president of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Beijing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he will share his vision for India's future engagements with the international community during his Davos trip, as he sought "serious attention" of world leaders on existing and emerging challenges to the contemporary global systems.

A day before his visit to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, being attended by over 70 heads of states and governments, Modi said India's engagement with the outside world in the recent years has become "truly and effectively multi-dimensional covering the political, economic, people to people, security and other spheres".

In a series of tweets with 'IndiaMeansBusiness' hashtag, he said, "At Davos, I look forward to sharing my vision for India's future engagement with the international community."



Modi, who will deliver opening plenary address at the WEF summit on Tuesday, said he is also looking forward to separate bilateral meetings with Swiss President Alain Berset and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in Davos.

"I am confident that these bilateral meetings would be fruitful and give a boost to our relations with these countries and further strengthen economic engagement," he said.

"The existing and emerging challenges to the contemporary international system and global governance architecture deserve serious attention of leaders, governments, policy makers, corporates and civil societies around the world," he tweeted.

"I look forward to my first visit to the World Economic Forum at Davos, at the invitation of India's good friend and Founder of the WEF, Professor Klaus Schwab," he said, while describing the theme of the Forum, 'Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World' as "both thoughtful and apt".

The comments assume significance in the wake of several leaders expected to talk about various risks facing the world, including those from economic protectionism and differences amongst various world powers. The summit is also being attended by US President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emannuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Theresa May, among others.

Modi will also host a dinner for global CEOs tomorrow. On Tuesday, he will interact with global business community members, besides delivering his keynote address.
PMs statement prior to his departure to Davos





Following is the text of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modis departure statement prior to his visit to Davos.

I look forward to my first visit to the World Economic Forum at Davos, at the invitation of Indias good friend and Founder of the WEF, Prof Klaus Schwab. The theme of the Forum, Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World" is both thoughtful and apt.

The existing and emerging challenges to the contemporary international system and global governance architecture deserve serious attention of leaders, governments, policy makers, corporates and civil societies around the world.

In recent years, Indias engagement with the outside world has become truly and effectively multi-dimensional covering the political, economic, people to people, security and other spheres.

At Davos, I look forward to sharing my vision for Indias future engagement with the international community.

Apart from the events for the World Economic Forum, I look forward to my separate bilateral meetings with the President of the Swiss Confederation H. E. Mr. Alain_Berset and Prime Minister of Sweden H. E. Mr. Stefan Lofven.

I am confident that these bilateral meetings would be fruitful and give a boost to our relations with these countries and further strengthen economic engagement".
President of India in Gujarat; Addresses 66th Convocation of Gujarat University





The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the 66th convocation of Gujarat University today (January 21, 2018) in Ahmedabad.

Speaking on the occasion, the President noted that Gujarat University is supporting many new entrepreneurs through its Start-up and Entrepreneurship Council". The creation of the Council of Skill Development" is also a welcome step towards empowering students. He stated that todays universities should give top priority to preparing their students for employability, and for self-employment and entrepreneurship.

The President said that there are many good institutions in Ahmedabad that promote a start-up culture. Recently, the Prime Ministers of India and Israel inaugurated the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology or iCreate in Ahmedabad. This will provide world-class facilities to young Indian entrepreneurs. The President urged students of Gujarat University to take advantage of these facilities.

Addressing the students, the President said that whatever they have received in life is not only due to their own efforts but also due to contributions from their family, well-wishers, teachers, society and the government. It is up to them to think of how they must pay back, especially to society. He urged them to think of those who had been deprived of opportunities for education and try and help their process of development.

The President said that good education should not only make students skilled but also sensitive. He said that it was natural to expect that students from Gujarat, the state of Narsee Mehta and Mahatma Gandhi, will contribute to compassion, morality and human well-being.
Gunmen killed at least five people and wounded eight in an attack on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel, an official said on Sunday, as the eleven hours-long siege continues.

"Five are dead," an official with the Afghan spy agency told AFP, adding 100 hostages have been released.

At least four gunmen attacked Kabul's landmark Intercontinental Hotel in a night-time raid and started shooting at guests and staff, officials said, in an hours-long assault that was still ongoing at the time of reporting.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack in the Afghan capital that followed a series of security warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners.

"Four attackers are inside the building," an official at the National Directorate of Security (NDS) spy agency told AFP.

They are "shooting at guests", he said.

According to local media reports, the ongoing attack has entered its eleventh hour.

Desperate guests and staff trying to escape from burning #Kabul Intercontinental Hotel as siege enters 11th hour. pic.twitter.com/MZrty8WIa3  TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) January 21, 2018

A guest hiding in a room told AFP he could hear gunfire inside the 1960s hilltop hotel where dozens of people attending an information technology conference on Sunday were staying.

"I don't know if the attackers are inside the hotel but I can hear gunfire from somewhere near the first floor," the man, who did not want to be named, said by telephone.

"We are hiding in our rooms. I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us."



His phone was switched off when AFP tried to contact him again.

Another official said the attackers were armed with small weapons and rocket-propelled grenades when they blasted their way into the hotel, which often hosts weddings, conferences, and political gatherings.

"Seven wounded people have been taken to hospital," interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP, adding two attackers have been killed.

"Some other guests have been rescued. We will be able to release casualty figures once the operation ends."



Rahimi said the first and second floors of the hotel have been secured by security forces, who are now trying to clear the fourth and fifth floors.

Special forces were being lowered by helicopters onto the rooftop of the hotel, he added.

Afghan media is reporting multiple casualties in the attack.

The fourth floor of the hotel, which boasts several restaurants and an outdoor swimming pool, had been set on fire during the raid, the NDS official said.

"The operation will soon end and the attackers will be killed," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

Authorities are already investigating how the attackers got past security which was taken over by a private company two weeks ago, Danish said.

"They probably used a back door in the kitchen to enter," he said.

Abdullah Sabet, an official at the communications and information technology ministry, said IT officials from around the country were staying at the hotel ahead of a conference today.

"There were 40 of them in the hotel. We don't know if any of them have been killed or wounded," Sabet said.

Security at the Intercontinental, which is not part of the global InterContinental chain, is relatively lax compared with other high-end hotels in Kabul.

A conference on Afghanistan-China relations was held in one of its function rooms earlier on Saturday, attended by the Chinese embassy's political counsellor Zhang Zhixin.

An AFP reporter who attended the conference passed through two vehicle security checkpoints. At the entrance to the building, there was a physical inspection that could be easily evaded by scaling a low-level barrier and entering the lobby.

Security alerts sent in recent days to foreigners living in Kabul warned that "extremist groups may be planning an attack against hotels in Kabul" as well as public gatherings and other locations "where foreigners are known to congregate".

The Intercontinental was last targeted in June 2011 when a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people, including 10 civilians.

Security in Kabul has been tightened since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 -- mostly civilians. No group has yet claimed that attack.

The Islamic State group has claimed most of the recent attacks in the Afghan capital, but authorities suspect that the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network has been involved in some of them.

The deadliest of the recent attacks happened at a Shiite cultural centre on December 29 when a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing more than 40 people.
At least 17 members of public uprising forces and a local police commander were killed when the Taliban stormed a party hall in northern Afghanistan's Balkh province on Saturday evening, according to local officials.

Sarajuddin Abid, Sholgara's district governor was quoted by Tolonews as saying, "The incident happened on Saturday night when a group of Taliban militants attacked a party in Buzboi village in the district in Balkh province and shot dead eighteen people."

According to Abid, a person who was also present at the party had alleged links with the Taliban. It was also suspected that the person left the scene before the militants attacked the party hall.

Abdul Raziq Qaderi, the head of security department of Balkh police, also confirmed the incident and casualties.

This comes hours after a suicide attack had taken place in Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel, where 18 people died, including three terrorists.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack as well.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seems like Drake's past still has some impression left on him.

The Canadian rapper recently released two new tracks and one of it speaks about his former girlfriend Jennifer Lopez.

The two tracks are titled, 'God's Plan' and 'Diplomatic Immunity', and in the second one, he raps about the 48-year-old songstress.

The lyrics go, "2010 was when I lost my halo / 2017 I lost a J. Lo / A Rotterdam trip had me on front page, though."

Drake may be referring to a January 2017 tabloid story that included photos of him with a woman having a meal at a restaurant in the Netherlands, reported E! Online.

It is not the first time. Drake earlier rapped about her in his 2017 track 'Free Smoke'. The lyrics in that said, "I drunk text J. Lo / Old numbers so I bounce back / Boy Wonder gotta bounce back."

The two dated for couple of months until early 2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday accused Centre of witchunting after 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs were disqualified from the Delhi Assembly for holding the 'office of profit'.

"First they lodged false cases against 20 of our MLAs then they conducted CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) raids on me. When they did not find anything, they disqualified our 20 MLAs," said Arvind Kejriwal in Najafgarh.

After the disqualification, the AAP still has 46 MLAs in the 70-member assembly, 11 more than the halfway-mark.

Knowing this calculation, the Delhi CM tweeted, "It is God's grace that we secured 67 seats out of 70 in the Delhi Assembly polls. Probably he knew that after three years these people would declare 20 of our MLAs disqualified."

Earlier in the day, President Ram Nath Kovind approved a recommendation by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to oust the AAP MLAs from Delhi Assembly.

Initially, the petition was directed at 21 MLAs, but one MLA, named Jarnail Singh, resigned to contest in the Punjab elections last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A person was taken into police custody on Saturday after a massive fire broke out at a firecracker unit in outer Delhi's Bawana industrial area killing 17 people and injuring two.

According to Rohini Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta, a case has been registered and a co-owner of the unit, Manoj Jain, was apprehended.

"Manoj Jain has been apprehended. As per the information, the two partners were there. Manoj Jain and Lalit Goel. It is to be verified whether they are the owners or have taken the premises on rent," he said.

The industrial area recorded three fires on Saturday - the first around 4 pm in a carpet manufacturing company in Sector 1, the second in the firecracker unit in Sector 5, and the third in Sector 3 at 7.30pm.

"We had received three calls. One was from 3:55 at Sector 1 from a carpet manufacturing company, the second was at 6:20 from bomb storage factory and third was at 7:35 from Sector 3," said GC Mishra director, fire department.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered an inquiry into the fire while announcing an ex-gratia of Rs.5 lakhs to the family of the deceased and Rs. 1 lakh to injured.

Delhi industries minister Satyendar Jain also took congnisance of the tragedy and tweeted, "Learnt about a serious fire incident in a private factory at Bawana. Several casualties. Monitoring the situation. Have ordered an enquiry."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over it and said, "My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. May those who are injured recover quickly.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)